http://www.thedivinelifesociet...d/bgita.htm#_VPID_21

The Yoga of Devotion

Summary of Twelfth Discourse

The twelfth discourse indicates that the path of devotion is easier than the path of knowledge. In this path the aspirant worships God in His Cosmic Form of the Supreme Personality. He develops a loving relationship with Him, adores Him, remembers Him and chants His glories and Name. He thus effects union with the Lord and attains not only His formless aspect but also the Lord as the manifest universe.

The path of knowledge, whereby the aspirant meditates on the formless Brahman, is more difficult as he has to give up his attachment to the body from the very beginning. He has to have dispassion for the things of the world.
How to practise devotion? Krishna asks Arjuna to fix his entire mind on Him. As often as the mind wanders it should be brought back to the Lord. If this process of concentration is difficult he should dedicate all his actions to Him, feeling that it is His power that activates everything. If this also is beyond his ability, he should offer all his actions to the Lord, abandoning the desire for their fruits. He should take complete refuge in Him. The devotee who surrenders himself to the Lord attains perfect peace.

The Lord goes on to describe the qualities that a true devotee possesses. He neither attaches himself to anything nor does he have any aversion to things. He has a balanced mind under all circumstances. He is not agitated by the happenings of the world, nor does he himself cause any agitation in others. He is perfectly desireless and rejoices in the Lord within. He sees equality everywhere, being untouched by sorrow, fear, honour as also dishonour. He is perfectly content as he has surrendered his entire being to the Lord.

My attempt to find answers to the problem of Kundalini imbalance and its treatment has yielded a little more information from a reliable source - Darshani on behalf of The Divine Life Society has answered some questions I sent to Sri Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam. I post the questions and answers here for the benefit of all. I request that those who write on this topic may give due credit to The Divine Life Society for the insights that are being shared in this post.

Sent by Sri Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam, The Divine Life Society:

A CORRECT DIAGNOSIS

Vishnu Swamiji's eyes were red. The Master noticed this the moment he came into the office in the afternoon.
"O Vishnu Swamiji! why are your eyes red?"
Vishnu Swamiji kept silent.
"Ohji, don't do Tratak too much," said the Master. "It is due to an overdose of Tratak, is it not?"
"Yes, Swamiji."
" Always be moderate. There is no fun in overdoing these exercises and spoiling the eyes. Apply boric lotion to the eyes."

-------------------------------------------------

" "Anger, lust, greed, jealousy and hatred will always lurk in your subconscious mind. Beware! Be cautious. Be vigilant. Be alert. Eradicate them. Otherwise they will gain strength and crush you later on and swallow all your Sadhana."
- Swami Sivananda

Answers sent by Darshani, The Divine Life Society:

Priya: I take it that the 'Correct Diagnosis' part and Sri Sivananda Saraswathi's advice you sent me is the answer to my question about Kundalini imbalance and its treatment. Can I understand it as: moderation in spiritual practice and treatment of the illness/symptoms by regular medicine?

Darshani, DLS : Precisely.

Priya: What exactly is kundalini and how does it differ from other spiritual energies aroused in an individual by other spiritual paths like Hatha Yoga/Bakthi Yoga/Raja Yoga/Vedantha etc.?

Darshani, DLS: Kundalini is the coiled up, dormant cosmic power that underlies all organic and inorganic matter.

Spiritual paths differ from one another according to the vehicle of focus. For example, in Bhakti Yoga, the spiritual heart becomes purified, so the heart becomes the source of spiritual energy. In Jnana Yogi, the vehicle of practice is the Buddhi or the intellect. Thus, intellect becomes the source of spiritual energy. As Kundalini Yoga works directly with the coiled up power in the body, the vehicle of focus is this power itself as It passes from chakra to chakra

Priya: Why is kundalini yoga alone associated with dangers that other paths do not have?

