THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE

a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.


TOP | RELIGION | HINDUISM

SIDDHA MAHAYOGA: FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS AND SELECTED REFERENCES

Archive-name: meditation-faq/siddha mahayoga
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1994/10/18
Version: 1.0

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Subject: SIDDHA MAHAYOGA:  FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS AND SELECTED REFERENCES

                          Version 1.0,  October 1994
        Copyright Kurt Keutzer, 1994 (keutzer@synopsys.com)

The author grants the right to copy and distribute this file, provided it
remains unmodified and original authorship and copyright is retained.The
author retains both the right and intention to modify and extend this
document.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:


  1. What is kundalini?
  2. What does kundalini have to do with spiritual enlightenment?
  3. Does everyone agree that kundalini awakening is necessary for
enlightenment?
  4. So how do I awaken kundalini?
  5. What is shaktipat?
  6. How does shaktipat work?
  7. Who can give shaktipat?
  8. Who can receive shaktipat?
  9. Are all shaktipat initiations the same?
 10. Can one receive shaktipat just by being in the presence of those with
awakened shakti?
 11. So what happens after shaktipat?
 12. What are kriyas?
 13. So how do kriyas purify my consciousness?
 14. Are these kriyas some sort of self-hypnosis or some sort New Age
phenomenon?
 15. Haven't a number of well-known teachers have criticized kriyas? They
say that kundalini is a force that needs control.
 16.  What is the philosophy of siddha mahayoga?
 17. What is the precise role of the guru in siddha mahayoga?
 18. I thought siddha mahayoga was only taught by the Siddha Yoga Dham of
America - didn't they trademark the name?
 19. What teachers give shaktipat initiation?
 20. Where can I learn more?

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

I remember with gratitude those teachers who by their mere intention,
glance, word or touch can accomplish what is otherwise obtained only with
great effort and difficulty.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

1. What is kundalini?

``Kundalini'' literally means coiling, like a snake.In the classical
literature of hatha yoga kundalini is described as a coiled serpent at the
base of the spine. The image of coiling, like a spring, conveys the sense
of untapped potential energy. Perhaps more meaningfully kundalini can be
described as a great reservoir of creative energy at the base of the spine.

From a psychological perspective kundalini can be thought of as a rich
source of psychic or libidinous energy in our unconsicous.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

2. What does kundalini have to do with spiritual enlightenment?

First we need a few concepts:  In yogic anatomy the sushumna is the central
channel and conduit for the kundalini energy that runs along our spine and
up to the 
crown of our head. Along this channel are placed additional channel
networks called cakras. These cakras are associated with major aspects of
our anatomy - for example our throat, heart, solar plexus, and in turn
these aspects of our anatomy are related to aspects of our human nature. 
For example we have many everyday associations with the heart that do not
make sense relative to our physical heart. We say: `` I don't have the
heart to tell him.'' ;``Take heart.'' ``She's so kind hearted.''  All of
these allude to some sort of 
subtle functioning associated with the heart area.

In many systems of spiritual practice enlightenment is precisely correlated
with the kundalini awakening from its slumber at the base of the spine
rising through the sushumna and ultimately reaching our crown. When the
kundalini is permanently fixed in the crown then enlightenment is achieved.


It's not useful to sit with our consciousness fixed in our head and think
of kundalini as a foreign force running up and down our spine. 
Unfortunately the serpent image may serve to accentuate this alien nature
of the image. It's more useful to think of kundalini energy as the very
foundation of our consciousness so when kundalini moves through the
sushumna and through our cakras our consciousness necessarily changes with
it. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

3. So does everyone agree that kundalini awakening is necessary for
enlightenment?

This view is held in the diverse literature of Kashmir Shaivism and in
other Hindu Tantric literature. It is found in the literature of the Hatha
Yogis and the Nath Sampradaya. You will find similar views in many 
Buddhist Tantric works. In addition this view is held by recent spiritual
figures such as Shri Ramakrishna, Swami Sivananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda
and Swami Vivekananda and of course by contemporary kundalini yogins
themselves.

Nevertheless there are some dissenters from this view. These include Sri
Chinmoy, Da Free John and Gurdjieff.  Then there are many other spiritual
practices, such as Zen, Vipassana meditation that consider kundalini
irrelevant.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

4. So how do I awaken kundalini?

Indirectly kundalini can be awakened by devotion, by selfless service,  or
by intellectual enquiry. 

