An Indexed Collection of Posts by Maoshan Wanderer

Bronyraur · February 27, 2021, 12:53pm

Kundalini

Summary

Kundalini awakening in itself does not dissolve the ego. There still is very much the ego aka individual consciousness. Only when Kundalini is refined aka “ascends” through the chakras do limited perceptions of duality dissolve.

It is said that without ego, there is no physical body, as there is nothing to grasp to. Some perfected Siddhas in the yore are said to have purposely brought down the Kundalini from crown to the third-eye, for the purpose of retaining some ego, or they would have dropped their body.

Kundalini is not a “same for all” thing. Experiences are unique. It is a lot of conflict, cleansing, expansive feeling, heightened intuition, bliss etc. There are moments in meditation or chanting when oneness is felt and duality is gone, but at my current state, the ability to hold that state is very limited.

On another topic

Surrender unconditionally to the Divine Consciousness, try to let ego not interfere, and let the divine force take over. Kundalini experiences are very unique to each individual, a lot of it influenced by our own conditioning… but letting go really helps. I know, easier said than done…

My “relationship” with Kundalini is not of an impersonal force, but Mother personified, the Great Goddess, and the energy responds back similarly, with love and gentleness, without causing much discomfort. That may be one approach that may help - see this not as Kundalini or a force that needs to be controlled, regulated, tamed, grounded, etc., but as the Divine Energy of whatever form of g/God you believe in, and surrender to its higher consciousness and let the magick work itself…

Living with Gazillion Tags

Summary

Mantras

Summary

[quote =“Maoshan_Wanderer, post:171, topic:5618”]
Mantra has two aspects to it - the conceptual part and the sonic part. So, IMO, this would be 50% of the whole thing. The sonic part eventually can get one to the conceptual part (we call the initial stages shushka Japa or dry chanting) but vice versa may or may not be true. In the case of some ancient seers, it was true where the concepts they held of realizations or deities were revealed to them as potent sounds. But it seems very difficult to go that route for all, and hence the sonic part is the easier way.
[/quote]

Discussion for other Creator Channels

Mantras have no meaning.

This was the dead giveaway that Shiva (and his namesake here) do not understand a mantra. It is also clear that this Youtube creator has not really practiced any mantra himself but has depended on some priest (whose clarification seems to be not that he has perfected the mantra, but just that his family is involved in it for generations). A mantra is not a meaningless phrase.

Take the classic Panchakshari mantra - namaḥ śivāya. Entire treatises have been written about the meaning of this mantra. Similar is the case of the Gāyatrī mantra which has the famous treatise on its meaning by the famed eighth-century non-dualist, Shankarācārya (link ).

Take the famous bīja mantra (seed sound) - Hrīṁ. Sounds meaningless and according to Mr. Youtube Guru, this is a meaningless sound. But is that the case?

Ha - nameless, formless, attribute-less unified Divine Consciousness (Parabrahma)

ra - denotes the fire of consciousness or a sense of “I”-ness that arises within this unified consciousness

ī - the Feminine aspect of the genderless Divine

In essence, this seed sound describes the Feminine aspect of the Divine Consciousness which lights in it a fire of self-recognition causing a sense of I-ness that further results in the creation of a universe aka duality. In other words, this is the great power of Illusion or Māyā, a Cosmic Matrix, which is the root cause behind the One appearing as many. This is the meaning of this mantra, attributed to the Great Goddess Bhuvanēśvarī (Queen of the Cosmos), imparted traditionally by the teacher to the student when imparting the attunement to the mantra. Now, if someone has not studied the mantras and is just trying to use it to create videos (knowing well that his audience is for the most part gullible), it is natural they assume mantras are meaningless sounds.

It is also said in Vāmakēśvara Tantra, one of the most ancient manuals of Tantra available today: mantrārthajñānahīnasya siddhirnaiva hi jāyatē - without contemplating on the meaning/essence of the mantra, Siddhi of the mantra is never possible. Hence, when we impart Mantras to the students, the meaning of the mantra (and the method to contemplate on its meaning) are always taught to the students.

Mantras do not invoke any deity.

Incorrect, at least for the mantras used by this creator as they are all from the Hindu panteon. How do mantras work? Prowess embedded in the sound is certainly one aspect, usually known to folks but that is not it. The mantras are sonic forms of a deity (an archetype) and are verily the deity itself in its seed form. The energy of the mantra (when recited by the one who has perfected it) is verily the energy of the deity as the mantra IS the deity. The goal of the mantra is to ultimately experience the unity of mantra - breath - mind -self and the deity as One, which is one of the first steps to realizing non-duality. How then does one claim the mantras do not invoke any deity?

In the given example, the person says Hanuman Chalisa does not invoke Hanuman. Then how does it derive any supposed power to grant benefits? Technically, Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn composed by a medieval saint Tulsidas who lived in the 1600s in a colloquial form of Hindi (Awadhi) and is not even a mantra. So then how does it contain any power? Because the hymn connects one to the energy of the deity Hanuman. If that connection is successful, benefits follow. There is also the aspect of the field of energy associated with thousands practicing it but that is not potent enough in this case (like say the cross or other holy objects with many more faithful people contributing to the field of energy).

Mantras do not have any intent.

Again, incorrect. Take a Vitamin A pill. Is there not an intent inherent in it to supply the consumer of this pill with Vitamin A? Similar is the case with Mantras. There is an inherent pure intent (Shuddha Samkalpa) and then the lower intent (intent of the reciter of the mantra). For example, let us take the example of the same mantra hrīṁ. If one has perfected this mantra, it can be used for controlling large masses, manifesting desires (it is verily the hack to the Cosmic Matrix), achieving fame and wealth, etc., based on one’s desire. However, the pure or inherent intent of the mantra is to let one see beyond the Divine Matrix, realize oneself as the Divine Consciousness that enjoys the play of the Divine Matrix while also being unaffected by it (incidentally, we had a discussion about this same creator and his follower on this topic on this very thread). If a person recites the mantra with the attitude of niṣkāma (without specific intention or desire), then the true intent of the mantra unfolds.

