This is part 1 of Chap 2 – an excerpt from my new book.

Being Divine

I am the Divine – please God help me!

True spirituality then is a radical perspective that accepts the move towards the transcendental, whilst yet being still in human state. About being in one’s own divinity, yet finding that through external help through Divine Grace. This is very strange because if indeed the guru is within, why is a “guru without” needed? If I am really a divine presence, (beyond the human), why can’t I do it myself? (Getting to self-realization that is). In the pure Vedanta view, we are all, already realized. & it’s only a cloak of Maya that is deluding us. That is because it is very hard to make the change required, and is not easily done under one’s own human power. It is a bit like asking a drunk to walk in a straight line. When you are affected by intoxication you cannot just do stuff! In this case you can’t go from A to B because you already at B. You just don’t know it. Or rather, that is not one experience, realization & hence perception with mind-set.

No matter how intellectually spiritually astute one becomes, if you remain in a certain headspace of basically ego focused need, you ultimately go nowhere. This spiritual dimension cannot be made or experienced by the brains electro chemical processes. Even if science takes us to longevity, even immortality & cures all mental deficiencies. Researchers cannot be trusted with God! This is why we need external Divine interventions, which technically come from our own generated spiritual activities. We need to give up on our ego struggle & let our Deity come to the party. We enter, or rather simply exist in, a place powered buy something other than who we thought we were. The deeper we go, the more it becomes an easier path, with less frustration about what’s going on in my so called real life.

It can seem like our God taking over, once that we have come to be within the preserve of the Buddha, or Jesus, or Krishna. It is though a simple a natural native divinity that has been uncovered, and then allowed to be in-charge. By all means stay with the personal external gods, guru, incarnation etc. if that is the choice or status. The experience is mostly the same, as that of Sat, Chit Ananda or Existence, Knowledge, Bliss. A choice is made to experience this state as a formless position or as one with form. (Having the presence of one’s Deity)

The impossible is the nothing. Everything is on the table. Then the spiritual reaction is per moment-to-moment life practice. It is real in this life, in some sense as I am the witness of it like a dream, but I am truly real as a spiritual being. Experience all within and without, when connected to the eternal Divine Consciousness. Oneness just a one is a drop of water which is not different from all the water in a lake. Eventually that drop of consciousness merges into the Consciousness.

Kundalini as another spiritual pathway

There is the pathway of knowledge known as Gyana Yoga. This in its purest from entail holding a philosophy that “I am Cosmic Consciousness” (in individualized form. My essence is then the same as the essence of the Divine. I just have to let go of the covering of Maya- my ego based identification. Follow then the teachings of Vedanta. (More about which later).

There are however variations of Vedanta that are not pure monism, nor seemingly allied to Gnosticism. Then it all Divine still, but I am an individual always & will only be with my God or Deity – not absorbed. Then I have the worship of a separate Deity, a Krishna, a Jesus, or even a Buddha. (Although the Buddha taught differently, many worship him as their deity & are on the path of devotion).

Then we have other yogas. “Kingly” or Raja Yoga, is based on doing a lot of mediation & getting to Samadhi– the divine self-realized meditation goal & state. It’s a bit similar to what the Buddhist meditation group are seeking, (especially Westernized versions). Next we have Kundalini Yoga which is allied to the Siddha (perfected guru) pathway, which in turn is allied to Shakti, (Goddess Energy), elements. Complicated, especially as I present an extremely simplified, (& somewhat incorrect), explanation. My apologies for those who know the in depth true story! Or those who disagree significantly! The idea of kundalini yoga is that it takes the Shakti energy & places it in the body as segments of differentiated energy forma. It all on Shakti but comes in different expressions just as the Goddess appears as Tara Devi, Durga, Saraswati etc.

The segments of differentiated energy forma are in centres such as the brow, heart navel etc. Thus kundalini works up & down in the body through the chakra centres. It flows through a spine centred channel (or channels), & allows the whole body to become a spiritual entity. It works on physical, psychological, mental, and emotional levels. Everything. Connected to the neurochemical activities of the nervous system but on a different plane. Different planes are ok for the scientifically minded. Its quantum physics, right?

