Kundalini Splendor

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Kundalini Internet Resources and Books 


The following list of Kundalini resources seems to be particularly helpful. As always, approach any source with caution, and accept only what is helpful for you.

The list is taken from http://www.spiritualcrisisnetwork.org.uk/kundalini.htm
This site includes several other sections on spiritual awakening well worth exploring.

The Spiritual Crisis Network lists the following specific resources related to Kundalini as websites and books that some members (who have experienced Kundalini) have found useful. Further information on kundalini can also be found in chapters of some of the general books on Spiritual Emergency, listed on the Spiritual Crisis Network Resources webpage.

The SCN does not specifically recommend any particular website or book listed here as information to members. It is important to recognise that what information one person finds helpful, another may find unhelpful and that what may help to ‘ground’ the energies of Kundalini in one individual, may actually activate Kundalini in another and possibly further increase ‘symptoms’.

It is important to use your own discretion and discernment when viewing any website or reading any book related to Kundalini and to seek professional advice and support where appropriate. The SCN specifically does not recommend any practices aimed at the activation of Kundalini as Kundalini energies can be overwhelming to many who experience it. Please take care of yourselves.

The Spiritual Crisis Network welcomes any suggestions for additional resources that individuals have found particularly helpful regarding Kundalini Awakening and Spiritual Emergency. If you would like to suggest a specific resource to be added to the list, please email us at info (at) spiritualcrisisnetwork.org.uk

Websites

http://adishakti.org/subtle_system/kundalini.htm - A webpage on Kundalini Awakening from the spiritual perspective of Shri Adi Shakti;

http://biologyofkundalini.com - A comprehensive website, detailing some definitions and ‘symptomology’ of Kundalini and giving information on Kundalini from a spectrum of perspectives, including ‘Spiritual Awakening’ and also the Biology/Physiology of Kundalini;

http://www.crystalinks.com/kundalini.html - An interesting website on Kundalini Awakening with information as well as some visual imagery and symbols associated with Kundalini Awakening, including a visual animation of Kundalini-shakti rising through the spine, up to and through the ‘Crown Chakra’;

http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kundalini-faq.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening by Kurt Keutzer with answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and detailing ‘Selected References’;

http://www.elcollie.com/st/st.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from ‘Shared Transformation’, including Chapters 1-15 of El Collie’s book ‘Branded by the Spirit’, on her own experience of Kundalini Awakening, which was unfinished when she died in April 2002;

http://www.icrcanada.org/ - Another interesting website by the Institute for Consciousness Research, inspired by the Work and Experience of Gopi Krishna, with Research, Articles, books and a Newsletter;

http://www.internetguides.com/blackboard/lessons/types/kundalinitype.htm - A useful webpage specifically on ‘Spiritual Emergency Type Kundalini Awakening’;

http://kundalinicare.com/services2.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of The Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care organisation which provides PKYC books, services and Spiritual Guidance;

http://www.kundalini-gateway.org/index.html - The Kundalini-Gateway website includes an email list, for the free-exchange of information, advice and friendship for those experiencing Kundalini Awakening. It includes Member essays, Poetry and Art Work in addition to information on ‘symptoms’ and Member experiences;

http://www.kundaliniguide.com - A website on Kundalini Awakening by Bonnie Greenwell PhD in the USA, including a Kundalini Research Network, a link to her question and answer blog and a ‘Consulting and Email Service’;

http://www.kundaliniresearch.org/index.php - An interesting website of the Kundalini Research Foundation in the USA, which is initiating a large-scale research project into Kundalini Phenomena. The website includes Articles and Publications;

http://kundalini-support.com - A website on ‘Kundalini, Survival & Support’ by Bob Boyd with Forums, a ‘Survival Guide’ and Resources;

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/ormus/orm_kundalini.htm - A short webpage with information on Kundalini Awakening and its ‘symptoms’;

http://lingerinthelight.com/index.html#.html - A biographical account by Didi Laru on Kundalini Awakening which includes reference to certain medical conditions as well as articles, poetry and meditations;

http://www.mudrashram.com/kundalinitalk.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of Mudrashram Institute of Spiritual Studies, detailing a talk given by George Boyd at ‘Babaji’s Parliament of Yoga and World Religions on 19 December 1992;

http://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/ An interesting webpage (and artist’s image) on ‘phosphenes’- a word for a common experience during Kundalini Awakening of the non-ordinary perception of ‘inner lights’ seen through the inner/third eye (NB, you might have to google ‘phosphenes’ to get this page);

http://shalomplace.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=4 - An interesting website from the perspective of Kundalini and Christianity with an online audio series on A Christian Understanding of the Chakra System. The author also runs a discussion forum, including a quite lively debate on kundalini and spiritual emergency;

