Holy Trinity as Our Own Identity

 

Holy Trinity as Our Own Identity

Since 37 years ago I have studied Eastern methods and practices. For over 20 years I have spent my life in full time practice and the past 15 years teaching professionally. I have understood and figured out everything there is to know about buddhist and hindu practices and paths and none of it is no longer a mystery to me.

Recently I have felt the calling of God, not christianity but God and the Holy Trinity. I feel and hear this calling because just like buddhism and hinduism there is much mistaken in christianity that has spread into people's minds and lives with the outcome that they don't really get relief and spiritual benefits from the christian religion.

I know it from my own experience. I was baptized into orthodox christian church as a baby, went to church as a child, went to literally at 14 and discussed the doubts and questions I had about life and existence with priests, church workers and teachers of religion but was left with same doubts, and actually even added contradiction because of the way some priests talked about God and Jesus. Those unanswered questions and contradicted atmosphere lead me to look into Eastern ways and so I have spent my life practicing.

Through those years of studying and practicing buddhism and hinduism, and becoming more and more awake, I intuitively understood that Jesus was a yogi and that he has been greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted for the past two thousand years. I learned from some fine works from christian contemplatives, supported by my own experience of yogic meditation, that there are basic mistakes in the way christianity and its practices are presented and taught. This is the main problem that has created the gap between people and church and thus also between people and God and Jesus which is greatly regrettable. Because of this people, whole nations and cultures, have lost the light of their very own life and being so disillusioned about religion they want nothing to do with it. This is only understandable to me because the way how God, Jesus and prayer is taught feels so wrong.

About the Holy Trinity

God is the spirit in all beings. God is the spirit which is always pure and good. God is our own heart and soul. There is no God sitting somewhere on the clouds commanding people to eternal damnation and hellfire. God neither judges us. God is the pure good in everyone of us. This is no different what awakened nature or buddhanature is. God is purity, love and utter kindness in us. If you asked me to choose a pronoun for God, I'd call Him "He". From analytical perspective when you pray to God and feel Him in your body and bone marrow, He feels exactly the same as the masculine principle and archetypal deities of buddhism and hinduism, namely Samantabhadra (lit. basic goodness) and Shiva. I've spent more than 30 000 hours in meditation analyzing these things so I know, and I teach people practices how they can verify these things for themselves. That's what I've always done.

Holy Spirit is the pure energy of God. When you pray for God to bless, heal or come to you, He himself comes as pure presence but also as Holy Spirit, as pure energy that flushes through your mind and body to shift your energies from confusion and pain to clarity and ease. Holy Spirit is God's active side and if I had to choose a pronoun for Her, it's be "She". Again, the same principle applies to both buddhism and hinduism, through Samantabhadri (lit. feminine basic goodness) and Shakti (lit. feminine power). Alternative way to adress Holy Spirit is to call Her the Divine Mother.

Son of God is embodied by Jesus Christ in the christian doctrine and he is presented as the only one who is the son of God but to think that way is incorrect because all of us has been made in the image of God, meaning that each one of us has the same potential of God, Holy Spirit and Divine Child in us, it just hasn't been tapped yet. Jesus is just one example, one embodied person and a master who tapped His innate potential.

One big problem with christian doctrine that affects countless people of the world is that with its basic views it condemns us to stay deluded and in pain, though it tells us to turn to God. The thing is that the closer one gets to Holy Trinity, the clearer it becomes that the Trinity is in us and is us. Through direct experience we can and need to grow to understand that God and the Trinity are not separate things, that we are not in dualistic position with it. Actually, we can realize and experience without any weird ideas or weird features that the Spirit of God is our very own essence and that there is no separation between oneself and God.

Again, there are very weird views about God that he judges and condemns sinners but we should forget all these and start fresh,accompanied by our first hand experience. Union of oneself with God means that one is no longer bound by the delusional belief of believing oneself as a separately existing entity called "me" or "I" but understands that the original purity, kindness and love which is selfless is what and who God is. It is the selfless pure nature of God that flows through our whole being which is what God and God's nature is.

