How to Heal Trauma

 

How to Heal Trauma

>What types of practices are best for those who want to heal trauma but have only 1 or 0 bhumis open?

The process of healing trauma heals but not without becoming aware and accepting one's subconscious pain. It is very demanding to remain willing to face and surrender to one's psychological pains. These pains come from our blindspots, they come from the dark, like the punches of a boxer that you don't even see and before you know it you're remembering all the bad and difficult things that happened to you. To remain engaged with this process, you definitely need willingness to be surprised by the punches of the hurt stored in your subconscious and at the same time understand that it's just pain coming up. It might make you feel really awful at moments but it won't kill you and because it won't you can learn to work with it, and this is how the path to healing appears.

Now, for someone who truly understands that accessing and remembering all that stuff is a way to become free of it, it's an immense blessing to have tools and practices that enable you to do that but to someone who isn't really ready, it can be a living nightmare. The purpose of all practices that we have is to return our bodymind into its natural state but we need to understand that just like Jung said, the path to light goes through darkness. There is no way to the light around darkness, only the way through it which means that light is found in the middle of darkness. Profound peace and joy is found in the middle of fears but only for the one who understands how the practice works and how the practices are correctly applied. Of course, everyone gets momentarily overwhelmed when working with traumas but the right view and application bounces you right back on track, and this is what being protected means.

I recently changed the system with our Path of Wisdom and Clarity, the way how new practitioners of Rainbow Body Yoga get empowerments. Since the last empowerment new students only get a Guru Yoga empowerment of Guru Padmasambhava and Guru Yeshe Tsogyal and practice RBY with them for 2 full years before given the first 12 deity empowerment. The reason for this is in preparation, acclimatization. It's like a protected cocoon with the gurus and taking couple of years to ponder on the meaning of bodhicitta and bodhisattva activity. At the same time, they'll have bhumi events because of the dynamic practices practiced together with bodhicitta.

Now that I think of it it is a good preparation formula for the Path of Healing and Light as well, which is largely concerned on healing of trauma. Get used to sitting and working with yourself. Pray for yourself and for others. Turn to our gurus for blessings. especially the ones coming from the hindu tradition; develop loving devotion and take those blessings in. Take refuge in the gurus, their teachings and offer yourself at their feet. Doing this will not only heal your traumas but light up a sacred light in you which will change your life and give it a meaning that you didn't have before.

People used to know the meaning of having spiritual masters and gurus in their live but modern people have forgotten this so we need to remind them, especially for the fact that modern medicine and methods fail to such a large degree. I am not telling anyone to try to fix their aching tooth or broken leg solely with the help of spiritual masters but the fact is that just like Dr Gabor Mate, the leading trauma therapist said, he still hasn't fully healed of his psychological trauma at the age of 75. So, again, secular and sutric methods have deficiencies.

 

Dr Gabor Mate

People simply need to bring spiritual energy and light back into their lives. The minds of people of our time are marked with suspicion and cynicism towards anything that cannot be measured or explained with technology. People need to be shown that there is so much more to life than they know. It is the sacred in them that needs to be lit up so that they can heal and change the direction their lives are going. The best way to do that is with the help of masters who are specialists of this kind of human problems. Depending on how badly they need help, some will shed tears of gratitude learning about these things while some will keep looking for solutions from places where they cannot be found. Both are fine but there is a way to full healing and ceasing of confusion. As many people as possible should know this.

Of course there is much more to say about the trauma healing practices of Amrita Mandala. People who are interested should study our materials and join our retreats.

Blessings,

-Baba, 9.12.2023

Jesus and Maranatha, the Guru of Jesus By Amrita Baba

 

Jesus and Maranatha, the Guru of Jesus

 

By Amrita Baba

If we look with the eyes of a yogi at Jesus' resurrection, we understand that he attained the so called lightbody or rainbow body that has been attained by many male and female masters of buddhism, hinduism, christianity and taoism, and is still attained by yogis today.

Despite of Jesus or Ishanatha, like we call him, having been a central master behind Amrita Mandala mission since 2008, it has taken me many years to come to this point when the whole mystery of Jesus and his attainment has become the centerpoint of my study and teaching but finally this time has arrived. This was preceded by making sense and explaining of the whole buddhist system which I think is a necessary foundation for understanding anything else.

Since couple of years years ago I have written about the lightbody or rainbow body phenomenon that has happened widely across esoteric traditions. It can be said that this phenomenon is universal. If one understands what full enlightenment is and how it works, it becomes apparent that like many others who have attained lightbody, Jesus also attained it through esoteric or tantric practices. This cannot be attained without in-depth study with a tantric master or a guru. Then the question arises who was his guru, what did he practice and what happened during the time that have been removed from the history of christian religion.

After many years of studying yogic engineering and making sense of hindu and buddhist training systems, I feel not only very fortunate but also ready to arrive to Jesus and his lineage because he is the most famous yogi in the whole world, though people don't really know him as a yogi. Without the slightest doubt it is Jesus out of all masters, and his living presence that has had the greatest impact on humanity. So I feel priviledged to be in this position and to be able to explain who he was, how he became the great master he is and offer answers to the most basic questions about him, that have been denied from humanity by the religious establishment but most importantly it is Jesus' and His Guru's, Maranatha's living blessings that matter the most. Inviting the masters to us for support, guidance, protection and enlightenment and feeling their presence in our bodies, hearts and minds, is Guru Yoga.

Maranatha's name is mentioned in two places in the Bible. For all this time the christian tradition thought the name was an aramean word, and yet there was no certainty what it meant because it can be read in two different ways. There are different interpretations of its meaning but apparently no one ever thought that it is not aramean, nor greek but sanskrit. 

