If you are interested in the esoteric dimension of spirituality, Shaivism and Sri Vidya offer elements of Gnosticism that energize the mind and fulfill the soul.
The holy number five is particularly relevant in Shaivism. The panchakshara (five-syllabled) mantra Na-ma-shi-vaa-ya is one of many indications of how highly revered this number is for adherents of the tradition.
Many Shavite priests in our native Tamilnadu are trained in the Krishna Yajur Veda Shaka, which includes the Taiterreya Upanishad, which first introduced the gnostic teaching of The Five Koshas. The koshas are sheaths that make up a conscious reality.
Yoga teachers learn about the Koshas in their training, but their knowledge is often limited as they do not really study the source, the Upanishad. The Upanishads are the quintessential secret teachings of gnostic Hinduism, also a profound form of mysticism.
You do not need to be a yoga person to appreciate esoteric spirituality. Shaivism is full of esoteric depth and beauty. At its core, this type of Gnosticism is at once metaphysical and mystical.
Shaivism differs from Shaktism, Brahminism, and Vaishnavism, which have Gnostic practices. In Shaivite mysticism, Shiva has five mystical aspects and five mystical faces. The number five is quite substantial in this methodology.
In Shaivism, the number five is directly associated with Shiva. Shiva is both a personal God and a gnostic experience, a dimension of consciousness. That aspect of Shiva is at the heart of esoteric spirituality.