May the Pure Spirit of God descend on you to show you the light that is in you,

Baba, 2 9 23

Amrita Mandala

 

 

Psychological diagnoses meets the Divine Mother

 

Psychological diagnoses meets the Divine Mother

Simha: I named it diagnosis shopping not only because I see other people doing it, but because that was what I was doing myself. And yes, it is not just driven by a subconscious drive to label, but by sheer desperation for an explanation and solution.

Reading your history of self-diagnosis is like reading about my own. First being convinced of bipolar, then adhd, then borderline, then back to adhd, then bipolar again, before thinking I might just be a narcissist or even antisocial (sociopath)..

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome/trauma makes so much more sense, and also explains the chaotic, always changing nature of the symptom patterns that made it so damn difficult to figure out in the first place.

Anyway, embodied sitting and embodying Divine Mother seems to be healing it like nothing else I’ve experienced.

Baba: It is understandable that people do diagnosis shopping when one feels that life's not working. For some reason, though, I never did that. I would even say that for a long time after I found and started practicing the dharma, I didn't even take western medicine, incl. psychology at all seriously. I have since changed my view but from the moment I met the dharma, I felt so strongly that this is it, that this is the medicine to *whatever* is wrong with me or with others.

Though not at all skillfully, I have communicated this to you Simha as well since many years ago. I am sure it sounds arrogant to the reader but seeing Karl's struggles and his diagnosis shopping I felt like it was bullshit from beginning to the end, and I told him so. It must have been extremely difficult and unpleasant for him to hear that. I thought he was fooling himself. What a dangerous way to look at things... I admit that, and especially from someone like me who has very limited knowledge about these things, and yet look where we are now...

A dozen sangha members who started practicing Divine Mother as Amrita Sundari have told me it was exactly what they needed and what hits the right spot in terms of healing of trauma and whatever diagnoses they might have. I am not saying that Divine Mother practice can solve any mental/mental health problems but it clearly targets and begins to heal a whole bunch of issues that are stored in the meridian system.

And to remind the reader, I have spoken about the energetic difference between hindu and buddhist blessings for many years. They are similar yet different because they are designed differently. It's not black and white but this can definitely be stated.

To be specific, buddhist meditation is mainly focused on transforming self-based ignorance to embodied selfless wisdom. This process takes place in the so-called nadis and chakras of the subtle body, or the bhumis as they are also known. Hindu dharma and its blessings, on the other hand, are more visceral and can be felt more physically because in hinduism the separation between healing and existential wisdom (skt prajna) was never made, like it was in buddhism. Both paradigms have pros and cons but as we are discussing healing, it takes place in the meridians which is a different type of subtle body and the closest system to the physical body. That's why guru yoga with any hindu guru or Divine Mother practice, for example, have different effect than buddhist wisdom practices, be they in sutric or tantric form.

 

Universal Dharma with Jesus, Padmasambhava and Krishna

Universal Dharma with Jesus,

Padmasambhava and Krishna

The last couple of days have been interesting to say the least.

I've been meditating some and found out that my memory is perfect. I can remember the smallest details of life events and places anywhere from my past, including past lives. For example, yesterday, as I was seeing my past life as a monk on Mt Koya in Japan, I could vividly remember the atmosphere and the scent of the four seasons. I can remember everything from my body and outlook, to the light of lanterns in the evening, to the footpaths, to the splendour of life itself, how it was back then, and how it is now... I looked at my hands and feet and the reflection of my face. They look different and yet I know it's me, the same man, the same person. A different lifetime, different place, but the same purpose. Also, my ability to visualise has become perfect. It is effortless and entirely without flaws or distractions. What a delight... What a stunning perfume arising from the wild strawberries!

From a bit different perspective, recent days have made me come a full circle, in a sense. I remember countless times as a little boy, sitting on the edge of my bed alone, praying for my family, the villagers and for all living beings. I remember when doing this by myself the room became filled with the radiance of pure light and the air became thick with blessings. Countless times Jesus and other masters* came to soothe and support me. I remember being a small boy, in my small body in the middle of people and circumstances where there was immense heartbreak and pain. My eyes become filled with tears knowing how my masters from past lives kept me afloat, above the surface that I wouldn't become heavy and sink into the depths of pain.

