Esoteric

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Posts posted by Esoteric


  1. 19 minutes ago, MountainCactus said:

    Lahiri taught the Kriya Yoga system, which uses pranayama. By "Kriya Pranayama" do you mean spinal breathing? If so, no he did not teach that, and in the book "Garland of Letters" (which is available for free on the Yoga Niketan website so you can see for yourself) he specifically states in regards to spinal breathing that "Kriya without Om Japa is tamasic".

    @MountainCactusInteresting. But from my understanding, and please correct me if I am wrong, doing spinal breathing while placing OM's is Kriya Pranayama, right? He did not teach this? While Om Japa is placing OM's in the chakras but you forget the breath. So spinal breathing, or what the technique Kriya Pranayama is, was invented by either Sriyukteswar or Yogananda? I will read Garland of Letters, been meaning to check that out for a long time.

    Also I read in a youtube post from Forrest Knutson that you shouldn't do Om Japa in the chakras for too long. Do you agree? If so, what is "too long"? And what is the reasoning?


  2. On 12/4/2019 at 7:47 PM, Matt8800 said:

    @Esoteric Also, Uncle Setnakte's Essential Guide to the LHP is a great book. There might be a pdf online.

    The ritual I am referring to is the bornless rite and another one I cant remember the name of right now. Jason Miller has them in his book Strategic Sorcery (must have book imo)

    @Matt8800 Thanks. I read Flower's book, was a nice read. Might check Setnakte's as well. To me it seems like there is quite a difference on what is considered LHP in Shakta-Shaiva Tantra, like the Kaula and Trika schools, and what the west took and put under the LHP umbrella. If you are a tantric practitioner, to me, it is a no-brainer that the LHP is what is clearly the most healthy path. To not conform, the healthy view on sexuality, the feminine etc. That is also clear historically if you look at India, that the healthiest most prosperous societies were clearly left streaming and Goddess worshipping.

    However when it comes to the west and the LHP, and the major difference, is the obsession to not conform even to nature it seems. The will to continue as an individuated self that refuses to merge into the whole. To just settle at blissful communion with the Divine, hoping your individuality will go on eternally. To me it seems like a red flag and a trap.

    Crowley is a really confusing figure, isn't he? On the one hand he seems like a very intelligent man that has made a huge impact on the occult in modern times. And not just as a shocking figure, but as a well respected contributor that is praised by a lot of todays big names in the occult. On the other hand he seemed really troubled and like a huge egomaniac that wanted to boast about his abilities.. I like to view the occult as a F1 race car. You have a powerful beast under you, and with it you have the chance to get where you want, and really fast, but can you handle the machine? Will it get to your head? Seems like Crowley crashed his real bad.


  3. @MountainCactus Chakras seems like one of the most muddy and confusing things in all spirituality. You see people with decades of experience dish out completely different explanations of the functions of the chakras and what they represent. Some Tibetan masters say not too stay too much on the anahata as it could result in complications, while others say it is one of the safe ones to rest at. Some say you can rest at ajna and others say you can't make "war on the brain". Muladhara is not safe to rest at either, nor the sacred chakra. Manipura seems like the universally accepted one to rest at from my understanding so far, but there arises the question whether it is actually at the point of the navel or slightly below, and that is called lower dantian/hara in other systems. It's a damn mess lol.

    Also, are you saying Lahiri didn't teach/advice Kriya Pranayama at all?


  4. @MountainCactus Ok, interesting. It was the chanting in the third eye I did, which made me very unbalanced. I also put my attention there all the time as soon as I caught myself not being present. I work at reception with an average of about 15 mins of actual work each day. But in the end it created real bad emotional storms. So for some months I didn't focus there, or tried not too.

    Interestingly, now I can be stabilized there with no problems, and when I sink into it deeply, it encompasses the other chakras and attention goes where it needs. I don't feel the sushumna in the third eye as I have heard people say. Perhaps sometimes, really subtly, but intuitively it feels like that's where it is going. Yogananda said to focus on the third eye at all times to hasten spiritual growth. Now, this can potentially create problems, so it's not really a responsible advice, but there is definitely something to it I feel.


  5. @MountainCactus This thread isn't even 2 years old. There could be a lot of factors playing in. Have you read the whole thread? I am not defending the books even as I don't follow them or admire the teachers. Ennio seems like the most decent one. Also it made me get in contact with the subtle body and the sushumna, so that's positive. I am at a good place now, so in the end I am really glad I did follow the books.


  6. @MountainCactus Alrighty then... So what happened to the karma you assumed from the authors? You are in the process of working off all their karma or the link immedietely broke when you stopped their practices? The internet must create one hell of a karmic mess then as far as spiritual teachings goes, must be the Devil's invention ;) Let's hope there are not a lot of rapists and theifs advicing people to follow their breath. Sounds like a good idea to follow if you want to increase your paranoia and fear.

