 experience of Ed Rubenstein in Kundalini from ancient traditional approach and Reiki TUMMO
Dear Friends, I'm forwarding this message to this group, I'm hoping
that we could learn something from this. Enjoy 
with Love and Light,
hanindyo
I would like to share my understanding about kundalini since I have
experience of kundalini from both the perspective of the ancient
traditional Yogic approach and Reiki Tummo. I practiced kundalini from
an ancient yogic approach for over 15 years, and that included 3 years
in Nepal and India.
Awakening of kundalini by Yogic Guru or representative of the Guru is
referred to as shaktipat or initiation. A typical way this occurs is
through the repetition of a siddha mantra while focusing on a
particular chakra. This activates kundalini, breaks the knot it the
base chakra and can open the ida channel. The teachings explain this
as the most blessed gift and the start of the real journey of life
because Kundalini begins its spiritual journey home. The
problem is that even the great Yogic Spiritual Masters who disciples
view as fully self-realized beings or deities in human form do not
claim to be able to open up the other chakra knots that block kundalini
from being able to flow up the core channel (sushumna). The Yogic
Spiritual Masters say that the widening of the sushumna and opening of
the chakra knots can not instantly occur because tremendous amounts of
samskara (karma) would be released and a disciple could not survive
the personal trauma and turmoil that would occur from the ripening of
the karma. So in addition to using a siddha mantra to meditate and
arouse kundalini, there are other yogic practices that are taught. For
example, there is pranayam breathing to purify the ida and pingla
energy channels, asana postures for developing glands, meditation on
the chakras using the acoustic sound of that particular chakra along
with the color and shape relevant to that chakra, fasting, pure
vegetarian diet, and other spiritual practices. The goal of these
practices is to purify the seven energetic body layers referred to as
the Kosas, open energy channels and the chakra knots, and widen the
sushumna so that kundalini can complete its journey. I spent many
months in the Himalayas engaging in these practices for seven hours a
day. I was able to experience the space between my thoughts and the
space between my breaths, which is traditionally considered to be an
important passage, but my sushumna and all of my chakra knots did not
open. I had kundalini energetic sensations, though after many years of
practice I concluded that my efforts had long ago stagnated and I did
not experience any new significant spiritual progress. As I observed
friends and yogic monks and nuns from different yogic traditions, who
engaged in extensive yogic kundalini practices for many years, I felt
that they were not making the big spiritual breakthroughs that I once
believed would occur if we just meditated long enough or more
diligently. My dream of kundalini reaching the crown chakra and
achieving the highest Samadhi states was broken and I became
disillusioned with the ancient system of Yoga.
[vbcol=seagreen]
>From my experience, the traditional ancient yogic path has limitations
that are often not understood by spiritual seekers when they are
beginning the yogic path. I share these not to be disrespectful to the
honored ancient traditions, but to help spiritual seekers realize that
there is a difference between the old school yogic approach and Reiki
Tummo which is available to us in the present and supporting us to
fulfill our ultimate spiritual destiny. This is available to us now
due to the shifts in existence that have occurred since the year 2000.
Below are the limitations of the ancient yogic path that I have come to
understand.
1: Students frequently become top heavy, like a tree that grows wide
on the top but does not have a root system to support its top growth.
Asana postures are used as the main spiritual practice to accomplish
grounding. The problem is that during the initiation or shaktipat with
the Yogic teacher, the sushumna channel is not opened to the core of
the earth. Proper rooted grounding is not achieved, and it is common
that students may become spacey, ungrounded, or develops health
problems because they are not properly connected to earth energy.
2: The initiation or shaktipat does not open all of the chakra knots,
the core channel (sushumna) is not opened and the chakras are not
opened. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of practice with the best Yogic
techniques, even those not found in books and only passed down from
teacher to student, does not result in the opening of chakra knots and
widening of the sushumna. The opening and widening of the sushumna
represents exhausting lifetimes of negative Karma. This is viewed as
very difficult to achieve or to live through, since ones life would
fall apart due to the excessive negative karma that ripened.
3: Ancient Yogic Systems are mostly based on worship of a Guru or
worship of a lineage, which is supposed to represent the highest
embodiment of God. Surrender or worship to the Guru as the embodiment
of the Divine, is the vehicle to take the spiritual seeker from
illusion to Yoga. The Guru is set up to be the divine bridge. The
problem with this approach is that it creates a boundary between our
Spirit and our direct connection to the True Source which can only take
place in the core of our Heart. A picture of the spiritual master is
frequently placed on the puja (alter) table. Devotional offerings are
directed to the Guru or the lineage which are viewed as the sacred
representative that was responsible for awakening the seekers
kundalini. Through the Guru or lineage worship approach, transcendent
experiences can occur such as meeting of the Guru or other teachers on
the subtle dimensional realms. The student can hold onto these
experiences as if they are major divine occurrences. The problem is
that this can become a limitation, because the goal of Yoga has nothing
to do with the experience of visiting the learning dimensions. The
true goal of Yoga, no matter what tradition in which it is being
practiced, is nothing less than complete union with the Creator. When
we offer our devotional energy to any being in human form or to a being
on a higher dimension, we limit ourselves and our spiritual potential.