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/# - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of the ancient teachings of Tantra and Kundalini yoga, including an interesting ‘Sri Yantra’, illustrating the Ascent of Kundalini;

http://www.thesoulsjourney.com/indexb.html - A website by Lawrence Edwards PhD, author of ‘The Soul’s Journey – Guidance from the Divine Within’ (listed under ‘Books’ below) and the founder of the non-profit organisation, ‘Anam Cara’, (http://www.anamcara-ny.org/). Lawrence wrote his doctoral thesis on ‘the extraordinary effects of Kundalini’ and established a Kundalini Support webpage (http://www.kundalinisupport.org) with answers to commonly asked questions and additional resources. Lawrence runs courses and workshops and is available for telephone consultations from people the UK. An email-newsletter is also available.

Books

The following books are listed as specific books on Kundalini. In addition, some of the general books on Spiritual Emergency listed in the general Resources page of this website [click here to return to the Spiritual Emergency Resources page] also have useful chapters on Kundalini.

Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), The Serpent Power – The Secrets of Tantric and Shakti Yoga, Dover, 1974; A comprehensive book on both the philosophical and mythological nature of Kundalini, the yoga and esoteric anatomy associated with it, the chakras or psychic centres in the human body and their progressive awakening.

Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga, Lotus Press, 2005; A collection of letters from Sri Aurobindo, one of the foremost Indian philosophers and mystics of the twentieth century, on spiritual matters including Kundalini and an evolution of Consciousness which is spiritual and supramental.

Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D., The Soul’s Journey: Guidance from the Divine Within, Writer’s Showcase, 2000; Part biographical, Lawrence Edwards Ph.D. describes his own initiation into the mysteries of the Goddess Kundalini, whose vision he saw in meditation. Lawrence writes a number of spiritual stories as revealed to him by the Goddess Kundalini with a depth-psychological commentary after each story. In particular, Ascent to Union is a beautiful spiritual analogy of the inner journey of Kundalini through the Chakras to Union with the Divine.

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D, Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process, Shakti River Press, 1995; An accessible and well respected guide, based on Bonnie Greenwell’s own experience as well as the accounts of others. She explores the mythology and various concepts around Kundalini energy, including the subtle body and Chakra system. In particular, Bonnie helpfully categorises the different types of experiences that can arise and their relationship with western physiology.

Gopi Krishna, Kundalini – The Evolutionary Energy in Man (with psychological commentary by James Hillman), Shambhala, 1997; A classic first-person account of Kundalini Awakening by the Indian-householder-turned-spiritual-teacher, Gopi Krishna with psychological commentary by James Hillman which lends an additional western depth-psychological perspective to Gopi Krishna’s process. It is very honestly written, revealing Gopi Krishna’s transformational struggle to find balance amidst a variety of inner experiences and powerful psychological side effects including mood swings, eating disorders and agonizing sensations of heat.

Gopi Krishna, Living with Kundalini, Shambhala, 1993; Gopi Krishna’s complete autobiography, with additional material to that contained inKundalini – The Evolutionary Energy in Man.

Gopi Krishna, Ancient Secrets of Kundalini, UBS Publishers’ Distributors Ltd., 2002; A clearly written description of the process of Kundalini Awakening and its associated non-ordinary states of consciousness, with commentary on the specific yoga sutra on Kundalini, thePanchastavi, as well as links to modern science.

Gopi Krishna, Kundalini – Path to Higher Consciousness, Orient Paperbacks, 2005; Another autobiographical account by Gopi Krishna.

Gopi Krishna, The Awakening of Kundalini, Institute for Consciousness Research and Kundalini Research Foundation Ltd., 2001;Another recommended book by Gopi Krishna, based on his research into Kundalini. Gopi Krishna questions whether meditation is always beneficial.

Genevieve Lewis Paulson, Kundalini and the Chakras – Evolution in this Lifetime – A Practical Guide, Llewellyn, 2006; An interesting and practical book on Kundalini and the Chakra system, including some colourful illustrations of the rise of Kundalini through the Chakras and the descent of Kundalini into the subtle aura.

Mary Lutyens, Krishnamurti – The Years of Awakening, John Murrey, 1975; An interesting biographical account of what the famous Indian spiritual teacher, Krishnamurti, called his ‘years of Awakening’.

Lee Sannella, M.D., Kundalini – Psychosis or Transcendence?, H. S. Dakin Company, 1977; A groundbreaking work by the psychiatrist Lee Sanella M.D. who records fifteen medical case studies of patients undergoing Kundalini Awakening. Sanella argues the case that Kundalini Awakening is not a ‘psychotic episode’ but a psychophysiological transformation process.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Kundalini Tantra, Bihar School of Yoga, Bhargava Bhushan Press, 1996; A comprehensive book on Kundalini Tantra and the Chakras from the perspective of Swami Satyananda Saraswati and the Bihar School of Yoga. The book contains colour illustrations of (and a chapter on) each Chakra.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Taming the Kundalini, Yoga Publications Trust, 2002; This book is a collection of letters from Swami Satyananda Saraswati to a Disciple on spiritual matters including Kundalini and explained in a personal way.

