On Shaktipat or Kundalini Initiation

Theres a wave of ideas going around these days that originate primarily from the neo or pop-tantra schools
of tantra yoga. The teachers from these newly invented schools have made an array of false and sometimes
self-serving allegations concerning Kundalini activation, known in traditional tantra yoga as; Shaktipat (lit.
descent of grace) or Diva Diksha (lit. di = giving, ksha = destroying) or initiation via kundalini awakening. To
give you a few examples of the inaccuracy, if not completely false assertions and assumptions some of these
so-called tantra teachers have made, Ill provide you with a few quotes some of these people have made: One
self-proclaimed guru and neo-tantra teacher wrote the following, No one can activate another persons
Kundalini. She also goes on to say, and this is one of her principal teachings, Ipaslu suggests that Kundalini
awakening requires that Shiva come back down to meet with Shakti at the root chakra. And this quote again
from the same book and author I found very interesting, When you are ready the energy performs its own
initiation. Rather than expecting a master to do it for you, do your practices and earn the initiation. Another
blurb from a different self-proclaimed tantra master that I saw on the internet that reads more like an
advertisement for some cheap product in the classifieds went something like this, Umma Tantras, new
improved Kundalini activating technique, guaranteed success within 48 hours.
In contrast to these ideas Id like to comment briefly on where I stand concerning the phenomena of
Kundalini awakening but first Ill begin with a few more quotes. However Ill start by referencing Indian
pundits (scholars) as well as well-regarded tantric Gurus whove studied and researched Shaktipat and
Kundalini awakening most of their lives. Lakshman Jee, the infamous scholar on Kashmir Shavism once said
after being asked by a student, Is it possible for me to awaken my own Kundalini? His reply was, It would
be no more possible to awaken your own Kundalini than it is possible to be born without a mother and a
father. Just as you need parents to be born into the physical world, you need a Guru to be born into the
spiritual realm. When Swami Muktananda was asked a similar question by a reporter he answered, You
dont need to ask me that question; all you need to do is look in the ancient tantric scriptures for yourself.
The answer to this has been known for thousands of years, the Shiva Sutras said it all in one simple phrase,
Gururupaya or the Guru is the means (Shiva Sutras II.6). Swami Shivananda once said words to the same
effect while discussing Shaktipat, Kundalini initiation, and the human condition, You have separated
yourself from the true guru, yet he has never abandoned you. He is your true Self; your ego is the impostor.
This impostor is not capable of achieving anything of any true spiritual significance. Therefore any genuine
spiritual progress requires the Sat Guru from beginning to end or from your initial awakening or Shaktipat,
to your ultimate awakening or enlightenment. Yogi Bhajan the founder of Kundalini Yoga in many of his
writings and public lectures has said, It is not only very difficult to awaken your own Kundalini, self-
awakening is also very dangerous. It would be like trying to fly an airplane without any flight training
beforehand. Swami Tejomayananda, one of Swami Muktanandas teachers once said during my first teachers
training course in India, Enlightenment or the completion of ones sadhana (moving from the Agana or sixth
chakra to the Sahasrara) is not possible without the command of a Siddha Guru. My own remark on these
matters is perhaps a bit simple but Ive been known to in answer to similar questions about this subject, If
you want to get the job done properly, then you should use the right tool. If you want to cross a river you find
yourself a boat, you dont try to drive your car across In other words you do what has been proven to work
you, dont just make the rules that suite you as you go along. Another way of putting it would be, if you want
to learn a foreign language Id suggest you find a teacher who speaks that language first. So as Muktananda
said in the Shiva Sutras it clearly states, the Guru is the means, and it doesnt say, your ego is the means. So
to sum this all up, Ill quote what my Kula Tantra teacher used to say quite often in relation to following the
path of higher consciousness, rather than the ego, If you want to send a treasure of great value from one
place to another, you dont hire a thief! Therefore, to the do-it-yourself crowd of neo-tantra teachers I ask,
Why depend on the ego to perform a task that its first, incapable of performing? And second, even if
something of spiritual significance is achieved, given the first chance your ego will surely try to steal or take
all the credit for that anyway and then youre all the way back to square one.
Before I continue on, let me be absolutely clear with you, concerning one thing. Im not interested in making
anyone seem right or wrong because I fully realize even if, opposite my own beliefs, other peoples ideas can
still be of great value to me. Putting another person down only to prop oneself up is truly a shameful display
of arrogance. No one really wins in such a scenario so this is truly not my intention here. For example if a
young monk wins a debate on an esoteric subject, with one of his peers and his ego becomes inflated as a
result of his victory, then in truth on a more meaningful level he has actually lost! I personally have
discovered two things the hard way, and that is; theres a right & wrong kind of winning and a right &wrong
kind of losing and that genuine spirituality is often more about losing and surrendering your ego than
winning; surrendering your cleverness, surrendering your need to be right, surrendering your pride and
ultimately losing the need to satisfy your ego. I can surely thank my Guru for help in this department but
thats another story at perhaps another time.
