Bhumi Study Series, Part 5: Open Heart-teachers

Bhumi Study Series, Part 5

Open Heart-teachers

Bhumi Study Series presents information on many of the contemporary gurus, lamas and spiritual teachers, and their respective spiritual attainments, or bhumis. This study has been conducted by two founding teachers of the Open Heart-method, Kim Katami and Pauliina Katami on the basis of photographs available about the concerned persons. For more info on Open Heart, go to http://www.openheart.fi

Familiarizing yourself with the Open Heart bhumi-system is recommended, in order to understand what this series is about. Read "Stages of Spiritual attainment" and go through Kim Katami's video documentation on the topic to get a better picture of what bhumis are. Studying and understanding bhumis in this manner is a deep subject which requires meditation and analytical skills. One may or may not be able to discern the outcome of this study series without extensive practice experience. On the other hand, the differences are quite easily seen when studied attentively and when the information is offered in context as has been done here, where one may compare between teachers, right next to each other. The study has been divided into several categories. As the Open Heart-bhumi model is universal, it applies regardless of possible differences in methods used by distinctive traditions.

This series has first been published in 2016. Of teachers who still inhabit their bodies, we have used, as new photos as possible to keep it relevant. Of deceased teachers, we have used photos, that have been as close to their demise as possible, and which therefore embody their highest attainment.

This Bhumi Study Series has been made public in order to bring awareness, lucidity and clarity to the present spiritual culture of the world by explaining and showing what many of our well known teachers have actually been able to attain. There is much confusion and lack of clarity about this topic, so we wanted to clarify this matter from our part, for the benefit of all.  

May this study help and serve many in their understanding and study of the path of mind training.

Bhumi Study Series

Bhumi Study Series, Part 1: Dalai Lama
Bhumi Study Series, Part 2: Tibetan Lamas
Bhumi Study Series, Part 3: Hindu Gurus
Bhumi Study Series, Part 4: Zen Buddhists
Bhumi Study Series, Part 5: Open Heart-teachers
Bhumi Study Series, Part 6: Before and after awakening, +2nd and 3rd bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 7: Theravada Buddhists
Bhumi Study Series, Part 8: Non-sectarians and New Age-teachers
Bhumi Study Series, Part 9: 6th bhumis with notes
Bhumi Study Series, Part 10: 7th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 11: 8th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 12: 9th bhumis
Extra: How to do Bhumi Mapping

 Open Heart-teachers

1. Kim Katami
2. Tiia Maaninen 
3. Verna Miettunen
4. PH
5. Special case: Sivakami Sara Simons

1. Kim Katami, Open Heart-founder and head teacher. Bhumi 8/13, picture taken 2/2016. Awakening (1st bhumi) in 11/2011. Began full time practice in 2003, tantric practice in 12/2006.

Bhumi 9/13:

3. Tiia Maaninen, Open Heart-teacher. Bhumi 4/13, picture taken 2/2016. Awakening (1st bhumi) in 4/2014. Began Open Heart-practice in 9/2012.

Bhumi 5/13:

Bhumi 6/13:

4. Verna Miettunen, Open Heart-teacher. Bhumi 3/13.

Awakening (1st bhumi) in 4/2014. Began Open Heart-practice in 5/2010.

Bhumi 4/13:

Bhumi 5/13:

5. PH, Open Heart-teacher. Bhumi 4/13.

Awakening (1st bhumi) in 11/2013. Began Open Heart-practice in 1/2012.

Bhumi 5/13:

Bhumi 6/13:

 

 

6. Special case: Sivakami Sara Simons (1941-2010), Kim's teacher.  
Bhumi: 7/13, picture 1 taken in 1992.

 Close up of Sivakami Sara Simons' eyes. Bhumi: 9/13, picture 2 taken in 2007.

Full list of my teachers and masters

Full list of my teachers and masters

This is a list of various spiritual, meditative, healing, fine art and martial art teachers from whom I've learned and studied with along the years. Here, by learning, I mean learning of some solid teachings which have then helped me to deepen my own understanding. Of course there are many other people; teachers, practitioners and friends from many different traditions who I still keep in touch with and have dialogues.

See also "All initiations and deity empowerments". 

