From a non-dual perspective, what does Jesus mean when he says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me?”

When viewed through the lens of Tantric Shaivism, the injunction to deny oneself and take up a cross transforms from a moral commandment into an ontological description of liberation. The statement outlines a transition from a contracted, localized sense of identity to the recognition of the nature of being itself.

In the Shaivite tradition, the limited self is the constructed ego that identifies solely with a specific body, mind, and historical narrative. Denying this self does not imply psychological repression or moral asceticism. Rather, denying the constructed identity signifies a clear seeing of the limited self as a temporary appearance rather than an absolute reality. The contracted ego is recognized as a specific localization of a much wider field of awareness. To deny the self is to stop taking the localized viewpoint as the totality of existence, allowing identity to relax back into the supreme subjectivity.

Relaxing into this wider awareness does not entail escaping the physical form. The cross functions as a symbol of embodiment, marking the intersection between the vertical axis of eternal awareness and the horizontal axis of time and sensation. Tantric Shaivism views the material world not as a trap to be escaped, but as the dynamic expression of supreme consciousness. Taking up the cross represents the willingness to fully accept the density and friction inherent in physical manifestation. Instead of attempting to transcend human experience, a practitioner fully inhabits the sensory and emotional reality of the present moment. Such an embrace allows the various aspects of existence to be digested and recognized as manifestations of divine expression.

When the scripture speaks of following the teacher, a nondual framework interprets the instruction as an invitation to align with the Logos or universal awareness. In Kashmir Shaivism, this universal presence is the supreme reality, the undivided light of consciousness. Following this presence means remaining anchored in the reality of awareness, rather than getting lost in the passing stream of thoughts and sensations. The seeker’s journey becomes one of continuous return, releasing the contracted narrative to rest in the immediacy of being. ●