Broadly speaking there are two radically different direct approaches to
awakening kundalini. One approach requires initiation by a guru and relies
upon a technique called 
shaktipat, or ``descent of shakti.''  This is the approach that will be
treated in this FAQ.  It is variously called: Siddha Yoga (Yoga of Adepts),
Mahayoga (Great Yoga) or  Sahaja Yoga (Spontaneous Yoga). The other
approach uses intentional yogic techniques . The styles using  intentional
techniques include Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga and Kriya Yoga (see Kundalini
Yogas FAQ - to be released).

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

5. What is shaktipat?

``Shakti'' is another word for kundalini and ``pat'' means to descend.
Shaktipat is a method by which an individual's kundalini is awakened by the
direct intervention of a guru. There are several varieties of shaktipat
depending on the facility of the guru and the receptiveness of the
disciple.  

There are a variety of mechanisms for conveying shaktipat. These include:
by glance, by word or mantra, by touch or simply by intention.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

6. How does shaktipat work? If kundalini awakening is so important how can
someone else do it for you? How could a guru overcome my karma?

There is a rich literature exploring this point but a couple analogies may
help more. Ordinarily it takes a long time to create a fire by rubbing
sticks together but if someone else already has a fire then that fire can
be used to ignite another fire. Similarly to make a magnet naturally may
require thousands of years but if one already has a magnet then a metal can
easily be magnetized using the magnet.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

7. Who can give shaktipat?

To continue the analogy, in theory ``anyone on fire'' can give shaktipat,
i.e. anyone who's kundalini is already awakened. The more relevant question
is: ``Who *should* give shaktipat?'' There are many opinions on this but at
the very least the conveyer of shaktipat should be aware of the movements
of shakti in his own body and in the body of the disciple. Giving shaktipat
is a science and it is helpful, if not essential, to be instructed in that
science. The classical works of Abhinavagupta and the living oral tradition
of contemporary masters, such as Swami Shivom Tirth, both indicate that
improperly practiced shaktipat initiation can be dangerous both two the
disciple to the guru and to the disciple. Using the analogy again, it is
easier to light a fire than to light it in such a way that it has a
carefully managed burning.

Therefore, it is desirable that the guru be empowered to give shaktipat by
his own guru and has been trained in an unbroken lineage back to a great
master who was fully aware of the science of shaktipat. In this way some
quality control is maintained. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

8. Who can receive shaktipat?

There are even more opinions on this. Some gurus take an attitude of:
``Initiate them all and let shakti sort them out.''  Traditionally teachers
were quite selective about who received shaktipat. Sometimes shaktipat was
only given to one or two disciples in a generation. Among gurus these days
you can see these two extremes of opinion and many other gradations in
between. What is clear that some people who have received shaktipat from
well-known gurus have apparently only manifested greater neuroses and
unhappiness in their lives as a result.  See the question regarding kriyas
below.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

9. Are all shaktipat initiations the same?

There are many ways of classifying shaktipat initiations but a method used
by Swami Vishu Tirth is very simple and clear. In *shaktopaya* initiations
the kundalini shakti of the disciple is awakened by the guru. In
*shambhavopaya* initiations the kundalini shakti of the disciple is
awakened and led up through the cakras brining a glimpse of the highest
realization.  Due to the current state of disciples, and contemporary
gurus, almost all initiations can be termed *shaktopaya* initiations.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

10. Can one receive shaktipat just by being in the presence of those with
awakened shakti?

There is no doubt that shakti is contagious. The mere presence of a single
being whose shakti is strongly active can awaken  the shakti of those
around him. Similarly being in the presence of many people whose shakti is
awakened to some degree can awaken one's shakti.  Strictly speaking this is
not the same as shaktipat initiation and 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

11. So what happens after shaktipat? What's the practice?

In Siddha Mahayoga once the kundalini is awakened it is considered that the
awakened kundalini, being itself an intelligent force, will direct the
practice.  All that is required is surrender to that force. Then
spontaneous purifying movements, called *kriyas*, typically occur. 