Any time we seek to open our heart to anything other than to the
direct connection of the Love of the True Source, we have become
misaligned with the ultimate goal of existence. The Guru and disciple
relationship is not beyond the law of karma. Only the Love of the True
Source which is beyond the law of karma, can take us Home to Yoga.
4: In order to grow spiritually, the basic premise is that sexual
energy needs to be transmuted and sublimated to spiritual essence which
is referred to as "ojas". Spiritual energy is supposed to rise and
stimulate the pineal gland. Fasting, asanas, vegetarian diet, and
spiritual practices are utilized to keep the lower three chakras from
becoming stimulated and emphasis is on vibrating the higher chakras.
Stagnant force, known as "Tamaguna" is said to dominate the lower
chakras and keeps one in "animality". One is supposed to stay
connected to the upper chakras which are dominated by the sentient
force of "Sattwaguna". This is viewed as the path to become divine.
This yogic approach can create conflicts, and splits within oneself. If
a male ejaculates or has a wet dream, there is often guilt that he will
not be able to achieve great spiritual heights and concerns develop
that kundalini advancement will be limited. Monks often become
frustrated because they have taken vows of celibacy, yet sublimating
sexual energy can be a most difficult challenge. From the traditional
yogic approach, dealing and managing sexual energy can become a very
big issue that can consume a lot of mental energy, and lead to much
confusion and agitation, not only with monks, but with householders who
seek spiritual realization.
5: A common theme in the traditional yogic approach is that struggle
is the essence of life. Progress is achieved by learning to calm the
monkey mind that likes to jump from thought to thought. The more
diligent one becomes in there meditation practice, it is understood
that they have to be prepared to deal with a faster ripening of there
samskara (karma). So if you go deeper into your meditation, and
ripening of karma brings many difficulties to your life, then it is
believed that this is a great sign of progress because karmic load is
lessening. The problem is that we have accumulated thousands of
lifetimes of karma, and the small lessening of the load is minute
compared to the huge storehouse of karma that we have. In one
lifetime, you can not meditate enough hours to exhaust all of ones
karma. Sometimes it is believed that the Guru will take on the karma
of the disciples and when the Guru gets ill, it is thought to be the
result of karma absorbed from the disciples. Yet the Guru is not able
to take on the karma that is involved in the widening of the sushumna
and opening of the chakra knots of his disciples. The yogic system is
designed to do that over a long period of practice and sacrifice,
however from my experience and observation of others, I did not see
that happen. In Reiki Tummo, because allegiance is not to a Guru or
lineage, all chakra knots are opened and the sushumna is opened in an
instant, due to the Love of the True Source which is the Grace that is
beyond the law of karma.
6: The ancient Yogic approach to kundalini does not work directly
with the Heart. There is a difference between using the heart chakra
as a focal point, and going into the inner layers of the Heart to
experience the core of ones True Self. From the traditional yogic
approach, the Inner Heart, which is the spark of the True Source in the
core of our Heart, is not utilized to make moment to moment choices.
Yogic students are not attuned by their traditions to access
the loving wisdom of their Inner Hearts. When the experience of the
Heart is not the center of what we do and who we are, then we make
brain dominant choices which are ego based. Maya or illusion, and more
karma are created by our actions when life is not lived from our Heart.
From my experience, many believe they are following their Heart, but
in actuality, they are in their head thinking that they are following
their Hearts.
7: From the perspective of the traditional yogic approach, Yoga is
achieved through the union of "Shiva" and "Shakti" when kundalini flows
to the crown chakra. This is supposed to represent the completion of
ones spiritual journey. In kundalini traditions this is often referred
to as Mahasamadhi or Nirvakalpa Samadhi. In Reiki Tummo, many have
come to understand that when kundalini reaches the crown chakra, it is
only a step of the real journey Home to Yoga.