Darshani, DLS: If there are impurities in the body, such as residues of lust or anger contained within the lower chakras, these will manifest with enormous force as the Kundalini awakens that area.

Priya: Why is Kundalini associated with the occult?

Darshani, DLS: We do not associate Kundalini with the occult. Others may do so as its awakening can sometimes trigger the manifestation of psychic powers.

Priya: How does mental/physical diseases caused by a faulty arousal of kundalini different from mental diseases caused by other spiritual practice?

Darshani, DLS: We do not know of mental diseases caused by any spiritual practices. Faulty arousal of kundalini can trigger abnormal reactions because it brings to the surface whatever unresolved emotional residues are contained within the awakened Chakra.

Priya: How does one tell - this disease is caused by kundalini and this one is not?

Darshani, DLS: If the person has been practicing kundalini yoga, perhaps on his or her own without proper guidance, this would point to the practice as a possible cause.

Priya: How come kundalini is aroused in those who do not do kundalini yoga?

Darshani, DLS: It can be awakened from certain Hatha practices, from an awakening process that had begun in a previous birth, etc.

Priya, that's a lot of resource material to be asked to comment on. I do think the questions you ask above about kundalini and enlightenment are good ones, however.

One small point, is that when quoting at length from a copyrighted work, it is required to obtain permission from the author to do so in a public manner. As you seem to have some personal familiarity with some of these people and resources, I'm assuming that's all been taken care of. If not, then please edit some of the quotes longer than a pgh. or so accordingly.

Earlier on this forum, I presented a rather lengthy essay describing the Hindu/tantric approach to kundalini. You can find it on this thread. Some of the material you're sharing overlaps with that considerably, although there are some significant elaborations.

My own view is that, given the holistic nature of human beings, it is just impossible for any kind of spiritual growth to take place without affecting the body, mind, and emotions. Same goes for growth in other areas. Eventually, one's body has to adjust somehow to the spiritual growth taking place, and the kundalini process is a way to explain that. And so it is my view that this process is at work in everyone who is growing spiritually, even though it has not reached a threshhold where the more intense manifestations occur. This seems to be associated with contemplative prayer and certain forms of meditation, although not exclusively so. And even in such situations, there is generally an integration over time so that the process becomes less disruptive, as in my situation, and that which Embrace and a few others have shared. Linda and others have described how certain complications in our subtle bodies can create lasting problems, and so that is a part of the situation as well.

I'm not sure if my reply speaks to your questions, so please post follow-ups, if you'd like.

Internet Copyright and Plagiarism

Phil, I'm glad you brought up the issue of Internet copyright to which I wish to add its cousin, plagiarism as well.

I must admit that I had not given much thought to quoting from a book that is available for free download on the Internet, after all I had mentioned the author and the direct link from which the book could be downloaded in full. At your suggestion however I wrote to Darshani of DLS. I have not yet heard directly from the General Secretary of DLS, but I have this reply from Darshani, DLS, dated 29 September 2002 .

Question: I have a question regarding the copyright regulations of the DLS literature made available free on the Internet. I had quoted extensively from Sri Sivananda Saraswathi's book on Kundalini Yoga, but of course I had given the title of the book, the author's name including the link which could be used to read and download the whole book directly from theDLS website. Have I violated any Internet copyright regulations by doing that?

Darshani, DLS: We believe that you have done all that is necessary to assure that no Internet copyright regulations have been violated. We are grateful for all the efforts that you made in this regard. You may, however, submit your question to the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society, Sri Swami Jivanmuktanandaji.

_______________________________________________

To make doubly sure that I'm using NO information in my contribution that comes from somebody else, I have in addition duly informed Kurt Kreutzer, Marja Savola and Fr. Thomas Keating. The only person, whose ideas I have borrowed freely and interchangeably, is...