     

     


  7. 35 minutes ago, MountainCactus said:

    This was my experience as well when I first learned the techniques from the Stephens book. The energy was just too much. The Kriya I've learned through my teacher is not one of increasing and controlling energy through the spine. It's a technique of calming and slowly unraveling the knots in the chakras, and letting the breath itself move the energy without any intervention, visualizations, or control of any kind. This is key, because it keeps the energy in the subtle body, it does not spill over into the physical body where it can create negative overload issues. Also, because you're not physically energizing the body/mind/chakras, it leads to a much more blissful, tranquil, and deep state of meditation. I am very sensitive to energy practices that use any force. The Kriya Lahiri taught was the polar opposite of Kundalini Yoga. The techniques in the books try to shoehorn Kundalini Yoga into Kriya, and it creates a bastardized version of Kriya that loses most of the strengths of Kriya, and assumes all the weaknesses of Kundalini Yoga. If someone really wants to hit the gas pedal on the energy side of things, they would be better off just going full on Kundalini Yoga, imo. If someone is suffering overload or any other negative kundalini side effect in Kriya, they are not practicing the techniques properly. Kriya is supposed to be a path for a very slow, gentle, and easy kundalini awakening. 

    Karma is simply cause and effect. If you accept teachings and choose to believe the words of anyone, and especially if you decide to practice their techniques on a daily basis, you are assuming the effects or karma of their teachings. This is why I keep saying it is so important to do your due diligence on researching any teacher. Meditation itself is technically classified under the umbrella of Karma Yoga in the scriptures. Anyone that you accept spiritual teachings of is your guru/teacher, even if it is through a book. And, if someone breaks the oath they've made to every single teacher that they've ever had, what does that say about their character? What type of person steals another persons teaching and tries to profit from it? How do you know you can trust them if they have such a public history of betrayal and deceit? And yes, if you created techniques and posted them on a forum, and people practiced them, you would be their guru. Any effect they got, good or bad, would be effects of your cause... or them assuming the karma of your practices. Moreover, if they had negative effects, would there not be a negative feedback loop into your own karma? It turns cyclical at this point, bad karma out from the teacher, becomes bad karma in on the student, becomes bad karma back out from the student and the wheel just keeps on spinning.

    @MountainCactus How do you KNOW this? To me it sounds like a belief and spiritual dogma.


  8. @MountainCactus Yeah, I actually haven't done Kriya for months, as I was starting to feel energetically unbalanced. My body couldn't keep up with the energy. I moved on to other energy practices that has completely blown me away in a very short time. Now, I am not completely sure it is just that my body has adapted and can handle the energy now or if my new practice is more healthy in balancing it out. I suspect it is the latter since a lot changed when I started doing them, but I will go back to the Kriya I did and see at some point probably. But I still do nadi-sodhana and om japa in the chakras as preliminary exercises on occation. They are wonderful techniques. 

    "You may not realize this, but by choosing the books, you are really choosing those authors as your guru and in turn assuming all their karmas. Is that really what you want?"

    Ok, please elaborate on this. Who taught you this? How can you prove this and how do you know for a fact this is true? Are you saying simply reading the theory will make you take on their karma?  Or simply reading and using their techniques? Have you assumed the authors karma by previously reading their books? If I came up with some techniques and some theoretical stuff in a forum post and people used it, would it mean people chose me as their guru and they now have taken on my karma? 


  9. @MountainCactus Right, thanks for clarifying. Also, honestly something in me triggers and irritation arises whenever I hear of guru/disciple relationships. That you need to be dependent on an "external" figure to get liberated and get shaktipat from them personally, it makes me a little uneasy. You seem to have done good, and have find a good way, so not a critique on you. And hey, maybe I will get initiated at some point, but right now I feel I can find all the help I need from within as long as I try my best to be sincere, honest with myself and want nothing else but freedom.


  10. On 12/10/2019 at 7:12 PM, MountainCactus said:

    Sadhguru's techniques are not necessarily weak... they just serve a different purpose. Isha's yoga is tuned specifically for the average person to realize an increase in general health, wellness, and happiness in their lives. The Kriya Yoga of Lahiri Mahasaya was tuned specifically to make achievement of Nirvikalpa Samdhi possible for a householder in this lifetime. Two totally different goals for two totally different people. I recommend Isha to more people than I recommend Kriya, because most people are not looking for enlightenment and as such Sadhguru's techniques are better for them specifically. I only recommend Kriya for true seekers that will stop at nothing to achieve Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

