Sunday, August 1, 2010

Tantra without Guru?




The need for a guru in Tantra is made clear again and again in Tantric texts and lore. However, the plain fact is that many spiritual seekers -- both East and West -- do not have a guru, don't know how to find a guru, and/or are suspicious of the very idea of a guru. There are many Gurus who exploit the disciples for fame or money, demand donations for temples and worship and offer Diksha for a donation. So what does this mean? Should the Tantric seeker without a guru simply give up and move on to another spiritual discipline? Not at all. It's been observed that people who are waiting for a certain opportunity (in this case, a true Tantric guru, initiation, etc.) should prepare themselves to take advantage of that opportunity when and if it presents itself. Even in India, true Tantric gurus are very few -- and they don't advertise. "Doubtful individuals" not only will be attracted by Tantra but will take advantage of it and claim to be great gurus. Be aware -- and beware! As for the true Tantric initiation, we should be well aware of the fact that this is no joke. It takes many years of preparation and practice before getting ready. First the body has to undergo a strict discipline implying the practice of Hatha Yoga, which is a branch of Tantra. There is also a long spiritual and mental preparation under the guidance of the guru before he or she is ready for initiation.

Tantra says, "When the chela (student) is ready, the guru appears," and this is really true. … The chela does not go in search of a guru, and the reverse is also true. One just waits until "it" happens [while continuing to train, educate and discipline oneself as much as possible in Tantra in anticipation of this eventuality] The Tantric guru is altogether a tutor, a master who hands over techniques, a guide who dispels doubts, but above all a trustee and an incarnation of the ancient Tantric tradition. … The true guru never exploits the chela, neither financially, morally, nor on any level whatsoever. Exploitation is a trait of the fake gurus. ….Another very important point: We should be well aware of the fact that Tantra is not merely to do with sex, and especially sexual promiscuity. Some fake, so-called "Tantric initiations" consist of getting a few people together -- most of them quite naïve -- and making them have group sex. A true Tantric guru cannot have very many chelas, and his or her relationship to each one will be different. (In Tantra, the guru can be a woman as well as a man.) A true Tantric guru will not have a big ashram and many followers. He or she often is not even recognized as a guru. In some cases, however, the guru may have a large following -- but few true chelas, and these very few keep the relationship strictly secret. This is true in India and so, too, in the West.
So, you may ask, is there no hope for the serious guru seeker? It is hard to say. On the Tantric path, any true seeker will always find a way to progress. True, a guru is irreplaceable, but if one does not find his or her own guru, the genuine seeker can always rely on his or her inner guru, the Self, which is the supreme guru and can be reached through meditation and serious practice. Fake gurus have already played havoc in the West, and in India as well. Why are they able to fool us so easily? The simple answer is: We are incredibly gullible. Most fakes are Indians and they always promise us the earth, plus the moon and the stars! Should a Hatha Yoga guru promise to straighten out the spine of all those who are hunchbacked in just a weekend seminar, nobody would believe him. But if some fake Tantric guru promises to awaken the Kundalini in a matter of hours, people believe it and readily open wide their mouths and wallets. We know that to master and adjust one's body takes years of stubborn practice; well -- to tame the Kundalini takes even more. …Genuine Tantric gurus would never advertise such stunts. They don't have to. Their work is done in silence and they remain unseen. And by the way, did I tell you my favorite Tantric guru's name? It is His Holiness Common-sense-ananda, whose advice often take, whereas most people don't. Why? Is it because he does not promise miracles? Or because his advice costs nothing? You answer!.................