Even in the case of Tantric Buddhism, view (associated with intent) is very important in all Tantric practices. Without the right view, the same mantra produces different results in different people. The Ninth Dalai Lama records that the same mantra (Hevajra) produced different results in Hindu vs Buddhist practitioners as their views were different.

Again, as I said - mantras are well-understood, well-documented, and well-practiced spiritual tools. One needs to study, research, practice, assimilate and not ignorantly accept and believe what someone else says…

Listen to this creator’s Gayatri mantra and then listen to the Light of Savitur - and judge yourself which one is close to the energetics of the Gayatri mantra. You already know my answer

Disclaimer: I am not paid by Sapien or Sammy to write this post (I wish they did haha).

List of Ambient Fields

Also, The Essence of Mantras. Mantras and their energy affect the inside and the outside. In 1998, still unaware of most things, I visited an Ashram in Rishikesh in India, mainly because they had free boarding and lodging (as a backpacking student in a foreign country trying to pinch pennies lol)

In the night, I could see a lot of angelic beings, divine energies, etc., and it just blew my mind. I felt healed, loved, and rejuvenated. Contrary to what people think, not all monasteries and ashrams exude good energy (I’ve been in Buddhist monasteries in Nepal and Tibet that have worse energies than the local ranch market, thanks to sickly energies, sexual abuse, etc.) - but this blew my mind. And then I found out the reason - the Ashram was founded in the 1940s and since then, there was an unbroken practice of reciting certain mantras in a chorus non-stop throughout the day. The Ashram was divided into multiple shifts and there was always a group that recited the mantra till the next group took over. So 50+ years of non-stop mantra recitation, the whole environment was filled with massive amounts of energy and seemed to attract many benevolent beings.

I’ve had a taste of similar energy playing the Essence of Mantras audio non-stop in my place, along with Sacred Sanctuary, Leyline, Plasma Flower, and White Light audios.

On another topic

A note on the Gayatri mantra. The Gayatri mantra is from the Rigveda, which dates back to 1000 BCE, and is probably one of the most ancient scriptures. The Rigveda probably developed in the Iranian region and then was brought forth to the Indian subcontinent by nomadic priests. The aboriginal Iranians, like their Indian counterparts, were big into Solar alchemy and this can be seen to this day with people of Parsi descent who sought refuge in India after they were driven away from Iran.

In Indian spirituality, the Divine Consciousness is said to be without name, form, or attributes and of the form of pure consciousness. Now, how does one approach, meditate on or access something so abstract, so magnificent, and so lofty to conceive? That is where various deities came into the picture who all provide a subjective glimpse into this indescribable reality. The deities are tools that help one access the lofty Light in gradual steps. The different deities are like the luminous rays of this one central inner Sun.

Savita, the Sun who is invoked in the Gayatri mantra is a prototype of both these aspects. He represents the crystallization of Solar energy in a personified form as Savita, the solar deity. However, he is hardly limited to the physical Sun as the Mantra does not merely invoke physical energy, vigor, etc. attributed to the physical Sun (though these are also attained through the energy of Gayatri). There are different mantras for Surya, who is more accurately the Sun-god, and typically these mantras are used exclusively for health, vigor, etc. Gayatri has traditionally been used for spiritual enlightenment. So, the aspect invoked in Gayatri is not really a “Hindu god”, but the attributeless Light that transcends deities, names, and forms.

There are conversations from ancient scriptures that explain the concept:

Student: Teacher, who should one invoke and realize?
Teacher: Shiva who is in Gayatri and Fire (referring to Vedic fire rituals)

Student: What is in Shiva, Gayatri, and the Fire?
Teacher: The One and the same nameless, formless, luminosity.

I wanted to write this in case someone was concerned about this field (or Gayatri) being about “Hindu Deities” (I was told about this concern in a PM). It is important to understand the concept of deities in Hindu mysticism as they are not exactly the same as aliens, angels, or demons (although some aliens might have been called deities by some groups of people). So, don’t be worried about entities in this context.

To cut the story short - about this field - It is energy, very pure, very potent, very spiritual - as simple as that …

[quote =“Maoshan_Wanderer, post:81, topic:10739, full:true”]
In Vajrayāna, the Maṇi mantra has a lot of significance. Essentially, there are three archetypical Bodhisattvas venerated:

Avalōkitēśvara, the embodiment of Compassion
Vajrapāṇi, the embodiment of Power
Manjuśrī, the embodiment of Wisdom

Due to the importance awarded to Compassion, the mantra of Avalōkitēśvara - oṃ maṇi padmē huṁ - is the most celebrated mantra along with the Tārā mantra in Tantric Buddhism. The goal of reciting the six syllables of this mantra is to perfect the six Pāramitās (generosity, virtue, patience, skillful effort, one-pointed concentration, and wisdom/insight) and to be free from the cyclic process of birth and death in various dimensions. Avalokitēśvara is the original Sanskrit name, which is translated in Tibet as Chenrezig (one who looks at all beings with compassion).

As Buddhism spread from India to East Asian countries, who were unfamiliar with Sanskrit, they interpreted the name Avalōkitēśvara (one who looks at all with a compassionate glance) as Avalokitasvara (one who looks at those who cry for help; svara means sound). Based on that, the Chinese translated the name first to Guanizai and then Guanyin - which now gets called Guanyin, Guanshiyin, Kuan Yin, etc.

The earliest work mentioning the current concept of Avalōkitēśvara is probably the Lotus Sūtra, which depicts him as a male. Archaeological remains of this Bodhisattva show him depicted as a male, sometimes with a mustache. The Lotus Sūtra lists thirty-three manifestations, of which some are female. For some reason, these female manifestations became popular in China and hence, Chenrezig began to get depicted as having a female form in East Asian countries. However, in India and Tibet, the depictions continue to show him as male (sometimes as androgynous as Compassion is neither male nor female). However, in Tantric practices and Deity Yoga, he is visualized as male because his female consort is Tārā and several practices use this yab-yum (union).