Jesus’ or Ishanatha's as he is known among the tantric natha yogis or nathas, biography and his longtime study in India has been completely removed from approved christian literature, like a lot of other very important teachings, so it is not a surprise why no one ever thought about the possibility that the word everyone thought was aramean is actually sanskrit. I read the name from the Bible long time ago and knowing about a certain tantric tradition instantly thought, ”Well, that’s interesting…'

I want to introduce Jesus' guru properly like I have introduced my students to other gurus. I want to put him into context and explain the things one's needs to know to have right view about him and to approach him in right way through Guru Yoga. A book about Maranatha is in the making but will take several months to finish. In the meantime our monthly retreats in August, September, October and December-January will focus on him. You are welcome to join us.

One unique feature of Jesus’ Guru, is that he was born fully enlightened and never needed to practice. He took rebirth just to be an example of full and perfect enlightenment for people around him. He had a lot of impact on the local community in Kashmir and was widely known among yogis in the area. To merely be and live with such a perfect avatara is like being in the immediate presence of a spiritual sun of immense power and constant blessings. 

 

Jesus came into the world with very special karma and purpose but he was not born perfect, most who have the karma to become Gurus don’t which is why Jesus’ Guru was very unique. Jesus reaped great benefits of living with his Guru or Father as he was affectionately called by his disciples, who was actually few years younger than Jesus was. It is fascinating how great masters take rebirth and keep working for the liberation of beings from one era to the next.

The essential purpose of all masters is to help those who turn to them to recognize and realize their innate enlightened nature. The purpose of gurus is not that their followers lift them on high thrones and give their own responsibility to them. There is Christ, fully enlightened nature within everyone of us. It is Jesus' and His Gurus gift to each one of us to show and reveal it to us through practice until we become Christs ourselves.

 

Amrita Mandala, https://www.amritamandala.com/

Secret Chakras or 4th Dantien

 

Secret Chakras or 4th Dantien

I have been extremely fortunate to learn about certain chakras that most methods and traditions do not know about. I am talking about the chakras below and above the physical body, as you can see from the pictures attached.

I remember my beloved teacher Sivakami saying that there is a push from the masters in inner realms trying to bring knowledge and practices relating to these centers back to humanity because they have so much positive impact, i.e. because they are spiritually so powerful. I am certain that these centers have been known much more widely in ancient times than they are now.

In buddhism there are "bhumis" or grounds, written in old sutras such as the Avatamsaka and yet there is not a single buddhist lineage that uses them or knows how to use them and it is rare to find a buddhist master ever even mention them. Even though most buddhists don't know about bhumi chakras, just recently the wonderful Garchen Rinpoche clarified their meaning by saying,

"As Milarepa has said: the empty clear mind just becomes increasingly clear as you keep meditating. That's what we call the Bhumis and the paths, the different stages. Even though they're given different names, it's just an increasing becoming clear of your natural state... So this is how the four yogas really are a gradual development of the realization of the mind. So even though we count and list different Bhumis and different paths and there's different teachings on that, this is really how we should see it.

This is also a very important teaching, the most important teaching by Milarepa where he said that the so-called Bhumis and the paths are the progressive realization or recognition of the clear and empty nature of the mind. The Bhumis and the paths are nothing but signs or road signs so you know where to go. You know where you're at. So practitioners need some kind of signs so they know they're on the right track.”

from Garchen Rinpoche's introduction to the Four Yogas of Mahamudra (May 13th 2021), translated by Ina Bieler

In a bit more cryptic manner but still clearly the Secret of the Golden Flower, a taoist-buddhist text from few hundred years ago says,

"The ancients' method of transcending the world, refining away the dregs of darkness to restore pure light, is just a matter of dissolving the lower soul and making the higher soul whole". (2:14)

In taoist terms, the mentioned higher bhumis (that relate directly to the chakras below and above the body) would be called the fourth dantien. I am not that learned about the variety of taoist methods but if I remember correctly the fourth dantien is mentioned and taught by Mantak Chia, famous taoist teacher, although I have not seen it mentioned by others. It is worthy to mention that the formerly buddhist esoteric practitioner Mikao Usui (1865-1926), who discovered and taught reiki, a form of spiritual cultivation and healing included fourth dantien, i.e. the body's external centers in his system. In kriya yoga, a form of internal yoga taught by Mahasiddha Babaji to his Indian student/s that is widely spoken in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda, the heart and soul of the method are these centers. My zen art master Terayama Roshi from Tokyo practiced the 4th dantien daily, both through chi gong and zen calligraphy.

So, from what I have seen over the past decades there are bits and pieces of the fourth dantien or bhumi chakras as we call them in Amrita Mandala method, here and there...

But people should really learn about them because connecting the bodymind with them is like hooking into a source of pure love and pure energetical power that to borrow the words from the Secret of the Golden Flower, "dissolves the lower soul and makes the higher soul whole", i.e. dispels self-centered confusion and habits, and makes the human energy system or psyche whole.

There are all kinds of little secrets and things that would make the path so much easier to lot of people if they only knew about them.

Monsoon blessings,

-Baba, 19 March 23, Amrita Mandala Sangha

True peace, mental health, sanity and knowledge through Jesus

 

True peace, mental health, sanity and knowledge through Jesus

(continued from: http://openheartopenheart.blogspot.com/2023/02/is-it-possible-to-heal-trauma-fully-yes.html)

Uma: I don't entirely agree that Psychology is a totally Sutric method, as research has shown that it is within the relationship between the person and the therapist that healing can take place. So giving someone your respect, undivided attention, understanding, care and love is what helps, and therapies that work best have this relationship as a basis.

Having said that, it is true that due to constraints placed on National Health Service Psychologists related to economics, the best that they can do is to 'stick a plaster on it' and help the person to live as well as possible with the trauma. Healing takes time, and time is money. Not many people can afford lengthy private treatment.

