Here is another excerpt from one of the two new books I am writing:  

Yogi Monastic & Transcendental Guru

Scroll down to find the beginning excerpt or just read as it comes!

This is the rest of Chapter 1

Some of the Siddhas have attained the goals they sought and have become perfected, at least in the eyes of their followers, without them necessarily presenting in a monastic role or environment. Whatever religion, country, and role they manifest in. such beings can teach us to not just be satisfied with being “ordinary”, but that we can attain the same place where they sit. (Spiritual level). A place of the Divine state of awareness.

In India there are many holy persons who practice austerity & penance, meditate and follow a variety of spiritual paths, while garbed as a swami or monk. They may be no more holy than you or I, as it is also a “lifestyle” peculiar to India. There are some though who have a large international following. They may or may not be in holy orders or robes, or they may have been, & then have discarded most of those, (religious essentially), trappings. The Siddhas teach that any of us can and should attain a state of spiritual perfection whilst remaining in the human condition, & that becoming more monastic is not necessary, but can become a more & more preferred state naturally. So a soul that has that Siddha power & ability, does not need to follow the typical practice or external presentation of a monastic practitioner, as that is quite naturally a renunciation mode, due to not being swayed by the external world. Particularly by desire, greed & lust. Red robes not needed, as the fire burns fiercely inside! He or she can be in any predicament or situation, or country, or lifestyle, or role in the external world. The Siddha being transcends the external world, which is seen as Maya. Illusory, transient, temporary, in a world of delusion and dream. A Siddha is like a swan on the water floating and staying dry. (A paramahansa – great swan).

My personal practice evolves from the treatises about Yoga, including the most famous Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. There seems to be some possible disconnect between yoga meditation focused practice, & Vedanta, as well as the path of Shakti, (& hence kundalini). However the last verse of Yoga Sutras talks about is the resting in the Self-nature of the Shakti as power of Consciousness. (Chitishakti). So, this is the goal of all yoga- get connected to Cosmic Consciousness, which is also Shakti. Not a duality. A bit like Holy Spirit not being separate from God. This Shakti gives rise to the kundalini when associated with the individual, the Atman form of consciousness. All is consciousness, or all is some indivisible energy as per scientific views. Chitishakti or power of consciousness, is a Self-sustaining presence, which is the Self-nature of all. Only the modifications of illusory Maya cause apparent separateness.

Abiding as Atman, one is the witness of any Maya content & can participate in the world seeing it as the “body” of Shakti. (or the “play” of the Goddess). This is also one with Brahman, as per Vedanta, which is results in knowledge of the Higher Self. (Brahmagyana). Manifestation in the individual is Kundalini Shakti, & the process of attaining enlightenment is inherent in the ascending movement through the chakras to the crown chakra, generally pictured as a lotus. The mantra sounds of the chakras, are not just words, as there is a connect to vibratory powers behind the whole universe.

            I then see my philosophy as being Vedanta modified to associate with the Shakta practices of Goddess worship & use of mantras connected to Her energies or Shakti’s, & mantras that move within the bodily chakras. Thus Enlightenment for me is one of Practical Realization, where the I am merged in Cosmic Consciousness, but also “play with Maya”, or my own presence inhuman form. Still undivided as the continual flow of God/Goddess, male/female energy, as but the essence of blend of Brahmagyana & Tantic Siddhi. The Tantic Siddha is also the Transcendental Guru. Awake in the world & aware of the play of Consciousness, & also able to transcend the play of the illusory world, whilst appearing to live in it. This dream may end but for Buddhists, the Bodhisattva Buddha’s still return to provide the means of salvation for their adherents. The Tara Devi, (in Buddhism), also is there to take devotees across the sea of suffering & rebirth. Thus I am multi-faith, although I am concerned that a religion that promise me a trip to heaven, doesn’t provide “guarantees” that I won’t come back into this earthly existence as a deluded being.

This is my practice. I am a Tantric Vedantin, where Vedanta is the final Truth about everything: myself as one with the Cosmic Consciousness. This my path of knowledge – Gyana Yoga.  Tantra is about expression of truth &formless reality into the formed everyday life –Life & the Universe. I participate through surrender to my Higher Power as the Goddess form, particularly Tara Devi, (the mother of all the Buddha’s).  This in practice translated to my use of mantras in association with direct worship & healing/purifying through the chakras in the kundalini system. This then is also Brahman plus Shakti.

Then as I sit in my yogic resting in the awareness of all the components of my journey, what else is there to do? All “doing” is buying back into the dream – the insanity of it all. Yet doing nothing is the hardest thing to do? Try sitting endlessly with no distractions? You go mad! Despite siting in the Bliss of Realization, there is still a witnessing of the mind/body& the global continuum: out there. There is fear & anxiety as the residual nature of being Human: derive from caveman times for a purpose, but still the core of humanity in modern times. This experience can be overcome, without even going down the spiritual pathways & practices. I find that modern therapies such as C.B.T. & A.C.T. can work, especially if allied to some basic mindfulness & relaxation techniques. No God thing needed!  I use my mantras & feel the reactivity process being subdued. Not cured< as human tendencies remain until death.

Then there is boredom: a result of missing all the distractions. Again connected to natural addictive tendencies inherent in humans. When in ancient times there was no sugar in the diet, did this make human immune to sugar craving? Not at all. When sugar can on the scene it was all on. Ditto alcohol. Now we can add shopping, porn, mobile phones, internet: the list goes on.  It is all ingrained because the human body is designed to carry the senses: sight, touch, taste, smell. To have fun & enjoy the pleasures of life. (As well as to procreate). That’s what we are after, not God, or Deity, & not just survival. We want the possessions as well. And more fun. Lots of it please!

Then there is nothing, only this spiritual life which may be delusional anyway according to the atheists. It’s scary because even at the higher spiritual levels there is still the suffering to be endured by the body/ mind combo. We are just removing ego & identity from the equation. Again my manta helps me to fix my focus & awareness firmly into the sounds of the Divine Consciousness. I may experience itchiness, asthma wheezing, being peckish, or bored & frightened. It’s all “over there”. I am not the body/mind presence, which has only one outcome – death.

The challenges of Life & the Universe require an equal challenge in the form of spiritual, (or even religion if you insist), practice. However stay with “I am that” & choose ones preferred additional practices from there.