Table Of ContentA Tantra Yoga Workshop from a Master Teacher
Tantra Yoga Secrets empowers readers to overcome emotions, gain
new knowledge, and live a more fulfilling spiritual lifestyle.
"Takes one beyond the illusionary misunderstanding that tantric practice/sadhana is about
sexuality and raises it to its full value as a powerful way to wake up to the Self of all."
-GABRIEL COUSENS, MD, DD, diplomat of Ayurveda, acknowledged
Kundalini and Shaktipat master; author of Conscious Eating
and Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine
Considered to be the highest and most rapid path to enlightenment,
Tantra Yoga is a practice of transformational self-healing. While many are drawn
to Tantra on the promise of an enhanced sexual practice-longer orgasms,
increased stamina-the real Tantra aims to awaken Kundalini,
the dormant potential force in the human personality.
Master teacher and author Mukunda Stiles invites readers to participate in
a tradition that includes a vast range of practical teachings that lead to
the expansion of human consciousness and the awakening of a primal
energy. Stiles explains this incredibly intimate and life-changing
practice with grace, structure, and clarity.
"These lessons provide a system of practices that con open doors into rewording
perceptions of reality."
-ROBERT SVOBODA, B.A.M.S., ayurvedic physician, author of
Aghora; Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity; Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic
Constitution; and Ayurveda for Women
"Anyone seeking self-awareness will benefit by following the step-by-step asana and
meditation practices from this ancient path."
-MA JAYA SAT! BHAGAVATI, Kashi Ashram, founder of Kali Natha Yoga
"Tantra Yoga Secrets is an invaluable manual for students ready to progress beyond
yoga postures to expanded states of awareness."
-LINDA JOHNSEN, author of Daughters of the Goddess:
The Women Saints of India
"Tantra Yoga Secrets provides an insightful view of this fascinating yet misunderstood topic
of how to bolance the male and female energies of Shiva and Shakti within us to achieve
swastha (the harmony of health with the inner Selij."
-DR. DAVID FRAWLEY (PANDIT VAMADfVA SHASTRI), author of Inner
Yoga and Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound
ISBN: 978-1-57863-503-0
Praise for Tantra Yoga Secrets
"One of the beauties of Tantra is that, ultimately, each individual is in charge of set
ting a goal, achieving it, and evaluating that achievement. Tantra is an experimental
discipline, and those who follow the path of Tantra must carefully integrate each
experience until experiencing itself is perfected, by uniting the experiencer with the
Self. The lessons in Tantra Yoga Secrets provide a system of practices that can, when
employed with determination, concentration, and discernment, open doors into
rewarding perceptions of reality."
-Robert Svoboda, BAMS, Ayurvedic physician and author of Ayurveda: Life,
Health, and Longevity; Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic
Constitution; andAyurvedafor Women
"Preserving a deep spiritual lineage as well as appreciating the natural world,
Mukunda Stiles offers a practical guide with useful tools to assist the spiritual seeker
in achieving a profound transformation rather than superficial change. Anyone seek
ing self-awareness will benefit by following the step-by-step asana and meditation
practices from this ancient path. I feel honored to have Mukunda in my life as he
teaches on this Earth."
-Majaya Sati Bhagavati, Kashi Ashram, founder of Kali Natha Yoga
"With this latest book, Mukunda Stiles has moved into the role of a spiritual yoga
teacher. It is an excellent, lucid, skillful explanation that takes one beyond the illu
sionary misunderstanding that tantric practice/sadhana is about sexuality and raises
it to its full value as a powerful way to wake up to the Self of all. Mukunda, as a wise
and experienced yogi, reveals one of the deepest secrets of all yoga sadhana from Yoga
Sutra I, 12. 'Persistent and earnest effort over a long period of time and dispassion
from the results of practice gives success in yoga."'
