Martin explains Shakti(interesting stuff)

9 Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996
From: hyperATNOSPAMhmt.com (HyperMedia Technologies)
Subject: Kundalini / Shaktipat, etc.

Hey there.

The Shakti compels me to share the information below with you. The intent
of it is to dispel confusion. The information is not empirically verifiable
at this time but is 100% verifiable through personal experience.


1. Kundalini Shakti = Pure Conciousness = Chi = Ki = Prana = Holy Spirit
= etc.

2. Kundalini is not only energy, it is highly intelligent. It is the
dynamic aspect of Pure Conciousness. Your Kundalini is identical with the
Universal Kundalini, only in most people it's in a 'contracted',
conditioned state.

3. Pure Conciousness has two aspects; Static and Dynamic. Kundalini Shakti
is the dynamic aspect of pure conciousness.

4. Kundalini has a worldly aspect, active in everyone. Kundalini's
spiritual aspect is dormant in most people.
-
5. Spontaneous Kundalini awakenings are extremely rare. usually only as a
result of Kundalini having been awakened in the previous life, and the
unfoldment process not reaching completion.

6. It is extremely difficult to awaken the Kundalini through self effort
alone, using yogic techniques such as bandas (locks) prananyama
(breathing), or any other unusual practices.

7. Forcible attempts through self effort to awaken the Kundalini usually
end with bad results. If the Kundalini is irritated beyond a certain point
or fails to rise properly, it could prove to be harmful to both mind or
body.

8. Yogic techniques are for strengthening and purifying the body to make it
a worthy vessel for Shaktipat. After Shaktipat, the techniques are used to
'fan the flame', through self effort.

9. Kundalini can and does cause profound kriyas (cleansings), but they
won't happen in public. (except during group Shaktipat, and only because
the environment accepts it and it is expected to happen) Kundalini Shakti
is intelligent, gentle, and kind. It knows you, how much you can take. It
can cause emotions and other impressions in your subconcious to rise to the
surface of your being, where they are experienced, then burned off. Gone
for good.

10. If you are wondering if Kundalini is awake in you, then it's not. When
it is awake in you, you have no doubts.

11. Kundalini will always allow you to do whatever you do in life and give
you the ability to do it even better. Whatever your profession or niche is.
Doesn't matter. You will do it better. You're supposed to take your
understanding out into the world and play your part.

12. Receiving Shaktipat from a Shakti master is the safest, easiest way to
awaken the dormant aspects of Kundalini. Not only is the Kundalini awakened
naturally and spontaneously, all blocks to it's rising through the Sushumna
(central channel) are removed, allowing the unfolding to be a safe, natural
process.

13. Shaktipat is literally the 'descent of Grace'. All spiritual traditions
have some form of it, although it may be called by different names. In
Tibetian Buddhism it is called Abisheka. Enlightment is transferred to the
'empty vessel'. One flame lights another without the first flame being
diminished in any way.


14. Shaktipat = God's Grace = Amazing Grace = etc.


-
How to distinguish a Shakti Master

a. must be able to awaken Kundalini permanently in others

b. must be able to give you a direct experience of at least one of
the following:

1. God living in you as you

- 2. God living in you as the witness

3. The unity of all things

4. yourself as THE SELF, pervading all things and existences


There are 4 ways to receive Shaktipat

1. Sparsa Diksha By the touch. Usually in the Ajna (forehead) Anahat
- (heart) or Muladhara (base of spine) chakras

2. Drik Diksha by look (eyes of the Shakti Master appear to look
outward, but gaze is directed inward, toward the SELF.


3. Mantra Diksha by word. The Mantra is charged with Shakti and is
Chaitanya (alive). It resonates within the seeker
on gross, then subtle levels with time. If not
charged with Shakti, a mantras are mere syllables.
-
4. Manasa Diksha by thought and will. Time and distance no object.



The Shakti Master DOES NOT have to be in the presence of the seeker.