So hopefully in using the ideas of other tantra instructors in contrast to my own Ill create a clearer
distinction for you in what otherwise has become an area of great confusion for many students of tantra yoga
especially since its appearance in the West. My intention here regardless of how critical I may sound at times
is principally to make tantra yoga novices aware that everything they have been told by what may seem to be
reputable teachers and Gurus is not always as true as they may sound.
Before we progress any further Id like to familiarize you with some fundamental knowledge thats
exemplified best in the monastic tantrism of Kashmir Shavism. These ideas are of great significance in
tantra as you will no doubt discover in your future studies and that they form the cornerstone of all the
tantras especially within the Hindu, ShivaShakti tradition.
In an ancient tantric text, known as the Shiva Sutras, its no mistake that the very first statement given is the
aphorism, Chaitanya Atma which basically means, the Self is consciousness. These words are important
because at the very foundation of traditional tantra yoga is the fundamental idea of a varied universe
emerging from a singular force, and this force emerges from, exists in and returns to consciousness. In other
words there is nothing that is not consciousness. So at least for those of us whove recently studied monistic
tantrism, this is all very interesting because if you fast-forward eleven hundred years from the time of the
Shiva Sutras and we investigate in the light of scientific thought today the concepts recently given by
quantum and astrophysicists, such as the unified field and the so-called the big bang theories, youd most
likely conclude that singularity or monism, is not as new an idea as it may seem. For example, over the last
few decades the popular scientist Carl Sagan has written and lectured of using his words - the primordial
gas clouds, and the ensuing metamorphosis that transpired as they formed themselves into trillions of stars,
galaxies and eventually, and what he called the stuff of the universe. He also goes on to say, You, me and
everything we know of in the universe today, are no more than the diversified rearrangements of atoms and
molecules originating from the early masses of hydrogen over fourteen billion years ago. And from that in
turn came from a singular primeval sound from which all of the known cosmos has emerged. If Sagan had
ever encountered Kashmir Shavism in his lifetime Im sure he would have been very fascinated, because
approximately 500 years before he or his contemporary cosmologists were born, Kashmir Shavism was using
slightly different language yet fundamentally saying the exact same thing. Shavism however, took it one step
further and said the stuff of the universe and the Source from which it all came, can be distilled down to one
thing and that phenomenon is pure Consciousness or if you like, the mind of God. Most scientists today will
tell you our universe is primarily an infinite quantity of atoms circled by protons and neutrons filled with an
even greater degree of infinite space and interestingly enough early Kashmir Shavism would for the most
part agree completely with that. However contrary to scientific thought, in the case of monistic tantrism, God
was never removed from the equation and therefore we tantricas know and accept that this field of
consciousness of which everything and no thing appears to exist, is not just random events appearing by
accident on the screen of the universe but in fact of Divine origins.
Therefore its more or less agreed, whether coming from scientific sources or monistic tantrism, that the stuff
of the universe, whether viewed as whirling atoms, protons and neutrons in infinite space or divine
consciousness that it is ultimately all one. So you could ask, If everything is but one consciousness how do
one account for all this apparent time & space and within that diversity and separation? This brings us to
another important idea originating from Kashmir Shavism which is; just as God is perceived in many
different ways and recognized by many different names such as; Source, Atman, Allah, Sadashiva, Yahweh,
Jehovah, Chiti etc. everything in the universe emptiness included is all but one and the same pure
consciousness. However from a less refined level of observation consciousness can appear to contain within it
many different divisions. According to Shavism the four main divisions are - starting from most refined to
greatest density - as follows:
1 Paramashiva: This is said to be a masculine aspect of God or Shiva in His purest form. Paramashiva is the
Source of all that is, void of delusion or ignorance, density and motion. He is fully conscious, formless and
said to be static or in a totally non-active a state. Another more concise description could be; emptiness and
pure awareness combined together as One. Paramashiva is the source of all forms that repeatedly appear,
sustain themselves and finally disappear within the field of infinite, eternal consciousness even though He
Himself remains in a motionless state of non-duality as clouds passing through the sky. Hindu scriptures also
describe Atman or Paramashiva as; Sat Chit Ananda or uncorrupted purest being, consciousness and bliss.
2 Chiti or Chitshakti: This is also a pure form of consciousness in that She is completely aware of her union
with the Absolute. However Chiti is the dynamic aspect of God so said to be the pure consciousness combined
with form and activity. You could say She recognizes herself in everything and nothing. It is said without
Chiti no manifest universe is possible. Therefore Shiva needs Shakti in order to manifest and sustain time,
space, cosmos etc. yet in the highest reality theyre both one in the same.