Teachers with a physical body (not in a specific order)

• Sara Simons (Sivakami Om Anandi, American), liberated teacher, laywoman and a lineage holder of Mahasiddha Thirumular, Babaji and the mahasiddhas. My heart teacher.
• Terayama Tanchu Sensei (1938-2007, Japanese). Master of Zen, Budo/Ken and Sho. Founder of the Hitsuzenkai -zen calligraphy community of Japan. Dharma heir of Omori Sogen Roshi and successor of Yokoyama Tenkei Sensei from Jubokudo school of calligraphy.
• Harada Shodo Roshi (1940- , Japanese). Zen master of the Rinzai school. Founder of the worldwide One Drop Zen-organization. Dharma heir of Yamada Mumon Roshi.
• Harada Tangen Roshi, the Old Buddha (Japanese). Zen master of the Sanbo Kyodan school. Dharma heir of Harada Daiun Sogaku Roshi.
• Sante Poromaa & Kanja Odland. Zen teachers of the Zenbuddhistiska Samfundet, based in Sweden.
• Mingyur Rinpoche, Mahamudra and Dzogchen-master, son of Tulku Urgyen.
• John Lewis (British), Founder of the Finnish School of Shiatsu.
• Zhang Changwang (Chinese), Yiquan master in the lineage of Yao Zongxun and Wang Xiangzhai.
• Takemi Sasamori (Japanese), head master (soke) of Ono-ha Itto Ryu kenjutsu.
• Hiruta Sensei (Japanese), head of the Ichikukai Dojo in Tokyo (zen and shintoist misogi-practices).
• Dogen Christophe Pontal (French), martial arts teacher and a long time student of Harada Shodo Roshi (zen), soke Shiokawa Terushige (martial arts) and Kanshu Sunadomari Sensei (Founder of Manseikan Aikido, successor of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba).
• Ashok Immaneni, A liberated mystic and a teacher of mantric and Indian vocals.
• Rami Salo (Finnish), Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan teacher.
• Pasi Pölönen (Finnish), Yiquan teacher in the tradition of Zhang Changwang.
• Juhani Kuittinen (Finnish), Aikido teacher, Shumpukai.
• Jyrki Rytilä (Finnish), Daitoryu Aikijujutsu Takumakai (5. dan), one-on-one
• Petteri Silenius (Finnish), Aikido teacher (Aikikai 6. dan), one-on-one
• Peter Rocca, Soto Zen-teacher in the lineage of Gudo Nishijima Roshi.
  

• Sri Mata Amritananda Mayi Devi (Indian), World known ”Hugging Saint”.
• Paramahamsa Prajnanananda (Indian), Kriya Yoga master, a successor of Paramahamsa Hariharananda.
• 14^th Dalai Lama (Tibetan), Both political and spiritual leader of Tibet, head of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
• Lama Thubten Gonpo Tsering
  

Masters without a physical body

Received teachings named after each master. You can find information of these mahasiddhas by web search.

• Mahasiddha Thirumular. My root guru. One of the legendary Shaivite saints. Author of Thirumandiram which is considered one of the most important root texts of Shaivite tantrism.
  Teachings received: Basic and advanced yoga tantra, Diamond Body-practices.
• Mahasiddha Babaji. An immortal yogi-master known to world through Yogananda's Autobiography of A Yogi. Babaji is the silently guiding hand behind spiritually oriented martial arts, among other things.
  Teachings received: Basic and advanced yoga tantra, and Zen Budo (taught by myself).
• Mahasiddha Bogarnatha. Great immortal master of yoga tantra, alchemy, medicine and science. Teachings received: Advanced yoga tantra.
• Mahasiddha Agastya. Great immortal master known of many classic texts of various topics.
  Teachings received: Advanced yoga tantra. 
• Mahasiddha Padmashambhava, Great Dzogchen-master.
  Teachings received: Thogal - Immortal Diamond Body-practice and Yangti. 
• Mahasiddha Vimalamitra. Great Dzogchen-master. 
  Teachings received: Vimalamitra Yoga (physical series), Wisdom Meditations (shamatha and vipashyana), Dzogchen Thogal (Rainbow Body-practices, Dzogchen) and Yangti, and two distinct types of rigpa as taught in Dzogchen.
• Mahasiddha Garab Dorje. Great Dzogchen-master. The same person as Swami Sri Yukteswar, a great master of Kriya Yoga, guru of Paramahamsa Yogananda. Teachings received: Two distinct types of rigpa as taught in Dzogchen.
• Mahasiddha Machig Lapdron (Tibetan). Great Tibetan lady mystic and a yogini. Teachings received: Complete Chöd-teachings and Tibetan Hatha Yoga (taught by  Open Heart).
• Mahasiddha Ayu Khandro (Tibetan, 1839–1953). Great 20^th century yogini from Tibet who attained Rainbow Body through Dzogchen and Tantric practices. Spent over 80 years of her life in solitary retreat.
  Teachings received: Tibetan Heart Yoga-teachings offered by Samadhi Path.
• Mahasiddha Lieh Tsu or Liezi (Chinese). Immortal master, one of the founding fathers of Taoism.
  Teachings received: Tai Chi Chuan and the essence of internal martial arts.
• Mahasiddha Zhang Sanfeng (Chinese). Immortal master, one of the founding fathers of Taoism, considered the founder of Tai Chi Chuan, the Chinese martial and health art.
  Teachings received: Tai Chi Chuan and the essence of internal martial arts. 
• Mahasiddha Dampa Sangye. Teachings received: Mahamudra Chöd and yoga tantra.
  