*those of the mahasiddha family

A number of Pemako Sangha members have told me about their meaningful experiences with Jesus recently. Few received healings from him, one devoted buddhist friend made a connection so strong with Jesus that it made him a bit startled, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. To me personally, after hundreds of sessions of guru yoga transmission from him directly, Jesus Christ, is as much a master of dharma as Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra or any other of the mahasiddhas. Historically, Jesus lived in the time when the continent of India, from north to south, to east and west was abound with tantric temples - shakti peethas –, practitioners and masters. And then, after years in India, he brought the gifts of yoga to his home land. The rest is history, unfortunately.

Anyhow, my point was to say that I have made a full circle from my early childhood to this day, understanding the role and importance of Jesus in my personal life as well as in the life of my students, and our dharma work together. As you know I have contemplated Jesus-centered method for several years but it dawned on me now that the solution is not to shift from one master to another. What will be done though is to give JC his own place in the limelight, so to speak, together with Padmasambhava, as well as Krishna, to form a trio who've not only had great impact on me and our sangha but who are also known by the world and who are therefore masters who many can relate and feel close to. Also, as a dharma universalist, I love the fact that having these three masters together – Jesus, Guru Rinpoche and Krishna – who most people regard as ”a christian, buddhist and a hindu”, completely shatters religious dogmatism. And that is what the world needs now.

The history of human spirituality is that no matter how hard they tried to keep the teachings ”original and pure”, they always ended up creating narrow minded dogmatic religions. When our basic nature is that of freedom and free expression, the samsaric mind of men always end up making it a tight cage filled with rules and regulations. It is like the classical saying that the way to hell is paved with good intentions. This is what needs to change because, we, the humanity, can't keep fucking up every given opportunity to bringing true peace and harmony on Earth. We need to learn to distinquish between pragma and dogma, between yoga and religion, between practice and belief, and with the heartmind of clarity and true love, keep shedding unnecessary limitations. The mind of men needs to change from thinking in terms of ”us and them” to ”all of us together”. This is true bodhicitta. This is yoga and only yoga can be a true religion that gives freedom, rather than takes it away! So, I think that our little group, should become an example of this and actively practice guru yoga with Jesus, Padmasambhava and Krishna, all three.

Remember, you are the real deal. You are not less or more than all the buddhas and mahasiddhas of the past, present and future. Potentially, you have the mind, heart and vitality of all the enlightened ones! So, please, for the sake of all beings, crack your coconut, split it in half and let the perfume of natural love spread to your loved ones.

-Kim, 26.10.2021

Sameness of Yogic Practices

Sameness of Yogic Practices

I firmly believe that all yogic traditions like buddhism, hinduism, taoism and christianity have at some stages known and offered paths to full enlightenment. They still do in varying degree. One thing that enchants me is the similarity of practices in different traditions. 
 
For example, in this photo you can see me sitting in meditation, or to be exact nonmeditation (skt abhavana), as it is known in Great Seal of Natural Awareness tradition (skt mahamudra). To be specific, this is a photo of an upward gaze of Leaping Over to the Great Enjoyment (tib thogal long ku, vyutkrantaka sambhogakaya). 

 
In most buddhist meditations separation is made between clarity aspect and energy aspect. For example, vipashyana and metta or cutting through and leaping over (tib trekcho and thogal, samapatti and vyutkrantaka). Same principles are in shaiva tantra as Siva and Shakti where the former is masculine principle and the latter feminine. 
 
In many systems of hindu yoga, incl shaiva tantra that I’m familiar with, this gaze is known as Seal of the Divine Feminine (skt shambhavi mudra), or Seal of the Divine Energy. This mudra or meditation is practiced in both dzogchen of Tibet and tantra of Southern India, to realise the divine energy of enjoyment. To me, it is obvious that both traditions are referring to same principles and using the exact same practices... which I think is really cool. I do believe that there has been and still is, or at least could be, fully enlightened masters or mahasiddhas in all yogic traditions. 
 
However, it is also my experience that a lot of yogic knowledge is scattered and that it is very rare to find everything one needs to know in one place. To gather the foundational knowledge and practices together is something I was told to do many years ago by my masters and I have.