Even to reach the point of simply surrendering to shakti takes some
practice for people.  Some aids in cultivating surrender are chanting and
selfless service. These practices open the heart and make one more
susceptible to the influence of shakti.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

12. What are kriyas?

Kriyas, literally ``activities'', are spontaneous movements that occur
after  kundalini awakening. The include body activities such as trembling,
shaking and spontaneous yoga postures;  speech activities such as yelling,
or spontaneous chanting and mental  activities such as visions. These
kriyas eliminate the blocks to kundalini rising within the sushumna.  The
kundalini removes the blocks to its ascent through kriyas. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

13. How do kriyas purify one's consciousness?

Blocks, known as  *samskaras* or impressions, do not just obstruct
kundalini, but they  embody attachments, conceptions and other mental
afflictions that limit the freedom of our consciousness.  Left unattended
these attachments lead to actions which only reinforce the attachment. For
example if we have impressions of anger then we will manifest anger in our 
activities which only reinforce our impressions. As kundalini rises it will
purify the anger and as a result of the purification process the kriyas
will occur. Speaking of kundalini as an intelligent force which manifests
its intelligence in particular activities, such as spontaneous yoga
postures, to purify the blocks to its progress may sound a little mystical
but there is a less mystical way of understanding what that means.  

In our common language there are many colloquial phrases which allude to
the natural state of our body-mind as being ``straight'' or ``upright'' and
the unnatural state being ``kinky'' or ``entangled.'' We say positively:
``He's an upright individual.'' ``She's as straight as an arrow.'' We say
negagively: ``He's to kinky. He's all tangled up in himself.'' ``She's
tangled up in knots.'' There seems to be some subtle awareness of the value
of straightness. So it seems to be a good metaphor to view our mind-body
continuum as a garden hose and the kundalini as water running through it.
If you have a moderately tangled garden house a simple way of making it
straight is to increase the pressure of water through it. As you do so the
hose will naturally flip around to straighten itself.  To an observer it
might seem as though the hose itself were intelligent in the way it
straightens itself and in fact because the motion of the hose is governed
by physical laws it does reflect a deep intelligence. 

In the same way we don't need to think of the kundalini as an independent
autonoumous force cogitating as to what asana, pranayama or verbal activity
might purify a block inside us. It seems more useful to think of kundalini
as a natural intelligent force whose natural movement untangles the knots
which limit its expression.

The garden hose analogy makes another point clear as well. Imagine what
happens if the hose is very tangled. Turning up the water pressure may be a
very dramatic  and perhaps even counter-productive process. This seems to
be what is happening in a number of cases where individuals, after
receiving shaktipat,  may have severe mental breakdowns. Thus it does seem
to be important for individuals to have a certain level of stability and
preparation before receiving shaktipat initiation.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

14. Are these kriyas some sort of self-hypnosis or some sort New Age
phenomenon?

This yoga is at least 1000 years old and is documented in the Kularnava
Tantra and in the works of the great Tantric scholar Abhinvagupta and
particular forms of kriyas can be found there.  Some popular yogis and
scholars have doubted the authenticity of this path but none who have done
so show any familiarity with the classical literature of this tradition.
This approach has gone under many names such as siddha yoga, sahaja yoga,
mahayoga or siddha mahayoga. Similar phenomena to kriyas also occur among
some Qi Gong students.  Spontaneous trembling, shaking, verbal noises, and
body movements are common there as well.

Nevertheless gatherings of siddha mahayoga practicioners share many of the
same characteristics of any other group gathering.  Some people will try to
fit in by emulating the  behavior of those around them. There is no doubt
that some people may feel the need to affect kriyas and others will
accentuate kriyas that they have. This may not even be conscious behavior.
Gurus of this yoga must try to maintain a balance between interfering with
the activity of the kundalini as manifested in the kriyas and encouraging
the affectation of kriyas because kriyas are seen as ``progress.''
Ultimately the validity of any spiritual tradition rests in its ability to
transform the beings of its followers. The real value of siddha mahayoga is
in transforming the minds of those who practice it.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

15. Haven't a number of well-known teachers have criticized kriyas? They
say that kundalini is a force that needs control.

Some teachers do speak that way. For example the well known kundalini yoga
teacher, Yogi Bhajan, apparently called the process of experiencing kriyas
``jerk yoga.''   Tibetan practicioners of gTummo yoga, Indian practicioners
of Kriya Yoga and other noted ``authorities'' on the kundalini yoga process
have clearly emphasized to me the importance of carefully  controlling  the
kundalini process and not allowing the kundalini to act uncontrollably.
Their sincere words cast doubt on my practice for many years. 