Sri Jaideva Singh, Siva Sutras – The Yoga of Supreme Identity, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Limited, 2006; Siva Sutras are considered to be a revealed book of the yoga – the supreme identity of the individual self with the Divine through Kundalini. It is an esoteric book from the yoga tradition of India with an interesting glossary of Indian Sanskrit terms. (I recommend this book most highly for anyone seeking to explore and connect with the ancient teachings of this tradition--and I feel they ring true today.)

Sri Jaideva Singh, Spanda-Karikas – The Divine Creative Pulsation, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Limited, 2005; A commentary on theSiva Sutras which may be of interest to those who enjoy esoteric discussion of yogic texts on Kundalini. (One of my favorite books--get the edition from NYU Press with intro by Paul Muller-Ortega. Should be available from Amazon.)

Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga, The Divine Life Society, 2005; An interesting and classic book by Swami Sivananda (who founded the well-known Sivananda Yoga Centres world-wide) on the Essence of Kundalini Yoga, with illustrations of the various Chakras and an interesting pull-out chart on the Chakras and their corresponding shapes, colours, locations and other qualities and functions.

Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality (2nd Ed), Contemplative Ministries Inc, 2004; An interesting book on Kundalini from a Christian perspective with comparisions from Hindu theology and the Chakra system. Philip St. Romain considers the ‘Bright Night of Kundalini’ to the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ in Christian mysticism and the ‘transforming power of Grace’.

Robert E. Svoboda, Kundalini, Brotherhood of Life Inc., 2006; Explores the process of Kundalini Awakening from the mystical yoga tantra traditions, including the chakras, nadis, mantras and illustrated yantras.

Dorothy Walters, Unmasking the Rose – A Record of a Kundalini Initiation (with Foreward by Andrew Harvey), Hampton Roads, 2002;An autobiography by Dorothy Walters who describes her own Kundalini Awakening which began in her fifties and which took ten years to fully assimilate. Of particular interest is the variety of psychic experiences that Dorothy has had and her reliance on her inner guide, ‘the solitary voice within’ throughout the extremes of her process of Awakening. (Actually, this process continues even into the present, as described on the blog. Kundalini bliss was a major feature of her experience, although she struggled with negative symptoms as well. Her major realization was that we (as ego form) do not exist but are contained in the supreme Whole.)

White Eagle, On Divine Mother – The Feminine, & The Mysteries, White Eagle Publishing Trust, 2004; An interesting book on Kundalini in the context of the creative power of the Divine Mother with specific reference to the Egyptian Mysteries as well as a Gnostic Christian perspective on Kundalini from White Eagle’s teachings of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

Spiritual Crisis Network (SCN) provides information to those affected by spiritual crisis, their carers and support professionals. Information is provided in good faith, but does not constitute a recommendation as to suitability – you must make your own assessment of its appropriateness, and seek conventional medical advice as necessary. We like to respond to emails within 7 days but sometimes it takes longer than this. SCN is a charity exempt from registration with the UK Charity Commission. SCN is a company limited by guarantee (company no 41067556; registered in England & Wales; registered office: 2-6 Cannon St, London, EC4M 6YH, UK). Please post any correspondence to PO Box 303, Stroud, GL6 1BF, UK.8

(Image found on Google)


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day of Bliss (poem and some reflections) 



Day of Bliss

May the Energies of the Universe
flow through me.
May the sweetness of the gods
touch my lips.
May the strength of the guardians
come into my veins.
May I dwell in purity and love
always.
May I offer all I have
to that which lives
inside and outside
of who I am.

Dorothy Walters
September 29, 2010

A few minutes ago, I ran across the entry below on my computer while I was looking for something else. I wrote it sometime in the past, but it seemed especially appropriate for today (which was, in fact, a day of extreme bliss, first in silence, then listening to music on my computer), so I am reprinting it here. Last night I attended a presentation by a renowned yoga teacher, and felt only gentle bliss currents flow--today, the "holdover" effect was very pronounced, and the sensations were rapturous.

About Bliss: Some Things I Have Learned



What is bliss? Where does it come from? How does it manifest?


Over the years (almost thirty, to be exact) I have experienced a great deal of bliss (as well as pain). I have given bliss much thought. Here are a few of the things I have observed along the way (based on my own experience).