At some point the full process of energy involvement through the centres or chakras becomes a transcendental experience. This is because the chakras & kundalini are in essence spiritual energies that seem to be associated bodily, but are only thus for the purpose of temporary engagement. The ego become refined, & then as the crown or topmost chakra is reached, kundalini is revealed as a Divine energy. It is the free to flow, & can cascade around the body also especially to the outer ring round the chest area. This is synonymous with a deep spiritual awareness, and a connection with the Divine Goddess energy seated out & to the right of the heart. it is for  me in the form of Tara Devi, but takes the form the individual requires. (Depending on hat healing/guiding mixture is needed).  In the broadest sense there is an innate attainment of Bliss.  The idea of human Awakening upwards through the chakras can be dispense with, or reversed, as one becomes more proficient. Divine energy comes down to enable a bodily acceptance of all that is desired but with a clear discrimination that this s transitory & unnecessary experience. We can still enjoy our cappuccinos, & what’s shown in the movies, but it’s very much a practical experience as a witness of our participation in life. It’s just the Prarabha, the accumulated forces of karma. Like a train running on after it’s no longer got fuel. From a religious perspective, we worship a Deity firstly as external deity, & as a powerful being, but then remember that we are already in Oneness, connected to the divine, because we are already part of a that. This can be seen in the sense that a spark is not different in essence to the fire.

Mantras for Enlightenment

Yes I do promote mantra use as the way to achieve the enlightenment up to level 7. Then it is Divine Grace that works to get the right mantra to assist transmission to level 8. (No guru involved!). This is transmission directly from your person deity or Higher Power. Doesn’t matter who that is – the grace may take a formless understanding of how to proceed next. It’s a force/spirit/energy that even becomes your deity & guide & is therefore your inner guru onwards. This process can also involve some visions or experiences that seem “out of body”.

Then patience is still required. Life & the Universe will remain at the old/current or previous level & function. It’s like a train that ran out of fuel but has kinetic energy to keep on going on. So life goes on even for the enlightened! What caused irritable reactions is still the case, even though the causes are now seen as non-separate from self. That self which is also part & parcel of the universal humanity, & cosmic consciousness. It all doesn’t really matter anymore as there is no real binding force. Similarly addictions & obsessive behaviors are at an end, but the inherent disruptive energies remain for a while. Those disruptive energies are also part & parcel of the cosmic forces, so, not to be judged then. Take a deep breath, with Soh on the intake, Ham on the outtake. Soham – I am one with the cosmos & all the divine forces. Thus move past the accumulated fruits of past karma, or action.

This moment is the past & future. All the seeds of action are contained in thoughts, & nebulosus feelings connected to those thoughts. The thoughts have a life of their own. Ignoring or transcending the thoughts, through your mantra will not make you an inefficient non-functioning person. On the contrary they will allow a sharpness, a realistic response to what is actually necessary to pass through the requirements of everyday life. Also there then is the opportunity to remain in the bliss of the truth of being in the moment. Not suffering in other words!

With the mantra use there is removed the necessity to continually try to attain the “right” mediation level. Then any level of mediation, (or absence of meditation), is just fine. That is because the sound equals to position & connection at a cosmic level. Not at the ego level – where a lot of the spiritual striving is placed. Say you are trying hard to have a spiritual experience, but it doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t matter. There is just the ego based perception leading to some negativity. It is all thought based, whereas the mantra sound is always transcendental to the ego-based thought system. This is why this practice is about being the Transcendental Guru. You become that entity, whether your ego accepts it or not. Then you are not subject to the layers of Nature, (Praktiti). The forces, (or Gunas), of Prakriti are self-seeded, but only are a problem because the ego, (& then thought processes), make a connection. When then identify with being in a”pure” space, or a “busy/active” space, or a “sluggish/sleepy” space. We then consider ourselves as Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic, wheras in fact the qualities of nature act & interact quite independently. Our minds do the same, except we deludedly think we are in control. We seek then to use a very delusional instrument, (of self), to somehow become enlightened.