Also, there are five forms of Buddhas, one of which is Amitābha or Amitāyus, who confers health and longevity. Chenrezig is considered to be a disciple and emanation of Amitābha Buddha. This Buddha is associated with Pure Land Realms (Sukhāvatī), which is easily one of the most blissful realms to experience. A lot of advanced spiritual aspirants ascend to this realm where they can remain and further perfect their non-duality.

The new field - The Essence of Mantras - combines the energy of both this Buddha as well as the Bodhisattva, and may also give you a glimpse of Pure Land Realm.
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Discussion for other Creator Channels

There are thousands of Vashikarana, Marana, Vidveshana and all kinds of mantras in the Tantras. In my own lineage, we are taught these are tools to know but rarely used. It is just that people have no familiarity with Sanskrit to read and understand the Tantras. I am also always weary of “this is secret” and hence no one knows kind of “mantras” because how does one verify its authenticity if no one other than the one marketing it claims to know it?

But Dhyan Guru’s mantras hardly seem to be authentic mantras “which are undergound” haha

The mantra of Kali in her calmer aspect is Kleem (‘l’ sound represents the earth and hence the grounded aspect of Kundalini).
The mantra of Kali in her aroused aspect is Kreem (‘r’ sound represents the fire and hence the awakened and blazing aspect of Kundalini) - this is also the form where she is in conjugal union with Shiva who grounds the energy.
The bija Kroom is potentially a “hand me down, missed in translation” mistake of Krom, which is the ankusha (goad) bija, used popularly for attraction, subjugation, etc.

Meditation and Chanting - MAHA SHIVARATRI 11th March 2021

Yes, Divine Grace can certainly help - in whichever form, call it Kali, Shiva, Christ, Angelic, etc. Mantra is one of the many ways to connect to the Divine, an effective way, not the only way.

While we can recite mantras, do spiritual practice, etc. Grace is not guaranteed. Abhinavagupta, a great Tantric master says - the nature of Grace is mysterious. If the whole thing was - I chant x amount of mantras and I get grace, there is no difference between the Divine and a shopkeeper, as this is not merely transactional.

That said, the Universe has been empirically known to reward sincerity and hard work, so the probability of Grace is certainly higher for those that actively seek it - through prayer, meditation, service, mantras, etc.

I had two students, one who recited a certain mantra of Krishna for decades and never felt any grace. Another one, a simple all-American housewife who was not even spiritual, but wanted a mantra as her arthritis was unbearable. A month later, she was smelling fragrances, hearing flute music, and her arthritis was gone! The other guy with decades of practice was flabbergasted. Why did this lady attain grace so damn fast - was it effort from previous lifetimes, was it the quality of her efforts, or intensity of her practice, hard to say! Grace indeed is mysterious

Spiritual Path & Practices

Summary

I'm beginning to see angel wings on my back

I hear you

It is all individual perspective right?

I have friends who say - why bother with meditation, energy, etc.? Eat, drink, work, live well and die. That works perfectly well for most people!
There are also others who say - no matter what healthy diet, exercise you do, we all die, so why really bother? I can empathize sometimes with their perspective too.

I have personally found my spiritual journey fulfilling. My goal is not to find answers, it is to find peace, bliss and oneness, and I think I have found it to a degree. Not everyone needs to pursue spirituality, or is qualified for it either, and it’s perfectly okay! We all have our own perspective and no one perspective is better than the other.

Not sure if what I said makes sense? A lot of spiritual seekers “seek” - this and that, and get frustrated because of endless seeking. My spiritual goal is to not to seek more, but to not “need” things as much. I can certainly say that my needs and wants have reduced greatly with spiritual practice, or more accurately, my mind’s dependence on “things” as the source of happiness and fulfillment has significantly reduced and that is the biggest benefit I’ve found from my practice.

Also, spirituality is not all the same - not all techniques are same, not all approaches are the same and as much as we like to believe it, not everything leads to that one grand, happy place (which there is none?). That is why in Buddhism, the “right view” is greatly emphasized.

So, just take it easy, and do what your heart wants!

On another topic

The whole notion of Drukpas being “black magicians” is very far from the truth and mostly seems to be coming from the highly doubtable Theosophical sources, mostly from Helena Blavatsky. There is really no historical proof for any association of Hitler with Drukpas or even his familiarity with them - sometimes it is just easy to blame someone else for leading him astray - ranging from Drukpas to Enochian sorcerers to Russian occultists.

Drukpas are a lineage that traces all the way back to Vajradhara and they follow the teachings of Mahamudra. Their primary practice is Guruyoga and their practice is no longer “black” than any other sects of Tibetan Buddhism. They also have sexual practices called Karmamudra, also used selectively by other lineages of Tantric Buddhism - but these are not really for any “magical” purposes unlike say sometimes in Hindu Aghora or Kaula sects. One of my teachers, Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche, is a truly enlightened soul and is a treasure-house of Mahamudra practices.

Also, Vajrayana practices work uniquely due to three things:

The accuracy of the practice itself - needless to say, the right chant, pronunciation, etc. are important

The view that accompanies the practice - this is the reason that all esoteric practices are taught only after a specific mindset is established and a definitive metaphysical worldview is attained. The very same practice can produce two different results when practiced say within the Buddhist context vs the Hindu context as the “view” is not the same.

The lineage - in this day and age, our level of knowledge is low, patience is lower and mistakes are abundant. These practices work, in spite of the shortcomings, because the lineage attunement makes up for it. The lineage of teachers in various dimensions is themselves like a morphic field that contains the effort and realizations of the entire gamut of accomplished teachers and attunement (initiation) provides access to this field of consciousness. This is really the secret sauce.