It would be great though if Psychologists could use tantric methods, in addition to the energy created within the therapeutic relationship

Baba: In sutra dharma there is also relationship between teacher and student so that is not what separates sutra from tantra. Empowerments and transmissions do but as you know guru yoga, for example, can be practiced without an empowerment.

That is an interesting point because even most of us western non-practicing christians learned some basic prayers in childhood that invite the blessings of God and Jesus Christ. Inviting Jesus to us *is* guru yoga, so most westerners are already somewhat familiar with the concept even if they weren't taught anything more specific about it.

It is a pity that the christian establishment messed things up so bad. It started quite soon after Jesus resurrected and continues to this day. Consequentially, like I've seen over the years, western yoga meditators get upset even by the mentioning of Jesus's name because they associate him with all the bad, immoral, wrong and dogmatic things exercised by the religious establishment.

From a different perspective, it is very fortunate that the christian establishment exists because of the baptism of babies, and sometimes adults. When a person is baptized it creates a direct karmic connection with Jesus. That is extremely precious even if people have no clue about its effect or are non-practicing christians. It is like taking refuge in buddha, dharma and sangha. These things have a huge impact but to get back to our topic, this karmic link or seed needs to be taken care of and embraced in a non-dogmatic way. In general terms, spirituality needs to be brought back and specifically through Jesus because he's the greatest and best known world guru (skt. vishwa guru) ever.

I think this is the way to bring true peace, mental health, sanity and knowledge (skt jnana) to many people. In the context of psychological therapy, this could be something for therapists to look into. 

 

 

Is it possible to heal trauma fully? Yes!

 

Is it possible to heal trauma fully? Yes!

Mani: Hi! I wanted to share this channel on youtube, she has some great videos for people who has trauma from childhood/teenage years. It's always good hearing someone talk about something they themselves have been through/worked through, and so has solid advice. Be it trauma in the form of neglect, ongoing stress over years, episodes at school, illness etc. She speaks mostly from a psychological and physiological perspective, and not so much spiritual, but it still has been super helpful. For the longest time, as I wrote many times in my log thread here in the group, I genuinely thought I had autism or some other mental/neurological duagnosis. ? Turned out it was childhood traumas, which I am working through with the wonderful practices Baba has taught us.
Now she says in one of her videos that childhood trauma can never fully 100% heal, which I don't think is true, but that just seems to be the general perception for mental health, that it is difficult or impossible to fully heal.


Baba: I never bought that you'd be autistic. Misdiagnoses have been a nuisance in your family...


Mani: Yeah, I am so glad I didn’t settle for that diagnosis and know what the cause is now. It makes all the difference. My sister also got a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, but it turned out to be PTSD from childhood and of being failed by the medical community.
I am so glad to know now about the subtle bodies and how tantra can heal...

Baba: We had a discussion with Amrita Uma (who is a psychologist) at the recent retreat about the common perception about the heal-ability of trauma among professionals of psychology. Gabor Mate who is a very influential trauma specialist said what I've heard from a number of others (the ones I've listened to) that "you can learn to live with trauma but you can't (fully) heal it". But Uma enlightened me by saying that that is not a prevalent opinion, that some psychologists and psychoterapists have the opposite view, that it is possible to heal it fully.


Even without the methods to heal it fully I find it very problematic and disempowering to say to patients that it can't be healed. We all probably know someone with trauma or some other illness who's been said that they can't heal and that they just have to suffer with it for the rest of their lives. Of course if we are talking about tetraplegia it is a different matter but my point is that just like in dharma you have teachers who give really poor, insufficient and actually completely wrong instructions backed up by a lineage, the same happens in medicine where doctors go too far in their statements and diagnoses.


Having worked my a*s off with my own trauma with very specific energetic practices, I am highly doubtful if it is even possible to become fully aware of one's early trauma by psychological means (that are basically sutric/non-tantric) and consequentially if psychology really even understands what full healing of trauma means. That might sound like a very arrogant thing to say and I am happy to be told/proven otherwise but having seen the regular shallowness of non-tantric methods I am doubtful, though really hope that there'd be tons of efficient methods and techniques out there available to humanity. But even for those few who have the priviledge to live in wealthy circumstances and have the access to psychotherapy, that extremely few in the world have, the actual results don't look too good, even after years of regular therapy. Little benefit is much better than no benefit at all but just like in dharma, it's just not good enough.


Childhood trauma being misdiagnosed as bipolar or as a million other things doesn't surprise me at all, though it is of course quite tragic. The understanding of trauma and how thoroughly it affects people is very poor among medical professionals from what I know.
All people should go back to their religions to find answers to these problems. Not the dogmatic belief rubbish but the practices; prayers, chanting, meditation, service, contemplation and above all to receive the grace that heals. You know, being healed by the spirit that dwells in all of us is not a fairytale, it is real.


Linking a short documentary from Finnish tv (swedish with finnish subtitles) from 2019 that testifies about the power of prayer. It's very impressive, especially the testimony given by the doctor. https://areena.yle.fi/1-4598175

Full healing of trauma

 

Full healing of trauma

(unedited excerpt from my upcoming article Immortality and Internal Arts of China and Japan)

The second category of psychic injury or trauma requires specific tools, specific instructions and endless of patience. If one has been traumatized in childhood and lived with the trauma for decades for it to become embedded with one's moment to moment psyche, it is logical that one can't just pull it out and be done with it just like that. However, I am certain it is possible to heal all and any traumas when the above needs are met.