Love and blessings to all,

Kim

Infinite Love and Perfection of Wisdom

Infinite Love and Perfection of Wisdom

In opening and openness of heart there are typical signs. Some people get so high on love and bliss that they stop caring about everything else and stop using their mental discrimination. In terms of the three basic characteristics this means overdoing aliveness/love with the expense of knowing quality. Then there is a subtler form of this which I have a story of.

Couple of years back we had a special guest at our center in Finland. He was American lama who had really extensive training in vajrayana and hinduism but in the last 15 years had really diven deep into heart through teachings of Irmansyah Effendi. He spoke much the same way like Alex, "Top and bottom collapsed together, and exploded with infinite love in the heart.". 

I was really impressed by our lama friend's energetic skills. He had been a direct stdent of Dudjom Rinpoche and was trained since the age of 7 by him, so he got his skills down... but he was impossible to talk to. He would go on and on and on for hours on end, until people literally walked away. He was completely convinced that the heart path he followed was significantly better than any buddhist path he knew, and he knew all of them, though had not perfected his vajrayana practice. Listening him, I was like, "Oh really? And how many buddhas and rainbow bodies this path has produced...".

The problem was that he kept bypassing his emotions, always going back to his safe place in the heart when his own emotions started coming up. He had gotten really good at that, like the moment some dirt started showing up he had already shifted back to his safe place of immense and infinite love. It was nice and cute but completely pretentious, an ego trip. We had planned a course that he would teach at our place but the situation was so bad that I had to cancel it. He had mahasiddha bhumis open too.

I understand from my own experience of many years of professional kriya yoga practice which had really strong flavour of love, how great love feels for someone whose heart has been kicked in by the world and people who were supposed to love you. It is amazing and useful to a degree... but that's not the whole story of our mind/psyche and neither it is the whole story of practices.

The three characteristics are excellent guideposts.

It is curious that buddhist dharma describes perfection of wisdom or prajna paramita as a mark of buddhahood. Perfection of wisdom is born out of completing the whole vipashyana process, that is, realising emptiness of all phenomena. This is the first stage of buddhahood, perfection of the first 10 bhumis, hence arriving or abiding on the 11th bhumi, if you will.

Vajrayana buddhism is very particular about different bodies, like nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya and dharmakaya. In hinduism they never really made such divisions even if they discuss Shiva (dharmakaya) and Shakti (sambhogakaya) principles. Buddhism is very insistent on this point and it has both pros and cons. The con is that because most practitioners are unable to stabilise knowing awareness (rigpa), they misunderstand the meaning of emptiness. You know, mosts buddhists don't look like they enjoyd life very much. Ha. I think the constant discussion about the empty nature of this and that, and me and other makes buddhists go a bit lifeless and boring. But, emptiness itself is far from lifeless and boring. Good side of separating bodies is that at least theoretically it brings much more clarity than without the separation. I think that it is because of this very emphasis why buddhist practitioners are much more succesful in their practice than hindus are, at least based on what I know. And having said that the division between bodies from the point of view of big picture or dzogchen is completely artificial. I see it as a pedagogical tool because it helps with the learning of it but purity of emptiness is not all there is to buddhanature. There is also light and colours, like there is in all life. This is something that only dzogchen teachings talk about.

So, again speaking of three basic characteristics of the natural state, there is a good reason why clarity or knowingness of given more emphasis in the beginning until rigpa become stable with the opening of the 11th bhumi. Looking at our lama friend's and Alex's cases, even such advanced practitioners who have all bhumis open can apparently be mislead by the samsaric experience of infinite love. It is precisely because of this why buddhism is so much more successful in yoga. I base my statements about success and failure of paths on bhumi analyses (OHBM).

Heart and it's ability to feel love is very meaningful but without clarity it leads astray. Again, buddhahood comes through perfection of wisdom, not through perfection of emotion, such as love.

-Kim Katami, 4.9.2019

Open Heart Sangha,

www.en.openheart.fi

All initiations and deity empowerments

All initiations and deity empowerments

This is a complete name list of teachings that Mata and myself have received from various  masters during 2013-2014.

See also "Full list of my teachers and masters".