Also, the practices are protected by Dharmapalas aka Guardians. They cannot be willy nilly used as one of the key goals of Buddhism is non-violence. When I was a teenager, I once invoked a wrathful guardian to take care of a bully and the same night, the guardian chided me as my intention was to hurt the bully, which was totally unnecessary (sort of like using a nuclear weapon on a rogue puppy).

A while ago, Dream was experimenting with portals to some higher dimensions accessed by Buddhist lineages and it was fascinating. The amount of scrutiny before I was let into one such dimension was nothing like I had experienced in any other astral dimension. The checks and balances are in place all right!

Then there is politics. Some Kagyu monks on the payroll of the Chinese government occupied monasteries of Drukpas, created a lineage called “Drukpa Kagyu” and spread rumors about the Drukpas. Drukpas have not been popular like the other sects due to the intermingling of Drukpas with other sects since the Chinese campaign against them.

Correct Breathing Technique for Star Meditation

Yes, essentially the goal is to practice what is called Manonmani Kriya (manas - mind, unmana - turns inward).

What I do is practice the Mahamudra (which combines the three Mudras + Shambhavi mudra) and while holding the breath, begin to mentally rotate the mantra ascending and descending along the spine (central channel). Also, this will not cause any stiffness if done right as one of the pre-requites for this Mudra would be a good amount of Pranayama practices and a good level of mastery over individual bandhas - so that the breath is very fine and subtle. If that is ensured, when holding the breath internally, the effort part is negligible. The main problem would be if we apply too much effort to hold the breath (or for longer than the body permits).

Also, once an energized/attuned mantra is rotated, the capacity to further perfect the mudra seems to greatly increase because now the entire lineage of teachers and the deity personified by the mantra are now present assisting us…

Of course, this is my way (and just one of the many ways) of doing it. Accomplished folks like Dream get into this twilight state of Void-Light without any acrobatics with just a nod and a wink… (I’ve seen him do that haha)…

On another topic

There is a tendency, sometimes, to look down upon certain practices and cultures as primitive, but that is exactly their strength. A great example would be the Bushmen Shamanism.

We speak of Yogic Asanas (postures) which regulate and initiate energy flows/circuits in the body for balance, health, and spiritual awakening. However, the Yogic Asanas were a product of reverse engineering. When Yogis were in a high state of consciousness and were channeling the universal life energy (it’s awakened form that we know as Kundalini), their bodies would assume certain positions. The students of these Yogis observed these positions, noted them down, and copied them to trigger/simulate associated states of energy/consciousness.

There are certain forms of Qigong called Spontaneous Qigong (both revered and feared) where the innate intelligence of the body (or in some cases, Daoist deities like Pangu that are channeled) moves the body and hence the energy to attain balance and resonate with the optimal frequency.

The spontaneous shaking practices of the Bushmen date back to pre-historic times and are older than both the Yogic and Daoist cultures. These are “pure” practices as they are nearly free from conditioning that slowly increases with time and what we call “civilization”. These bushmen channel primordial forces that are one with nature which bring us close to the Source.

I first experienced spontaneous movements when I received Shaktipat initiation from my teacher around the age of 12. The movements were forceful but also graceful, there was a method to the madness. In my 20s, when I dove deep into Neigong, I learned a few forms of Spontaneous Qigong which were very effective and fast-acting.

Finally, I ran into a gentleman in Dallas airport one night, and he had extensively worked with Bushmen shamans and channeled their healing energy. He sought me out in the busy airport, touched my forehead and I was shaking with orgasmic bliss then and there. It brought back ancient memories of times long forgotten. It felt like restoring the original blueprint that had become diluted due to conditioning with the passage of time.

When I narrated these experiences to Captain, he dove deep into it, entered that state of consciousness, applied his genius to make this amazing experience available to all, and this field was born! One note - both OM and I found it to be very energizing, so watch out in case you use it close to bedtime and it keeps you awake, but YMMV.

At this point, it is going to sound repetitive, but let me say it anyway - Captain, words fall short to thank you for everything you do…

Resting period

[commenting about resting and retreats]

My teacher , who has now passed, once told me, “If you think meditation is boring, then you’re just thinking! But when meditation for a usually sincere practitioner begins to seem like a chore and you no longer look forward to it, as though it was not Friday evening but a Monday morning, STOP! Take a break, refresh and reset yourself, and then get back to your practice.”

A bunch of things seems to help me with the resting period …

Adding the Meditation audio from the course to my nightly stack (thanks to @_OM)

Taking a day off every week from all audios and all tags (generally Saturdays, followed by a Sunday morning of Deep Aura Cleanse)

Sometimes, I just intuitively know that the body needs “energetic rest” and I put all my tags and audios away for at least 16-hours. This recently happened after constantly wearing the new Subconscious Limits Removal tag.

One every 3-4 months, I do a 3 (or 5) day water fast, observe silence and stay away from all forms of communication (including reading a book) - and also from all energy work other than just being present. Really helps me clean all the excesses out - physically, emotionally, spiritually!

Resting period

Does not need to be 40-days, can be 10-days too!

Physically - energy shot up to a 100%

Emotionally - there was no more guilt, fear of several things, just a sense of freedom and interconnectedness

Spiritually - I would rather not share this openly but I will only hint that my macrocosmic orbit opened in a huge way, certain guardian deities that were not responsive before suddenly showed up and the sense of duality between the knower-knowing-known began to diminish (at least during meditation)

The higher goal of this retreat, which experienced rDzogchen practitioners undertake for around 90-days, is the Rainbow Body .

This needs to be undertaken however after a solid foundation and under the guidance of someone really experienced (at least for the first time) as the way of Tantra is much more than just meditating in a dark room! One should be ready to confront one’s demons in a highly exaggerated way so that they can be put to rest forever! Again, this is just one of the many ways to Alchemy, not the only one, but certainly one of the quickest ones! There is a Daoist way and there is the Tantric Buddhist way - while the Daoist way is aimed at alchemy primarily, the Buddhist way is to seek and recognize the Pure Awareness which, when found, instantly connects one to the entire lineage of teachers who have passed down the instruction and attunement to this practice across the ages. It is like you are suddenly connected to thousands of watts of energy and you are zapped! That is the biggest gift of this practice. You will need at least a week to recover before you can resume daily life!