As a side remark, I have always found it puzzling from the professionals of psychology and psychotherapy that one could learn to live with one's traumas but not heal them or get rid of them entirely. This is understandable from the point of view of their methods but makes no sense in the context of tantric yoga according to which anyone with perfect inner nature can reach and tap that potential in full in a single lifetime. In my ears it sounds exactly like dharma teachers stating that there wouldn't be practices to directly generate awakenings. It might be true from the perspective of the systems and traditions known to them personally but it is mistaken and misleading from the perspective of dharma universally. There are practices to generate awakenings, one after the next and there are practices to heal traumas completely and perfectly. I know this from firsthand experience. In the light of the traumatic history of the mankind it is logical to assume that people of the ancient times, many of who attained lightbody, were traumatized prior to their yogic training and attainments. Returning to the basic state actually heals both the mind and the body. It is real. 

 

Baba, 13 Jan 23 

Pemako as Fusion Tantra

Pemako as Fusion Tantra

The past year and post-10th bhumi purification specifically has lead me back to hindu practices and empowerments some of which I have already passed on to my students (Dasha Mahavidya last November). They are way more efficient in connecting the physical body with the enlightened mind and therefore accomplishes the outer marks of rainbow body more effectively than buddhist practices. I could add observations from my own practice but later.

I love to be back with hindu practices and masters. It's a whole new venue after buddhism and of course will and already has changed the tone and feel of Pemako. It is so joyful, playful, light and blissful, and from this perspective more complete than the character that buddhism creates. We've already talked many times about dropping "buddhism" but in addition to that I started to feel that we should come out as fusion tantrics who openly practice both hindu and buddhist tantra.

I am writing the buddha book at present and will explain the justification for using both deities in there. I remember that this was very common back in the mahasiddha era days when after mahayana view had developed and folks were applying it to their hindu tantric practices (which over time developed into buddhist tantra with its distinct feel, tone and purpose). Like I've said, I actually think that buddhadharma wasn't supposed to create a new religion but fix the problems and mistakes of the old one, hinduism, or that's how I see it. Interestingly we have now arrived at that same position, after many years of study, development and results of buddhist tantra and practices. There are practical reasons to "mix kitchens" but I also think this will soften and make Pemako more approachable to those interested in yoga and tantra.

-Kim Rinpoche, 19.4.2022

The Art of Blessing

 

The Art of Blessing

Blessing is an energetic charge of pure energy. Pure means selfless and selfless is natural. This pure energy from a guru, is transmitted to the one who's requesting to be blessed. Because selfless pure energy is released into the energy system of a person who has unnatural egocentric constructs and whose energy is dirtied by it, is the reason why blessing feels like a relief. The blessing makes the psychological burden drop so natural state can be felt, experienced and recognized. All kinds of people who pray and request blessings, be it from Jesus, God, the Buddha of Light (Amitabha) or some guru know how meaningful and powerful this is and sure enough all world religions have this at the heart of their teaching.

From a bit more technical perspective a blessing is a medium to transmit and point out the natural state of all beings or in other words *to bring out the basic goodness in us*. Because blessing is not egoistic is why it is a way to transmit and communicate the empty nature of mind (dharmakaya) and natural joyfulness (sambhogakaya) to others. I realize this all sounds unnecessarily complex so I'll try to make this more down to earth.

Blessing is an outburst of pure love, kindness, being present and supportive to other people's hardships, understanding, encouraging and acceptance. Without having a clue about the technicalities or mechanism behind this, many people do this naturally because that's how people act if they are in touch with who they really are. If there is respect and love between people in any type of relationship, there are definitely blessings, good energy, involved. On the other hand, egoistic people do the opposite and transmit bad vibes, negativity and traumas often unknowingly to others which makes relationships (of any type) go bad. We all know this already and yet often don't really act accordingly to make our lives and the lives of others a joyous experience.

Blessings from fully enlightened masters like Jesus are special only because there is never a moment when the transmission has the slightest dirt in it. Also, masters transmit higher volume of blessings meaning that the blessing can be so strong that one joyfully disappears into it, i.e. one's ego drops off completely. All kinds of people from Finland to Mongolia, to China to US and back to Europe have practiced like this. Christians, buddhists, hindus, taoists, shintoists and muslims, not a single religion is an exception to this rule, though having said that there is more to all religions than this.

Anyone can wish good and transmit blessings to others because underneath all the self-based pain and ignorance there is our soul or wakeful nature that is always pure. Go ahead and try it.

1. Sit down and take a moment to relax the muscles of your body.

2. Then think of someone you know and wish her/him good, for example, "I wish my friend James much happiness, peace, safety and health. May he be happy, healthy and enjoy his life in full. May James have great friends and success in all ways in his life". You can verbalize your blessing in any way you like as long as you're wishing good and beneficial things. Put some energy and emotion into your blessing, put power and meaning into it.

3. After you've prayed for a few minutes, sit silently and see how the blessing made you feel. In what way do you feel the same or different than before the session?

4. You can do this to all your friends one by one, to your family members, relatives, people of you town/city, country, planet, animals, all life forms and so on, if you like.

This brings out the inherent good in us. Blessing is the art of that.

KR, 1.3.2022

Sri Krishnamacharya's Early Astanga Yoga Blog

 

Sri Krishnamacharya's

Early Astanga Yoga Blog

This is a link to Anthony Grimm Hall's blog about the origins of ashtanga vinyasa yoga which is a form of physical yoga made popular by Krishna Pattabhi Jois. I am sharing the link to Hall's blog through my blog because Facebook doesn't allow posting the direct link.

The reason why I think Hall's blog is wonderful is because he has not only looked into the historical foundations of ashtanga yoga through Krishnamacharya's early presentations but also has brought a very creative and in a sense fearless presentation of asana and pranayama practice into the world of yoga postures and energy work.

This early, I would say original, spirit of ashtanga gives practitioners much more freedom to practice the postures in a way they want. This is according to the spirit of yoga because it is empowering.