-Gabriel Cousens, MD, DO, diplomat of Ayurveda and acknowledged Kundalini
and Shaktipat master; author of Conscious Eating and
Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine
"It is refreshing to find a book on Tantra with genuine depth! Tantra Yoga Secrets is
an invaluable manual for students ready to progress beyond yoga postures to
expanded states of awareness. Tantra Yoga spiritualizes every aspect of life; Tantra
Yoga Secrets shows you how."
-Linda johnsen, author of Daughters of the Goddess:
The Women Saints of India
"Mukunda has added to his deep study of yoga and ayurveda an innovative examina
tion of Tantra. Tantra Yoga Secrets provides an insightful view of this fascinating yet
misunderstood topic of how to balance the male and female energies of Shiva and
Shakti within us to achieve swastha (the harmony of health with the inner Self)."
-Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), author of Inner Tantric Yoga
and Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound
TANTRA YOGA SECRETS
Eighteen Transformational Lessons to
Serenity, Radiance, and Bliss
MU KUNDA STILES
(Q)WEISERBOOKS
l!J San Francisco, CA I Newburyport, MA
First published in 2011 by
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLc
665 Third Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright © 2011 by Mukunda Stiles
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, record
ing, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from Red Wheel/Weiser, LI.c. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stiles, Mukunda.
Tantra yoga secrets : 18 transformational lessons to serenity, radiance,
and bliss I by Mukunda Stiles.
p.
em.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-57863-503-0 (alk. paper)
1. Yoga. 2. Tantrism. I. Title.
B132.Y6S728 2011
294.5'436-dc23
Cover design by Jim Warner
Cover photograph and author photo by Chinnamasta Stiles
Interior photos by Sraddha Van Dyke; © SAYVA
Typeset in Garamond
Printed in Canada
TCP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
2011017730
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the Ameri
can National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials 239.48-1992 (R1997).
Contents
Devi Puja
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Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv
PART l
Engaging Your Pranic Energy ........ .
Lesson 1
The Energy Body and Tantrik Practice . . . . . . . .
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The Tantrik Yoga Tradition
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Seeking Energy with Yoni Mudra
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Yoni Mudra Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dialogue with Mukunda
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Lesson 2
The Five Elements and Sensuality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Elements and Sensual Awareness-Nyasa Puja
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Return to Your Source-Yoni Mudra
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Dialogue with Mukunda
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Lesson 3
Yogic Anatomy and Sacred Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Tantrik and Ayurvedic Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chakras in Theory and Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Creating a Sacred Space-Puja
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Dialogue with Mukunda .
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Lesson 4
Healing with Prana and Emotional Energy Expression . . . . . . .
55
Cultivating the Tantrik Mind
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Pranic Breathing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Feeling the Five Pranas
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Seeking Prana's Openness
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Continuous Tantrik Pranayama
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Dialogue with Mukunda
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PART ll
Tools for Tantra ................ .
Lesson 5
Transforming Sensuality into Prana . .
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Signs of Pranayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Fixed Gazing- Tratak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
v
Involuting the Chakras through Shambhavi Mudra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Dialogue with Mukunda
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Lesson 6
Tantra Prana Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Theory of Tantra Prana Bodywork
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Tantrik Bodywork Practice
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Prana and Divine Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
On Divine Love and Kashmir Shaivism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Congratulations! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Dialogue with Mukunda
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Lesson 7
Tools for Tantra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Mantras
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Yantras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Tantrasanas
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Bhadrasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tarasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Virasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ill
Samasana
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Swastikasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Padmasana
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Siddhasana
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Tantrasana for Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Mukunda's Tantrik Yoga Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
PART lll
Healing Sexual Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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129
Lesson 8
Sexual Health Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 131
Healing Life and Death
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Prostate Massage-Ganesh Kriya
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Breast Massage-Karuna Kriya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Self-Breast Massage-Karuna Kriya Variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Dialogue with Mukunda
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vi
Lesson 9
Tantrik Love and Its Natural Sexual Expression . . . . . . . . . . 149
The Search for Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Sexual Integrity- Brahmacharya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Finding Your Own Natural Sexual Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Pelvic-Floor Tone-Mula Bandha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Congratulations! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Lesson 10
The Divine Couple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
The Union of Shiva and Shakti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Communing with the Divine Mother-Devi Puja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
PART lV
Spiritual Awakening ............. .
