Love That Liberates

A Reflection on Swami Turiyananda’s Letter No. 68 from the vision of Kashmir Shaivism

Some letters are remembered for their length, others for the breadth of ideas they contain.

Swami Turiyananda’s Letter No. 68 is remarkable for the opposite reason. It is so brief that one could easily read it in a minute, yet it carries a truth that may take a lifetime to realise.

Writing to Shri Baburam Maharaj, Swami Turiyananda urges him to pray for the welfare and peace of others. He observes that such prayer becomes a means of breaking the bondage of the world.

At first glance, the advice appears simple. Yet beneath its simplicity lies a profound understanding of the human heart.

Our recent contemplations have traced an inner pilgrimage.

Through japa, the restless mind gradually found its way to the heart. Mahāmāyā, whom we often mistake for the veil, revealed Herself as the compassionate guide who leads the seeker from misrecognition to recognition. This letter now reveals the natural flowering of that journey.

An awakened heart cannot remain self-centred. It begins to pray.

Prayer, in this sense, is not merely asking God for favours. It is the spontaneous movement of love beyond the boundaries of one’s own individuality.

When the heart prays for the peace of another, it quietly loosens the grip of the ego. The centre of life…