Fwd: []:Comparing Yogic Kundalini and Reiki Tummo

[Guest guest]

"Ed Rubenstein" <edrub

Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:03 am

:Comparing Yogic Kundalini and Reiki Tummo

 

 

I would like to share my understanding about kundalini since I have

experience

of kundalini from both the perspective of the ancient traditional

Yogic approach

and Reiki Tummo. I practiced kundalini from an ancient yogic

approach for over

15 years, and that included 3 years in Nepal and India.

 

Awakening of kundalini by Yogic Guru or representative of the Guru

is referred

to as shaktipat or initiation. A typical way this occurs is through

the

repetition of a siddha mantra while focusing on a particular chakra.

This

activates kundalini, breaks the knot it the base chakra and can open

the ida

channel. The teachings explain this as the most blessed gift and the

start

of the real journey of life because Kundalini begins its spiritual

journey home. The problem is that even the great Yogic Spiritual

Masters who

disciples view as fully self-realized beings or deities in human

form do not

claim to be able to open up the other chakra knots that block

kundalini from

being able to flow up the core channel (sushumna). The Yogic

Spiritual Masters

say that the widening of the sushumna and opening of the chakra

knots can not

instantly occur because tremendous amounts of samskara (karma) would

be released

and a disciple could not survive the personal trauma and turmoil

that would

occur from the ripening of the karma. So in addition to using a

siddha mantra

to meditate and arouse kundalini, there are other yogic practices

that are

taught. For example, there is pranayam breathing to purify the ida

and pingla

energy channels, asana postures for developing glands, meditation on

the chakras

using the acoustic sound of that particular chakra along with the

color and

shape relevant to that chakra, fasting, pure vegetarian diet, and

other

spiritual practices. The goal of these practices is to purify the

seven

energetic body layers referred to as the Kosas, open energy channels

and the

chakra knots, and widen the sushumna so that kundalini can complete

its journey.

I spent many months in the Himalayas engaging in these practices for

seven

hours a day. I was able to experience the space between my thoughts

and the

space between my breaths, which is traditionally considered to be an

important

passage, but my sushumna and all of my chakra knots did not open. I

had

kundalini energetic sensations, though after many years of practice

I concluded

that my efforts had long ago stagnated and I did not experience any

new

significant spiritual progress. As I observed friends and yogic

monks and nuns

from different yogic traditions, who engaged in extensive yogic

kundalini

practices for many years, I felt that they were not making the big

spiritual

breakthroughs that I once believed would occur if we just meditated

long enough

or more diligently. My dream of kundalini reaching the crown chakra

and

achieving the highest Samadhi states was broken and I became

disillusioned with

the ancient system of Yoga.

>From my experience, the traditional ancient yogic path has

limitations that are

often not understood by spiritual seekers when they are beginning

the yogic

path. I share these not to be disrespectful to the honored ancient

traditions,

but to help spiritual seekers realize that there is a difference

between the

old school yogic approach and Reiki Tummo which is available to us

in the

present and supporting us to fulfill our ultimate spiritual destiny.

This is

available to us now due to the shifts in existence that have

occurred since the

year 2000.

 

Below are the limitations of the ancient yogic path that I have come

to

understand.

1: Students frequently become top heavy, like a tree that grows wide

on the top

but does not have a root system to support its top growth. Asana

postures are

used as the main spiritual practice to accomplish grounding. The

problem is

that during the initiation or shaktipat with the Yogic teacher, the

sushumna

channel is not opened to the core of the earth. Proper rooted

grounding is not

achieved, and it is common that students may become spacey,

ungrounded, or

develops health problems because they are not properly connected to

earth

energy.

 

2: The initiation or shaktipat does not open all of the chakra

knots, the core

channel (sushumna) is not opened and the chakras are not opened.

Hundreds and

hundreds of hours of practice with the best Yogic techniques, even

those not

found in books and only passed down from teacher to student, does

not result in

the opening of chakra knots and widening of the sushumna. The

opening and

widening of the sushumna represents exhausting lifetimes of negative

Karma.

