Welcome to Day 22 of our 40 Day Retreat 2009.
Yesterday, I spoke about Energetic Communication with the Great Masters, how we can communicate with masters and draw their energy towards us with our intention to grow spiritually and to be awakened by them or to be supported by them. I said that masters are open to this.
Beginning of Evolutionary Journey
Today, I want to speak about the process that begins when we become awakened. The method of awakening that I am speaking about today is energy awakening, the technical term for this is Shaktipat, which means the descent of Shakti or energy, from the one who is established in this energy field to the one who is ready to receive and who needs this boost of energy.
I do believe though that this process of Shaktipat is a karmic process. We meet the masters who we are destined to meet based on compatibility and based on karma, our connection with them from the past or our receptivity to them based on where we are.
When we become initiated by this energy process, something happens within us, an evolutionary journey begins, a journey along the energy path. It is a journey (of course you will agree with me) that is a cleansing journey, a journey of purification and a journey of clearing the things in our causal field that hold us back from that experience of freedom. In this journey we feel guided by an energy that is moving within us. As I have said before, in ascension, moving upwards and along the chakras; that I have described before.
This journey seems to be out of our hands, this energy seems to take over after the initiation and a series of spontaneous actions may take place in our being and these are called kriyas. If we do not understand what is happening within us, we may really think that something is wrong. It is extremely important to understand the journey that takes place after this energy initiation that we call Shaktipat and the process that unfolds is called Maha Yoga or Siddha Yoga. Maha Yoga means great yoga and Siddha Yoga means yoga of the perfected ones.
Shaktipat initiation
Let us talk a little bit first about Shaktipat initiation, before we go into this story of kriyas. This is an important idea. When we are ready and by virtue of our readiness and receptivity we are drawn towards the energy of the master, a spontaneous awakening takes place.
The Glance
This may happen by the look of the master towards us without even saying anything, that look has a transmission of energy. I would say that the look of the seeker will draw the attention of the master, and the look of the seeker will have that force of attraction that will pull the energy of the master in a process of energy awakening or kindling of the inner fire. The master of course will be almost helpless in the process, because if it is a true master, the master will be open. The master will meet the glance and will hold the glance for as long as necessary for the energy awakening, not even needing to say a word. That glance can have such a powerful effect that it begins this journey. This evolutionary energy called kundalini inside becomes awakened; amazing, just a glance, but a very powerful glance, a life -transforming glance; a glance that initiates a process within us.
The Word
Or the master may feel the urge to speak to us and in the speaking we feel the words having a tremendous effect upon us, touching us at deeper levels and we are never the same. The words come alive in us and create an energy awakening in us.
The Touch
Or we may be touched by the master, the physical touch. Some masters put their thumb at the brow, or the hands on the head or the hands on the back, or the holding of the hands, and we feel energy coming into us creating awakening. No words need to be said and yet we can feel that touch is such a powerful touch.
The Thought
Or the master can hold us in the mind and just by thinking about us and wishing for our growth and our development, we begin to feel that something is happening inside of us. Simply by his thought or wish for us. That is why some of us try to do the things that will draw us into the master’s thought. That just only his thought of us will bring that energy towards us. So powerful is the thought of the master.
Shaktipat Initiation in India
By these means we can become awakened, Shaktipat awakening. As I have found out in my own case that it need not happen with the direct contact with the master initially for me, but being in the ashram or spiritual center of the master which I do believe is an extension of his energy. It is a co-created field of energy that is initiated by him. That is how I got this very powerful Shaktipat initiation in me. I visited this ashram in India with the intention of not staying longer than one night but when I entered this place I felt such a powerful energy in the space, as I never felt before in the other places in India that I had been or even in Trinidad.
I began to feel a calming effect over me. It was amazing, different to any experience I had. Then as I listened to the chanting, the repetition of mantras in song and the music, something was happening inside of me. The very first evening I spent in this ashram, it was in a large chanting hall and they were chanting the Shiva Mahimnah Stotram and the beautiful sound of the Maha Mantra – Hare Rama Hare Krishna, I could just feel like I was in heaven. Wow! They were sounding like angels, not earthly beings. My whole being seemed to be responding to the energy of the field. The human voices did not sound like human voices. It was divine. These sounds were coming from such a different place. I heard this mantra before but it never sounded like this. This captivated me. There was something special about this place. The next day I was introduced to the chanting of Guru Gita and other mantras. The effect was so captivating. I decided to stay a little longer. This was very interesting.
Signs of Awakened Kundalini
Then after a couple of days I had an amazing experience. I was chanting in the meditation hall and suddenly my body started to sway and I am watching this. Involuntarily my body was making these rhythmic movements. My clapping was happening with such a rhythm, never before had it happened. It was a very strange occurrence. Then I found a book in the dormitory where I was staying. When I read this book it was speaking about signs of awakened kundalini. I read that this rhythmic clapping of the hands, energy and movement in the body was a sign of awakened kundalini. I said, “Oh what is this, awakened kundalini!”
Kundalini - Marvelous and Safe Experience
Of course, I had heard about the kundalini before but it seemed like some kind of energy that you would not want to interfere with. I became sort of interested in this. This is kundalini energy. People say it is dangerous but I am getting a nice feeling here. What do I do with this? It was interesting but I loved the experience of being completely relaxed and having this beautiful energy experience of movement. I enjoyed it. I thought this must be a good experience. There is nothing that I should not dabble in here. This is fine. This is okay.
Then after a few days I could feel this energy with me as I walked. I could feel like I was moving in air with energy and when I sang the words were coming out of my mouth effortlessly. As I read in the book, these were experiences of awakened kundalini and I became so happy with it. I began to feel that this kundalini power is a safe power, a beautiful power and I wanted more of this. Then in my readings I understood that this was Maha Yoga or Siddha Yoga. When this energy is awakened inside it begins a marvelous journey, a safe journey. Thus began my energy initiation into Kundalini. A marvelous journey! Then I had respect for the master but I did not know who this master was really so it took me days before I could even accept this master as my master because I had accepted another master in my life.
Then one day I read from a lecture he gave, he said, “When you are really touched deep inside, when something happens inside of you, with a master, with a Guru and that process continues and it is an evolutionary process then that is the Guru for you. That is how I accepted him as my Guru. That began an exciting journey that went on for years.
It took me two years before I met the physical master but this process, this journey inside that is called Maha Yoga or Siddha Yoga began. It was a cleansing journey, a journey through chakras inside and an exciting journey of energy, which empowered me in everything that I did.
I will speak more about the journey. This is what Shaktipat initiation is and if we are fortunate to get that experience a marvelous and safe journey begins. We need only to understand it. Tomorrow, I speak more about this. This is the marvelous journey that begins with the energy initiation of Shaktipat.
Dream of the Master
Just to say before I even went to India I had a dream. I was reading a book by Swami Vivekananda and I slept away with this book on my heart then I had a dream. In this dream suddenly there was a door before me and I was looking at this door. Then this door opened and there was this yogi coming through with a red mark on his forehead looking at me straight in the eyes and then all I saw was smoke and the feet of a blue statue. I said, “Wow, what is this?” I just got up from the experience and I thought when I meet my master that is the kind of experience I would have had. But of course I did not have an experience like this in meeting any master. But what happened one day is that I found a picture of this master, one of his old pictures, and I saw that same face that I had in the dream and that confirmed the master for me.
Marvelous journey! We will talk more about this tomorrow.
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