-Kim Thubten Lingpa, 19.12.2021

http://grimmly1997.blogspot.com/

Grimmly2007-YouTube with hundreds of videos

Vinyasa Krama Yoga-blog

Anthony Grimm Hall's interview 

About Anthony Grimm Hall

After spending five years traveling and working my way around the world in my early twenties (see Susan Griffith's book Work your way around the world) I returned to the United Kingdom and studied Philosophy. After a few years as a Philosophy of Arts teaching assistant at Kent University I taught at a preparatory School before moving to Japan to teach English and work as a teacher trainer for five years. After taking up the Saxophone in Japan i returned to England to study as a Woodwind Instrument Repairer.

My 'Yoga story' is outlined in Kiri Miller's book, Playing Along published next month (Feb 2012) by OUP.

'Grimmly is an ashtanga (and later Vinyasa krama) student without a teacher--an impossible contradiction to many practitioners, but one that is getting more possible all the time. He lives in the United Kingdom and works as a repairer of woodwind instruments. In early 2007, Grimmly's flat was burgled and seven saxophones were stolen. This incident made him so angry, and then so irritated with his own anger, that he decided to take up some form of meditation. In the course of reading about meditation practices, he learned that "a lot of meditators were also doing yoga," so he looked for a yoga book at the library and found Tara Fraser's Total Astanga (Fraser 2006). As an overweight 43-year-old man, he was a bit embarrassed even bringing the book up to the circulation desk. On his blog, he wrote, "Going to a yoga class wasn't something I even considered. A guy here, outside London, might think about going to a gym to get in shape but not a Yoga class, probably not even an aerobic class".

Grimmly began learning the sequence of asana from the book, practicing every morning before work, and soon began to order instructional DVDs and search for YouTube videos to help him develop his practice. He started his yoga blog (Ashtanga Vinyasa krama at Home) in the summer of 2008, after about a year and a half of practicing at home alone six days a week. His posts often invoke a growing community of hidden "home ashtangis" like himself.

As Grimmly developed his home practice, some of his choices posed challenges to ashtanga orthodoxy. For instance, when Grimmly blogged about his decision to begin learning the second series of asana, one commenter told him that he should not be learning any intermediate asana before he could stand up from a backbend: "Then and only then you start to add intermediate to your existing primary. Your teacher would give you each new asana as he saw your progress. . . . Traditionally in India, yoga has been learned from teacher to student, not from a book or video. It's really not right to decide to give yourself postures".

After a year and a half of home practice, Grimmly finally decided to try attending an ashtanga class at a shala. He went two Sundays in a row and was "blown away" by the physical adjustments he received from the teachers there. But a week later, he explained that he doubted he'd go back: "All the time it's just been me on my mat, alone in a room early each morning, my practice...Somehow now, after visiting the Shala, it feels a little like I'm practicing for someone else...I feel more distant from my practice, less involved" (Grimmly 2008b). It's clear from other posts that Grimmly developed his practice using books, famous teachers' DVDs, YouTube videos, other students' blogs, and any other media resources he could find. He often writes about insights gleaned from these sources. Nevertheless, the "live" teaching at the shala somehow alienated him from his practice. While he benefited from the physical adjustments he received, he was willing to forego them in order to maintain a sense of agency and responsibility for his own development: practicing for himself instead of a teacher.

Grimmly and his fellow cybershala practitioners are creating new transmission modalities for ashtanga yoga, from reflective writing to side-by-side slideshows that might reveal hidden traces of corporeal knowledge".

from Playing Along, Kiri Miller (Oxford University press 2012)

In June 09 I came across Srivatsa Ramaswami's 'Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga' and spent the next year working out how best to combine Vinyasa Krama with my Ashtanga practice. I attended Ramaswami's 200 hour Vinyasa Krama Teacher Training course at LMU, Los Angeles July/Aug 2010. I now practice Ashtanga in the evenings and have an integrated Vinyasa Krama practice, asana (based on subroutines), Pranayama and Mediation in the morning. Last year I made home videos of each of Ramaswami's Subroutines and produced practice sheets. Over the last three months I revisited each subroutine, one each morning, writing up practice notes to accompany the subroutines in the evening. These subroutine practice sheets and practice notes form the core of my book, Vinyasa Yoga at Home Practice Book

 

Emotions of the Enlightened Mind

 

Emotions of the Enlightened Mind

”Activities that are graceful, heroic, terrifying,

compassionate, furious, arrogant, possessive and

envious all without exception are perfect

forms of pure, self-illuminated wisdom.”

-Sahajayoginicinta, ancient female master of tantric buddhism

The moment I heard this quote, I jumped at joy! It is so spot on! I had never heard other scriptures or authors express this point like Sahajayoginicinta. The vast majority of authors explain how emotions become neutral. I've never seen any other author say how ”furious, arrogant, possessive and envious” emotions, that on the surface sound very samsaric, are expression of ”pure, self-illuminated wisdom”. This statement is really something else!

I didn't grasp this point until I ended my purification process. Before that point I didn't understand how all emotions, including the ones that used to make me contracted around the notion of self, could be self-illuminated wisdom. It sounded wonky and strange! But I see now how a fully enlightened person is emotionally completely free and actually expresses him/herself perfectly in response to prevailing circumstances or arising situations. After all mind phenomena is seen to be without a solid self, a mahasiddha keeps reacting to external circumstances not based on a notion of self but as an appropriate response. Both before and after enlightenment circumstances might be far from ideal and therefore emotions like depression and frustration keep happening both before and after enlightenment but... the difference between the two is great!