This is viewed as very difficult to achieve or to live through,

since ones life

would fall apart due to the excessive negative karma that ripened.

 

3: Ancient Yogic Systems are mostly based on worship of a Guru or

worship of a

lineage, which is supposed to represent the highest embodiment of

God. Surrender

or worship to the Guru as the embodiment of the Divine, is the

vehicle to take

the spiritual seeker from illusion to Yoga. The Guru is set up to be

the divine

bridge. The problem with this approach is that it creates a boundary

between

our Spirit and our direct connection to the True Source which can

only take

place in the core of our Heart. A picture of the spiritual master is

frequently

placed on the puja (alter) table. Devotional offerings are directed

to the Guru

or the lineage which are viewed as the sacred representative that was

responsible for awakening the seekers kundalini. Through the Guru or

lineage

worship approach, transcendent experiences can occur such as meeting

of the Guru

or other teachers on the subtle dimensional realms. The student can

hold onto

these experiences as if they are major divine occurrences. The

problem is that

this can become a limitation, because the goal of Yoga has nothing

to do with

the experience of visiting the learning dimensions. The true goal of

Yoga, no

matter what tradition in which it is being practiced, is nothing

less than

complete union with the Creator. When we offer our devotional energy

to any

being in human form or to a being on a higher dimension, we limit

ourselves and

our spiritual potential. Any time we seek to open our heart to

anything other

than to the direct connection of the Love of the True Source, we

have become

misaligned with the ultimate goal of existence. The Guru and disciple

relationship is not beyond the law of karma. Only the Love of the

True Source

which is beyond the law of karma, can take us Home to Yoga.

 

4: In order to grow spiritually, the basic premise is that sexual

energy needs

to be transmuted and sublimated to spiritual essence which is

referred to as

"ojas". Spiritual energy is supposed to rise and stimulate the

pineal gland.

Fasting, asanas, vegetarian diet, and spiritual practices are

utilized to keep

the lower three chakras from becoming stimulated and emphasis is on

vibrating

the higher chakras. Stagnant force, known as "Tamaguna" is said to

dominate

the lower chakras and keeps one in "animality". One is supposed to

stay

connected to the upper chakras which are dominated by the sentient

force of

"Sattwaguna". This is viewed as the path to become divine. This yogic

approach can create conflicts, and splits within oneself. If a male

ejaculates

or has a wet dream, there is often guilt that he will not be able to

achieve

great spiritual heights and concerns develop that kundalini

advancement will be

limited. Monks often become frustrated because they have taken vows

of

celibacy, yet sublimating sexual energy can be a most difficult

challenge. From

the traditional yogic approach, dealing and managing sexual energy

can become a

very big issue that can consume a lot of mental energy, and lead to

much

confusion and agitation, not only with monks, but with householders

who seek

spiritual realization.

 

5: A common theme in the traditional yogic approach is that struggle

is the

essence of life. Progress is achieved by learning to calm the monkey

mind that

likes to jump from thought to thought. The more diligent one becomes

in there

meditation practice, it is understood that they have to be prepared

to deal with

a faster ripening of there samskara (karma). So if you go deeper

into your

meditation, and ripening of karma brings many difficulties to your

life, then it

is believed that this is a great sign of progress because karmic

load is

lessening. The problem is that we have accumulated thousands of

lifetimes of

karma, and the small lessening of the load is minute compared to the

huge

storehouse of karma that we have. In one lifetime, you can not

meditate enough

hours to exhaust all of ones karma. Sometimes it is believed that

the Guru will

take on the karma of the disciples and when the Guru gets ill, it is

thought to

be the result of karma absorbed from the disciples. Yet the Guru is

not able to

take on the karma that is involved in the widening of the sushumna

and opening

of the chakra knots of his disciples. The yogic system is designed

to do that

over a long period of practice and sacrifice, however from my

experience and

observation of others, I did not see that happen. In Reiki Tummo,

because

allegiance is not to a Guru or lineage, all chakra knots are opened

and the

sushumna is opened in an instant, due to the Love of the True Source

which is

the Grace that is beyond the law of karma.