- Kim Katami, 24.11.2014

Masters/mahasiddhas

1. Thirumular
2. Babaji
3. Bogar Natha (a.k.a. Lao Tsu, 29)
4. Agastya (a.k.a. Padmashambhava, 11)
5. Rama
6. Krishna
7. Lahiri (a.k.a. Vimalamitra, 24)
8. Sriyukteswar (a.k.a. Garab Dorje, 25)
9. Mataji
10. Ramalinga (a.k.a. Isha Natha/Jesus Christ, 26)
11. Padmashambhava (a.k.a. Agastya, 4)
12. Tilopa
13. Luipa
14. Milarepa
15. Asanga
16. Nagarjuna
17. Saraha
18. Virupa
19. Kilapa
20. Shantipa
21. Jomo Memo
22. Machig Lapdron
23. Niguma
24. Vimalamitra (a.k.a. Lahiri Mahasaya, 7)
25. Garab Dorje (a.k.a. Sri Yukteswar, 8)
26. Isha Natha/Jesus Christ (a.k.a. Ramalinga, 10)
27. Dharmakirti
28. Buddha Natha/Shakyamuni Buddha
29. Lao Tsu, (a.k.a. Bogar Natha, 3)
30. Kukai

Other masters and teachers

1. Baba
2. Mata
3. Ananda Mayi Ma
4. Arjuna
5. Gorakhnatha
6. Patanjali
7. Matsyendranatha
8. Punnakeesar
9. Narada
10. Sharapa
11. Kanapa
12. Karuvoorar
13. Sivavakkiyar
14. Ramadevar
15. Yamaoka Tesshu
16. Ueshiba Morihei
17. Miyamoto Musashi
18. Kukai, Kobo Daishi
19. 16th Karmapa
20. 17th Karmapa
21. Mingyur Rinpoche
22. Drenchen Rema
23. Ayu Khandro
24. Do Khyentse
25. Gogen Yamaguchi

Various deities,

known in buddhism, hinduism and shinto

Here listed not in any special order though most in the list constitute smaller systems for specific spiritual fruit.

1. Ganesha
2. Parvati
3. Muruga
4. Shiva
5. Hari
6. Harihara
7. Palahari
8. Harinarayana
9. Balanarayana
10. Brahmanarayana
11. Suryanarayana
12. Satyanarayana
13. Vishnu
14. Dakshinamurti
15. Shivamurti
16. Brahmamurti
17. Dattatreya
18. Nandi
19. Avalokiteshvara
20. Vajrasattva
21. Vajradhara
22. Aksobhya
23. Amitabha
24. Amoghasiddhi
25. Ratnashambhava
26. Vairochana
27. Samantabhadra
28. Kali
29. Mahakala
30. Vajrayogini
31. Chinnamasta
32. Savitri
33. Sundari
34. Kamalatmika
35. Saraswati
36. Bhuvaneshwari
37. Sadashiva
38. Maheshvara
39. Rudra
40. Parameshvara
41. Shiva (the same as number 4)
42. Tripura Sundari
43. Sivakama Sundari
44. Raja Sundari
45. Rani Sundari
46. Bala Sundari
47. Manjushri
48. Vajrakilaya
49. Vajrapani
50. Vajrabhairava
51. Kalachakra
52. Cundi (an aspect of Avalokiteshvara)
53. Sahasra Avalokiteshvara
54. Cintamani Avalokiteshvara
55. Ekadasamukha Avalokiteshvara
56. Hari Prem
57. Hari Moni
58. Kashi Moni
59. Praja Moni
60. Rashi Moni
61. Hara Moni
62. Adi Buddha
63. Ganeshwari
64. Naradeshwari
65. Gaurangi
66. Nakuleshwari
67. Vidyeshwari
68. Sunyeshwari
69. Sarweshwari
70. Saradeshwari
71. Nareshwari
72. Savitreshwari
73. Parameshwari
74. Satyeshwari
75. Garudeshwari
76. Shambeshwari
77. Maitreshwari
78. Maneshwari
79. Vijneshwari
80. Agneshwari
81. Paladeshwari
82. Kareshwari
83. Kameshwari
84. Mareshwari
85. Muleshwari
86. Kalinkini
87. Muruga (the same as number 3)
88. Subramuniya
89. Skandakumara
90. Brahmakumara
91. Vishnukumara
92. Shivakumara
93. Harikumara
94. Kalakumara
95. Devikumara
96. Vaishnavi
97. Yamantaka
98. Avalokiteshwari
99. Black Madonna
100. Vaishravana (tib. Kubera)
101. Hayagriva
102. Hevajra
103. Mahavairocana Vajradhatu
104. Mahavairocana Garbhadhatu
105. Acala Vidyaraja
106. Akashagarbha
107. Ksitigarbha
108. Akashagarbha
109. Sthamaprapta
110. Samantabhadra
111. Bhaisajyaguru
112. Maitreya
113. Vajravarahi
114. Narodakini
115. Krishna Yogini (tib. Tröma Nagmo)
116. Shri Devi (tib. Palden Lhamo)
117. Ekajati
118. Rahula
119. Vajrasadhu
120. Nidra Yogini
121. Nidrani
122. Nidrama
123. Simhamukha
124. Amaterasu
125. Amenominakanushi no kami
126. Futsunushi/Katori O-Kami
127. Kashima O-Kami

