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miguel
Spain
1197 Posts |
 Posted - May 28 2009 : 11:41:39 AM
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Thanks for your light here also, ananda.
Good luck |
Edited by - miguel on May 28 2009 11:43:42 AM |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2009 : 12:34:28 PM
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i wouldn't say that if i didn't sense the goodness in you brother miguel.
you are a kind soul, keep on the good you're doing.
love,
Ananda |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2009 : 12:43:12 PM
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Many thanks for your welcome, Ananda. This is a special place. I'm really grateful I've found you all.
I read the first Svoboda. I thought it was fascinating, it gave me some genuine insights and sent my practice down some interesting channels. Then I gave it away... I found Vimalananda extremely engaging, but in the end - and this is part of my own spiritual confusion really - I couldn't accept the aspect of Aghor that is, essentially, pure old fashioned magic. Curses, moving through space, powers. I've never wanted any power for myself other than the strength to crawl into my Mother's lap. I know that in India Aghoris - and Tantrikas in general - are often regarded as having mystical, magical powers, affective powers (curse my neighbour, make my cow fertile) and this certainly isn't - necessarily - fair. In the 6-part YouTube film, though, the guru is explicitly a sort of witch-doctor. He is regarded as dealing with, and controlling, unseen, presumably demonic forces. Which is fascinating, but very definitely 'scenery' and completely at odds with any kind of non-dual worldview.
It would be interesting to know if it's always been so. The original Kapalikas carried skulls in imitation of Lord Shiva, who carried one as penance for killing a Brahmin. They also, apparently, indulged in sex rites, cannibalism, corpse sadhana etc etc, and this they passed on to the Kaulas, who we know much more about. That so much Tantric imagery has to do with the smashan makes me believe that these rituals were purely Tantric - ie 'magic' for the initiate's mind, to help him/her attain jivanmukti.
I don't know a whole lot about this. It's mostly what I've picked up over a lifetime's fascination with the subject. Like you, Ananda, I'm drawn to it from the inside. I'm a devotee of Kali, but I'm extremely attracted by two of her manifestations: Smashan Tara and Chandalini, who in turn is an aspect of Matangi, one of the Mahavidyas. A Chandalini is a female cremation worker (the Doms are the caste that work in the cremation grounds), so she's the Goddess as outcaste, as untouchable, who deals with defilement and the end of life, but who also, as an aspect of Matangi, rules over speech and the creative powers. Matangi has been called the Tantric Saraswati, as has Tara, in her aspect as Nila Saraswati, who is virtually indistinguishable from Matangi... It's complicated! Some uselful links, if anyone's interested:
http://www.shaktisadhana.org/Newhom...aatangi.html
http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/New...matangi.html
http://www.geocities.com/rigvedsamhita/matangi.htm
Meanwhile I've simply always (as long as I can remember, probably since I was 5 or 6) been attracted by skulls, cremation grounds (specifically: not graveyards particularly or anything Gothic. I loathe horror movies!) and the sadhu lifestyle, but as I'm well and truly a householder right now my experiments will have to be limited to the back garden. I will definitely, faithfully report anything that happens, or doesn't happen, most likely having to sign a Fedex slip while stark naked and smeared with bonfire ash :-0...
I'm trying to find something inside me, though, and as a Tantrika I'm following my instinct that these forms and symbols are some sort of key. And if they turn out to be more scenery, well...
Love! |
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miguel
Spain
1197 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2009 : 1:21:36 PM
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Thanks ananda,for you kind words.
Light and love. |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 12:45:42 AM
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thk you for the links grihastha and i appreciate your opinions, honestly speaking all this talk about aghories and siddhars like usual makes me dream of one of them.
the talk yesterday and the mixture of samyama practice on the whole body b4 sleep last night (smthg i do every once and then) made me dream of an aghorie which i saw near a river and was supposedly my master than he entered a cave and told me to wait outside.
after that when i was coming to look inside the cave (from the outside) i heard a powerful sound saying to me you are HELUK than suddenly i started chanting HA HA HA HELUK repeatedly and instead of a sound from the cave i started to hear strong powerful heartbeats and after that i pulled back and there was a slide into another dream .
no need to go to India, got all the aghor i want on my pillow
love,
Ananda |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 07:08:45 AM
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Great dream, Ananda... If the guru is in you, then maybe India is too!
Love! |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 08:24:48 AM
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(India is in me, I think - especially as I cooked saag gosht and dal last night!)
Love! |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 2:03:39 PM
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hi grihastha, it remains just a dream but it seems that i have done some heavy heart opening with samyama yesterday b4 sleep.
the universe is in you\macrocosm inside the microcosm\as above so below.
namaste,
Ananda |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 3:47:40 PM
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Hi Ananda,
Actually this is really strange, relating to your dream: this morning I checked my emails and what should I find but a message from a Tantric master and Aghori in India whom I've been trying to contact for months... He does live in the Himalayas (but not in a cave, as far as I know!).
Very odd - and it only just sunk in.
Love,
Grihastha |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2009 : 6:55:26 PM
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dear grihastha, say hello from my behalf next time you interact with that Aghori.
peace |
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India's saddhu: Life of an 