 

6: The ancient Yogic approach to kundalini does not work directly

with the

Heart. There is a difference between using the heart chakra as a

focal point,

and going into the inner layers of the Heart to experience the core

of ones True

Self. From the traditional yogic approach, the Inner Heart, which is

the spark

of the True Source in the core of our Heart, is not utilized to make

moment to

moment choices. Yogic students are not attuned by their traditions

to access

the loving wisdom of their Inner Hearts. When the experience of the

Heart is

not the center of what we do and who we are, then we make brain

dominant choices

which are ego based. Maya or illusion, and more karma are created by

our

actions when life is not lived from our Heart. From my experience,

many believe

they are following their Heart, but in actuality, they are in their

head

thinking that they are following their Hearts.

 

7: From the perspective of the traditional yogic approach, Yoga is

achieved

through the union of "Shiva" and "Shakti" when kundalini flows to

the crown

chakra. This is supposed to represent the completion of ones

spiritual journey.

In kundalini traditions this is often referred to as Mahasamadhi or

Nirvakalpa

Samadhi. In Reiki Tummo, many have come to understand that when

kundalini

reaches the crown chakra, it is only a step of the real journey Home

to Yoga.

 

8: The traditional Yogic path is often referred to as the "Path of

Perfection". The student is supposed to be a spiritual warrior that

is willing

to face all challenges and undergo whatever he needs to do so that

he or she can

achieve the perfection of the seven body layers, and purify

themselves to a

degree in which they can achieve spiritual realization. The problem

is, "who is

the one that is seeking perfection". The "I" that is seeking

perfection can

be seeking perfection for less than perfect motives. The "I" is

often linked to

ego, and the student is using the effort of the ego to attempt to

achieve

spiritual union that is beyond the ego. Surrender is talked about

but not

necessarily understood because the Heart is not the core emphasis of

the yogic

kundalini approach. What needs to be surrendered is being used as

the main

vehicle to achieve spiritual realization. It's like a fish swimming

around and

trying to get out of the water and no matter how much it swims, it

is still in

the water. The result is that the boundary of "I" and "Thou" is not

able to

dissolve and the enhancement of spiritual growth is limited. Our

human effort

is not enough to reach Yoga, yet in the traditional yogic approach

it is the

discipline of our human effort that is being used as the main tool

to reach

self-realization.

 

In due respect to those who may still be practicing ancient yogic

systems, I am

suggesting that the traditional yogic path that has been practiced

for thousands

of years, is an outdated paradigm and a limited approach compared to

what the

path of Reiki Tummo has to offer. Years ago the traditional yogic

view of

kundalini, was all that we knew. Now we have a new approach that is

available

but in order to appreciate the most profound spiritual gift that the

path of

the Heart provides, we have to be willing to let go of concepts we

have read in

books about kundalini and yoga. We have to let go of ideas that may

have been

told to us by teachers of traditional yogic systems because they are

invested in

their paradigm and may not realize the limitations of their

approach. When

we follow an old paradigm as if it is the ultimate reality, then we

are closed

to what the gift of a new paradigm has to offer us.

 

In my experience, Reiki Tummo offers us a spiritual gift that has

never been

available to us before. The potential for greater spiritual progress

than we

have achieved in thousands of lifetimes, can be realistically

experienced in

short period of time.