. . . 189
Lesson 11
Initiation and Spiritual Awakening . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 191
Finding Your Inner Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
1\vo Forms of Initiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Balancing the Fulfillment of Worldliness and Spirituality . . . . . . . . . . 200
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Lesson 12
Signs of Kundalini . .
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Eight Categories of Awakening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Awakening Your Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Congratulations! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
PART V
Deepening Your Tantrik Practice ...... .
Lesson 13
From Pranayama to Bandha to Mudra . .
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Advanced Pranic Breathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Advanced Root Lock-Mula Bandha to Mula Mudra . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Yoni and Lingam Puja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Enhancing Fertility for Conception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Dialogue with Mukunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
vii
Lesson 14
The Colorful Paths of Tantrik Yoga
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Yoga and Tantrik Partner Practices 0
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Tantrik Partner Agreement
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Clarifying Your Personal Path
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Choosing an Appropriate Partner 0
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Preliminary Guidance
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Tantrik Practice for a Couple
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Preparation for Lesson 15 0
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Lesson 15
Devi/Deva Communion .
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Sharing Your Love 0
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The Requisite Mind for Devi/Deva Partner Practice
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Summary of the Devi/Deva Partner Practice 0
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The Secret of Tantrasana Partner Practice
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Congratulations!
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PART Vl
Toward Unity and Spiritua1111umination ..
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Lesson 16
Tantrik Secrets-Beyond Duality . . . . . . . . . .
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Secrets ofYoni and Lingam Mudras
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Wrapping Yourself in the Stillness of Etemity- Shiva-Lata-Mudra 0
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Opening to the Breath of Love
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Lesson 17
God/dess Consciousness . .
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Integrating Yoga and Tantra
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What Is the True Self? 0
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Puja for Devi/Deva Communion
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Lesson 18
Spiritual Illumination
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Continuing to Deepen Your Sadhana of Love
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Glossary of Yoga and Tantrik Terms
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Recommended Tantrik References 0
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Devi Puja
Tara Mata ki Jay
Sarasvati Mata ki Jay
Lakshmi Mata ki Jay
Kali Mata ki Jay
T
he puja (ritual of submission) to the Devis has taken me to intimacy with
the Goddess in the form of Tara as the sky, Saraswati as the dance of life,
Lakshmi as the bounty and abundance of Mother's milk, and Kali as the
remover of all that is no longer beneficial. From these subtle forms, grosser forms
have been born, most especially Suptashring Devi-an expression of the Mother
as the entire Earth-whom I was led to by my beloved tantric role model, Swami
Prakashananda. These Devis in turn have transformed themselves into my blessed
wife, consort, healer, and companion, Chinnamasta Devi, who has taken me to
places others could not. She has only one mission-to dance the tandava, the
eternal communion of Shiva and Shakti, merging and separating for the delight
of being One and the enjoyment of being the worldly couple.
Honoring Chinnamasta Devi
When I resist my Devi, life is difficult and dry; when I surrender to her, life flows. Devi
naturally longs to live a life full of integrity. When the stress of life is accumulated
through a lack of seeing what is truthful and honorable, Deva often has to swallow the
bitter pill of seeing the truth about his foolishness and arrogance. Devi won't withhold
in offering Deva darshan in order to help him return to the heart. It is my personal
experience that the truth lies in the wisdom teachings given by my Devi. She only
reveals them to me when I finally am ready to humbly submit and accept them. This
often results in putting my head in her lap. Her thoughts are Divine Mother's flow run
ning through her-there is no difference. She personifies the hidden meanings of the
teachings that come naturally and intuitively to her. The serenity prayer and all other
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forms of prayer become juicy, and my confidence in infinite goodness and love are
restored. The deepest acts of surrender are to believe and truly trust her way. For this is
how the Divine Mother is naturally revealing and expressing herself as my Devi.