Most Shaktipat is given by living masters, directly, but Shakti masters who
have left the body have appeared to seekers in visions during meditation
and given Shaktipat.
-
Although Shaktipat is given at one radiant intensity, (just as the sun
radiates the same energy to all) there are 27 different intensity levels of
receiving, depending on the temperament and capacity of the seeker. Each
receives according to his nature. The larger the container you bring, the
more you will take away. Shakti is actually taken during Shaktipat, not
given.

The most intense receiving is called Shambhavi diksha, or the great
initiation. Very few people can bear the force of the impact of this
initiation. Immediate and permanent self realization is obtained.

Some teachers are able to effect a partial awakening of the Kundalini, but
the Kundalini soon goes dormant again. A true Shakti Master's initiation is
the start of a self sustaining process which can be fanned like a flame by
the seeker.

The first direct experience of the self is almost always of transient
nature due to personal karmic tendencies (mental momentum). You will always
'come down'. But, you will be more evolved as a result of your experience
and your priorities will completely re-orient, with Sadhana taking the
forefront in priority of importance. It will not interfer with your daily
duties, family, or work.

One lady who experienced the true nature of the Self during Shakitpat later
proclaimed excitedly, "I really hadn't expected to be here so soon!" She
sold all her possessions, moved to Hawaii, and was going to spend the rest
of her life living on the beach. Six months later she was once again her
small, contracted, finite perspective, little self. Oops!

After the first experience, at least there is an idea of where you're
heading, and it then becomes your duty, through daily practices and self
effort, to eventually become seated permanently in the understanding of
THAT, which you have just experienced. It's a perspective. A mental
posture.

Shaktipat and the unfolding of the Kundalini affect each person
individually, due to differences in each seeker's temperament, background,
predispostions, prior beliefs, etc. People are as individual as snowflakes.
There are, however, many commonalities in both the experiences and the
kriyas.

Sorry folks, but sex is just sex and nothing more. Really has nothing to do
with any of this, good or bad. Sex energy is just part of the Kundalini's
worldly functions. The first 3 chakras are open and active and full of
worldly contracted Shakti in everyone. That's why we're up and about,
active, and procreating.

The dormant spiritual aspects of the Kundalini Shakti, which is awakened
through Shaktipat, and rises from the first chakra to the crown chakra,
doesn't involve sex. Sex is just part of the outer world activities. It is
neither good nor bad. It just is.

Celebacy is advised by teachers to conserve one's energy during intense
yogic practices and austerities. It is not manditory unless the seeker is a
disicple and is chosen by the Master to be given the great gift and
treasure of the ability to give Shaktipat to others. In this case, energy
usually used for reproductive processes and reproductive cycles is
diverted into the Sushumna and mixed with the Kundalini Shakti. The
focusing of all energies, mental, physical and spiritual, 100%, appears to
be required to be able to give permanent awakening in others.


THE PROCESS OF UNFOLDMENT:

After Shakitpat, Kundalini unfoldment proceeds naturally, and at a pace
that is perfect for that particular individual. The Kundalini proceeds
slowly up the Sushumna Canal (Main nadi {spiritual nerve} in the subtle
body) piercing the 6 chakras one by one. Different rates for different
folks. After Shaktipat, it can be completed within this lifetime, with
enough self effort.

Once Shaktipat is given, and the awakening takes place, the process
proceeds on its own, spontaneously, to completion. The individual is able
to slide effortlessly into meditation at will. Spontaneous Yoga asanas,
mudras (hand gestures), and visions during meditation, etc. occur
frequently, but always in private and usually during personal spiritual
practices.

During meditation, lights, visions, subtle and strong physical sensations
are common. Pressures on the chakras are most common, especially the heart,
forehead, and crown.