Yours truly

I have very little to add to my thoughts on Kundalini. I have referred this topic to several people who are competent to deal with the subject, in the hope that they will add to the Christian understanding of the suject and thus contribute to working out a cure in a Christian context. But whether they will take up the issue and deal with it, I cannot say. It seems to ME that Kundalini per se is not a topic that interests serious spiritual seekers or those seriously interested in eastern philosophies.

Fr. G. Gispert-Sauch SJ , who could not be persuaded to get interested in the topic, has recommended M. Eliade. He has nothing positive to say about the popular literature on the topic and has warned that M. Eliade's interpretation is not likely to satisfy those who look for popular views.

My present conclusion: Could Kundalini be nothing more than 'spiritually energised libido' that acts through the medium of the ego; Kundalini no more than spiritually charged sexual energy in its unevolved form when the second chakra gets activated due to any spiritual practice and becomes creative energy only in its refined state, when the energy has risen above the second chakra? That chastity (in the sense of the moral use of sex rather than total abstinence)/abstinence for those called to such a life (Brahmacharya) may play a pivotal role in pushing the kundalini upwards to higher chakras and thus helping in its evolution to creative energies? Those who have serious kundalini problems, may also have conscious/unconscious unresolved sexual issues? That spiritual energies/transcedental phenomena that do not have the libido element, cannot be called kundalini at all? After all just as oxygen and hydrogen are both gases and invisible but still have totally different properties, cannot there be different spiritual energies/phenomena with distinct properties? When the heart or intellect is used as the 'vehicle of focus' (Darshani, DLS), as is done in other spiritual practices, then kundalini/ libido gets integrated automatically in its evolved form as creative energy? Christian religious practices/mysticism is comparable to a combination of Bakthi Yoga(path of devotion), Jnana Yoga(path of knowledge) and Karma Yoga (path of selfless service)which igores the Kundalini? Such spiritual paths may or may not arouse the Kundalini and when it does, it does so imperceptably (or in its evolved form?), as Fr. Thomas Keating put it?

The faulty arousal of Kundalini (as opposed to Kundalini awakening), which is being called 'Kundalini imbalance' is an abnormal condition, not the inevitable consequence of a spiritual practice, just as falling off a mountain due to poor base camp training, is not the inevitable hurdle of all mountaineers. Kundalini imbalance is the bastard offshoot of a heavenly plant, which sucks up the nutrients of the heavenly plant, preventing it from growing. So it is necessary to uproot the bastard offshoot as often as it arises, in order to enable the heavenly plant to grow. Thus specific treatment is necessary and in my opinion, those who have reached high levels of spiritual development following a spiritual path, no matter which, with a rudimentary knowledge of kundalini manifestations, would be in a position to help the kundalini impaired.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY TO EVERYONE WHO IS SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, ABOUT RELIABLE INFORMATION ON KUNDALINI MANIFESTATIONS IN PARTICULAR.

I will close my contribution on this topic (which means there will be no further questions to be put to Phil, as I would like to leave the matter with more competent people) by posting the two answers that Darshani sent me to my questions.

______________________________________________

29 September 2002

Question : The Kundalini imbalanced claim that all mental and emotional disturbances due to Kundalini imbalance is totally different from normal diseases and does NOT respond to traditional treatment. Why?

Darshani, DLS : Perhaps they feel this way because their problems were caused by Kundalini practices rather than physiological causes of symptoms that bear resemblance to theirs.

It is our experience that when seekers who have had Kundalini problems that are due to faulty practices, take the advice of a Guru and practice safer, milder Sadhanas(*spiritual practices), the harsh effects of their faulty practice are eventually mitigated.


Question : The Kundalini imbalanced say that their getting together to discuss their problems and look for solutions is the same as alcoholic anonymous meetings where only alcoholics are allowed to attend and share and give advice.

Darshani, DLS: We see no harm in Kundalini practitioners getting together to discuss their problems and possible solutions just as alcoholics do. We hope, however, that they would be open to the recommendations made by other people, especially those who are familiar with Kundalini manifestations.