First, bliss is a very tricky word. For some, it means simple happiness or contentment—perhaps even a kind of cosmic consciousness in which one feels connected to the All in a state of serenity. In the latter state, some yogis apparently lose all consciousness of the outer world and are totally immersed in their inner experience.


For me, bliss is something which is felt in the body. Now, already there is a problem with definitions, since there are, in fact, many “bodies.” I feel it in the physical body, but more importantly, I feel it in the energy body, the sheath which I think of as an electromagnetic field which surrounds the physical form. This sheath utilizes the physical substance of the familiar material body to convey its impulses. Everyone has such a sheath. The difference is that after kundalini is awakened we can (perhaps) feel what is going on there, as well as what is happening deep within the physical self. Sometimes we can feel this bliss even by “stroking our aura” (running the hand near but not touching the skin itself.)


Bliss can be felt in many ways. Sometimes it is like a streaming flow of pleasure running perhaps through the arms or elsewhere, enlivening with joy certain places more than others. Sometimes it is a concentrated feeling of absolute rapture located more in a particular place (say, a chakra such as the root (base) or the heart or head.) Bliss is vibration, but it is more than a simple “buzzing” or sensation of heat (though kundalini itself may include these.) Bliss can occur in unexpected places, such as the inside of your head, or the inner ear or the ridge around your eyes. It can manifest anywhere in your system, and can be intense or subtle.


One of the common misconceptions about bliss is that it can be induced through practice and concentration. But I have known yogis who did extremely disciplined routines of all kinds for years, and never felt the bliss. I have known many other people who have suddenly, for no apparent reason, been swept into a torrent of rapture, bliss filling their beings like nectar flowing.


Another misconception (I think) is that a teacher who talks of bliss (or vibration) really knows the meaning of what it is. I have noted that many teachers of yoga (particularly in the West) have never been touched by bliss. Certain ancient systems don’t even acknowledge that it exists, particularly those which preach abstinence as a way to enlightenment. Some teachers dismiss the “bliss waves” as fiction, stating that the ancient texts speak only of energy which is “hot, or cold, or like electricity.” (Other texts say quite the opposite.) The current fad of “kundalini yoga” doesn’t necessarily produce either kundalini or bliss states, though it is good exercise.


Other systems, such as esoteric Tibetan Buddhism or Kashmiri Shaivism do acknowledge bliss. Their practices (including sound, movement, chant, mantra and such) seem (to me) to be aimed at the arousal of bliss states (shakti), or to release the feelings within.


Bliss, to me, is “god moving through your body” (as a gifted psychic once explained to me). It is the signature of the divine. It tells us that we are part and parcel of an ocean of love, we and it are one. To be “awakened” is to know this truth as actuality, rather than theory.


Thus, I am puzzled when certain teachers say of bliss, “If you are lucky, you will get over it,” or warn you not to focus on the bliss lest you get distracted from the “real goal.” What is the “real goal” if not to merge with this vast sea of love in its highest expression, to be infused with the infinite real? And bliss itself can act as the teacher, leading you from level to level, stage to stage as your process unfolds.


Such feelings of rapture or ecstasy need not be defended or even explained. They simply are, irrefutable facts of experience, and, for me, all the evidence I need of divine connection.


Bliss is not one thing. It differs for each person, and for every person over time. Some females actually experience spontaneous orgasm when bliss first awakens. This has not been my experience. Years ago, my bliss came on like a marching band carrying me to states of intense, totally rapturous feeling. Today it is gentle, soft—something which can be felt at times just by moving the eyes or softly flexing the fingers. This is subtle bliss, not as dramatic as the earlier forms, yet infinitely pleasurable. Often I feel it as soft energy flows in the hands and arms or around the head. It still feels like a stunning affirmation of who “I” am (not a separate being, but a tiny part of something vast and infinitely real but which I can’t define.)


My bliss is very shy. Often when I am in the presence of certain teachers or devotional practitioners, my bliss will retreat within, and I will feel little or nothing during the public experience. But when I listen to sacred music or practice chanting at home, when I bow to the image on my tongka, above all when I enter a shifted state of consciousness, the bliss will return. Again and again this happens. Again and again, I am told “I am you.” But do not exist in a perpetual state of “bliss consciousness.” Only when I am prepared to enter a totally devotional mood, to receive fully this token of love, does bliss come. And, once I leave the meditational state and go about the business of the day, the bliss retreats. I am now in a very different form of consciousness.


I think that maybe this experience is so totally sacred, so completely esoteric, that it can be discovered only in the most intimate of circumstances, that is, when you are totally alone with the “Beloved Within.” The public setting precludes the private response. So, for me, as always, I need not go abroad to find what I am seeking. I already have it at home in my living room.


The final question, of course, is how, then, can we all experience such bliss? I wish I had the answer. It is one of the great ironies that this great gift cannot really be shared or given to another (at least not by me.) It seems that the “inner divine” chooses its own time and circumstances to manifest. In the meantime, we can, I think, prepare ourselves for that moment which might arrive.