I was never attracted by the idea of becoming an etherically smiling buddha who was always fine with everything and never raised his voice. That sort of buddhahood never made sense to me. Perhaps in the perfect world, where the master in question never needs to worry about anything and only has kind and well-behaving people come to meet him, perhaps then it is fitting to have the expression of a peaceful buddha but to me, and I think to most people, that is an utopia.

In the history of vajrayana we have many accounts of wrathful behaviour of mahasiddhas (and this point has also been purposefully taken advantage of by bad teachers). In my experience, the life of a modern mahasiddha is no different.

23.11.2021

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

Meeting Amma, the Hugging Saint

 

Meeting Amma, the Hugging Saint

Fb memories reminds me that 12 years ago I lived in a private house in Helsinki where Amma, the Hugging Saint, had stayed several times during her visits to Finland. I remember going to this house the first time and it felt like being imported to a different realm, that of incredible joy, clarity and bliss. I lived in that place for few months before going to India to her ashram.

Ah, I another thing I remember from that trip to Amma's ashram is that she gave a blessing to a method of yogic healing that I had learned from my gurus. I gave those yoga healings to clients as my volunteer work there in the ashram. Folks got rid of chronic pains in a single session and so on. Proper stuff.

I used to teach yoga healing too. I've had forms of healing and massage in my life since I was a little boy so all that is very natural to me but as I have focused solely on teaching and practicing tantric yoga for the past 10 years, I just haven't had time to do that. But I definitely want to transmit this art and set of skills to my students. It is a wonderful way to help others, practice active compassion and earn a living all at once.

So, Ammachi... I've spent hundreds if not thousands of hours in her physical presence, since 2003. I've received direct introductions into the nature of mind - darshans - from her from her through hugging countless times both at events and informal situations such as airports and I've sat next to her, literally 1 meter from her, many times until I could not sit no longer. I've had her bless objects to me that changed in energy in few seconds of her attention. I've received a mantra empowerment from her in 2006 and she has given me a spiritual name in 2009. I've had visions of her and I know perfectly well that she is a living and fully enlightened mahasiddha. Unique to her is her motherliness and embodiments of Devi, the Divine Mother. There is no doubt in my mind that she is one of few authentic masters alive in the world today.

I remember one time at her ashram when I went to get a hug from her. I had a shirt on that had a open collar so that part of my tattoos were visible. She started ripping my shirt off to see them better! For a moment I thought I had gotten into a wrestling match with the divine mother! LOL.

Thank you Amma for your compassion and for being there for me and for countless others. Your presence has been an indispensable source of yogic study for me during all these years.

-Kim Ashwin, 12.10.2021 

 

Removing Trauma from the Physical Body

 

Removing Trauma from

the Physical Body

Kim: It also makes sense how the scratches get into the physical cells there in the first place, from stress, trauma and all kinds of scary and anxious situations.

I was just wondering about the very first traumatic situations from early childhood, how they plant the very first seeds of painful selfing and how it builds up from there over time. Then a bit farther down the line comes tensing of the belly, shaky legs and panic attacks and so the energy system goes upside down in stressful situations. And then you start avoiding the stressful situations and the stress itself by various coping mechanisms. You just try to survive, scared of the world, scared of people. Or maybe you feel numb. Maybe you're not having panic attacks everyday and they may be mild when you have them but you have them nevertheless and they mess up your energy system everytime it happens. You just want to have a happy life and cannot understand why you feel anxious and scared so often because you've forgotten the early experiences and you have no idea what's going on in your psyche because you haven't learned even the most basic ways of keeping your mind healthy with various types of meditation.

In Pemako method we have different tools and practices to remove the self-based pain from both the mind and the body. Together with the deity practices of mahasiddha bhumi deities (list on the website), there is tapping of the body with mantras (very effective!) and these female deity practices called Dasha Mahavidya, that I borrow from hindu tantra. All in all, it looks like this formula works very well in the case of students like you who has already purified the 10 bhumis but is working on perfecting the ms bhumis.

Something that I've wondered recently is that I could give Dasha Mahavidya to the whole sangha, as I know there are people who have all the above issues and problems of trauma that affect them physically. I use hindu deities for this purpose together with buddhist ones because it makes the progress much faster than buddhist deities alone.

Shane:>I know I would have benefited a lot from having these mantras earlier on.

Kim: -Aa-ha! Well that is another interesting point that takes us all the way to the beginning of buddhism, and the reason why buddhism exists.

There is no end to methods that make people go round and round in meditative states and momentary experiences. Buddhadharma began because that had to stop because there is no other solution to solve self-based existence except to release self-based states, including those that make self-formations subside, into the body of reality (dharmakaya). But damn it, even in buddhist tradition those enticing states of gross bliss and vast planes of expanded consciousness crept right back in(!) and ever since until today a lot of buddhists are not actually practicing buddhism in the sense of liberating beings to dharmakaya but practice momentary states in samadhi, shamatha and jhana meditations. Too bad.

I don't blame anyone who wants to take a break of the mental wheel of repeated confusion (samsara) but it needs to be crystal clear that states of meditation are momentary experiences exactly like states of negative emotion. People are mislead to think that samadhi, shamatha or jhana meditations would solve existential issues. They can't and they don't so if you ask me, if you are in this for "real" and you wish to really know yourself as a living and breathing buddha, forget all practices that are based on gentle one-pointed concentration. I doubt that buddhism as a whole will ever be able to shake off this basic confusion that in my view ruins the tradition that started as a splendid system of diamond clear recognition, and keep wasting the time people put into these practices. This is madness and buddhism as a whole is definitely corrupt.

So, this is a long and winding introduction to your comment, "I know I would have benefited a lot from having these (hindu tantric Dasha Mahavidya) mantras earlier on".