• Gogen Yamaguchi (1909-1989), Master of Okinawan Karate.
  Teachings received: Essence of budo.  
• O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), Founder of Aikido.
  Teachings received: Chinkon Kishin and kototama, art of kiai and the essence of budo. Initiations to Shinto deities.
  

I still continue to receive instructions from different mahasiddhas, as well as communicate with physical teachers as well.

I am humbly greatful for the friendship, help and guidance I've received from all of these teachers and master. My heartfelt gratitude and bows to all of them!

- Kim, 9.1.2015.

Updated: 31.1.2016.

Awakened on their experiences

Awakened on their experiences

All who answered were awakened one year or more before. They all said that awakening has brought a permanent change to their being although there is still momentary attachment to emotional states in their minds. Everyone of them also said that the effect of awakening hasn't worn out. Therefore it is an attainment that is permanent and irreversible.

More information about Guidance to Awakening may be found at the Open Heart-website: http://www.en.openheart.fi/

• What awakening has meant for you? What kind of change has it made in your life?

Answer: It is the most impressive and profound change in my life. There is no longer a need to imagine me being this or that. No need to seek explanations and relief from books, treatments and no need to forcibly alter the ways of thinking in any way. There is no need to fortify self-knowledge or define what I am, what I like and what I don't like. It is enough to be. There is no need to seek anything. There is a natural distance to emotions, thoughts and events that formerly created a chaos in my mind. Being calm has increased in my life and the extremes from the height of blissful happiness to gloom and depression has dropped off.

Answer: Awakening has brought clarity to my life. Meditation is easier. I feel more relaxed. Inner peace has increased. I understand the things happening around me better. Acceptance and tolerance have increased. I am able to notice the happenings around me in more detail as if my ability to be mindful has come better. It feels as if the state of meditation is ”on” all the time.

Answer: Awakening has dropped off the constant and never ending need to search for ”truth”. Awakening has brought more humour, relaxation, patience, courage and also sense of responsibility and compassion towards others.

Answer: I've stopped complaining. Satisfaction has increased. Everything I have in my life is enough and good. If there is some resistance, unpleasant feelings or even anger, the first thing that comes to mind is not that this nasty thing has to disappear of my life. Instead this emotion may be calmly looked at, and seen from where and how it arises and how it ceases. So there is no instant reaction, it can merely be witnessed. It is a great satisfaction that nothing is so serious or personal anymore. If one has lived 30 years feeling guilt and shame, the dropping of that load is an immense relief. Life has become straightforward, natural, even easy. Meeting people has become easier as the inner voice is no longer judging myself or the other person. The other person may have his or her space. A desire to control things has decreased. Acceptance and trust to life and people has increased.

Answer: After awakening, the inner peace and stability are found more easily than before.

Answer: Awakening has given a context for the whole so called spiritual path. In many ways it has brought lightness and clarity to my being. It is easier to experience and accept everything that arises in my experience as there is no longer a personal connection to it. There are still many sensations that make my being feel difficult and personal but they become accepted more easily. Life is what it is. If there is an ”embarrassing” situation, for example, which previously I had felt shameful about, now it doesn't feel so strong and often circumstances like this just make me smile. Old fears and all the thoughts in connection to them do arise but these are also seen as natural ”bubbling” and they don't bring despair. Seen from the outside, I may appear slightly absent but nevertheless I am not, it's just that there is no hurry anymore. In overall I'd say that my actions are more incontinent and creative. Being with people is more direct.

Answer: Awakening was a moment among other moments but a big step towards the right direction on the spiritual path. Through it I have been able to live my life more in a state of truthfulness where the conditioned thoughts don't colorize the direct experience. And this means everything.

Heränneet kertovat kokemuksistaan

Heränneet kertovat kokemuksistaan

Kaikilla vastanneilla on kulunut vuosi tai enemmän heräämisestä. Kaikki vastanneet ovat sanoneet, että herääminen on tuonut pysyvän muutoksen vaikka heidän mielessään edelleen tapahtuu hetkellistä tarrautumista tunnetiloihin. Kaikki myös vastasivat, että heräämisen (awakening, stream entry) vaikutus ei ole kulunut pois vaan kyse on saavutuksesta, joka on pysyvä ja peruuttamaton.

Lisäinfoa heräämisohjauksesta löydät Open Heart-nettisivuilta, www.openheart.fi

• Mitä herääminen on sinulle merkinnyt? Minkä muutoksen se on tuonut elämääsi?