We can prepare by putting our lives in order, by addressing our issues (whether psychological or physical)’ by studying and progressing on the spiritual path through the wisdom of others, whether from books or actual contact (and we will respond to these in a very selective fashion—we will exercise caution, not give away our power or minds to anyone else, no matter how renowned); by being grateful for those times of joy and epiphany which are granted to us. And we will ask for guidance within, to be led to those levels of experience appropriate for us at this stage of our development. And, perhaps most important, we will choose to do whatever we can to make this world a better place. That, I think, more than anything else, is likely to take us to what we seek, bliss.


Dorothy Walters


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Her Face (poem by Peggy Wrenn) 


Her Face

Here she is,
her kind, curious
eyes penetrating
her big octagonal
glasses framed in
gold jewels

Knitted hat hugging
her bright skull,
letting wisps
of silver hair
escape, curling
along the contours
of her neck.

Her clear, intelligent eyes
recognizing me
as someone she
might have loved
a girl she roomed with
in graduate school

Just this and I feel
more loved than ever
more recognized

And she is smiling,
letting sunlight
glint off her eyes,
her mouth open
reading poetry
glad, wry, laughing
as if she knows
a secret hidden
from the world
that she will
gladly give to me.

Peggy Wrenn

Monday, September 27, 2010

Patricia's latest portfolio 


Patricia's latest portfolio ( called "The Space Between") focuses on children. We see them in moments of delight, times of reflection--all the typical moods and responses of children.

It is a delightful collection. In times of distress (such as our own), many artists focus on the "shadow" rather than the sunshine, some apparently feeling that dealing with positive subjects is somehow an evasion of the "real world." But delight is also part of the "real world" and to ignore it is to offer an incomplete picture of the universe.

Certainly, we need such life affirming projects from the artists among us. Check out these photos for an experience of true affirmation, a reminder that children of all places and all times are sources of inspiration and joy.

Patricia's site is: http://www.patricialaydorsey.com

And--while you are there, check out her other portfolios as well, especially "Just Another Married Couple," a fascinating portrait of the daily lives of two male partners whose lives have been linked for many years. Their daily activities are much the same as those of any other couple--washing the dog, for example. Patricia created this series to help counteract all the negative propaganda put forth by some sources during the debate over gay marriage.

Another one of special interest (and fun) is called "The Blue Mirror," consisting of images of people viewing themselves in the mirror, a truly creative project.

Some writers see a connection between Kundalini and creativity, and Patricia's work seems to validate this theory.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

More on Ramakrishna 



Here are some passages from Lex Hixon's "Great Swan" which seemed to me to bear special relevance for those undergoing the Kundalini process. Obviously, Ramakrishna (like certain other great saints) was in the state of bliss or ecstasy at all times. He is a major example of that state of consciousness that most of us can experience only intermittently, if at all.

  1. Ramakrishna: My dear friends, when you hear one of the glorious Divine Names--be it Allah, Tara, Krishna, or whichever revealed Name is closest to your heart--if tears of ecstasy come spontaneously to your eyes or if the sensation of weeping springs forth secretly in your heart, if your skin tingles and your breath catches, this is authentic confirmationthat you are awakening. Then you no longer need to emphasize religious ceremonies or contemplative exercises, because what they exist to generate will remain constantly vibrant in the depth of your awareness. You will not have to renounce the formalities of religion. Formality of every kind will simply disappear from your being....Even the Divine Name...most intimate to you will eventually disappear, and you will commune directly with the One Reality...You will experience then only a subtle resonance or a delicate radiance.

*******


Hixon on Ramakrishna: (He has) a body so tender that it can be cut by a sharp piece of bread, a body so sensitive that it manifests the pain of someone being beaten or even of new grass being trampled, a body so refined that it experiences a strange burning sensation at the touch of conventional objects such as coins ornewspapers, a body so pure that it cannot even drink water drawn by someone of negative character. . .


(Many of us who undergo Kundalini awakening become so sensitive to outer stimuli that it becomes almost impossible to live in the "ordinary" world. Sound, light, confusion, and above all negativity of all kinds are intolerable to the senses. At the same time, one's connection to the subtle realms of thought and feeling becomes ever more refined.)


******************


Hixon: ...his original woman teacher. . . opened to him the full range of mystical relationships between the soul and its Lord--as Divine Friend, Divine Child, and Divine Lover.


(When Kundalini awakens, it is indeed often as if the "Divine Lover Within" manifests and literally woos and embraces the subtle body in inexplicable ways. At other times, the Mystery acts more like a friend, who nourishes and supports the human subject. And the devotee may display a divine innocence, quite childlike in its expression.)