Resting period

For the Resting Period via the Dark Retreat, the key is not really vegetarian food/diet (which certainly has its benefits) - but depriving the senses of stimuli that keep it busy and distracted - sights, smells, light, food etc., so that energy that is wasted through the nine “holes” of the body are sealed and used to effect internal alchemy.

Food of any kind is restricted because digestion/elimination/assimilation consumes a lot of energy in itself and drags consciousness down while it happens. Again, this is a very advanced practice and not for people who have not put in decades of work achieving a certain level of energetic and emotional clarity.

The key aspect is sensory deprivement followed by sensory withdrawal, accomplished here forcibly (Pratyahara of Yoga) - forcing the consciousness to re-direct itself towards the Self and begin to inch towards Dharana (Effortless Concentration) and Samadhi (Absorptive state of Non-duality). When this happens, “awareness of this or that” changes to “Awareness”, or pure cognition, which can be life changing.

Risks come along the way - too much energy generated, if not put to right use, can cause schizophrenic syptoms, inner demons creep out which can attract outer demons, one may open oneself up to various other dimensions some of which are not very safe etc. Which is why one uses preparation, protective rites, mantras etc. to aid this quest of Pure Awareness.

Do people absolutely need this? No! Gradual practices, though slower, are safer for most people.

On another topic

All of us are here on this forum, using Dream’s fields, so that essentially means our journey is far from over lol. That in itself is a pretty good level-setter.

Everything depends on Samskara (previous conditioning) and attainment over lifetimes. What one may accomplish through Shaktipata of the highest order and intense practice, another may accomplish with no effort at all. As we say in Tantra, the Grace of the Divine is mysterious. Based on others recorded/inferred experiences, we assume x, y, z practices may result in Grace but nothing really is guaranteed. Grace is not a mathematical equation where Realized Guru + Practice always means siddhi, though that probably increases the probability.

Let us not diss and discourage people. Not everyone has access to so-called “Realized” Gurus. We need practical, accessible methods for people to start, and make progress. SRF provides such a tool. Take Dream’s fields for example which do exactly that, cutting through jargons, rituals, and complexities.

As for the number of Kriyas, there are people who have attained the highest states of enlightenment with mere Ajapa (Shamatha/Vipassana) while the Kriya community is still debating about adding more and more kriyas and whether Teacher A’s bliss is greater than another teacher’s bliss, or some such nonsense. Serves no purpose other than a pissing contest. I am yet to see a single modern-day Kriyavan who has accomplished Khechari and it is impossible to practice Khechari that involves the severing of the frenum without expert guidance. Again, the original practice which was compiled from ancient Tantras like Yoginijalashambhara involved Khechari, Dikchari, Bhuchari practices of which only Khechari was known to these so-called Kriya schools. None of the Kriya techniques are original or unique as is evident to anyone who has studied works on Hatha Yoga by Gorakshanatha.

The famed Tantric Master Abhinavagupta says: “Crazed body-punishers huff and puff with their breaths, cut their tongues, while I sit in peace, rest my mind in the Sky inside me; While I soar, they sink”. (Kha - Sky, Chari - Moves). Of course, he exaggerates but with the intent of driving home a message. More is not always better, nor is complexity.

On another topic

Haha, there is really no “conversion” process for any Eastern spiritual traditions. It is a way of life, less of a belief system - so if you have the right “view” and practice the taught techniques with dedication, you are a practicing Tibetan Buddhist. Unlike Sutrayana-based S E Asian Buddhism, or Mahayana-based Zen and other schools, Tibetan Buddhism, while being Buddhist in terms of metaphysics, is more shamanic in nature due to techniques from Bonpo, Kashmiri Shaivism, etc., and hence transmission is key from a capable teacher, be it Mahamudra or rDzogchen. While I have been studying rDzogchen practices for a long time, my primary practice is Kashmir Shaivism (Krama school).

As for my teachers, there are several - Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, Lama Jigmé Namgyal, Khenchen Namdrol Tsering, Mingyur Rinpoche (Mahamudra), Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche amongst others.

Reginald Ray of Dharma Ocean offers pretty accessible teachings (some as digital courses) which are good enough to make a lot of progress. Advanced work such as dark retreats, Tögal, etc. does require some direct physical guidance of a teacher, however. Allan Wallace is another good and accessible source.

The one thing I did benefit tremendously was a somewhat different world growing up - where I could travel extensively at a manageable cost, backpack to places, just stay in some remote place in the middle of nowhere and learn from obscure teachers, etc. I guess that has become more difficult in the present world, but thankfully, more digital resources are opening up. So I think it is just a matter of time before more Teachings become better accessible (though the Lamas are cautious about sharing some teachings as without a good level of mental and energetic maturity, self-harm is a possibility). With China’s aggression in Tibet, the one benefit is that a lot of these closed teachings are now much more accessible due to Tibetan refugees migrating to other countries.

Meditation and Chanting - MAHA SHIVARATRI 11th March 2021

It is indeed difficult to classify death into Kala-mrityu (timely death) and Akala-mrityu (untimely death), other than perhaps for awakened folks.

The nature of the physical body is death and decay - so most have to die. Death as such here would be “timely death”. Now, what is “timely” for a given individual? Hard to say. Some folks attribute it to karma, some others to a pre-determined span of life (ayus), etc. But do I know for sure, not really haha… I do however know that there are many alchemists and yogis who can bend this law of “timely death” and extend lifespan. My Daoist teacher is “very” old and hides in Kunlun mountains (he has great great grandchildren lol). Another one has “changed” bodies (I’ve seen it once) and extended life span. So there’s that stuff too lol

As for untimely death, it is death before one’s soul purpose is accomplished, so I would think in such cases the choice is not really the soul’s. Suicide is one such thing (although there are complexities here based on different cases). This can be avoided by Divine Grace (I wrote about my experience here ).