 

Alumni of Reiki Tummo do not become top heavy because during the

Level 1

attunement the core channel is connected to the core of the earth,

and they

become better nourished by the earth's energy. Feeling well rooted

and grounded

is the result. Health and overall energy levels improve. As one gets

further

attunements and goes on to participate in Master Yoga, all of the

chakras

blossom like a lotus. Our energetic system becomes more spiritually

open,

balanced and healthy. Even while enjoying deep spiritual

experiences, we can

function in the world and interact more smoothly and efficiently

with whatever

challenges are before us. During Level 2, kundalini is safely

awakened, the

sushumna is widened, and during Level 3 the sushumna is further

widened and all

seven chakras are opened. In Master Yoga, our chakras blossom like

lotuses, the

sushumna continues to widen, and kundalini reaches new spiritual

heights. The

question is often asked, "How can this be achieved since the opening

of sushumna

and chakra knots represents the clearing of lifetimes of Karma?" The

reason is

that a Guru or energy from a particular spiritual lineage is not the

source of

the Attunement. Master Irman explains that the Love of the True

Source is

beyond the Law of Karma, and the attunements are allowing and

relying on the

Love of the True Source to dissolve karmic blockages without alumni

having to

receive the karmic reactions from our past actions. To fully realize

what this

means, we can never be the same again. For so very, very long, we

have been

wondering through the karmic bondages of time, digging more and more

holes, and

falling into those holes over and over again. We have drastically

failed to

realize how far away we have gotten from our original Home. We have

failed to

realize the depth of our pain and suffering from our separation to

our Beloved

True Source. We have not known how to get out of the karmic bondages

that have

kept us enslaved through time. Our karmic debt is huge…and our

actions and

lack of realization has trapped us into a karmic prison. The rock

walls of our

karmic prison are so thick and yet we have continued to think we can

break

through by our human effort. It's like we are trying to escape the

prison by

scratching at the rock walls with our finger nails ….and we have

been doing

this for so long. We have relied on our false selves rather than

relying on the

Love of the True Source. We have lived with false beliefs, false

dreams, false

hopes and false priorities. Existence has now shifted. I realize

that the time

is here for all of us to receive the wake up call…calling us to come

Home. It

is not hard or difficult, because it is not our effort that will

take us Home.

The call that we have been waiting for, for millions of years, has

come. The

Love of the True Source is calling us back to where we belong. We

just have to

embrace the Love and follow. We don't have to be separate or alone

anymore.

The Love wants to break through the Karmic wall of our prison, and

cleanse us

like a mother cleanses her dirty child. The Love does not want us to

suffer

anymore. The Love wants to remove all of our karma because the Love

wants our

Spirit to come Home to our Beloved. The Love is our Beloved. We just

have to

let go and let the Love work with the deepest and complete gratitude

for the

Love. We are coming Home. This is not just a metaphor....our name

has been

called.

..

 

In Reiki Tummo there is no worship to a Guru or a lineage. The basic

premise is

that nothing should ever come between the direct connection of the

core of your

Heart and the True Source. It is understood that worship to any

being, deity,

or ascended master, is detrimental to our spiritual progress. We

have no

interest in playing or ascending through the learning dimensions. We

realize

that only by completely opening ones Heart and following the Love

and Light of

the True Source, can one achieve Yoga. Only the Love and Light of

the True

Source can take us Home. This is the direct path that we have been

all been

waiting, for so very long.

 

Sexuality is not an issue like it often becomes in the traditional

yogic

approach. The reason is that we are not seeking to obtain bliss

through the

sublimation of sexual energy. Our bliss is experienced by our

enjoyment of

going deeper into our Heart and dissolving into the Light and Love

of the Divine

Source. The rising of kundalini is not related to our sublimation of

sexual

energy. As we open our Hearts and allow the Light and Love to take

us deeper

and deeper into the Love, kundalini effortlessly rises without any

negative

effects. In fact, kundalini energy helps to clear blockages in our

energy

bodies. Sexuality is free to be an expression of love with our

spouse without

confusion or guilt that it will interfere with our spiritual growth

 

In Reiki Tummo, dealing with the ripening of negative karma is not

an issue.