Yes but hear me out... The reason why buddhism was started and grew out from hinduism is because there was a serious need for a method that would remove dualistic ignorance or selfing. The reason why gross bliss and those states of expanded awareness happen in samadhi, shamatha and jhana meditations, as they do in the vast majority of hindu methods, is because when self-based ignorance is still there in the bodymind, very charming states of bliss arise, and bliss like you know from getting high, drinking and having sex, is a trap. There is nothing wrong with sense pleasures but states of gross bliss are states of delusion made of gold! People think they practice the "dharma" but they are actually just rolling in their own shit, just like pigs do. Rusty chains, golden chains, you know.

So, the reason why I haven't given empowerments of hindu deities to my students is what I have explained above. Ignorance needs to be removed first so that you don't get trapped to self-based states in the form of gross bliss, and that is a task that takes ones time for few years at leastor more. But... if my students promise to practice both buddhist and hindu tantra, then I can consider giving shakti empowerments. But if I see anyone in Pemako sangha getting high on deities, I'll come back to haunt you even after I am dead!  

Kim, 11.10.2021

Living Buddhas in Amrita Mandala Sangha (updated 1/2024)

 

Living Buddhas in Amrita Mandala Sangha (updated 1/2024)

Dear Amrita Mandala Sangha and Friends,

Today I have the pleasure to tell you that twenty-one (number updated 4th of January 2024) people has finished their purification process (bhumis 1-10). In other words, these people have reached what in buddhism is known as ”exhaustion of all phenomena”. In other words, they have attained buddhahood*.

*buddhahood and mahasiddhahood are used synonymously in this text. This refers of realising the emptiness of all phenomena, i.e. attaining perfect wakefulness for the sake of all beings.

 

Read more from Buddhas Among Us - Accounts From Westerners Who Attained Full Enlightenment, downloadable for free from our website.

Face to Face with Buddhanature-video in youtube

Thank you for reading.

Blessings of clarity and love to all,

-Baba

 

See also: 

• Claims of Enlightenment Made by Ancient Dzogchen Masters
  
• And Then... Buddhahood Was Attained
• Harvest is At Hand
• Long Cessations: How Buddhahood is Actually Attained
• Claims of Attainment by Jesus, Yuthok and Naropa
• Shakyamuni Buddha Claims to Have Attained Buddhahood
  

 

 

About Sex and Semen Retention

 

About Sex and Semen Retention

Semen retention was mentioned few days ago in one of the discussions. It reminded me of this video of this sifu who has become famous in the internet. Here are my own view and experiences of this matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vddn_m6_-vI

First of all, semen retention or sexual abstinence is not a requirement for awakening experiences or even full enlightenment (buddhahood). One can have a satisfying sexual life, have orgasms and ejaculate without it having any effect on awakening as it is understood on mahayana and vajrayana buddhism. In excess, however, like anything else, too much sexual activity will cause imbalance, lack of energy and energetical disharmony in the body.

A further point against abstinence from sex is the fact that across history those who refrain from sex, often hoping it to make one holier and purer, have become greatest sexual perverts and abusers. Based on this simple fact it is entirely misleading to say that being sexually active would be harmful or detrimental to one's spiritual or martial life.

One of my spiritual and martial heroes is Yamaoka Tesshu, a famous master of zen buddhism, swordmanship and calligraphy who lived in 19th century Japan. Tesshu was known, not in erratic sense, but he greatly enjoyed partying, drinking and having sex with women. He seemed to have a great appetite for the joys of life, while he was also committed to his spiritual, martial and art practices, as well as his work as an imperial advisor and as a familyman. He is said to have been a huge man with huge energy. I own a collection of Tesshu's calligraphies and can testify that none of his eagerness for drink or sex had a detrimental impact on his calligraphy (where the black ink stores his energy to this date). In fact, his energy is much fuller and more abundant than the works of many monks who assumably were celibates.

When it comes to sex, I have followed Tesshu's example. Since I was a teenager, I have never been a celibate except for one 5-week period, around the age of 30. That I have been sexually active has had no harmful effect on my realisation whatsoever. In fact, being sexually active has made my mind much more relaxed and emotionally balanced than I'd imagine I would have been without. Sex has also been fun (!).

Now, because I have not practiced celibacy and have been a steady ejaculator for the past 30 years, I do not have authority to say that the recommendation to remain a celibate wouldn't have all the benefits the sifu and other sources say. However, I can say is that celibacy, refraining from sex or ejaculations is not necessary for spiritual enlightenment (as it is understood in mahayana buddhism) because it simply isn't. The sifu on the video doesn't give any meaningful definition what he means by enlightenment but what comes to buddhist enlightenment, there is very little or no relation to sexuality at all. Dealing with sexual desire, on the other hand, is important but this is a practice of meditation that has no relation to sex, sex organs or such.

We can surely become fully enlightened beings and great martial artists by having a balanced and healthy life style.

-Kim, 29.8.2021

Goals and Goal-orientedness in Pemako buddhist practice

 

Goals and Goal-orientedness in 

Pemako buddhist practice

Every now and then someone sends me a message saying that Pemako practice seems so ”goal-oriented” as if we were aiming for some special experiences. I'll put this into a proper context so that you can understand what goals and goal-orientedness in Pemako means.

In Pemako practice, we have the so called ”bhumi openings” and ”bhumi perfections”. Bhumis (lit. ground) are areas or fields in our mind, i.e. the subtle body made of energy channels and centers, where any kind of awakening/insight/enlightenment experiences happen. The reason we speak of the 13 bhumis in total and purification of the 10 bhumis is because this is a specific way to understand and to apply practices. Because of this knowledge about the subtle body; that there is a chronological continuum from beginning of insight practice (opening of the 1^st bhumi), then consecutive openings (openings of 2^nd to 13^th bhumis), then completion of purification (perfection) of each of these bhumi fields in chronological order from 1 to 10; all this is actually a clear map how it all works. And actually this applies to every type of training system, not only Pemako. So, what we have in the 13 bhumi map is a clear and solid path map from unawakened state to full enlightenment.

