India
Avatar Adi Da, 2008
Divine Shakti versus Kundalini Shakti
Avatar Adi Da has explained how to rightly understand the nature and purpose of His Spiritual Transmission in relation to all the experiences and accounts of Spirit-Power described in the Great Tradition*.
Many schools of Yoga speak about the Kundalini Energy, or “Serpent Power”, presumed to lie dormant at the base of the spine. Countless Yogic practitioners over the centuries have attempted to rouse this energy through various techniques, including Hatha Yoga and disciplines of concentration and visualization. Their purpose has been to “shoot” the Kundalini Energy up the spine, through the subtle centers (or chakras) of the body-mind, eventually passing to the brain core and even to (and through) the crown of the head. To be able to draw the Kundalini to these upper terminals of the body-mind is regarded as Enlightenment in some traditions, because of the blisses, lights, and Samadhis that may be induced as the Kundalini ascends through the various chakras. This type of mystical effort—known as Kundalini Yoga—is an extremely difficult (and even potentially dangerous) endeavor. The aspirant is dealing with a highly potent form of natural energy which can damage the body-mind if misdirected.
I Bring My Divine Spiritual Presence Down to here. Therefore, the Spiritual Process in My Company begins Infinitely Above the head.
—Avatar Adi Da Samraj
There is, however, a greater tradition of Kundalini Yoga in the history of esoteric religion, which Avatar Adi Da distinguishes from the lesser tradition of effortful Kundalini Yoga. This senior tradition of Kundalini Power, or Kundalini Shakti, is a process that cannot be induced by any self-effort. Rather, this Kundalini Shakti is only transmitted by a Siddha, or a Spirit-Initiator of profound Realization. In the traditions of Guru-devotion, there are various accounts of the Spiritual Master imparting Spiritual Energy directly to a disciple, often through an initiatory glance or touch. Avatar Adi Da has clarified that, when a Siddha Transmits Kundalini Shakti in this manner, what is being received is a mode of “the all-Pervading cosmically manifested Spiritual (or conditionally appearing) Energy”, rather than the Divine Spiritual Energy itself. This cosmically manifested (or mediated) Spiritual Energy activates an “evolutionary” process of ascent (via the chakras) from below to Above. And this Transmission (or “Shaktipat”) can have the effect of awakening the various Yogic blisses and Samadhis associated with the spinal line.
In contrast to all traditional Yogas, the Spiritual Transmission Given by Avatar Adi Da is the truly Divine Process, Which Originates from Above and is His Divine Gift, Descending (from the Divine Self-Domain) into the conditionally manifested worlds. His Divine Spiritual Self-Transmission (or Ruchira Shaktipat) is the unique (and un-mediated) Transmission of the “Bright” Itself, by means (unique to Him) of the “Thumbs”.
This is the Spiritual Transmission—entirely new in the world—that He brought down into the cosmic domain through His Avataric Birth. The process in His Company, Avatar Adi Da explained, can potentially involve any or all of the Spiritual manifestations that have been experienced by traditional Realizers and practitioners throughout the history of the Great Tradition*. However, as He has repeatedly emphasized, the purpose of His “Bright” Transmission is not the attainment of any such phenomena of Spiritual experience (in and of themselves), but the Awakening to the “Bright” Itself, prior to all experiences.
*The “Great Tradition” is Avatar Adi Da’s term for the total inheritance of human, cultural, religious, magical, mystical, Spiritual, Transcendental, and Divine paths, philosophies, and testimonies from all the eras and cultures of humanity—which inheritance has (in the present era of worldwide communication) become the common legacy of humankind.
My Spirit-Energy Descends from Above
AVATAR ADI DA SAMRAJ: “The Spiritual Process in My Company does not (as is the case with Kundalini Yoga) begin at the base of the spine—or from Below. Because I Am Avatarically Descending here, I Am Divinely Appearing here. I Bring My Divine Spiritual Presence Down to here. Therefore, the Spiritual Process in My Company begins Infinitely Above the head.
Now, and forever hereafter, I Am Standing Free, even thoroughly in the midst of the cosmic domain—and even here. Nevertheless, I am not here to support the search. The search would "go up" to Find God—because the seeker does not Find Real God here. "Going up" is one of the means for seeking the Divine, but I Am here. I Am the Divine Blessing, Real-God-with-you. Therefore, the Spiritual Process of the only-by-Me Revealed and Given Way of Adidam has nothing to do with the search. It is a matter of Spiritual Communion with Me, based on always presently exercised responsibility for the self-contraction (or the act of ego-"I"), such that My Divine Avataric Spiritual Descent may be thoroughly allowed—Crashing Down, Pervading the body-mind from head to toe. . . .
The Great Process comes about when the Divine Intervenes, Appears, Incarnates, Blesses, Teaches the understanding and the transcending of ego—such that the direct Divine Blessing may be received and the Great Divine Yoga may be entered into. This is What I Do.”
["The Divine Yoga Of My Crashing-Down Avataric Descent"]
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