8: The traditional Yogic path is often referred to as the "Path of
Perfection". The student is supposed to be a spiritual warrior that is
willing to face all challenges and undergo whatever he needs to do so
that he or she can achieve the perfection of the seven body layers, and
purify themselves to a degree in which they can achieve spiritual
realization. The problem is, "who is the one that is seeking
perfection". The "I" that is seeking perfection can be seeking
perfection for less than perfect motives. The "I" is often linked to
ego, and the student is using the effort of the ego to attempt to
achieve spiritual union that is beyond the ego. Surrender is talked
about but not necessarily understood because the Heart is not the core
emphasis of the yogic kundalini approach. What needs to be surrendered
is being used as the main vehicle to achieve spiritual realization.
It's like a fish swimming around and trying to get out of the water and
no matter how much it swims, it is still in the water. The result is
that the boundary of "I" and "Thou" is not able to dissolve and the
enhancement of spiritual growth is limited. Our human effort is not
enough to reach Yoga, yet in the traditional yogic approach it is the
discipline of our human effort that is being used as the main tool to
reach self-realization.
In due respect to those who may still be practicing ancient yogic
systems, I am suggesting that the traditional yogic path that has been
practiced for thousands of years, is an outdated paradigm and a limited
approach compared to what the path of Reiki Tummo has to offer. Years
ago the traditional yogic view of kundalini, was all that we knew. Now
we have a new approach that is available but in order to appreciate the
most profound spiritual gift that the path of the Heart provides, we
have to be willing to let go of concepts we have read in books about
kundalini and yoga. We have to let go of ideas that may have been told
to us by teachers of traditional yogic systems because they are
invested in their paradigm and may not realize the limitations of their
approach. When we follow an old paradigm as if it is the ultimate
reality, then we are closed to what the gift of a new paradigm has to
offer us.
In my experience, Reiki Tummo offers us a spiritual gift that has never
been available to us before. The potential for greater spiritual
progress than we have achieved in thousands of lifetimes, can be
realistically experienced in short period of time.
Alumni of Reiki Tummo do not become top heavy because during the Level
1 attunement the core channel is connected to the core of the earth,
and they become better nourished by the earth's energy. Feeling well
rooted and grounded is the result. Health and overall energy levels
improve. As one gets further attunements and goes on to participate in
Master Yoga, all of the chakras blossom like a lotus. Our energetic
system becomes more spiritually open, balanced and healthy. Even
while enjoying deep spiritual experiences, we can function in the world
and interact more smoothly and efficiently with whatever challenges are
before us. During Level 2, kundalini is safely awakened, the sushumna
is widened, and during Level 3 the sushumna is further widened and all
seven chakras are opened. In Master Yoga, our chakras blossom like
lotuses, the sushumna continues to widen, and kundalini reaches new
spiritual heights. The question is often asked, "How can this be
achieved since the opening of sushumna and chakra knots represents the
clearing of lifetimes of Karma?" The reason is that a Guru or energy
from a particular spiritual lineage is not the source of the
Attunement. Master Irman explains that the Love of the True Source is
beyond the Law of Karma, and the attunements are allowing and relying
on the Love of the True Source to dissolve karmic blockages without
alumni having to receive the karmic reactions from our past actions. To
fully realize what this means, we can never be the same again. For so
very, very long, we have been wondering through the karmic bondages of
time, digging more and more holes, and falling into those holes over
and over again. We have drastically failed to realize how far away we
have gotten from our original Home. We have failed to realize the depth
of our pain and suffering from our separation to our Beloved True
Source. We have not known how to get out of the karmic bondages that
have kept us enslaved through time. Our karmic debt is huge..and our
actions and lack of realization has trapped us into a karmic prison.
The rock walls of our karmic prison are so thick and yet we have
continued to think we can break through by our human effort. It's like
we are trying to escape the prison by scratching at the rock walls with
our finger nails ..and we have been doing this for so long. We
have relied on our false selves rather than relying on the Love of the
True Source. We have lived with false beliefs, false dreams, false
hopes and false priorities. Existence has now shifted. I realize that
the time is here for all of us to receive the wake up call..calling us
to come Home. It is not hard or difficult, because it is not our
effort that will take us Home. The call that we have been waiting for,
for millions of years, has come. The Love of the True Source is calling
us back to where we belong. We just have to embrace the Love and
follow. We don't have to be separate or alone anymore. The Love wants
to break through the Karmic wall of our prison, and cleanse us like a
mother cleanses her dirty child. The Love does not want us to suffer
anymore. The Love wants to remove all of our karma because the Love
wants our Spirit to come Home to our Beloved. The Love is our Beloved.
We just have to let go and let the Love work with the deepest and
complete gratitude for the Love. We are coming Home. This is not just
a metaphor..our name has been called.
|
Last Thread
Next Thread
11-17-05 05:59 AM
