Kundalini Splendor

Each stage of the spiritual journey has its own challenges and rewards. The first, which I think of as the time of "Exploration." is often quite delightful. All the information one encounters, all the wisdom dispensed by spiritual teachers, is fresh and exciting. On may discover an entire system that explains everything. Chances are that this system, or even its individual insights, are well known to others more advanced.

Aldous Huxley's book "The Perennial Philosophy" explains this phenomenon quite well. There are certain fundamental truths common to virtually all spiritual perspectives. Each presents them in its own way, with its own special vocabulary and its own categories of thought. In Zen Buddhism, this early stage--of search and discovery--leads to a new way of seeing the world, called "Beginner's Mind." In Christian tradition, the convert is said to be "Born Again" into a new vision of reality.

The beginner is excited and thrilled by these unfamiliar insights, and often even sight itself is affected as the brain balances right and left. Colors may appear brighter, odors more pungent--it is as if the world has been newly created for the benefit of the initiate/convert. It is an exciting time, but it can be demanding, as one begins to reconstruct the past way of seeing into a novel framework.

I think of the next stage as one of integration. During this period, one sifts through the many messages one has received from various sources. Perhaps reading has opened doors to understanding, or the words of a great master strike home in a special way. One sifts and selects, seeking a deeper understanding, sorting the "wheat" from the "chaff." All of this can lead, ultimately, to a coherent view, an integrated sense of underlying meanings of things that were, earlier, difficult to comprehend. (For those undergoing Kundalini awakening,this stage is supremely important, since one's world has literally be turned upside down in a sometimes disconcerting way.)

The final stage I call Reflection. All the events of the past life come up for review, to be seen in new perspectives, revealing the underlying patterns and themes that shaped the life. The inner journey is understood in a new light. Now most of the drama of the early times has passed, life has settled into a comfortable pattern of response to now familiar stimuli. This stage lacks the excitement and passion of the opening sequences, but it offers instead a gentle way of "being in the world." One of the problems is that by now, much of what is presented in workshops and new publications (ideas which excite and inspire others) falls into the category of "been there, done that." The basic concepts are already familiar, the experiences no longer novel.

Now, one become the mentor or guide for those moving at earlier stages of the path. One seeks ways to "give back," either through activity or a sharing of inner wisdom.

However, even now, the practice continues to deepen and surprise. Subjective issues, once so pressing, are all but laid to rest. One discovers that there is no end to ways of "being with the divine." Kundalini ecstasy often reappears unexpectedly, like an old lover dropping by for a visit. The subtle body continues to move into higher and higher levels of vibration. One realizes that the the personal evolution of consciousness continues unabated. The rest of the time, one feels at peace with the soul, knowing that the journey is all but complete, the assignment fulfilled, the life redeemed through repeated commitment and dedication.



"We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity,
For a further union, a deeper communion."
T. S. Eliot