________________________________________________

Phil, I hope that people competent to deal with the issue will join you in your search for a cure. Good luck! God bless!

Priya, thanks for another installment of quotes from various experts. I've come across many of these ideas before, and have read some of the authors you quoted, including Mircea Eliade.

Maybe I should clarify that I myself am not seeking a cure for kundalini awakening, but, instead, count it a great blessing in my life, despite all the struggles I've had with it. These are certainly no worse than the emotional ups and downs that so many go through all the time, and which I've been free of for years. I also have a good understanding of what causes my struggles--mostly lifestyle related--and what helps to resolve it.

Sometimes the Hindu advice to seek out a guru or similar kinds of counsel doesn't work for Christians on the Christian spiritual journey. There could be issues of incompatible energies and other complications, including diabolical entities sometimes communicated through some of the more occultish yogic practices. I have never and will never advise a Christian to seek out a guru for spiritual guidance. Just wanting to make that clear on this public forum.

Phil,

I probably gave a wrong impression about seeking out the Guru. Dom Bede Griffiths was known as a guru, but you know he was a Christian. Guru in this context I meant simply in the sense of a teacher/Rabbi, and does NOT mean necessarily a Hindu one. (A Christian pastoral counsellor with rudimentary knowledge of kundalini manifestations is more like what I had in mind.) The Divine Life Society does NOT attempt to convert anyone to Hinduism. I'm told that it helps a Christian to be a better Christian, a Hindu to be a better Hindu etc. Sri Swami Sivananda has in fact written a booklet on the teachings of Jesus Christ but has integrated it into the ocean of Hindu philosophy that is all. But that is exactly what Dom Bede Griffiths tried to do for Christianity too - he was able to extract the good from other religions and integrate the ideas into Christianity, without getting caught up with other spirits or the occult. Such danger may be real for the spiritually vulnerable, for instance those who are not deep rooted in their Christian beliefs and is therefore likely to get confused by other schools of thought or the Kundalini imbalanced, whose vulnerability is the cause of the problem in the first place. So my advice to learn from the Divine Life Society about the science of spiritual journeys is meant in the same sense that Dom Bede Griffiths did. (The Bagavadgita was one of Fr. Bede's favourite books as you know on which he wrote a Christian commentary.) What I meant was that everyone on a spiritual journey can learn much from the Divine Life Society, WITHOUT giving up their own religious beliefs.

I'm still a Christian by conviction and absolutely nothing has changed in that respect even though I discovered the Divine Life Society recently. I was brought up among Hindus and have had several Hindu friends and some of the most wonderful people I have known have been Hindus. Much more significant than that is the fact that I was introduced to the inter-religious dialogue situation 18 years ago in Dom Bede Griffiths' Ashram and have known Christian zen masters who were trained under Buddhists. So exposure to other religions is nothing new and poses no threat to my Christian beliefs, in fact only serves to enrich it. All this by way of explanation about your fear that I may be advocating Hindu gurus for treatment of Kundalini imbalance. But Fr. Thomas Keating DID mention that Kundalini imbalance is a well known phenomena in other religions and they have worked out treatments for it. So to work out treatment methods in a Christian context, I thought it might not be a bad idea to learn what the Hindu familiar with such phenomena might have to teach.

Even as I write this, I am absolutely convinced about the healing power of Jesus Christ, and the validity of Christian spiritual practices. I can only reiterate the views I have expressed in this thread and elsewhere. I have no doubt in my mind that the common consensus on this discussion - that a holistic approach to healing, using the best science available and a moderate and balanced practice of Christian spirituality is the best available cure for Kundalini imbalance. A holistic lifestyle and moderate spiritual practice is the best way for everyone.

I'm glad to hear that you have worked out your own way of cure. Since you are the Christian pioneer in this field, I thought you might want to cover this topic as comprehensively as possible pooling together all shades of meaning expressed and all possible treatment methods.

