Stop Becoming; Start Being: Vasugupta’s Sutras of Liberation

 The world is obsessed with becoming—becoming successful, spiritual, enlightened, better, more. But what if the highest liberation is not in becoming anything… but in being fully, fearlessly, and freely what you already are?

This is the thunderous whisper of Vasugupta’s Shiva Sutras: “The Real is not reached through effort; it is realized through awareness.”

In a world of constant upgrades, Kashmiri Shaivism drops the ultimate truth bomb: you are not incomplete. The Self is not a seed waiting to grow into something else. It is a living flame, hidden by layers of mind-identification, cultural programming, and the addiction to self-improvement.

 

The Liberation Beyond Effort

Vasugupta does not deny the power of practices, but he throws a curveball at the practitioner: “Who is the doer of this practice?”

The Shiva Sutras do not guide you to "fix yourself." They reveal that the one trying to fix you is the illusion.

The more you chase becoming spiritual, the further you go from the truth. Why? Because the chaser is rooted in lack, and truth lives in completeness.

You are Shiva—not symbolically, not metaphorically. Literally.
Not a part of him. Not a spark.
You are the whole fire.

 

Becoming Is the Ego’s Disguise

Your desire to become better is the ego’s clever strategy to survive. It wants to keep moving the goalpost. It says, “You’ll be free… when you meditate more, when you chant more, when you learn more.” But Vasugupta flips the table: Freedom is not a destination. It is your starting point.

In this framework, every moment is sacred. There are no special states. No spiritual high score. No advanced yogi badge.

It is not about becoming the best version of yourself. It’s about seeing that you were never a version to begin with. You are pure Awareness.

 

Divergent Insight: Awareness is Not an Experience

Here’s the shocker: Awareness is not something you feel. It’s what you ARE, even when you’re not feeling spiritual.

You could be angry, jealous, bored, or scrolling through cat memes—Awareness remains untouched.

This is where Vasugupta goes nuclear on conventional spirituality:
The “real you” is not found in temples or mountaintops—it’s behind your thoughts right now, watching, waiting, whispering:

“Stop becoming. Start being.”

 

🧰 Practical Toolkit: Embodying ‘Being’ in Daily Life

1. 3-Second Presence Pauses
   Every time you reach for your phone, pause. Feel your breath. Notice the Awareness behind the impulse. Repeat: “I am already here.”
2. Identity Strip Journaling
   Write down 5 things you believe about yourself. Now cross them all out. Sit with what remains: the Observer.
3. Do-Nothing Minutes
   Schedule 3–5 minutes a day where you do absolutely nothing. No phone, no thoughts to chase. Just BE. This resets the nervous system and reconnects you to Shiva within.
4. Mirror Shiva Practice
   Stand before a mirror. Gaze deeply. Whisper: “I am That.” Watch what arises. Watch who watches what arises.
5. Unbecoming Mantra
   Silently repeat: “Not this, not that. I am.” Use this when caught in drama or overthinking.

 

Final Word

Spirituality isn’t an upgrade. It’s a download—of everything you’ve been running from. Vasugupta’s Sutras aren’t maps to help you arrive; they are mirrors that shatter the illusion of the journey.

Stop reaching.

Stop fixing.

Start being.
Because you already are.

🕉️