So, what is timely vs untimely, what causes either of them, is one’s lifespan pre-determined? I can only speculate as I have no clue

Mrityunjaya can help with both - mitigate the untimely death, and in the case of timely, mitigate the fear of death (aka limited existence where the self identifies itself as limited to the Body-Mind complex).

Forgetting about breathing

As for the state of “breathlessness”, that is what we strive for. Breath and thoughts are deeply connected. The Yogic methods tend to regulate and sublimate the thoughts aka the mind through the energy of the breath. This is generally easier (grosser forms of energy are easier to work with).

Others, who practice some direct approaches like some schools of Non-Duality, Advaita, etc., attain the moment of mental clarity and thoughtlessness and their breath naturally slows down and at a stage feels like it has stopped.

I can speak of this in terms of Mantra practice (which is what I am most familiar with) - when the breath seems to stop, it can feel anxious, it can feel scary as breath, in all its glory, is also what anchors us to this physical plane of existence while also serving as a bridge to higher dimensions of wisdom and clarity. So, when this most familiar and intimate process seems to stop, it feels very disconcerting, but that is when old patterns, thousands of years of conditioning begin to unravel. It is only in that state that one is completely undistracted by thought/breath and can see Herself/Himself for what we really are, the Effulgent Radiant Light.

Even during the process of meditation training, we initially focus on breaths, the warmth in and out but once that pattern is stabilized, the goal is to focus on the silence in between the breaths - initially when holding the breath, and eventually when the breath has been exhaled and there is quietness. Eventually when reciting a mantra or meditating, very small periods of such silence begin to appear, where the breath seems to have disappeared. Once the strangeness of this unfamiliar condition is transcended, this state, where breathing has naturally dissolved (this should never be forced) is when the glorious vibration of the Mantra begins to emerge, where every cell in the body begins to vibrate and recite the mantra. This state now begins to extend more and more and when one is stabilized in it for a reasonable period of time, it is called Samadhi. This also has the effect of extending the physical life by arresting/reducing the aging process (which is again intricately tied to the breath and its patterns).

Breathlessness is Deathlessness…

On another topic

The left nostril (or the flow of Prana or vital energy in the left channel) is represented by the Yamuna, the river associated with the deity Krishna, who represents aspects of Bhakti Yoga or Yoga of Devotion (surrender, love towards the Supreme, service, etc.). And these emotions are heightened and refined by focusing on the life energy in the left nostril. Yamuna is also the sister of Yama, the deity of death and hence Yamuna is said to free one from the fear of death.

Ganga on the other hand represents the path of Knowledge or Jnana Yoga (non-duality, self-inquiry, contemplative practices, etc.) - regulated by the right channel, accessed through the breath in the right nostril.

There is a System called the Svara Yoga where one can consciously switch the breath to the desired channel at specific parts of the day (think of it on the lines of TCM where certain aspects of Yin/Yang or the elements influence different parts of the body at different times in the day). Some use this branch of Yoga to gain intuition and awaken psychic faculties, other to prolong life and others to attain stillness. Until perfect stillness is achieved, the breath does not become subtle enough to enter the central channel or Sushumna, the road to Samadhi (absorptive state of bliss where non-duality is glimpsed).

If you notice carefully, breath pre-dominantly flows through one of the two nostrils at any given point in time :) This would be the dominant channel at that moment. This is also used in Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) for diagnosis.

While the Indian version of Svara Yoga is rudimentary, the Tibetans, in their system called the Trul Khor, go to great depths in manipulating and refining the two currents to enable its switching into the central channel naturally (by employing physical postures, force, mantras, mandalas, visualization, breathing techniques and sexual alchemy at the advanced stages).

Entity/Deity Thread

Did the historical Buddha really teach all of the Buddhist practices that exist today? Not really, not especially Tantric Buddhism. Suttas (Pali for Sutras), which are closest to the historical Siddhartha Gautama, are also later compilations, so hard to say what exactly the Buddha taught. India was a fertile ground for Tantric cultures during the period when Tantric Buddhism, Kashmir Shaivism, and Kaula Tantrism evolved and got perfected. A lot of these techniques and deities are similar/shared because the true origins of some of these primordial entities/practices are older than known religion or metaphysics. Each philosophical school adopted them and claimed them as their own. The Vedas do not prescribe deity worship as practiced today either.

Buddhism chose to give a Buddhistic flavor to these Tantric/Bon practices by pinning Dependent Origination as their philosophical basis. The same can be said about Hinduism, where a lot of deities outside the Vedic systems were assimilated into a Vedic/Veda-friendly system that gets called Hinduism today. Hinduism also counter-attacked the Buddha as an imposter, a demon in some places, while later Puranas accepted him as one of the incarnations of Vishnu. Hinduism certainly is a much larger umbrella system as two dozen schools of philosophies exist (monism - not monotheism, dualism, qualified dualism, materialism, atheism, etc.)

So yes, a lot of these techniques are either very ancient or innovations of some later great minds. Either way, they work. In some areas, like practical aspects of non-duality, the Tantric Buddhists have perfected the techniques in a more elaborate fashion than the current day Hindu counterparts. It is a complex subject with many dimensions - history, society, philosophy, metaphysics, and then aspects that are beyond the scrutiny of the mind-body complex. I study these aspects academically but shun them away from my head when I practice with a clear head. While religion believes in constancy, preserving the old, purity, etc., Tantra (which is Shamanic in nature), is all about evolution, innovation, using the old to produce something new, and not getting sucked into the duality of good-bad, pure-impure, dark-light, etc., as everything that exists is a useful tool for self-improvement.

Sri Chakra

It is a perfect representation of the microcosm and the macrocosm. It is one of the most ancient sacred geometry yantras ever known to mankind.

