Sunday 12 July 2015

KUNDALINI, SURRENDER TO THE DIVINE, AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GURU

Kundalini awakens safely to the extent to which you are able to trust in life.

Preparing for the awakening of Kundalini is preparing to accept the unknown, to accept change, to embrace life 'as if' it was a perfectly loving and wise mother guiding her child to perfect happiness and to self-realisation.

This is the 'inner meaning' or spiritual 'technology' of the sincere worshippers of the Goddess, or of God.

Faith, not in a conceptual framework or in a sacred book, but in the unfolding flow of this moment, is what genuine devotion cultivates.

Faith in the 'Grace of the Guru' is not a substitute for this devotion and faith to life. Life is the Divine Mother, and the Divine Mother is Life.
Faith in the Guru is an expression of this same devotion and faith to Her.

How can we trust that 'divine guidance' could come to us in any physical (in other words, not 'transcendental') form, if we are not able to trust in life as an expression of 'divine', or infinite, intelligence?

When a guru is taken on without this faith in life, our faith will tend to be cult-like. We will tend to believe that he, or she, is the 'only' manifestation of the divine in human form or that he or she (alone) was the divine intelligence that incarnated as Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Buddha, etc.

Although a Satguru (a revealer of the way to one's true self) is traditionally to be seen as the divine incarnate, in a non-dual understanding this does not presuppose any solid hierarchical relationship, it is a fluid process, which is to be completed and transcended through ultimate Liberation (Moksha).

However, paradoxically, even after Realization and after experiencing a total union with the Divine, a teacher will usually honour their guru as 'God' incarnate.

Actually, 'God'/ the Divine is then fully recognised as being omnipresent, but the Satguru becomes the most beloved symbol of that Realization.

So, when faith in life - in life as the Great Mother - is present, then one's guru becomes an expression, not of an unattainable perfection and saintliness, but a perfect guide to the expression of our true potential - to Infinite Being.

The "total surrender to the guru" that is called for in ancient  traditional yoga and tantra is not submission to a human being, but to Divine Intelligence.
It is the cultivation of humility and openness to guidance from within.

Practices and instructions may be given by a guru for the sake of one's full blossoming.
These are due to the profound sensitivity and to the compassionate spirit of service that inspires the guru. 

A Satguru actually needs nothing from the 'disciples'/'devotees'. 
Although it may seem that the devotee 'serves' the guru, it is actually the opposite because the guru exists entirely for their sake. SHe may even have incarnated entirely for their sake.

Of course this description of a guru is of a fully Liberated being.

In practice we may find that most teachers are at best helpful guides who may not be entirely free from self-serving motives, and at worst are self-deluded, believing themselves to be entirely Liberated while being blind to their weaknesses and to their fears, which will tend to make them unconsciously power-hungry and manipulative.

There are no outer signs that can be used to be sure that a guru is genuine. 
Siddhas of various degrees of attainment can perform all sorts of miracles which render them god-like in our estimation.

The purity of our surrender is the only thing we can take responsibility for.

A true guru is not only a pillar of peace in our lives, but also is relentlessly uncovering our hidden resistances to unconditional love.
In the open-hearted space of this Love, life is a graceful dance.



(article by Peter Littlejohn Cook)

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Samael Aun Weor and his 'White Tantric Magic'

There are several books about 'White Tantra' by Samael Aun Weor, including 'A Treatise on Sexual Alchemy', however, it's good to be aware that these books can be confusing to someone who is beginning to study Tantra and specially for anyone who is trying to recover from a strong judgemental religious upbringing.

Many people turn to Tantra because of the lack of moralising and the freedom that Tantra allows, while at the same time bringing us in touch with the sacred.
Many Tantric traditions do however have many rules, rituals and disciplines. This is challenging for Western practitioners, and it can be particularly discouraging and disturbing to have the teaching given in a language that is often reminiscent of the Roman Catholic Church's medieval fear-mongering.

If you are drawn to Tantra for its 'open-heartedness' and resonate with the loving words of Rumi or Hafiz for example, you may find it difficult to engage with these books and with the author's judgement of other approaches to Tantra such as 'Grey Tantra', which he refers to dramatically as being sinful and demonic.

Surprisingly perhaps, there are many spiritual schools of Gnostic Anthropological studies that have become widespread around the world and which have their origin in this author's work.
However the teachings that are given to novices do not usually touch on the subject of Tantra.

The author clearly has many great insights into process of spiritual awakening and development, but it could be argued that his organizations have become 'cult'-like, perhaps partly because of the fear-inducing, apocalyptic, and judgemental language used in the teachings.

Having said that, I believe that a familiarity with the terminology of Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Alice Bailey, the work of Helena and Nicholas Roerich and other modern offshoots of Theosophy, or Rosicrucianism and the 'Western Mystery Tradition' and researching about the author first could help in order to be able to approach and integrate this 'Gnostic Tantra', 'Sexual Alchemy' or 'White Sexual Magic' as taught by Samael Aun Weor.

If you have insights to share on this author's work, feel free to share here as a comment.


(article by Peter Littlejohn Cook)
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Sunday 5 July 2015

In the spirit of Tantra...