Last night I woke up in the middle of my sleep, with this Charismatic (remember I mentioned that I was an active Catholic Charismatic a long time ago?) song ringing in my ears. I feel like sharing it here in closing because it expresses my strongest view on this topic too.

In the name of Jesus,
In the name of Jesus,
We have the victory!

In the name of Jesus,
In the name of Jesus,
Demons will have to flee!

When we stand in the name of Jesus,
Tell me who can stand before us?
In the name of Jesus, Jesus,
We have the victory!

Regarding the issue of seeking a guru / teacher / spiritual advisor....

I believe that those who are meant to teach us are already in our lives. If we are open to meeting them eventually we will.

And be prepared for surprises. A teacher might be someone we would never think to actively seek out but one with a powerful teaching for us, nonetheless. If we decide to predetermine who our teachers will be, we are seriously limiting ourselves and the ability to learn lessons available to us.

shanti

shanti, I agree completely that we should be open to learning from people from other traditions and walks of life--even from all sorts of disciplines.

But when it comes to the care of one's soul (which is ultimately what we're talking about on this topic of integrating kundalini energies on the spiritual journey), I do draw for myself certain boundaries. While I'm willing to learn from the Hindus and their teachers, I'm not willing to put myself under the care of a guru or yogi in the manner that they usually wish their disciples to follow. Same goes for a roshi or other spiritual master. The way I see it, the only master to whom a Christian ought to be submitted is Jesus Christ, and so, in the end, I take whatever I learn and bring it to that relationship to see what fits and what doesn't. To me, that's part of what it means to be a Christian--i.e., the relationship with Jesus Christ is primary and decisive.

I could also add, here, that I have seen many instances where Christians "crossed the line" in my view in their involvements with other religions and religious teachers, only to lose their focus and, in a couple of instances, their spiritual life and their sanity. The risks in some of this crossing over are far from casual, and the possibility of even demonic entities entering into the situation cannot be completely discounted.

Anyway, those are some of my biases, which might seem extreme to some, but it's where I'm coming from. I hope that helps to clarify what I was trying to say to priya.

Phil--I think there may have been a miscommunication or a misunderstanding.

The only point I had hoped to make is that I believe our teachers are waiting for us in life and if we are open we will meet them. In this way we can relax into a process of allowing the teachers meant for us to surface in our lives even if we wishe to stay within certain philosophical or religious boundaries.

I wasn't advocating any search greater than that. Nor would I want to encourage anyone to embark on an ecumenical path if they could not already see some value in it for themselves or at the very least have some questions not answered by their current system of thought.

shanti

Hi again Phil,

I re-read your post, and I think some of the misunderstanding might be linguistic. You're right in that some guru's require quite a lot from their students. In another thread I mentioned that I've had problems with this, myself, in the past.

And I would expect you, as a Christian, to have Jesus in high regard.

I was talking about "teacher" in a more wide open sense. Certainly there are other Christians that a Christian can learn from (the saints come to mind), not to mention people still living who are such examples that you cannot ignore their modeling of how a Christian life can be lived. I see ads periodically for "directed retreats" and imagine that for someone on that retreat, a teacher is emerging.

Certainly one must be discerning in sampling from other spiritual traditions. No argument there. And also no argument if you feel that boundaries of Christianity are best for you.

This is a Christian discussion board with a kundalini thread, so I imagine you've given this all some thought.

shanti

Good clarifications, shanti! Thanks for taking the time to post them.

I have to make sure from time to time that I'm not giving the impression that I endorse a kind of spiritual ecclecticism that would end up de-emphasizing the pivotal role of Jesus in the life of Christians. Good of you to recognize this and undertand!

Just a short reminder that I have done some editing in my first post on this thread, which was opened with the intention of bringing together my contribution to the topic as a kundalini 'outsider'. I will revise it with time to condense the material and post a message on this thread to announce any major revision.