As a teacher and founder of Pemako, I put a lot of emphasis on teaching my students about the distinction between self-based mind of confusion and our basic state, or buddhanature. I point this out on all retreats and the reason for that is that practitioners need to know what their buddhanature feels and tastes like. They need to have it pointed out so that they gain confidence quickly. But in our system pointing out instructions given by the teachers is really just a safety valve because our practices enable recognition of the basic state very easily and quickly.

What does all this have to do with bhumis and goals?

If you ask me, there is no other practice in buddhist yoga except to recognise ourselves as fully enlightened, awake and aware beings. In zen, some masters say the same thing that there is no other practice but kensho (lit. seeing one's true nature). The way I teach is that I explain to my students how each technique, be it prayer, mudra, visualisation or anything else makes this recognition happen, so that they know how to do their practice correctly. Not knowing this is, in fact, faulty practice and largely a waste of time.

When with the help of yogic exercises, purposefully and not accidentally, we make our buddhanature appear and its recognition takes place, this is all there is to it in all of buddhist yogas. This moment of the recognition of the basic state is unlike any other kind of experience in all of existence, and that is why the recognition of oneself as a fully awakened buddha has the power to eradicate our self-based existential confusion.

So, what bhumi openings and bhumi perfections are, are moments when our buddhanature shows up and is recognised fully. These bhumi events are so called cessations, widely discussed by all buddhist traditions. Cessation of the mind means that the self-construct that causes confusion and existential pain, ceases to be for some period of time. Even if it lasts for only just few seconds, it leaves a permanent mark in the mind, in other words, a notable bit of the ego-construct becomes untangled and deconstructed. Again, this is what buddhist yoga is all about. This is how we come to know ourselves.

So if we do practice correctly, as a sign of succesful practice, we inevitably have recognitions of the basic state, recognitions of ourselves as buddhas, that is, bhumi events. On the other hand, if our practice and view is incorrect this sign is absent and our basic state remains foreign to us.

So when you hear our sangha members speak about this, they are talking about the signs of correct practice. That's all. This is actually universal not only to all buddhism but to all types of methods. This is because the basic state is the same in all beings, regardless of spiritual or religious denomination or interpretations. You either know yourself or you don't. You are either accumulating first hand experience of your basic state or you aren't.

So on the surface you might think that ”oh those Pemako folks just focus on achieving some momentary goal” but actually we put focus on the correct understanding of practice and then the signs of succesful practice, bhumi events, come automatically.

In us there is perfect purity and freshness, clarity and sobriety. Discover it.

Kim, 9.8.2021

About Readiness and Basic Principles

 

About Readiness and Basic Principles

We start with no confidence at all in who we truly are because we don't know who we are. However, my style of dharma is entirely tied and related to practice, that is, actual recognition of our true being, and in this way we start coming up with confidence little by little. In a year or two your life will change altogether because that recognition becomes stable.

However, to some people, for various reasons it can take longer to stabilise the basic state. Some are not ready when they come to pemako and for this reason they can't really understand how buddhist meditation works and how tantric meditation works. This is a sign of having not enough "merit" which means not being ready, not having realised that the pain is inside or heads and hearts, that it's not anywhere outside. Anyway these students still make some progress, though usually slowly.

If your progress is slow, openings and perfections come slowly, the problem can definitely be found from 1) not understanding the four noble truths and/or 2) not having developed genuine bodhicitta. Of course poor health can make progress slow (or very fast) but that's another topic.

So those who feel like practice is heavy or hard should contemplate the 4 nt's and bodhicitta. If they still don't hit one's heart, then I think it is better to stop practicing because practice will only just make you feel worse by making subconscious negativities and self-based habits come to the surface but if you don't know and cannot practice correctly, you'll just project your negativity to those around you.

People who have this problem don't often realise how much chaotic energy they might be bringing to their teacher, the sangha, their families or even work environments, so this is something we all definitely need to contemplate because not only we might be making ourselves feel like shit with our wrongly directed and motivated practice, but we might be making others feel like shit too, and that obviously misses the mark entirely.

Those practitioners who are ready, have merit, have grasped the meaning of the four noble truths even before hearing about them. I mean that ready students know that the suffering is inside us, in our minds, in our self-delusion, and that spoils life for us. A good practitioner remembers this always and uses all opportunities, day and night, for being and becoming aware of the endless negative and small-minded forms and ways the small self takes. The difference between unripe and ripe practitioner is in this alone: a ripe practitioner uses the self-based stuff for practice while an unripe practitioner thinks that the problem is somewhere outside and so begins the endless complaining and conflict-making. This is the reason why teachers and masters of old didn't take students unless they tested their ripeness. They were very smart to do that because 1 or 2 unripe students in a sangha can create hell of a lot of problems for others.

In a sense, a good practitioner is on guard at all times and especially when the subconscious negativity hits the fan. Together with bodhicitta and understanding of the practice and the path, alertness and vigilance, is the formula that takes us all the way to perfect freedom, unshakable stability and firsthand realisation of the buddhanature. There is no doubt about that.

The secrets are in the basics. Although there are great differences between methods and vehicles, all of dharma is based on the same principles that are shared even by other religions than buddhism. So, all secrects are in the basics.

The reason why the word secret is often used is because for someone who is ignorant of the basic state, the reality of oneself and all things remains a hidden secret. It remains a secret because we are deluded but to undelude ourselves all we need to do is grasp the basics. Knowing the most basic theory and practices from inside out will make you a master, a living buddha, who is a living embodiment of bodhicitta. It is all so simple. 

 

-Kim, 4.8.2021