So why do these teachers say these things? To be an adept of kundalini yoga
practices does not imply that you are omniscient. All the information that
people like Yogi Bhajan are really conveying is that in their experience in
their style of practicing kundalini yoga the kundalini is controlled. I do
not believe that they have special insight into other alternative ways of
approaching the practice of kundalini yoga. Some people have quite
frightening movements in meditation and without prior experience of kriyas
the natural reaction is that such a person will almost certainly become
physically or mentally unstable. Experienced masters of Siddha Mahayoga,
such as Swami Shivom Tirth, have seen it all before and their simple
counsel is: ``Do not resist kriyas in any way.''

For the individual who does surrender to the kriyas of kundalini  shakti
the perspective is radically different from the view espoused by teachers
such as Yogi Bhajan.  For the individual who spontaneously and effortlessly
performs  kriyas such as intricate pranayamas, asanas and bandhas during
their meditation the  intentional exercises of the Hatha yogin are a merely
a clumsy  mockery of the subtle activity of kundalini. In fact some claim
that the entire corpus of Hatha yoga, as well as many of the Qi Gong
exercises are simply imitations and classifications of the spontaneous
movements of the Siddha Mahayogin.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

16. What is the philosophy of Siddha Mahayoga?

Perhaps its best to say that contemporary forms of siddha mahayoga have a
core of underlying tenets but not a philosophy. These tenets include: the
central role of kundalini in the manifestion of the universe and the
evolution of the individual and the culmination of the evolution of the
individual in a state of complete unity. 

Different teachers have exposited Siddha Mahayoga in different ways. Swami
Muktananda drew on a wide variety of Indian literature but principally
relied upon the Shiva Sutras, the Spanda Karikas and other literature of
the Trika school of  Shaivism. Swami Shivom Tirth has also relied up on the
Shiva Sutras to define the different stages of evolution. Both Swami Shivom
Tirth and Swami Kriplavananda have used Patanjali's Yoga Sutras for their
elucidation of the states of samadhi. All of these teachers are quick to
note that the use of these scriptures does not imply that Siddha Mahayoga
is a form of Hinduism. Instead the emphasis is that each of us has the
force of kundalini within us and having awakened the kundalini our life and
religious practice will be enriched.

There are really only a few tenets of the practice of siddha mahayoga. The
first is that the process begins withshaktipat initiation by the guru. 
This initiation may begin with a formal request from the disciple and
culminate with a formal initiation ceremony or it may occur informally
through a impromptu manifestation of the guru's grace in intention, 
glance, word or touch. Through the initiation the kundalini shakti is
awakened and begins to move in the disciples body. The practice then
consists of deeply surrendering to the spontaneous manifestations of
kundalini shakti, as described above.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

17. What is the precise role of the guru in Siddha Mahayoga?

The role of the guru is laid out in the text the Shiva Sutras where it says
``gururupaya''; the guru is the means. Because it is the guru who awakens
your kundalini the guru is given great reverence in this tradition. The
awakening of kundalini that many people struggle, with effort and danger,
to accomplish in a lifetime a true guru can accomplish in a few seconds.
Nevertheless the role of a guru is to awaken the kundalini within you; then
the practice takes place between you and your kundalini. The guru is a
facilitator in the process of awakening kundalini not an ongoing
intermediary between the disciple and kundalini.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

18. I thought Siddha Yoga was only taught by the Siddha Yoga Dham of
America - didn't they trademark the name?

The Siddha Yoga Dham of America does hold a servicemark on the name of
Siddha Yoga but the Siddha Yoga tradition is an ancient tradition.

But I read in the newspaper *Hinduism Today* that some expert professor
said that Muktananda invented the name Siddha Yoga.

Prof. Muller-Ortega was only objecting to Hinduism Today's contention that
Siddha Yoga was a commonly used term.  The Professor notes that he could
not find the term in a variety of *western* reference materials. He does
not contend that the term ``siddha yoga'' was never used before in India. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

19. Who gives shaktipat initiation?

The shaktipat-centered techniques of siddha mahayoga are taught in a number
of ashrams and centers in India, the US and around the world. The following
is a list of known centers in the United States and each of these serves as
one of the principal seats of the teacher .  Although I am no expert or
authority on any of these teachers, where I have some first-hand
information I thought it would be useful to add it - it may be a bit
anecdotal for some tastes. If anyone finds any of the information below is
inacurrate please inform me and I will update it. Good luck!