At some point, usually after the Ajna (heart) chakra is pierced, the 4th
body (supra-causal) is seen during meditation (and sometimes out of) as a
radiant blue pearl the size of a sesame seed. This is the prize. The jewel,
you might say. It's the seat of the Self and resides in the crown chakra at
the center of the thousand petaled lotus. It's your vehicle to all the
other planes of existence in the multiverse. You never have to leave your
living room chair.
(that's how many it's said there are) are cleansed by the Shakti. As the
Kundalini rises in the Sushumna canal, Samskaras (impressions left from
previous lifetimes, which are the seeds of future karmas) are burned away.

During the process, the 720,000,000 nadis, or spiritual nerves of the
subtle body are cleansed.

As the Kundalini pierces the higher chakras, the siddhi's (8 powers) appear
and lower levels of Samadhi is achieved. Many seekers are side tracked here
and get stuck. But the powers are not the point. They are merely Yogic
phenomena. Lelas. Miracles for the non-spiritually oriented, used to
re-orient them.

At the final conclusion of its journey, the Kundalini merges into the
center of the Sahasrara chakra and the seeker experiences Nirvikalpa
Samadhi occurs. Body conciousness is usually not possible. (except for
great souls such as Aurobindo, Nityananda, Ramakrishna and a few others).

When the seeker becomes firmly seated in the final understanding he/she can
either leave the body willingly and merge with the absolute completely
(mahasamadhi), or he/she can walk about the world appearing perfectly
normal to others, except that he/she is now a 'Jivamukta'. (awake in the
body)

These Jivamuktas can seem and act very strange as far as regular folks are
concerned, or they may appear perfectly normal and be your neighbor. They
are not bound by any conventions or rules of behavior. Just being in their
presence, one can receive Shaktipat. From their few possessions, even the
dust under their beds, one can receive Shaktipat.

Nothing changes in the world as a result of your transformation. What
changes is your perspective on the world and how it affects you.


With Shaktipat, it is possible to accomplish this task within this lifetime
and become liberated while still in the body. Once started, the process
goes to completion on its own.

Being shown that understanding by a Shakti Master and maintaining that
understanding yourself are two different things, as the woman who moved to
Hawaii found out.

Sitting and standing with straight posture all the time takes some
time,effort, and practice, but eventually it becomes comfortable and you do
it naturally. It's the same with mental postures. Maintaining a balanced
mental relationship with the outer world and the inner worlds also takes
time, patience and a lot of effort. (for most of us, anyway.)


Other tools:
-
As you think, so you become

The human being is a minature cosmos. Just as you can know the ocean from
a spoonful of it, you can know the cosmos by looking inside yourself.
(fractal)

You have almost no control over what happens to you or what is done to you
by others. You do have 100% control over how it affects you and for how
long. Exercise your power!
-
Everything you need is already contained within you. Like an acorn
containing a mighty oak tree.


A Cosmic Analogy:

hydrogen gas and oxygen gas is to Pure Conciousness
as
water vapor is to mind
as
water is to energy
as
ice is to matter


Pure conciousness, mind, energy, and matter are the phases of spirit. It is
a vibrational continuum.


The two wings of the 'Hamsa' bird are Grace and self effort. Without the
Grace, even 24 years of self effort can yield only marginal results.
(personally proved)


When you say, "my body" the body is a field and YOU are the knower of the field.
When you say, "my mind" the mind is a field and YOU are the knower of the field.

Both fields are extensions of the SELF. Used for creative expression. But
neither are YOU.
-
You have very little control over what happens to you or what people do to
you, but you have 100% control over how it effects you. Both in intensity
and duration.

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


I would be interested in hearing of your Shaktipat experiences as it is my
current area of interest and study. Although the experiences would be
individual to each person, it would be interesting to cross compare
Shaktipat experiences and Shakti masters.

I would share my personal experiences with the two Shakti masters I have
encountererd if any of you were interested. One was male and the other
female.

Perhaps we might learn something interesting in the process.

One last thing....
-
Shaktipat initiation is a one way ticket. There is no going back. So keep
that in mind before you do it.


Best to all of you.


Martin