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Crossroads
by cleaves Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 5:37am
international / personal development / article

(Short note for the aspirant)

At some point during the course of one’s sadhana a crucial stage is reached ie, the realisation that the mind is attempting to transcend itself by entertaining concepts (mental fabrications) of the goal. This process is both circular and dangerous.

All concepts are obstacles to Realisation – for example, a common notion held by Yoga practitioners is, "I am performing shakti kriyas to raise the Kundalini." If we analyse this we can reduce these concepts to their individual components: shakti, kriya, Kundalini, are the concepts and the notion is ‘to raise’ by performing various actions in anticipation of a result (enlightenment.) Taken individually shakti translates as power, kriya as action, Kundalini does not translate adequately regardless of methods of rendering into another language. It is designated by metaphor, the most common is "serpent." The Yoga practitioner is left with no clear goal to easily apprehend. So the mind will (at all times) fill in the blanks, usually with fanciful imaginings of what is meant. This process is the danger for earnest seekers.

The term "Kundalini" can never be understood unless it is experienced. Put simply, one has to arrive before one embarks in order to know the destination! An absurd and ridiculous situation; yet this is precisely the predicament for most seekers. In order to avoid the discomfort of this conundrum, the mind will offer a fanciful imagining to pursue, each succeeding imagining becomes a greater folly than the one that preceded it – illusion is piled upon illusion and so it goes for the majority of seekers. The last state is worse than the first.

I would hope that it has been demonstrated that pursuing concepts of the infinite always leads to failure. The earnest seeker at this stage realises that all concepts are obstacles and so dispenses with them. It soon becomes apparent that the mind and concepts cannot exist without each other – where there is no mind there are no concepts and vice versa. Concepts such as nirvana, samadhi, kundalini, Sakti, Siva, Buddha, Jesus, God etc., are released in order to progress. If quietude is achieved and sustained – the mind dissolves. What remains is alluring and self-sustaining. Practise ceases and life begins.

Om Tat Sat.

We are ONE