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It consists of nine Avaranas (veils, walls, enclosures) - which separate one from realizing the full potential of the Self as the Divine. The center is Tripurasundari, the Goddess of the Triads (also a combined form of the child, maiden, and the crone), who represents the transcendental sixteenth digit of the waxing/waning of moon - which represents the transcendence of space and time, two aspects which prevent us from realizing our own true Self as The Goddess.

The nine enclosures and the tenth Bindu (the central dot where all the nine enclosures collapse) is the state of singular, non-dual Divine Consciousness where the Deity and the Practitioner are One.

For material benefits, one worships/meditates on the Srichakra from the center, outwards - like the rays of sun emanating outside from the center. For spiritual ascent, we meditate in the reverse order, from the outermost enclosure to the innermost - where each gross layer of consciousness collapses into the more subtle one, till the mind becomes no-mind. Each enclosure has its own set of deities with specific internal and external purposes. For example, one of the enclosures is called Sarvarogahara - that which cures all diseases, another called Sarvarakshakara - that which protects from all physical, mental, and spiritual dangers.

The Alchemy of Srichakra is extremely complex and involved and a whole school in itself called Srividya. This is a very ancient (and extremely extremely powerful) Tantric school that combines Yoga, Tantra, Alchemy, etc. in itself. It involves Mantra (of three, six, nine, fifteen, sixteen, and twenty-eight letters, given in sequence after the previous one if perfected), Mudra (forty-eight hand gestures), Tantra (ritualistic invocation, internal meditations of six kinds in the subtle energy body). Initial work is physical, and then mental and finally astral where one traverses through a Srichakra constructed in the astral body. At an advanced state, we traverse through an actual dimension dedicated to this alchemy in astral body to the levels permitted by the guardian deities (which depends on our vibratory state, the work we have put in).

This Mandala or Yantra represents the harmony of Shiva and Shakti in conjugal bliss - upward triangles are Shiva, downward ones is Shakti, as their coming together results in the apparently real universe. The Bindu represents the state of pure ‘I AM’, as all that there is. The nine enclosures also represent the nine Chakras, nine dimensions/worlds and nine states of consciousness.

Three Treasures / San Bao (Chi, Jing, Shen)

Summary

On another topic

The Tree Treasures - Jing, Qi and Shen, are varied expressions of the same Dao. They can be considered, in an over-simplified way, to represent the Body (Jing), Mind (Qi) and Spirit (Shen). The functioning of the human body-mind-spirit matrix occurs through seven expressions of the Dao - Bone, Marrow, Body Fluids, Blood, Essence (Jing), Energy (Qi) and Spirit (Shen) - in the increasing order of energetic density or grossness, Bone being the grossest and Shen being the subtlest. While they all have specific functions to play, they are inter-dependent and work with each other in a holistic fashion. In Daoist medicinal texts, the three treasures are compared to Ice (Jing), Water (Qi) and Shen (Steam). True alchemy occurs when Jing morphs into Qi, and further into Shen as only Shen (spirit) can assimilate through all three levels of existence - Body, Mind and Spirit.

The Jing is associated - amongst other things - with sustaining the Physical body. It is mainly responsible for physical healing as it is this field of energy called Jing that causes the right cells to increase and the unwanted kind to be removed. It is grosser than Qi but subtler than other bodily fluids such as blood etc. If Jing is cultivated properly, the physical body is harmonized and healthy skin is a reflection of this harmony. For Jing to be converted to Qi, one needs a degree of harmony between the Body and Thoughts/Emotions. Jing (postnatal) represents the Essence of the body’s organs (though oft represented by Semen), it is derived from air, and nourishment obtained from food and drink.

Qi may be conceptualized as the energetic delivery mechanism that makes vitality or Jing available across the various organs in the body. It maintains and sustains Jing. It also governs thoughts and emotions. As it is the middle bridge that interacts with both Jing and Shen, it is often the main topic of interest to Alchemists.

Shen or the spirit sustains and directs Qi, and is also of a higher vibrational nature than Qi and Jing. It is also associated with the Mind in the sense that while Qi deals with thoughts and emotions, the Shen is associated with Awareness and Consciousness.

The steps of Alchemy (postnatal) involve reversing the transformation of Dao (highest vibration, most subtle) to Jing (lowest vibration, gross).

Jing → Qi: Jing is primarily represented by the creative essence in semen/ovaries. This, through practices of alchemy, is “warmed” in Lower Dantien to transform into Energy or Qi, just like you heat ice to convert it to water.

Qi → Shen: Qi is further converted to Shen in the Middle Dantien, similar to water being converted to steam.

Shen → Wuji: Shen is processed in the Upper Dantien to transform to Wuji, which represents a timeless, still energetic space field of energy. This is similar to steam dissipating into the space.

Wuji → Dao: In the final stage, when Wuji is sustained, it re-connects with Dao or the Divine, where there is no duality of any kind.

Excess of anything, especially if induced outside of the natural scheme of things, and importantly, is unused, causes imbalance. For example, excess Yin Jing can cause fat gain, phlegm and water retention (Kapha dosha as it is called in Ayurveda). In extreme cases, excessive nourishment, or excess of Jing, can result in cancerous cells or tumors. Excessive and unnatural nourishment in some modern forms of diet (or excessive use of certain herbs in medieval times) have been attributed as the cause for Cancer in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

If one has overstimulated Jing, a simple shaking exercise a few times in the day may help circulate Qi and prevent stagnation of Jing.

Consequences of Sex

Everything is good in moderation. From the perspective of Taoist Alchemy and TCM, semen is associated with Jing which is lost to an extent with ejaculation. Now, Jing is again of two types. Pre-Natal Jing (Yuan-Jing) is passed on to the fetus from the parents - and is responsible for strength and vitality. This is not associated with sexual fluids and to an extent is also associated with deep meditation, prayer, etc. Post-natal Jing, associated with sexual fluids, is associated with food, air, drinks, etc. These two forms are equally important and complement each other. Post-natal Jing is continually replenished by healthy living and eating and this turn enriches Pre-natal Jing.