21 dimensions

21 dimensions each with their own mudra. 21 dimensions refer to three different 7 chakra-systems in the 1. torso and head (mantra: Om, bright light), 2. limbs (Hum, black light) and 3. above the head (A, transparent).

First system of seven chakras (bright light) and their corresponding dimensions:

1. +1, First dimension, root center
2. +2, Second dimension, sex center
3. +3, Third dimension, navel center
4. +4, Fourth dimension, heart center
5. +5, Fifth dimension, throat center
6. +6, Sixth dimension, forehead/center of the head
7. +7, Seventh dimension, crown center

Second system of seven chakras (black light) and their dimensions:

1. -1, Eigth dimension, shoulder/hip
2. -2, Ninth dimension, upper arm/thigh
3. -3, Tenth dimension, elbow/knee
4. -4, Eleventh dimension, forearm/shin
5. -5, Twelth dimension, wrist/ankle
6. -6, Thirteenth dimension, palm/foot
7. -7, Fourteenth dimension, fingers/toes

Third system of seven chakras (transparent) and their dimensions:

1. +-1, Fifteenth dimension, above the head
2. +-2, Sixteenth dimension, above the head
3. +-3, Seventeenth dimension, above the head
4. +-4, Eighteenth dimension, above the head
5. +-5, Nineteenth dimension, above the head
6. +-6, Twentieth dimension, above the head
7. +-7, Twentyfirst dimension, above the head

Practices

1. Dzogchen (referring to this field of spiritual teachings in general)  
2. Tibetan Heart Yoga, 4 levels
3. Thögal of Vimalamitra with two different mudras/parts of practice (referring to practices that lead to full buddhahood and rainbow body)
4. Thögal of Padmashambhava, referring to practices that lead to full buddhahood and Diamond Light body
5. Sem Dzin, Vimalamitra's Wisdom Meditation (referring to a 12-part set of meditation practices)
6. Dzogchen Ngöndro, Vimalamitra Yoga (referring to a 19-part set of physical-energetic-spiritual yoga practices)
7. Tibetan Hatha Yoga, Yoga teachings given by Machig Lapdron
8. Phowa, Yoga of Death and Dying
9. Chöd of Machig Lapdron, a complete form of Chöd-practice
10. Chinkon Kishin, esoteric spiritual practice given by aikido O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba for midn purification and meditation

Four aspects of rigpa as transmitted by Vimalamitra and Garab Dorje

1. Lhundrup Bubki Rigpa: Rigpa of all-encompassing spontaneous presence
2. Tselgyi Rigpa: Effulgent Rigpa
3. Ngowoi Rigpa: Essence Rigpa
4. Ghzi/Zhi Rigpa: Basis Rigpa

1. Jivanmukta/Arhat/Purity of mind
2. Paramukta/Full Buddhahood/Mahasiddha

Vidyadhara Bhumis with corresponding mudras

1. Matured Vidyadhara, 1. bhumi
2. Vidyadhara with power over life, 2.-4. bhumis
3. Mahamudra Vidyadhara, 5.-10. bhumis
4. Spontaneously accomplished Vidyadhara, 11.-13. bhumis

Meditations and samadhis

1. Shamatha with support/Concentration
2. Shamatha without support/Savikalpa Samadhi
3. Nirodha/Nirvana/Nirvikalpa Samadhi/Cessation