Swami Shivom Tirth/Swami Shiv Mangal Tirth
Swami Shivom Tirth Ashram
1238 Rt. 97 Sparrowbush, NY
12780
Swami Shivom Tirth is the successor to Swami Vishnu Tirth who wrote the
well known reference  on siddha mahayoga entitled  _Devatma Shakti_. First
brought to the United States by the well known Qi Gon teacher Bruce Kumar
Frantzis Swami Shivom Tirth discretely visited the United States over the
last 20 years. Those who met him were introduced to him by other students
or were already his students in India. 
The majority of  Swami Shivom Tirth's students are Indians, either living
here or in India but there is a good percentage of westerners as well.
Swami Shivom Tirth is now going into retirement to meditate and write. He
will no longer give initiations. He has left a few ashrams in India and his
 named successor, Swami Shiv Mangal Tirth, runs a small ashram in Sparrow
Bush, NY where he gives shaktipat to qualified students. Both of these
Swamis are now in India and will not return until March 1995. The lineage
of these teachers, extending now into its sixth generation is perhaps the
longest lived of any of the contemporary teachers of siddha mahayoga. I
have had the good fortune to spend a few weeks with these teachers over the
last three years and have been personally impressed by the great spiritual
purity, the high level of integrity and great depth of practical  knowledge
of these teachers. Perhaps because of the relative maturity of their
lineage these teachers seem to have the fullest understanding of the path
of siddha mahayoga among contemporary teachers.

Anandi Ma
Dhyanyoga Center
P. O. Box 3194
Antioch, CA
94531
(510) 757-9361
Anandi Ma is the named successor to S'ri Dhyanyogi Madhusudhanandaji. S'ri
Dhyanyogi's precise lineage in unknown to me. He was initiated by a
mysterious yogi in Mt. Abu in Rajasthan state that some say was Swami
Omananda Tirtha. Anandi Ma lives in Antioch, CA with her husband who was
also a student of S'ri Dhyanyogi. Meeting S'ri Dhyanyogi at a very young 
age Anandi Ma passed very quickly into advanced states of samadhi. Anandi
Ma gives shaktipat initation in various locations around the Bay Area. 
Personally I only attended one of Anandi Ma's lectures but I have a few
friends who have known her for many years and vouch for her genuineness and
integrity.

Swami Chidvilasananda 
Siddha Yoga Dham of America
1107 Stanford Ave.
Oakland, CA 94608
(510) 655-8677
or
SYDA Foundation
371 Brickman Rd.
PO Box 600
South Fallsburg, NY 12770-0600
(914) 434-2000
Swami Muktananda is the man responsible for the great level of awareness of
siddha mahayoga that there is today. Muktananda tapped into a vast
storehouse of shakti to give shaktipat to dozens of people at a time.  In
1974 I sat crosslegged in a retreat house in Indiananpolis, Indiana with a
few new students and a number of disciples from around the world. As Swami
Muktananda walked by he stroked my forehead a few times. As he did a blue
light streamed down from my forehead and an energy was awakened within me
that immediately set my  body trembling. In this simple but direct way  my
kundalini was unmistakenly and irresistably awakened and I joined the
thousands of people who were thus introduced to siddha mahayoga. Because of
his nearly unrivalled ability to deeply and directly awaken other's
kundalini Swami Muktananda's world movement rapidly grew.  In particular
the Siddha Yoga Dham of America grew quickly around the United States with
major ashrams in South Fallsburg, New York and Oakland, California.

A young woman known as S'ri Yogini Malti Devi served as Swami Muktananda's
translator for many years and shortly before his death in October 1982
Swami Muktananda passed on his lineage to Yogini Malti Devi (who became a
renunciant under the name Swami Chidvilasananda) and her brother Swami
Nityananda (see below). Unfortunately much controversy hung over this
movement from Swami Muktananda's last days and a very critical article was
published in CoEvolution Quarterly in Winter 1983, one year after Swami
Muktananda's death. After Swami Muktananda was succeeded by Swami
Nityananda and Swami Chidvilasananda controversy continued and Swami
Nityananda admitted to conduct that was inappropriate for a Swami and
spiritual leader. On November 3, 1985 in a public ceremony Swami Nityananda
formally renounced his status as a renunciant and was removed from his
position within SYDA. Later in the press (The Illustrated Weekly of India,
March 16-22, 1986) Swami Nityananda  contended that his abdication was due
to his own concern that resistance to Swami Chidvilasananda's wishes might
cause further dissension and even bloodshed.  Be that as it may the brother
and sister now run independent groups. Swami Chidvilasananda runs the
prospering SYDA and Swami Nityananda runs a small center in Pine Bush, New
York. Personally I have never been able to reconcile the many problems and
controversies surrounding these teachers and SYDA with my own direct
experience of Swami Muktananda. All I know is that Swami Muktananda gave me
a great gift and I am grateful. I also know there are many others who feel
similarly and there are others who feel a great deal of animosity toward
SYDA.