********************


Hixon: "When sacramental wine is passed around, “the wine bowl never touches his lips...(he simply says the word for wine) ,and this throws him into sublime absorption.”


(Many with awakened Kundalini possess similar powers. For example, some can simply hold a medicine or herbal preparation and know instantly if that is right for them. And most cannot tolerate alcohol or other stimulants--even coffee is taboo for many. It is very difficult to persuade doctors that one operates at that level of sensitivity. For this reason, initiates often simply cut the pill in two or take less than the prescribed amount of the remedy, lest they "overdose".)


Hixon: Ramakrishna needs simply to envision within his own subtle body the blissful unio of Shiva and Shakti, the masculine and feminine energies of transcendence and immanence, in order to enter samadhi, thre total absorption of body, mind, heart, soul,and spirit in the One Reality that he calls akhanda satchidananda--indivisible Being, Consciousness,and Bliss. When anyone asks R. to become his or her religious guide, or guru, he invariably replies: “Satchidananda is the one and only guru.”


(Envisioning the god and goddess (Shiva and Shakti) in union is a traditional Tantric practice for awakening and raising the Kundalini to the crown. I am familiar with this exercise, since this is how my Kundalini originally opened, on the first try. However, I can no longer replicate these early results. And in truth, I have no desire to follow Ramakrishna's example. I feel that my assignment is to be in the world in order to be of service, rather than secluding myself in a state of perpetual rapture--should that even be possible. He lived in a different time and culture, when other choices were appropriate.)


(picture of Ramakrishna is from Google)













Saturday, September 25, 2010

Autumn (poem) 


Autumn

Another year withdrawing,
the trees defiant
in their final rich beauty,
flaring forth in bold splendor--
ocher, indigo, scarlet flame--
like haughty dames
knowing their time
is over,
dressing in all their finery
for one last fling,
one brazen farewell
to a world they know will soon forget
their names, their faces,
their triumphs,
yet promising return,
vowing,
Next year, see
how I will come
again,
how I will be fresh and new,
crisp as apples newly
harvested,
glistening as melon
waiting to be
plucked from the vine.


Dorothy Walters
September 24, 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

When the Candles 


When the Candles

What I have to tell you
you may have heard before.
But not in these framed syllables,
these whispered resonant tones.

Mine is a voice that gathers
from all those
who have gone before.
Their throaty murmurings,
their pleas and declarations,
those who sheltered
in the high places
and those who lived
in caves.

Their words fashioned
my cells,
mingled with the currents
that flowed
in my veins.

Like them, I know
the language
of longing,
the vocabulary
of desire
for the One,
the Ever Present,
the face in the mirror
when the candles
have all gone out.

Dorothy Walters
September 24, 2010

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Light and Shadow 




Recently, I drove into the mountains to see if the aspen were turning. As you may know, the area west of Boulder recently suffered a devastating fire--this was the area we crossed to get to our destination. We saw destruction everywhere--homes left with only foundations and chimneys remaining, cars now blackened shells--even a fire truck and several school busses were transformed to dark skeletons.

But--after we passed through this area of desolation, we came to the aspen, luminous in their autumn glory. We traveled a golden avenue, with trees in full bloom on either side--and moreover, we were the only car on the road. How lucky we were, I thought, to arrive just at this moment of turning--a few days before, a few days after--the scene would not have been the same.

Furthermore, the weather was perfect. The sun suffused the leaves with radiant light from behind, turning each into an iridescent pendant of gold.

When we reached the Rocky Mountain National Park, we saw many elk gathered for their annual mating ritual. We did not observe the ritual itself (that comes later after dark), but we (and several others) watched in amazement as these glorious animals grazed below, oblivious to their human audience, and often raising their heads to "bugle," a sound that resembles a trilling flute more than a bellow.

The contrast of the these scenes (one of death and destruction, the others suggesting rebirth and life continuing) caused me to reflect on how the dark and the light, the shadow and the joy, death and resurrection, are always part of the same reality. Many systems of thought tell us that we cannot know the one without the other--no pleasure comes without its own necessary tears (perhaps later, yet part of the same process). Likewise with our Kundalini journey--we may experience extreme ecstasy, but pain often intermingles with our joy.

And so with our world today--there is great grief and suffering for many on the planet, and many disasters and calamities of various kinds are occurring with disturbing frequency--but intense transformation is also happening, as the world disintegrates and reconstructs itself at the same time.

