Saturday, June 20, 2009

Shaktipat

Shaktipat

Shaktipat or Śaktipāta is a Sanskrit word in the Hindu spiritual tradition that refers to the act of the spiritual energy of kundalini being conferred on a disciple or student, by a guru or spiritual teacher in whom it is already active. Śakti translates as spiritual energy and "pāta" as descent(to fall down).[1][2] Shaktipat can be intermediated by the spiritually enlightened master either by transmission of sacred word or mantra, a look, a thought or by touch. The touch is usually given to the ajna chakra or third eye of the disciple. Shaktipat can be transmitted in person or at a distance, through an object such as a flower or fruit, or via telephone or letter.[3]Contents [hide]
1 Śaktipāt as an act of free will of God
2 Śaktipāt as a contact of consciousness
3 Levels of intensity of Śaktipāt
4 Modern accounts
5 See also
6 References


[edit]
Śaktipāt as an act of free will of God

Śaktipāt is an act of Divine Grace (anugraha), completely undetermined. It cannot be forced to come by any action but it always comes of the free will of Śiva. However, the attitude of the recipient must be open towards such influx of illuminating Śakti, otherwise it will not be imposed by force as every human being is endowed with free will, including the freedom to reject God.[4]

[edit]
Śaktipāt as a contact of consciousness

The guru passes his knowledge to his disciples by virtue of the fact that his purified consciousness enters into the selves of his disciples and communicates its particular characteristic. In this process the disciple is made part of the spiritual family (kula) - a family which is not based on blood relations but on people of the same knowledge.[5]

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Levels of intensity of Śaktipāt

In Kashmir Shaivism, depending on its intensity, Śaktipāt can be classified as:
tīvra-tīvra-śaktipāta - the so called "Super Supreme Grace" - produces immediate identity with Śiva and liberation; due to the extreme intensity of this grace the physical body dies; such a being goes on to become a siddha master and bestows grace from his abode (Siddhaloka), directly into the heart of deserving aspirants[6]
tīvra-madhya-śaktipāta - "Supreme Medium Grace" - such a being becomes spiritually illuminated and liberated on his own, relying directly on Śiva, not needing initiation or instruction from other exterior guru. This is facilitated by an intense awakening of his spiritual intuition (pratibhā) which immediately eliminates ignorance[6]
tīvra-manda-śaktipāta - "Inferior Supreme Grace" - the person who received this grace strongly desires to find an appropriate guru, but he does not need instruction, but a simple touch, a look, simply being in the presence of his master is enough to trigger in him to the state of illumination[6]
madhya-tīvra-śaktipāta - "Medium Supreme Grace" - a disciple who receives this grace desires to have the instruction and initiation of a perfect guru; in time he becomes enlightened however he is not totally absorbed into this state during his lifetime and receives a permanent state of fusion with Śiva after the end of his life[7]
madhya-madhya-śaktipāta - "Medium Middle Grace" - such a disciple will receive initiation from his guru and have an intense desire to attain liberation, but at the same time he still has desire for various enjoyments and pleasure; after the end of his life, he continues to a paradise where he fulfills all his desires and after that he receives again initiation from his master and realizes permanent union with Śiva[8]
madhya-manda-śaktipāta - "Medium Inferior Grace" - is similar to "Medium Middle Grace" except that in this case the aspirant desires worldly pleasures more than union with Śiva; he needs to be reincarnated again as a spiritual seeker to attain liberation[8]
manda - "Inferior Grace" - for those who receive this level of grace, the aspiration to be united with Śiva is present only in times of distress and suffering; the grace of Śiva needs to work in them for many lifetimes before spiritual liberation occurs[9]Type of spiritual grace When is the moment of liberation? What one needs in order
to attain liberation? What is the defining quality
of the recipient?
tīvra-tīvra-śaktipāta
Super Supreme Grace immediate nothing exterior, only
the grace of Śiva capability to abandon duality
tīvra-madhya-śaktipāta
Supreme Medium Grace immediate nothing exterior, only
the grace of Śiva intuition of nonduality (*)
tīvra-manda-śaktipāta
Inferior Supreme Grace after meeting a perfect guru the presence of
a physical guru total surrender for his guru
madhya-tīvra-śaktipāta
Medium Supreme Grace at the end of life in this physical plane the initiation
and instruction of a guru intense spiritual aspiration
madhya-madhya-śaktipāta
Medium Middle Grace after living for some time in a paradise the initiation
and instruction of a guru spiritual aspiration is more intense than worldly desires
madhya-manda-śaktipāta
Medium Inferior Grace in the next physical incarnaiton the initiation
and instruction of a guru lower aspiration than
worldly desires
manda
Inferior Grace after many lifetimes of incremental progress the initiation
and instruction of a guru and lots of time