    That being said, receiving initiation and having a one on one relationship with a true guru/teacher is a priceless thing. I've said this time and time again here, but the techniques in the book are not proper, and even if they were Kriya is too subtle of a process to learn from a book. It takes years to master Kriya, even when working with a teacher one on one. Can someone generate some intense kundalini mystical experience with the false techniques in the books and have a fun pleasurable ride in the process? Absolutely. Can people achieve Nirvikalpa Samadhi from the books, with no initiation and no relationship with a teacher.... I don't think so. I have an ongoing relationship with my teacher, we are in regular contact, and his guidance has been nothing short of a blessing. He has brought my practice of Kriya alive to a degree that the books alone are wholly inadequate and incapable of doing... and I started my Kriya journey years ago with Stephens book so I am speaking from experience here. These authors are not authorized teachers, they are not masters, and all of their claims of knowledge are self proclaimed. I think one needs to really dig deep into who they can trust as a teacher. "Judge the tree by the fruit it bears". I see more people getting lost than found with these books, so is this fruit really worthy of mass consumption? Is someone who has betrayed every oath they took to every teacher they have had someone that should be admired and trusted? Should someone be placed on a pedestal and treated as an expert simply because they claim they are and can operate a word processor or a video camera? Are we going to keep throwing money at and making every person that claims to have "secret" or "exposed" Kriya knowledge rich without actually researching their claims and examining their fruits? One should really do their due diligence before trusting any spiritual teacher. There are far more false teachers out there than there are real ones. What happens is the general public throws money and praise at the charismatic false ones that are leading people astray and totally miss the real ones that are legitimately and quietly helping to change people's lives deep down in the trenches. Many of these true teachers are literally hiding in plain sight. There is no greater blessing than finding a true teacher, one that puts your needs above their own. Finding a true teacher is not something that should be frowned upon, it is something that should be encouraged. These people are indeed hard to find though, but "when the student is ready the teacher will appear" was indeed true for me, so maybe it will be for you all as well?

    @MountainCactus Of course it is possible to achieve Nirvikalpa Samadhi without submitting to a personal guru. Just because it wasn't working out for you without a personal teacher doesn't mean it is the same for everyone. There are endless paths to the divine and it sounds like you have some limiting beliefs. My situation = everyone else's situation

    You make fair points and it's great you found a teacher and that it's working out for you, but I also get the impression you are on a crusade for your completely correct and uncorrupted system. You can actually read a lot of books on Kriya (and other systems) and don't make it a big deal out of it, or argue over who is more correct. You can try shit out and take what really works for you and if you are sincere and dedicated you can develop a wonderful system for yourself. Who cares who made the technique or if it is REAL Kriya as long as the technique works for you (might be shit for someone else). Sure you hit some road blocks here and there, but that's part of learning. People are able to take responsibility for their lives, and personally if I experiment with a technique and find out it is not resonating or sense it might be potentially dangerous. Guess what? I quit doing that and try something else. 


  11. @Leo Gura Do you know if Ralston suffered a lot during the way to his awakenings? Have you talked with him about that? I get the impression he didn't suffer much at all. He seems like one of those guys that live isolated getting completely obsessed with like studying a molecule for 20 years straight. It's just that his obsession happened to be consciousness.

    It seems like a big trap that people get an awakening and seem like authorities on consciousness as a whole. Making them actually close down and unwilling to accept new facets and depths. But at the same time Ralston seem to have gone down very very deep and have been open to new layers, it's weird he didn't contemplate what love is. Ralston is a mindfuck to me. I guess he is just on the extreme end of the masculine scale. The feminine qualities seem to be creation, love and beauty. I think that's why all true artistic people have a very feminine elegance to them. 


  12. From my own experience if you give a woman the wrong signals or are with a woman just out of comfort and neediness you will get a lesson. Likely a very harsh one. You can choose to either grow from this or it can completely destroy you. Infact it was what catapulted me into becoming a seeker 100%. The pain has been extreme in many periods and I had it coming. I am very grateful it gave me a chance to grow and learn. That is grace. Don't play with a womans heart.


  13. 44 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

    I think we master our emotions in waves. We make huge progress and think we've got it and then emotion bubbles up and we realize we had been repressing, or had been unconscious of subtle emotions as they built up. 

    @mandyjw I have found this to be very true. I don't know how many times I have felt detached and clear thinking "Holy shit, I've practically made it" only to experience big emotional storms the next day. It's funny that you can continously fool yourself like that. It's better to have an attitude that you're gonna contract and expand continously but that your overall progress as a whole is increasing.


  14. @Cocolove There is such a staggering amount of info out there. It could just be that Leo hasn't tried the method or it hasn't resonated with him personally. But obviously it has with you so stick with it. I think it is a great technique and it will definitely purify you if you are serious and committed. Don't make Leo an authority on what will work for you. Ironically you should watch Leo's vid on authority.