Vastaus: Vaikuttavin ja perusteellisin muutos koko elämässä. Ei tarvitse enää kuvitella olevansa sitä tai tätä. Ei tarvitse hakea selityksiä ja helpotusta kirjoista, hoidoista tai ajattelun muuttamisesta väkisin tiettyyn suuntaan. Itsetuntemusta ei tarvitse yrittää vahvistaa tai määritellä, minkälainen minä olen, mistä pidän, mistä en. Riittää että olen. Ei siis tarvitse etsiä mitään. On tullut etäisyyttä tunteisiin, ajatuksiin, tapahtumiin, jotka aiemmin saivat mielen kaaokseen. Tasainen oleminen on lisääntynyt, ääripäät onnen kukkuloilta alakuloon ja masennukseen ovat leikkautuneet pois.

Vastaus: Oman elämänpolkuni suunnan vahvistumista se on tuonut. Meditointi helpompaa. Rennompi olo. Sisäinen rauha lisääntynyt. Näkee ja ymmärtää ympärillä tapahtuvia asioita paremmin. Hyväksyntä ja suvaitsevaisuus on lisääntynyt. Huomioin ympärillä tapahtuvia tapahtumia tilanteita tarkemmin, huomiokykyni on tarkentunut. Tuntuu kuin meditatiivinen tila olisi koko ajan päällä.

Vastaus: Tämä on pudottanut pois jatkuvan ja loputtomalta tuntuvan "totuuden" etsimisen. Herääminen on tuonut lisää huumoria, rentoutta, kärsivällisyyttä, rohkeutta ja myös lisää vastuullisuutta ja myötätuntoa muita kohtaan.

Vastaus: Valittaminen on loppunut. Tyytyväisyys lisääntynyt. Kaikki mitä elämässäni on, on riittävää ja hyvää. Jos jokin asia vastustaa, tuntuu ikävältä tai jopa raivostuttaa, ensimmäisenä ei tule mieleen, että tuo huono asia on kitkettävä elämästäni pois. Sen sijaan omaa tunnetta voi rauhassa katsoa, miten ja mistä se nousee, miten lakkaa. Ei tarvitse siis heti reagoida, voi vain katsoa. Tuottaa suurta iloa, ettei mikään enää tunnu niin vakavalta ja henkilökohtaiselta. Jos on yli 30 vuotta elänyt syyllisyydessä ja häpeässä, sen taakan putoaminen on valtava helpotus. Elämästä on tullut mutkatonta, luonnollista ja jopa helppoa. Ihmisten kohtaaminen on helpottunut, kun sisäinen ääni ei jatkuvasti arvostele itseä tai toista. Toiselle voi antaa tilaa olla. Kontrollinhalu on vähentynyt. Hyväksyntä ja luottamus elämänkulkuun ja ihmisiin on lisääntynyt.

Vastaus: Pidän heräämistä yhtenä etappina pyrkimyksessäni syvemmin ymmärtää todellisuutta. Herääminen lisäsi luottamusta siihen, että olen etenemässä oikeaan suuntaan.

Vastaus: Heräämisen jälkeen sisäinen rauha ja vakaus ovat entistä helpommin löydettävissä.

Vastaus: Herääminen on antanut viitekehyksen koko ns. henkiselle polulle. Monella tapaa se on tuonut keveyttä ja selkeyttä olemiseen. On helpompaa kokea ja hyväksyä kaikki mitä kokemuksessa nousee kun siihen ei ole henkilökohtaista suhtautumista. Paljon on edelleen tuntemuksia, jotka saa olemisen tuntumaan välillä vaikealta ja henkilökohtaiselta, mutta ne tulevat helpommin hyväksytyksi. Elämä on mitä on. Jos sattuu esim. jokin "nolo" moka, josta ennen olisin jäänyt potemaan häpeää, nykyään tuota ei yleensä tunne yhtä voimakkaasti ja monesti tällaiset saa vain hymyilemään. Vanhat pelot ja niihin liittyvät ajatukset kyllä nousevat kun olosuhteet ovat niille suotuisat, mutta nekin ymmärtää luonnollisena elämän "kuplintana", eivätkä ne suista epätoivoon. Voin myös vaikuttaa välillä ulkoisesti hieman poissaolevalta varsinaisesti kuitenkaan olematta, koska pohjimmiltaan ei ole kiirettä mihinkään. Kaikkiaan sanoisin, että toimintani on estottomampaa ja luovempaa. Kanssakäyminen suorempaa.

Vastaus: Herääminen oli hetki muiden joukossa, mutta iso askel oikeaan
suuntaan niin sanotulla henkisellä polulla. Sen myötä olen päässyt
elämään yhä enemmän totuuden tilassa jolloin ehdollistuneet ajatukset
eivät väritä kokemista, ja tämä merkitsee aivan kaikkea.