Seeking a Teacher in Tantra Path
It is said that you don't find the guru. Devi herself sets the meeting of a Guru and Sisya, for the Guru is Devi reincarnate in the physical form.. Things do not happen just for the hack out of it. But the most important thing that we should have is this desire to be guided, and it must come from within. From this inner desire, listen by DEVI herself and she will choose a suitable "guru" for you. There are people who think that they do not need a guru, least they forget that their mother is the first guru. Book too is a form of "guru" and is very sacred, but you can never compare bookish knowledge with experience. Swami Rama - the founder of the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy remarked in one of his lectures: A time will come when the seeker goes through a period of argumentation with herself/himself and cannot decide. At this time a real preceptor is needed. How will you find the right master? No one can search for a preceptor. There is a saying in the Scriptures:" When the disciple is prepared, the master appears." This happens only because of samskaras. Teachers and student samskaras are very ancient and strong. To the intense devotee, the Divine Mother Herself acts as the great Guru and guides him if sincerely prayed for. "If you are a devotee of the Mother, can you set limits on how she can help her children? Sometimes we receive her help through a living teacher, who may be man or woman, eastern or western, well known or not. Sometimes we receive help through a teacher who is no longer incarnate. Sometimes we find guidance in written lore, sometimes in own dreams, visions and reflections.
In this age of kali yug, Sacred and Secret Sciences like Tantra have been abused for commercial purposes with people selling mantras, disregarding adikara and interpreting scriptures to suit their own vested interests.
All the paths lead to the same Truth. And that we waste a tremendous amount of valuable time and energy trying to prove that one is "superior" to the other, rather than using that time and energy to practice the path for which we so strongly profess to prefer. Let each path celebrate its unique beauty and perspective.

Every Tantric Shakti
[woman practitioner] is, or seeks to become, a *true* woman, one who dares to delve into her own being to discover her inner and ultimate wellsprings. She *is* the goddess - a living, present-day incarnation of the ultimate cosmic energy, although she may be unaware of it. Her true mystery is the mystery of life, that fantastic creative dynamism --which gives rise to atoms and galaxies, makes wheat sprout, makes bacteria proliferate -- is present and active at all times in all women.

excerpted from Van Lysebeth "Tantra: The Cult of the Feminine."

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Sri Vidya



is an ancient and influential school of Goddess-centered Shakta Tantrism centering on the goddess's three manifestations
1.The beneficent deity Lalita Tripurasundari
2. Her mantra;
3. Sri Chakra yantra
Srividya creates a systematic, esoteric discipline combining elements of the yogas of knowledge, of devotion, and of ritual. In the Shakta form of worship, Srividyopasana (i.e., the pursuit of enlightenment via Srividya) is considered the pinnacle of achievement. If the aspirant is initiated properly, it is the ultimate path, because it gives you the experience of union with the Universe, the Cosmos - or whatever name you prefer to call IT by. It is said you must, in past lives, have done thousands of years of sadhana of all the devatas such as Vishnu, Shiva, etc. to reach this point. It is said that even if you are not really competent, some past meritorious karma can still you get initiated into Sri vidya, and you will become a yogabhrashta (an outcast in spiritual practice) – then in the next birth you will start where you stopped and will attain the union faster.
The main practice of Srividya - worship of Sri Yantra - can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day, depending on how you do it. You have to go by your gut feeling to decide what's right for you. The two main types of pooja are srishti krama and samhara karma - or in English, the creation method and the dissolution method. In samhara karma, each Devi is worshiped and is absorbed into the next Devi, and it continues until we reach Lalita, in whom, by that time, all the Devis will be absorbed. In srishti karma, Lalita is worshipped first, and from her the next Devi is extracted, and from her the next one, and onward until all the Devis are in their rightful places.
Regular practice protects you, nourishes you, and takes you beyond. It fulfils all wishes, more than you desire, instantly. Therein lies its power. How should you practice? As you are reciting each name, a portion of Sri Chakra should spring up in your imagination. The power comes from intensifying concentration to visualize the form, hear the sound, feel the touch, taste, and smell of the divine perfume of the goddess manifesting that part of the ever youthful Goddess. The Goddess loves fun. She is deeply in love with You, making You HER Siva. So begin your journey to Goddess today, no matter how feebly. You can add power and depth as you move along.

It is said you do not choose Sri Vidya but Sri Vidya chooses you. When you get it when you look back you will see how you have been guided slowly and surely to your guru.
Some sadhakas may ask? I am doing vigorous Tapas and meditation for the long time. With all that, my troubles and difficulties are multiplying. I have lost my job. I am starving now. What shall I do? Is this the Grace of the Goddess? How can I continue my Sadhana when I have nothing to eat? Why this happens ?When asked about the nature of Srividya, I was told that the mantra when properly received and done, will cause karma kshaya and papa kshaya (exhaustion of karmas and papas) at a dramatic rate, which is the reason for the above mentioned phenomenon. Same thing happens when doing sadhana with other mantras too, but not as rapid as it happens with Sri vidya.
Surrender the difficulties to Devi and say (TELL HER) .They are yours, and see.......... what.... happens..............