Can you put a straw in a glass of diluted milk & just suck out the milk? No, of course not. However that is what we believe we can do when we embark on our religious/spiritual journeys. In mythology a certain type of swan can do this. A Hamsa (Swan) can separate milk from water and drink only milk. Great yogis are called Paramahamsa. It means Supreme Swan. We have had Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1856) and Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893-1952) within the last two hundred years, becoming well know known in the West.

As far as mantras are concerned the combination of two words Aham + Sa= Hamsa.. Meaning – I am He. It is the essence of Advaita philosophy. Cosmic consciousness & human are one at the highest spiritual or soul level. Advaita came out of the Upanishads & have this philosophy: Aham Brahmasmi/ I am Brahman, (the Cosmic Being). Or Tat Tvam Asi/ You are That Being.

To use the mantra, breathe in and out so it becomes: Ham Sa,   leading to Soham, or – He is I.

Thus the key mantra for Advaita is Soham.

Scientifically, a swan cannot separate milk from water, according to Google!

Soham: you are saying that you reside in your enlightenment. It’s a level 7 attainment. Next, at level 8, is to be in the world, whilst floating serenely. It’s the role of the “great swan”, the Paramahansa, who floats on the water. It’s about being able to float on, or above the “sea of worldliness”, or Samsara, without getting wet. Samsara is the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound. Metaphorical stuff of course! It is also about being able to sift the dross from the divine essence, or separating the milk from water. Historically the paramhansas have appeared wearing the renunciate robes, but they have often being considerably entwined in the affairs of this world. (Or Life & the Universe as I prefer to call it). It’s a world also known as Maya, or the illusory experience of life.

Theoretically it is fully possible to be in any role or experience whilst spiritually residing at level 8. Then a true Paramhansa emerges. Historically this has been the domain of Avatars, the Divine walking on earth. An Incarnation! Now the word avatar has become debased & can mean all sorts of things.

The level 8 sought here is not incarnated from anywhere, as it is what we already are! So it’s not an avatar, but it is a paramahamsa. (Especially as that word hasn’t been debased yet). There is no shortcut because a shortcut here has no value. Making it happen quickly means that the mind is still enmeshed in the mind. And the mind is endless permutation on themes, which meander & ultimately go nowhere or worse. Transcend the mind with the guru energy, which is going from darkness to light, & not some guy in orange robes on YouTube. Find your level 7 space by following the sound/s that lead you there.

Strat with OM!

What is Om?

What happens when the mind is really crazy? Will Om work as a mantra recitation process that brings serenity? Possibly not!

When I lived in India in the70,s with ultra-conservative Hindu monks, they said that Om was a mantra to be used on its own by serious practitioners of yoga preferably renunciates living in ashrams. Otherwise Om is to be used with other mantras, as a beginning or end of prayer or devotional chants. In reality I have found that when my mid is super active or disturbed, then Om on its own doesn’t quickly bring me to my serener meditative space. I use other mantras & then when in meditation I use OM as the representation of where I am. It solidifies & enhances the pure stare of spiritual awareness & is is the adjunctive sound associated with realization.

OM is therefore the highest sacred symbol in Hinduism. It is then, to be used appropriately, because it is so powerful that this single sound can produce vibrations which allows one to feel the whole universe in cosmic awareness. Then you might want to throw away all your possession & become a monk! However many gurus will say that this is not appropriate, & that one has to fulfil a number of experiential challenges to qualify for the monastic experience. Others wise it is “jumping the gun”. You have to go through your “designated” role in this Maya or Samsara to qualify for OM recitation (Solely). Otherwise you are sitting in your realization, whilst pulling your hair out because you’re addicted, to such & such, your relationships are dysfunctional, & you can’t get a good job! It’s then a true split personality” & can make you crazier than you should be.

So there are caveats about the use of mantras, & you won’t get this information from Google. All you will get there is how wonderful OM is, (& all mantras are). Nobody will give you the truth.