If one indulges in excessive sex (determined based upon one’s age and general health), Yin, Jing, and Kidney Qi are reduced, causing chronic fatigue, sore heels, and knees. Also, if one excessively abstains from sex, due to an abnormal increase in Jing (which if not transformed spiritually) can lead to perversions and deviations (as it is said to overflow into the ‘Sea of Marrow’).

The younger and healthier one is, the body’s capacity to replenish this Jing is better! If one ejaculates more than one’s body can handle, as post-natal Jing is not replenished at the rate it is being exhausted, it now starts tapping into Pre-natal Jing, which is very difficult to replenish and affects health, vitality, and longevity. It is not just the process of ejaculation, which of course if the most extreme, but even sexual arousal results in less desirable transformation (Qi - Jing - sexual fluids) where in fact, it is the reverse that one should be aspiring for!

So, in general, sex for most is a very lossy event, more so for men than women, but when the practice is enlightened, it becomes alchemy and hence an energy-neutral or even an energy-positive event (Taoists and Yogins have sexual cultivation and dual/couple cultivation methods for this purpose). For most ordinary folks - an obsessive mind dwelling on this topic - be it attachment or repulsion - is what causes the problem. The Western way has to be to either view sex as profane or sacred, but nothing in between - there is a whole spectrum between these two extremes.

Also, the nature of ejaculation is different for men and women - while men really ejaculate, the women don’t usually lose their secretions. While most men always ejaculate during sex, irrespective of whether the partner experiences orgasm, this disturbance in energetic harmony or give and take makes the loss of Jing pronounced. Women, on the other hand, are strengthened with every orgasm, both of their own and of their male partner. Taoist texts thus prescribe:

Ages 16 to 25 - masturbation is relatively harmless

Ages 25 to 30 - reduce the frequency of masturbation

Ages 30s, 40s, 50s - stop masturbating and conserve sexual fluids for intercourse

When man and woman indulge is connected sex, exchanging body fluids, breathing each other’s breath, both are replenished and rejuvenated. When such a connection is absent, men are depleted. Thus, the prescription of Daoist of yore, Peng-Ze: “A man must conserve his semen during sex. Whenever he does ejaculate, the loss must be compensated by absorbing the essence of the woman’s secretion - which is not possible in the case of masturbation or meaningless/disconnected sex”. During connected sex, the microcosmic orbits of the couple overlap, and magical alchemy occurs when mouth, heart, and genitalia come into physical and energetic contact. For the Daoist, such sex is not necessarily “romantic love” like us in the West would immediately assume, but merely the right level of preparedness as well as the right set of techniques and effort.

On another topic

Dan-tiens are a lot more ‘physical’ while Chakras are more ‘energetic’. If one had to combine the two schools, Dan-tien would be like a storage container of Chi in which spinning wheels of energy aka Chakras are swimming. The three Dan-tiens are like cauldrons in which energy is stored and refined and circulated, affecting physical organs around them - in that, they have similarities to Chakras. They are the cauldrons which transmute respectively, Jing → Chi, Chi → Shen and finally, Shen → Wu-ji, unbridled, non-corrupt pure energy or Dao. While all three of them deal with physical organs around them, they can be mapped to physical, emotional and spiritual aspects respectively, in terms of their primary function.

In alchemical practices such as Taiji, Qigong, Maoshan sorcery etc., these Dantiens are systematically used, usually starting with the lower one, to cultivate and refine energy. Water paths work on energy descending from the upper to the lower one, while the more common fire paths deal with energy flow upward, starting with cultivating the lower Dantien first.

On another topic

Daoism has a varied concept on soul/s - and different schools have different levels of gradations there. However, everything originates from Qi is not true in the case of Buddhism. Probably some Buddhists in China influenced by Daoist practices may believe so, but this is quite antagonistic to most forms of Buddhism, be it the Sūtrayāna or the Tantrayāna (Intellectual and the Tantra schools).

Also, the origin of everything according to Daoism is the Tao, the ultimate state of Non-Duality. Qi originated from this state as do other aspects of creation. Qi can be described as the energetic nature of the Dao. So, it may not be correct to say everything originates from the Qi.

The Lower Dantien, according to Daoist medicinal texts, is where the unborn receives nutrition during the gestation, so forms the first energetic center and hence also the core one. That initial well of life and energy never dries down even after birth and aging, and it is up to oneself to keep this spring of life strong enough to feed the other two Dantiens.

Another interesting study is of the Zen monks, who meditate with awareness on the belly, without indulging in any specific energetics. Essentially, they rely on their lower Dantien to drive other aspects of alchemy and it does work, though awfully slowly, but avoids various complications faced by other Daoists who jump around without cultivating their lower Dantien sufficiently.

Sexual Energy Accumulation Speed on various fields (experience thread)

Dr. David Frawley writes this:

Vata = Chi/Qi

Pitta = Yang

Kapha = Yin

Ojas = Jing

He writes, “Although this comparison does not hold true all the time, it does the majority of the time. In Ayurveda, there is a balanced/constructive, and an unbalanced/destructive side to Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. This is not true in Chinese Energetics. For example, Ojas is a constructive byproduct of a balanced Kapha, whereas an excess of mucus, or maybe a tumor is a destructive by-product of an unbalanced Kapha, whereas Jing is a more refined type of Chi, and has no downside to it unless it is forced through a part of the body that cannot handle it”.

Bridgette Shea, one of the pioneers in the comparative study of Ayurveda and Daoist Alchemy, says this:

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In my opinion, Jing is a common term used for three aspects explained in Ayurveda - Soma (the essence, associated with Kapha), Shukra (the reproductive fluid), Ojas (the most refined aspect of soma and shukra). So, Jing is more of an umbrella term for these three if we were to attempt to map the two schools. Also, it must be noted that Ayurveda (Indian Traditional Medicine) and Yoga treat aspects such as Ojas, Tejas, etc., differently (although Ayurvedic use of these terms historically precedes the adaptation by Yogic schools).