The various deities worshipped in Srichakra as tutelary deities to Mahatripurasundari. There is not a single God or Goddess that is not worshipped in the Srichakra as a part of Srividya. Srividya includes Pratimaa puja, Linga pooja, Yantra pooja, Saligrama puja, Nyasa, Kundalini yoga, Mudra paddhati, Shodasha Samskara, Homa, Bali, Kamakala Dhyana and what not? The great galaxy of Devi worshippers includes Devas and seers- among who are the celebrated are Manu, Chandra, Kubera, Manmatha, Lopamudra, Sage Agastya, Skanda, Dattatreya, Indra and sage Durvasa. Each of them has propagated their own schools regarding the worship methodology and significance of Srichakra and also the pattern of Srividya Mahamantra.

1. Kaadi vidya - Kali krama or Samayamata or Kundalini yoga.
2. Haadi Vidya - Sundari krama or Hamsavidya or Kaulamata.
3. Saadi Vidya - Tara krama or Samavarodhini vidya or Mishra marga.

In the Kadi School, also called Kali Krama, Kamakala Kali is worshipped in the morning, Bhuvaneshwari in the afternoon, Chamunda in the evening, Samayakubjika at night and Kadi Vidya at midnight.
In the Hadi School, also called Sundari Krama, the divinities worshipped in these Sandhyas are respectively Adya Kali, Tara, Chinnamasta, Bagala and Hadi Vidya.
The scriptures do not recommend this worship for householders. The Tara Krama or Sadi Vidya invokes Dakshina Kali, Tara, Bala, Jnana Saraswati and Sadi Vidya in these Sandhyas. The Kadi School is Satvic, Hadi is Rajasic and Sadi is Tamas as described in Tantraraja.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Kundalini and the Divine Mother