Swami Nityananda 
Shanti Mandir
Pine Bush, NY
(914)-744-6462
I do not know at what time  Swami Nityananda began to teach again but he
now has a center in Pine Bush and he gives intensives around the country. 

Swami Cetanananda 
Nityananda Ashram
P. O. Box 13310
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 231-0383
Swami Rudrananda (born Albert Rudolph) was an American disciple of Swami
Nityananda who received sannyas diksa (initiation as a swami) from Swami
Muktananda. Swami Rudrananda later broke with Muktananda. Swami Cetananda
(born Michael Shoemaker) was the closest disciple of Rudrananda and ran his
ashram in Bloomington, Indiana. Swami Rudrananda died unexpectedly in an
airplane crash in late1973 and Michael Shoemaker began to pick up the
threads of Swami Rudrananda's various ashrams. Having decided to take
sannyas Michael Shoemaker received sannyas diksha from Swami Muktananda 
and was named Swami Cetanananda. Swami Cetanananda moved his prospering
ashram first from Bloomington, Indiana to Boston,  Massachusetts and most
recently to Portland, Oregon. I only was able to attend one lecture by
Swami Rudrananda but found him to be a man of immense power and after
visiting Swami Cetanananda on a few occassions I can personally attest to
the fact that Swami Cetanananda carries the same power and intensity. 
Swami Cetanananda has worked hard to express the practical down-to-earth
wisdom of his teacher within the vast theoretical framework of the
philosophy of Trika S'aivism. While possessed of great shakti,  my own
understanding of Swami Cetanananda teaching is that is not strictly one of
siddha mahayoga because some intention is employed in the use of certain
pranayama practices and kriyas are not so freely expressed. Nevertheless it
does employ shaktipat and is a close relative of siddha mahayoga. 

Yogi Amrit Desai
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
P. O. Box 793
Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-3280
Swami Kripalvananda was initiated by a mysterious yogi named Dadaji who
disappeared shortly after Swami Kripalvananda's shaktipat initiation. Swami
Kripalvananda went on to meditate 10 hours a day for over 30 years until
his death. He passed on the ability to convey shaktipat initiation to his
student Yogi Amrit Desai. Ironically it appears that Yogi Amrit Desai found
that conveying shaktipat to his students did not necessarily lead to a
graceful advance of their evolution and many negative qualities emerged.
Yogi Amrit Desai in his book Kripalu Yoga, Book I speaking of giving
shaktipat states:
``At first thsis seemed to be the answer to my intense desire to share my
blissful experience with others. For a while I closely observed all those
who expeienced prana awakening through contact with me, and who had many
ecstatic meditative experiences of spontaneous osutres and other
involuntary movements. However, those people consistently exposed to prana
shakti (energy) also experienced so much intense emotional catharsis and
physical purification  that it affected their ability to carry out their
normal daily responsibilities. They were often moody and irritable, and
also found that theiur sexual energy became overactive.  Therefore I
discontinued giving shaktipat, realizing that such prana awakening, which
in fact is an early stage of Kundalini awakening, was premature for them.''
 I do not know if he ever changed his position.

In my next revision I hope to include information on Swami Shambhavananda
and Swami Savitripriyananda. If anyone has information on other teachers of
siddha mahayoga I will be happy to receive it and add it. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
20. Where can I learn more?

Good introductory survey:

White, John (Editor)  (1990). Kundalini - Evolution and 
Enlightenment. New York: Paragon House.

Selected works by the teachers mentioned. These are available from the
respective centers. (I am aware that each of these teachers has published
numerous works):

Chetanananda, S. (1991). Dynamic Stillness. Cambridge, 
Massachusetts: Rudra Press.  

Desai, Yogi Amrit  (1990) Working Miracles of Love. Lenox, MA:
Kripalu Yoga Fellowship

Madhusudanasji, Dhyangyogi (1978). Light on Meditation. 

Muktananda, Swami (1989b). From the Finite to the Infinite 
(First ed.). Volumes I &II, South Fallsburg, NY: Siddha Yoga 
Dham of America Foundation.  

Tirtha,  Swami Vishnu  (1980b). Devatma Shakti (Fifth ed.). 
Rishikesh: Yoga Shri Peeth Trust.  

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races