Having clear that up, about “the dangers” of mantras, we can then say that when you chant Om, the vibration sound has physical benefits. It reduces stress and relaxes your body, & gets your heart to a healthy beat & function. In contrast it is the most sacred syllable symbol and of Cosmic Consciousness, the ultimate reality, & the Self within. So it can be used for practical human purposes as well as transcendental ones.

It is the most powerful sound with roots in Hinduism, & Buddhism. It’s both a sound and a symbol rich in meaning and depth. When pronounced correctly, it sounds more like “AUM” and consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent syllable, which is the “extension” of M as it trails of into the ether of soundless space.

Many gurus talk about the importance for a spiritual seeker to receive a mantra from an enlightened being. So it doesn’t mean you have to have your chosen guru, just someone suitable. The mantra will not remove the difficulties of Life & the Universe. It takes us thought them, gives strength & resilience, & allows us to go beyond ego strength. In many ways neither Soham nor Om require initiation because they are innate in each person or present in the matrix of the universe. If you want a deity focused or ishta mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya then, opinions differ. However there is nothing to stop anyone repeating any mantra! In my previous books & writings I expound on the “seed” or Bija mantra which are also part of Tantric Yoga. They have been considered very secret, (because they are so powerful). Thus that is a good argument to get them into “common or everyday use”!

The Dross

The dross or suffering & frustrations don’t seem to want to go away no matter how enlightened one is. This is because they cannot & will not cease to exist in whatever form of experience they take. It is not possible to eliminate, let alone subdue or conquer Prarabdha. Prarabdha is the accumulated result of Karma. Karma is always individualized even if global events such as war, seem to be shared amongst many. Everything happening is this karmic response, & particularly your karma or actions bearing fruition. This is true for living entities, not planets etc., which are subject to other laws. Thus it’s not possible to drink or drug oneself out of “trouble”, although pain can be temporarily relieved, along with anxiety & even fear. Even the use of mantras & other spiritual practices will only partially alleviate the ”symptoms”. The secret is to stop being ego-based in karma. Not the doer – only the witness. Separate. Can it be done?

It is already the case. Only we chose not to be our true selves & live in The Truth of Life & the Universe. This is the problem we have with karma in its entirety. Cannot be changed – only transcended. To do so requires the light that overcomes darkness. Gu plus Ru – the Guru, as the transcendental Guru, which is actually your true nature, or inherent state. The mantra or you spiritual practice will take you only so far, & then you have to leap across the abyss, to make to cross over into the beyond. Just “mind the gap”!

Thus to go beyond the dross referred to here, requires another element in the mixture.

Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation; and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.. So how does divine grace really work and how do you get it? Well there are lots of official statements made by the Christian church and there are lots of books even about Divine Grace, particularly from the Catholic Church. Personally, ones experience of Divine Grace may be somewhat different.  Awkwardly different, especially if there is some conflict with the Catholic or even Protestant versions or explanations. 

In Christianity, Divine Grace means a favor of God for humankind. God favors every person, without looking at what they did or how much they are worth. Grace is being divine. It is the infused presence of God, a presence that is supernatural. Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. An influence which operates in humans to regenerate, inspire, impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation. Catholic doctrine teaches that God imparts Divine Grace using sacraments, which are carried out in faith. Sacraments, (carried out in faith), are the incarnational or tangible vehicle through which God’s grace becomes personally experiential. Protestants, may not share this view on the transmittal of grace, but instead favor a less institutionalized mechanism.

Mantra Yoga is about faith in the manta & using the mantra like sacrament. You believe therefore you repeat, & therefore you receive (the Divine Grace). NB. You need not believe any of this – it’s just theory of religious belief type. Until you “get the goods”, & gets some results, or if it doesn’t work, don’t do it!

My experience of Divine Grace is about my connection with my Goddess, which is supposedly of Hindu or Buddhist origin. Origin particularly with the Healing Tara which is a major goddess form in Buddhism. Now, the how & why doesn’t really matter for me because my need for divine grace is born of desperation!