by Suzan Caroll, PhD



Kundalini is the highest energy of the infinite, coiled up and dynamic, at the base of the human spine. It is within the kundalini where contact is made between the infinite divine creative energy and the finite physical sexual energy. For the Soul to gain its highest spiritual potential while incarnated in a physical form, the great mass of Kundalini energy locked in the root chakra must be released to travel up to the crown chakra.
The root chakra, at the base of the spine, represents our connection to the feminine Goddess energy that is manifest in the body of planet Earth. The crown chakra, at the top of our head, represents the masculine God energy that exists as pure potential in the non-physical dimensions. This energy radiates to earth within the prana and kundalini emanations from the Sun.
When the Goddess Kundalini has traveled up the spine to meet her Divine Mate, the union of Spirit and Matter are consummated. Kundalini is known in the Eastern world as the Goddess Shakti. When Goddess Shakti is awakened, She sweeps us up in Her tremendous passion to reunite with Her Lord Shiva in the crown chakra. This Mystical Marriage symbolizes the combining of the male and female energies within our bodies and the awakening of our multidimensional consciousness. Then, we will be clear enough for our Soul to inhabit out physical form and live its Divine Purpose through us.
In the Western world the Kundalini is symbolized by the medical symbol of the caduceus, the rod with two snakes coiled around it in spirals. At the top are two wings, which are images of Mercury or Hermes who are the messengers of the Gods. The caduceus is the symbol for healing, health, and transformation. The center rod symbolizes the spinal cord. In Yoga philosophy the center cord is called the Sushumna and it represents the grounding, neutral cord of the three parts of the rising Kundalini.
The left cord is the Ida, which represents the feminine side. It is negatively charged, ends in the left nostril and has characteristics of coolness related to the moon. The right side is called the Pingala, which represents the masculine side. It is positively charged, ends in the right nostril and has characteristics of heat related to the sun. The Ida and the Pingala represent the masculine and feminine energies which we all carry regardless of our gender.
According to the Indian guru Muktananda, the Kundalini has two aspects. One aspect is often perceived as the outer cosmic energy of spiritual life force. In China this force is known as Chi, in Japan it is known as Ki, in India it is known as Prana, and in the West it is known as the Holy Spirit. We all have a limited form of Kundalini energy running through our bodies or we would not be able to live for it truly is our "life force". Kundalini is the energy that pervades and enervates the world as we experience it.
The second aspect of the Kundalini is the hidden or inner form which is usually "asleep" as a small bulb of energy stored at the base of the spine in our root chakra. This energy usually becomes dormant very early in our lives because we become engaged in the process of living. As children, we must learn to identify with our sensate, mental and emotional processes and with the genetic heritage of our physical bodies. In order to learn to survive in our physical world, we often separate from any awareness of our Soul.
When our inner Kundalini awakens it turns our awareness inward to our Source. It offers us an opportunity to uncover who we are, where we come from, and where our true Home is. It is the beginning of the spiritual journey that enables us to regain our multidimensional consciousness. However, in order for the latent Kundalini energy to rise up the spinal cord without physical incident, our male and female energies must be balanced and our chakras must be clear. When the Kundalini awakens it is a dramatic transformational force that flows through the nadis, the nerve channels of the body, and rises up from the base of the spine via the Sushumna. As this force enters each chakra it increases their spin. The increased spin spews out the toxins which raises the resonate frequency of each chakra. This process could be likened to changing our wiring from 110V to 220V. The experience is a mix of bliss, joy, terror, and rage. Each memory and emotion trapped within every chakra must be cleared. This clearing can be painful, but as it is completed we can experience life with a level of peace and joy that was once unimaginable.
During this special time of planetary transformation, more and more of us are able (or soon will be able) to answer the call of the Goddess Kundalini. Masculine and feminine energies have been in a battle for dominance and manipulation for aeons. It is now the TIME for each of us to balance and merge our own feminine and masculine energies, our yin and yang. In this way, the yin of matter and yang of spirit can be combined within our consciousness and within our earth-vessel. Like any journey, the Goddess Kundalini's journey begins with a single step. That step is our determination to break through the barriers of our unconscious mind to unlock the wisdom, power, and love that is trapped behind the veil of our forgetfulness. When we have healed our history of pain and fear, the Kundalini can begin its rise up the Sushumna-chakra by chakra. However, caution and patience are vital. To force the awakening of the Kundalini before we are physically and morally ready could cause grave consequences. One never calls upon the Goddess Kundalini for curiosity or selfish reasons. Her force is fifth dimensional and like a dry leaf could not stand a fire's blaze, our untamed egos could not survive the rise of Kundalini's Serpent Fire.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Adi Shakti - The Primal Creative Feminine Power



The Sri Guru Granth Sahib begins with the Japji Sahib, the fundamental doctrine of the Sikh faith. Since this Written Word of the One Mother comes right in the beginning of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to recognize Her existence would mean to allow Her Supreme Presence, Power and Will to run through the entire course of this voluminous Holy Book.

She was Alone at the Beginning and was Self-Conceived. No Power created Her. No Force created Her. No One created Her. She was Uncreated. She was Unconceived. She was Unborn.
Then She created the Three Mightiest Gods. She created the Creator (Brahma.) She created the Sustainer (Vishnu.)She created the Destroyer (Shiva.) Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestations of the Primal Feminine Power. She was the Origin of All. She /Adi Shakti/ Herself is the Doer of deeds. Sri Guru Granth Sahib p. 908, verse 11
God is genderless and all masculine interpretations may also be substituted with feminine pronouns to effect the same meaning. But if a clear indication is given, such as Aykaa Mayee (One Mother), then patriarchal theologians fear such specific gender.The Japji Sahib immediately continues the Revelation of the One Mother by stating that;


Jiv tis bhaavai, tivai chalaavai, jiv havai phurmaan.
The world moves as She ordains and as She pleases.
She sees all, but no one sees Her: this is a great wonder.


Oh vaykahi, onaa nadar na aavai, buhutaa ayho vidaan.
Obeisance, obeisance to Her, who is the Primal Being,
the Pure Light, Eternal, Immortal and Forever alike.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Jap Jee Sahib)