Joy is the essence of life because we live in our Heart, and our

Heart is the

key and the door to the deepest fulfillment that can ever be

realized and

experienced. As we progress, our life gets easier, even though our

karmic load

is being lessened and we feel lighter and more joyful. The reason is

that we

allow the Love of the True Source to work on us completely, and the

Love wants

to bring us Home. The Love of the True Source does not want us to

suffer. It

is only because the Love is beyond the law of karma that we can

progress so

swiftly without any detrimental karmic effects. We embrace the Love

and the

Love of the True Source dissolves our negativities because the Love

wants to

bring us closer and closer Home to our ultimate destiny. As we

become better

and better instruments, the Love wants to radiate in all directions

to every

being in all of existence. The deeper we embrace and dissolve in the

Love,

kundalini rises in celebration of our deepening union. It all just

keeps

getting better and better….more wonderful and more joyful.

 

The path of Reiki Tummo is the path of the Heart. The Attunements

and Master

Yoga program allow us to effortlessly follow the Love and Light into

the

innermost layers of our Heart, where we experience spiritual union

and become

instruments while dissolving into the Love and Light of the True

Source. We

learn to live Heart Centered lives, and make loving wise choices

under the

guidance of our Inner Heart. This allows us to function in the world

without

accumulating additional karma and becoming Instruments of the True

Source, the

way that True Source wants us to be. Without a Heart Centered life,

brain

dominance prevails and creates a tainted reality and personal

illusions.

 

The journey Home does not end when kundalini reaches the crown

chakra.

Kundalini has to also pass through all of the learning dimensions

and it is

crucial that we come to realize and experience the differences

between Soul and

Spirit. Spiritual growth is growing the Love and Light in our

Spirit. As our

Spirit grows, kundalini happily ascends beyond the crown chakra.

 

Reiki Tummo is very different than the Yogic path of perfection.

Master Irman

says "The best of us will never be good enough". For me, this

statement is so

deep, and gives me such joy and great relief. I used to think it was

my

responsibility to find my way Home to the Ultimate Spiritual

Destiny. I thought

I have to seek more, and do more, to achieve greater spiritual

growth. I felt a

pressure and a responsibility that I have to be the one to achieve

and obtain

perfection. Yet, where did I get with all of my efforts, not only

from this

lifetime, but from all my lifetimes? Where did I get from the

thousands of

hours of time I invested in meditation practices? In Reiki Tummo, we

don't

attempt to be perfect. We just enjoy our Heart by enjoying the Love

of the True

Source. We allow the Love to be our guide. We do not have to rely on

our own

efforts and achievements, because we realize that all efforts

results from our

brain identification. Our Atma (Spirit) is in the Core of our Heart,

and the

most direct path to Yoga, is to follow and embrace the Love. We

effortlessly

enjoy and allow the Love to bring us closer and closer Home. It is a

step by

step approach beginning with the attunements in Reiki Tummo 1 and up

into the

Master Yoga program, that allows this spiritual evolution to occur

naturally and

easily. I feel that what our souls and spirits have dreamed of for

so very long

is right here before us. Some Reiki Tummo alumni may not fully

appreciate the

gift they have been given because they have read stories about Yogis

in the

Himalayas, or about the siddhis or yogic occult powers that can be

obtained.

Yogic powers have nothing to due to with the True Realization of the

Heart. For

those who may have an allegiance to a Yogic path, I respect your

dedication and

commitment. My intention is to offer an understanding that a new

spiritual

approach for obtaining Yoga is now accessible to us, in a way that

has never

been available to us before. I feel that any ideas or practices that

say we can

get Home and achieve Yoga other than by following the Love and Light

of the True

Source, need to be re-examined. It does not make sense to follow

something for

so very long, thinking it can give you a specific result, when in

reality, it

does not lead you to where you think you are going. I hope that my

sharing will

help spiritual seekers to appreciate what Reiki Tummo offers us. The

key and

the greatest gift that we have all been looking for, is the key and

door of our

own Heart.

 

Ed Rubenstein

November 10, 2005

 

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

Visit our official web site:

 

http://www.padmacahaya.com/

______________

 

Kundalini and Reiki for health, sprituality, Open Heart and Perfect

Enlightenment

(YOGA)

 

Dedicated to my spiritual teacher and my Reiki Tummo Master,

 

Mr. Irmansyah Effendi MSc., on his 34th birthday (14 June 2000).

---

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