I, like many, believe we are moving toward the "tipping point", when swift change will occur (2012?) I also believe that Kundalini is an essential part of this process, and that as the vibrational frequency of self and planet moves to a higher level, we are better prepared for the great shift that is to come and is in fact arriving even now.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ramakrishna's Song 




Here is Ramakrishna’s Song that he sang constantly

Become drunk, O mind,
with the wine of bliss.
Fall upon the sacred earth
weeping and chanting the holy Name.
Fill space with your lion’s roar,
whirling round and round,
both arms raised high,
giving away the mahamantra
to all conscious beings.
Transform limited desire
into the radiance of Krishna,
and swim night and day
in the wild sea of rapture.
The universe is now submerged
beneath waves of ecstatic love.

(from Lex Hixon, “Great Swan, Meetings with Ramakrishna”)


Ramakrishna (l836-l886) was a God-intoxicated saint from Bengal who remained in a constant state of ecstasy (divine union) throughout his lifetime. His life is an inspiration to many.


According to legend, the paramahamsa, or Great Swan, “can separate out the milk of Truth which has become diluted by the water of personal and cultural habits, opinions, and conventions. As the blissful sage proclaims: some persons have heard about the milk, others have seen the milk, while others have actually tasted milk. Still others can drink milk whenever they wish a can offer it freely to humankind.”
Lex Hixon
*********************

The ecstatic lover has burning faith in every Divine Manifestation--as formless Radiance, as various Forms or Attributes, as Divine Incarnations like Rama and Krishna, and as the Goddess of Wisdom, who is beyond form and formlessness, containing both in Her mystic Womb.
Ramakrishna, quoted by Lex Hixon


(Mandala from

www.stacywills.com
www.amagicmomandhermandalas.blogspot.com)


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Poem by Jafar and a special day 




I have united my heart with You.
O Lord, You alone exist.
Wherever I look, I find only You,
Beloved, for all beings exist
only through Your Being.
You abide fully within every heart,
whether Hindu or Muslim,
manifesting every form of devotion,
for You are all that exists.

by Jafar

This was a special day. I started out to go for a walk; in fact, I was planning to walk two or three miles along Boulder Creek. But as I started out, I went though the Naropa University building, where I paused to glance into the meditation room and the classrooms and also to look over their bulletin board. Then of course I stopped by the university bookstore. Already I was in a slightly altered state and feeling soft flows of blissful energy within.

I opened a book by Lex Hixon on the life of Ramakrishna ("Great Swan") and came across the beautiful poem above. It moved me at a deep level. It seemed to sum up everything--"Nothing more needs to be said," I thought to myself. I marveled at the many books and their many words, but I felt this simple poem summed up ultimate truth.

As I walked on toward the Creek path, I kept saying my mantra to myself--many people do this as devotional practice, but I have usually repeated the mantra only during times specifically set aside for such "practice." It was a day luminous with its own beauty. The weather was perfect, the sun radiant but not too hot. As I silently repeated my mantra, the bliss flows continued and it seemed as though each leaf and flower I glanced at amplified that effect. "I" and "it" were one.

For a few minutes, I sat alongside the stream and gazed at the stream in the picture above, where the water was rushing over the rocks. Once more, it was a transcendent moment.

On the way home, I stopped at a small Tibetan cafe and bought some carry out food to take home.



Thursday, September 16, 2010

It Really Won't Matter (poem) 



NOTE: I will be off line for the next few days. See you next week! Blessing to all. Enjoy.


IT REALLY WON’T MATTER

These inspirations,
these little beadlets of love,
who am I to refuse?

Yesterday,
you wanted sugared kisses.
Today love songs
in your ear.

Tell me who I am
and I will keep on singing
for you.
Or who you are
and I will begin
yet another poem.

Or don’t say anything at all,
it really won’t matter.
Even your silence
is beautiful.

(from "A Cloth of Fine Gold")



Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Marya Manns--more on Braco plus the Placebo effect 



More on Braco and the placebo effect from Marya Manns

http://www.maryamann.com/blog/brave-new-braco-energy-healing/

Placebo?

Placebo? The word nobody wants to utter, but why not? Why not utter it? What’s the matter with the “placebo effect?” Placebo aids at least one third of spontaneous healings and countless reversals of mortal disease.

Placebo is basically “a pleasing belief.” From the Latin placebo, meaning, “I shall please” and “to please,” it means “a medicine given more to please than to benefit the patient.” Isn’t the purpose of doctors and other healers to please the patient?

But western medicine views placebo as “scam medicine.” Swami Beyondananda points out that, “It does seem just a slight bit strange that we have to have scientific proof that love, compassion and joy are good for us. I guess the thinking is, ‘Well, it works in practice, but does it work in theory?”

When a patient gets a ‘medicine’ from a doctor that he trusts, he may get relief from the symptoms, even if the medicine happens to be a sugar pill. Knowing that placebo has a verifiable result can point us to new and potent methods of healing. Before the study of epigenetics, a new field that explores the field of energy around DNA, placebo was mocked as beyond the consideration of learned scientists. But research pioneered by Dr. Bruce Lipton who wrote The Biology of Belief has shown that “pleasing beliefs” actually change the biology of the human body. Focused intention, placebo,and the power of belief is more than mock medicine. It’s good science and can be measured.