Hindu devotional or bhakti literature available throughout India and Nepal is replete with references to grace as the ultimate key required for spiritual self-realization. The ancient sage Vashistha, considered it to be the only way to transcend the bondage of lifetimes of karma. One Hindu philosopher, Madhavacharya, held that grace was not a gift from God, but rather must be earned.

Grace can be defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.” So Getting grace requires action, but the action is: “I have to accept grace”. I have to stop trying to earn grace. Accepting and not striving are very active processes – at least in my life. Living by grace requires action. Allow ones Higher Power to act. Release the need to control. Spend more time in prayer and spiritual study.

I have come at times to a place of recognition of powerlessness; that I can’t change the essential direction of my life or anyone’s life. Nor the universe life. I do my spiritual practice and seek to achieve my Nirvana. However Nirvana should not be an achievement, as the state of liberation from life, as it is not about me. It’s about what more I can do for others. Otherwise I am just doing an alternative to drink and drugs – getting out of it! So this Divine Grace comes about because ultimately all my spiritual practice and capabilities either mean nothing, or do not give me the achievement. So it’s what I need – not want. What I want to achieve then is not driven by ego, as it is what I’m supposed to do as directed by my Deity. Nevertheless the tendency of the mind is always to refer back to the human zone. Back to the human zone tasks. That is to say I believe I chose this, I believe that this is my role in life, I believe that this is etc etc.. Basically all nonsense, because it’s just a mind creating more mind. The divine will is what will happen anyway, because we are in a divine cosmic environment. Therefore we need to understand Grace to make it happen. Ego, when it’s being spiritual says; “oh dear I can’t do this – help God, please send me the Divine Grace”. Again all nonsense. Just mind forms. Divine will operates and grace will make sure of the outcome despite a tendency to pathetic postures – with our minds and behaviors. We are just bystanders to this whole process, except that we, in our naivety, think that we are the core creators that own the fundamental foundation of spirituality. It is just ego! Nothing more, and nothing of any particular value as far as the egos ability to function ultimately is concerned. Therefore there is no point in seeing Divine Grace as something extraordinary, nor something that’s part of any church or religion, nor something you get from somewhere. It is simply the reality how we will get from suffering as humans to Divine Life, & become motivated to go beyond the cycle of Samsara. Into a position transcending Maya. You will you become then the transcendental guru. We become then the source and the outcome of our spiritual passage.

You can’t get to this stage 8. It’s not an A to B processes. It’s not a journey, & there is no pathway. You simply transcend as a result of Divine Grace. You are no longer in nirvana or moksha. You don’t experience the exalted states of Sat Chit Ananda – Existence, Knowledge, Bliss. Your mundanely human experience is: “all life is suffering” –as per the Buddha. There is no escape or enlightenment any more. However this is all really irrelevant – now you exist as the Transcendental Guru. You have certain mantras which inform the whole experience of Life & the Universe. Sorry but this bodily experience goes on until the body dies. Then there is no more Samsara – you don’t come back. Maybe! This is where it gets complicated because at that level of spiritual experience – level 8 plus – no “rules” apply. This is where the avatars act & play, or where the Bodhisattvas come back to help humanity. Why? Because humanity is myself & I cannot rest until all are free.

Don’t worry about the “ups & downs”. Focus on your spiritual path & do what you can, per day. The uplifting processes are incremental but a dip in what seems to be the spiritual consciousness, can seem awful. Don’t give up because you can’t! It’s not depression or negativity to being alive. It is positive dispassion & renunciation of life, in order to get the Truth of Being. You are not depressed, if you are unwilling see the “pleasures” of life. You are Enlightened! Low mood is relative to perceptions of what is of value. If the whole oh human existence seems stupid, you need to then be driven to seek what is Truth. Not to end life but start real life in the spiritual disposition. Remember in traditional Hindu & Buddhist views, this “negativity” about life is the highest possible attainment, if it leads to a renunciation of what is false – Maya or Samsara. And, if then you go on to break the chain of life, death & re-birth.