(*) Abhinavagupta distinguishes here two sublevels:
those whose intuition (pratibhā) is firm
those whose intuition is hesitant, who need more practice in order to stabilize; they would take a guru, study the scriptures or practice yoga[1]

[edit]
Modern accounts
Author Barbara Brennan in the book Hands of Light describes shaktipat as the actual projection of the guru's "aura" on the disciple, whereby the disciple acquires the same mental state of the guru, hence the importance of the high spiritual level of the guru. The physiological phenomena of a rising kundalini then naturally manifests.
Comparative Literature professor Paul Zweig wrote of his experience in receiving Shaktipat from Swami Muktananda, published in the anthology Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment by John White, editor, (ISBN 1-55778-303-9).
Author and spiritual teacher, Stuart Perrin, in his book A Deeper Surrender (ISBN 1-571742-17-4) describes receiving shaktipat from his guru, Rudi (Swami Rudrananda).
Shri Dhyanyogi Madhusudandas was born in Bihar, India. He travelled for thirty years throughout India learning from saints and yogis. In 1921 he met his final master, Shri Yogiraj Parameshwardas, who gave him Shaktipat initiation. He experienced the highest state of samadhi and attained the ultimate goal of God realization. He came to America in 1976 as part of his worldwide mission to help spiritual seekers. During his four years here, he established local groups from coast to coast, and initiated thousands into the path of Kundalini Maha Yoga. He returned to India in 1980 and spent his remaining years in residence in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Shri Dhyanyogi consciously left his physical body after 116 years, entering Maha-samadhi on August 29, 1994, the anniversary of Lord Krishna's birth. A book describing his amazing life-story - "This House is on Fire." (ISBN 1-883879-50-7) was published by Dhyanyoga Center. His current spiritual successor is Shri Anandi Ma who lives in Antioch, California. She carries on her guru's work and does Shaktipath initiation for spiritual seekers.

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See also

Kundalini

Kundalini This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.
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Kundalini (kuṇḍalinī कुण्डलिनी) Sanskrit, literally "coiled". In Indian yoga, a "corporeal energy"[1] - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent coiled at the base of the spine,[2][3][4] hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent power'. Kundalini is considered a part of the subtle body along with chakras (energy centres) and nadis (channels). Each chakra is said to contain special characteristics [5]. The overall concept has many points in common with Chinese acupuncture.

Yoga and Tantra propose that this energy may be "awakened" by such means as austerities, breath and other physical exercises, visualization and chanting. It may then rise up a subtle channel at the spine (called Sushumna) to the head, bringing psychological illumination. Yogis tend to attempt this alone, Tantrics in couples, both usually under the instruction of a guru.

When Kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva). The aspirant becomes engrossed in deep meditation and infinite bliss.[6][7]

According to Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda awakening of kundalini shows itself as "awakening of inner knowledge". Like every form of energy one must also learn to understand spiritual energy. In order to be able to integrate this spiritual energy, careful purification and strengthening of the body and nervous system are required beforehand. By trying to force results considerable psychic disturbances and at times even permanent mental damage can occur. A spiritual master who walked this path before is required to guide the aspirant. Often will be found that negative experiences occurred only when acting without appropriate guidance or ignoring advice. [8]Contents [hide]
1 Indian sources
2 Western interpretation
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links


[edit]
Indian sources

A number of models of this esoteric subtle anatomy occur in the class of texts known as Āgamas or Tantras, a large body of scriptures, rejected by many orthodox brahmins.[9] In early texts there are various systems of chakras and nadis, with varying connections between them. Over time a system of six or seven chakras up the spine was adopted by most schools. This particular system, which may have originated in about the 11th century AD, rapidly became widely popular.[2] This is the conventional arrangement cited by Monier-Williams, where the chakras are defined as "6 in number, one above the other".[10]

The most famous of the Yoga Upanishads, the Yogatattva, mentions four kinds of yoga, one of which, laya-yoga, involves Kundalini.[11] Another source text for the concept is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika written by Swami Svatmarama [12].

[edit]
Western interpretation

Sir John Woodroffe (pen name Arthur Avalon) was one of the first to bring the notion of Kundalini to the West. A High Court Judge in Calcutta, he became interested in Shaktism and Hindu Tantra. His translation of and commentary on two key texts was published as The Serpent Power. Woodroffe rendered Kundalini as "Serpent Power".

Western awareness of the idea of Kundalini was strengthened by the Theosophical Society and the interest of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1875-1961)[2]. "Jung's seminar on Kundalini yoga, presented to the Psychological Club in Zurich in 1932, has been widely regarded as a milestone in the psychological understanding of Eastern thought. Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model for the development of higher consciousness, and he interpreted its symbols in terms of the process of individuation".[13]

In the early '30s two Italian scholars, Tommaso Palamidessi and Julius Evola, published several books with the intent of re-interpreting alchemy with reference to yoga.[14] Those works had an impact on modern interpretations of Alchemy as a mystical science. In those works, Kundalini is called an Igneous Power or Serpentine Fire.

Another popularizer of the concept of Kundalini among Western readers was Gopi Krishna. His autobiography is entitled Kundalini—The Evolutionary Energy in Man.[15] According to June McDaniel, his writings have influenced Western interest in kundalini yoga.[16] Swami Sivananda produced an English language manual of Kundalini Yoga methods. Other well-known spiritual teachers who have made use of the idea of kundalini include Osho, George Gurdjieff, Paramahansa Yogananda, Rudi (Swami Rudrananda), Yogi Bhajan and Nirmala Srivastava (Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi).

Kundalini references may commonly be found at present in a wide variety of derivative "New Age" presentations, and is a catchword that has been adopted by many new religious movements. However, some commentators, such as transpersonal psychologist Stuart Sovatsky, thinks that the association of Yogic sanskrit terminology (chakras, kundalini, mantras, etc.) with the superficiality of new-age rhetoric, has been unfortunate [17].

Recently, there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation, and some of these studies have applied the discipline of Kundalini Yoga to their clinical settings [18][19]. Their findings are not all positive. Some modern experimental research [20] seeks to establish links between Kundalini practice and the ideas of Wilhelm Reich and his followers.

However, the intensive spiritual practices associated with some Asian traditions are not without their problems. Psychiatric literature [21] notes that "Since the influx of eastern spiritual practices and the rising popularity of meditation starting in the 1960s, many people have experienced a variety of psychological difficulties, either while engaged in intensive spiritual practice or spontaneously". Among the psychological difficulties associated with intensive spiritual practice we find "kundalini awakening","a complex physio-psychospiritual transformative process described in the yogic tradition" [21]. Also, researchers in the fields of Transpersonal psychology,[22] and Near-death studies[23][24] describe a complex pattern of sensory, motor, mental and affective symptoms associated with the concept of Kundalini, sometimes called the Kundalini Syndrome.

Followers