Teaching side by side with my Devi has enlivened our insights and has revealed
more of the shakti hidden within the teachings. From the moment we met, there was
an instant recognition. We were led to sit next to each other, and the teachings would
flow naturally from Devi into Deva and vice versa without pause. Often, Chinnamasta
Devi would reflect upon the words expressed by Deva. At the exact moment I would
feel the stillness of the breath happening, Chinnamasta would say or do what was
needed.
The ease of our interactions has naturally grown to become the living force sup
porting the integrity of the shakti which is manifested as the secrets of Tantra in this
book. Our life together has greatly enhanced the final edits of this book.
While some students are more attracted to one of us, mature students feel an
equal attraction and no separation.
Sharing and being with Chinnamasta is to me the living experience of the mys
terious delight of Tantra, that is continuously arising and expanding as the sacred
tremor of the tantric spanda.
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Acknowledgments
I
wish to give my gratefulness and gratitude to the forms of the formless: Deva
has become Devi, the commonplace has become the unexpected, teachings
have become my teachers.
First and foremost is to acknowledge Devi's path. My great respect and love go to my
guru and teachers, the known, the unknown, and the unknowable.
Most profound gratitude to my guru Swami Muktananda Paramahansa and his
guru Bhagavan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, India and to my spiritual teacher Swami
Prakashananda of Suptashring.
The known teachers include Paul Copeland, MD, Psychiatry; Ramajyothi Vernon,
BKS Iyengar; Mata Amrit Anandamayi Ma "Ammachi"; Professor Krishnamacharya,
Indra Devi, Yogi Hall of the Redwoods; and Ma jaya Sati Bhagavati, Bhadra Kali of
Ganeshpuri. The many teachers and students with whom we shared both deep and
superficial reflections of the nature of yoga. The texts that have inspired me-Yoga
Sutras, Guru Gila, Shiva Sutras, Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, and, most especially,
the Yoga Vasistha. My teachers and these texts have transformed the way I perceive
the world and myself. All of these influences have totally captivated my life into one
of seeking the mystery of form changing into formlessness. The known becomes
unknown, the unknown becomes the unknowable.
The secret teachings have come to me since a vivid summer experience in 1979. Hav
ing been drafted into the army, I was on a bus headed from one section of Fort Ord to
another. The Monterey jazz Festival was happening nearby. While sitting on the bus, I
began to notice that everything was breathing. Throughout the half hour bus ride, a
formless undulating tide captivated my attention.
Many years later I would reflect back on this experience in light of tantric texts
such as the Tripura Rahasya (the mystery of the trinity) and others that helped me
understand the significance of the spontaneous arising of the Devi's triple forms com
ing in and out of the Oneness. We are all given experiences of the primal Mother, but
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without a text and a living teacher such a mystery goes unnoticed. The Yoga Sutras
of Patanjali (II-1) reveals the secret that teachings can be given in such a way as to
embody the Shakti as Devi. The first step is Sadhana Pada-the path of practice. The
second step is Swadhyaya Pada-the path of understanding and inquiry. The third
step, Isvara Pranidhana, is to seek a teacher who can elaborate and clarify the first two
steps. In this way, such experiences turn into realizations.
Sitting on the bus, with everything undulating-this body space, the space sur
rounding the body, the space of the bus, the cornfield, the sky field-and yet, there is
no difference. The experience of not seeing a difference is the culmination of practice
and the study of the texts.
Chronologically speaking, the undulating bus experience took place years before
texts were shown explaining the serenity, radiance, and bliss. At first, these three states
of consciousness seemed to arise separately. After forty years of Tantrik Yoga, the three
forms of the Devi undulate in and out of form and formlessness.
For all of the mistakes, for all the influences left without acknowledgment, I ask you
forgiveness. May I realize as you do the significance of this great mystery called Life.
Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay. - Blessings to the true inner teacher, the Self.
Jagadambe Mata ki Jay. - Blessings to the Mother of the world.
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