Gazing at Braco works its magic exactly to the extent we allow it. So when Braco comes back from Croatia to the U. S. again in April (now fall), bring your worries and your wounds to him. Take your needs. Take flowers. But also take your power, your intention, your belief. Gaze back with all the loving awareness you really are, look around you with those same eyes, and help heal the whole world.

You can read more about Braco and enjoy an amazing writer’s journey on the quintessential spiritual path in 21 Days With Braco

Big Blessings, Dr. Marya

If you’d like to comment on this article or contact the author pleaseCLICK HERE: Contact Dr. Marya



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

More from Marya Mann on Braco 



Here is more from Marya Mann's blog entry on Braco at

http://www.maryamann.com/blog/brave-new-braco-energy-healing/

I was ready. Dr. Salla finished and feelings of power and unity filled me as the music began. Braco walked into the room, crossed the floor and ascended to the platform. Equanimity and recollection, deep peace. An energy that could extend everywhere, even to you reading this now, if you imagine loving eyes everywhere, gazing at you.

Soaking up the love gaze, I felt as though everything I viewed was infused with this vision of loving kindness and forgiveness, magnanimous cheerfulness, hope, vitality, sacred vision.

Or not. The key here is that each of us must open our own heart to heaven. It is our power of choice.

With our gaze and our appreciation, we choose whether to see a friend or an enemy, another snake charmer or a true genius healer, a biospheric network of neural glee or a cave prison built of our mistrust. I chose the former, and was delighted to see so many people also choose to believe there is a power to heal available to us, and we can awaken it, and it is easier to awaken in the presence of some people more than with others.

The love field created by people awakening to this realization is enormous and significant, and you can feel it right now if you choose. Such beautiful power, to awaken to our higher selves, and to see the divine in each other and ourselves in every moment.

How much of this has to do with Braco’s healing ability, and how much has to do with our belief, as well as the thunderous praise of devotees who work tirelessly on his behalf? I don’t know. I do know it’s possible to raise energy vibration to such a high pitch that it radiates massive doses of healing energy.

Braco’s gaze had, according to thousands of people, reported thousands of people, cured cancer, healed bones, gastritis, and boils, bones, skin lesions, and brain problems. He had sparked miracles and emotional transformations at a distance, reversals of both chronic degenerative conditions and acute pain. In Europe, he gazes at 22,000 people a month in sanctuaries and ampitheaters.

Keep shining your own light, an inner voice said. You can’t receive the light from others, the next book or workshop, the next vitamin pill, the next guru. Others can ignite your light even brighter, but you are the center and source of your perceptions, and thus the manner and form of your understanding and expression. How much healing, wholeness and happiness can you absorb? Be the healing, the perfect happiness, and feel absolutely whole. That feeling spreads out into world, just as Braco’s gaze has spread out into the world, reminding us of our own strength, power, and agility.

After the gazing session, Angelika Whitecliff, the incandescent author and diligent organizer who brought Braco to Hawaii, said, “Let Braco’s gaze set the foundation for your own blossoming. When that foundation is set, you’ll know, and you’ll go on and help others on your path.”

One day when the gazing sessions were held outside on the luau grounds near the hotel, I went for the fourth time to feel Braco’s gaze. As we sat under the Hawaiian sun and breathed deeply, we were invited to stand up. He came on stage in his wrinkled white shirt, lop-sided lei and baggy pants. He stepped on to the platform and stood against the backdrop of the cyan-colored sea. Silent and gazing, simply standing there, looking at the 300 or so people standing tall and facing him. With all the intensity of an amiable uncle, he looked and allowed, without agenda, and we were each healed in our own way.

I stood for the five or so minutes he looked at us, then sat down when he left, listening to my heart under the luminous Hawaiian sun. I felt I was at a place where there was no death. I knew that if our thoughts are clear of negativity, pain, and fear, our lives are wholesome and good, and when we remember who we really are — interpenetrating high vibration pillars of delicious light — we spark goodness, health, positive movement, and a joyful light in each other.

I could imagine it however I wanted. Then I heard an inner voice, “There’s nothing to fear.” And the last link in the chain of pain fell away.

(Note: I am planning to go to San Francisco in early October to experience Braco for myself. I particularly like Marya Mann's reference to the "love field" that is created by Braco's presence. I believe that such a field, created by a mass of people all vibrating together in love and joyousness, can indeed heal those touched by its power. In other words, we can heal one another under the right conditions--but the "lightning rod" is needed to establish the field for the group, which creates an energy greater than any single one of us might be capable of producing on our own.)



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