3 Maya: This is the realm of ego or impure consciousness, the realm of reality that most individuals called
pashus or bound souls exist. This place is by and large the world in which we humans presently live. Here
there still survive the perfect qualities of Shiva and Shakti such as omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience,
etc. but only in limited form. A pashu who is bound by the limitations of Maya is also one with Shiva/Shakti
however he/she has forgotten this over the course of many life-times and therefore said to be lost in
ignorance (as to ignore ones true Self). At this level of existence from a higher perspective a human appears
to be little more than an action-response machine. Attempting to transcend ego by means of the ego is
considered by some to be totally impossible. To quote Swami Lakshman Jee, Maya will only give you the
strength of coming down and not the ability of rising up again. This is the reality of the state of Maya. It binds
you. This is where Shaktipat of Kundalini awakening comes in. This initiation is said to transmit the
dynamic, fully conscious aspect of God Chiti to the sleeping or dormant Kundalini so that the awakening
process may begin. This is followed by Self recognition and ultimately enlightenment.
4 Jada: This consciousness is inert or the lowest level of awareness. It is also one with the absolute however
it does not even have limited self awareness. It can be likened to the consciousness of a stone unaware of its
own existence. However it is said that even we experience this level of awareness when we enter into deep
sleep. Though similar in nature to Nirvikalpa samadhi (the deep, thought free state of meditation) it is vastly
different in that it totally lacks awareness.
Ill return now to the first set of quotations. Starting with, Rather than expecting a master to do it for you, do
your practices and earn the initiation yourself Ill attempt to do a brief analysis. So lets first have a look at
who this you is, that supposedly earns his or her initiation. Clearly its someone practicing Tantra in the
hopes of achieving via their efforts Shaktipat or Kundalini awakening. First of all let me say the Sanskrit word
Shaktipat literally means descent of grace. This means that the signal from which the Kundalini responds
by awakening and ascending is from some other place beyond ego and beyond the illusion of Maya. In other
words anything done from a state of ego consciousness, whether good or bad, is basically ineffective when it
comes to arousing the ego. This is so, simply because the Kundalini does not respond to ego - except for
perhaps in a negative way - it only awakens in response from the call or signal it receives from a much higher
source. This Source is called Chiti or Chitshakti and as I mentioned previously is pure active consciousness.
Because a genuine Sat-Guru who may or may not occupy a physical body - is the source and at one with
the Chiti energy and therefore the will of God, this should be the focus, not on anything your own efforts may
or may not achieve. Therefore it goes without saying, if a seeker wants their kundalini awakened then it
would certainly be wise to align themselves with the will of God, Chiti and Guru rather than with their own
egotistical motivations and desires. What Im saying here is simple but vastly important; Shaktipat occurs
more as a result of a right attitude and the right actions of an aspirant rather than anything he or she may
hopefully achieve from the limited state of ego awareness. The right attitude I should add, is a state of
surrender to Source, the Guru, higher Self or whatever you prefer to call it, rather than accumulating a long
list of accomplishments that may impress yourself and others but not necessarily the one that counts. Its also
worth mentioning, if youre so proud that you cannot accept the grace of a master - who incidentally does not
come from a level of superiority but true compassion then you already have many major problems that
could keep you wondering in the ignorance of Maya for longer than you can imagine.
Another quote from the same author is, Ipaslu suggests that Kundalini awakening requires that Shiva come
back down to meet with Shakti at the root chakra. First of all I question if this tantra teacher has ever
experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi? Its a relatively common state at least among experienced yoga
practitioners thats basically a thought free state of meditation. As anyone whose experienced this would
know ones mind becomes free of all thought and emerges into the absolute stillness of pure
emptiness/consciousness and therefore simply put theres no mental activity what-so-ever, except of course
that which is necessary to keep you alive. To experience this level we empty ourselves into tranquillity, it does
not come to us from above or below. In fact it never comes to us or goes anywhere; we simply get ourselves
out of the way enough so that it can be recognized. At this level of awareness whether you want to call it
inactive, static pure being or Paramashiva in this realm theres absolutely nowhere to go and nothing to do,
here, theres only pure all-pervasive, Universal Consciousness or Shiva. So to even imagine Shiva being
required to come down to meet with Shakti is an absurd notion or at best at its best some neo-tantra
spiritual fantasy. What actually does descend down the Sushumna to the base chakra to awaken the
Kundalini is Chitshakti the fully conscious dynamic aspect of God. Note that I said the dynamic not static
aspect of God. The static aspect of God does not move as it remains at total peace within its own being. Some
experience the dynamic Chitshakti in many different ways; a bolt of lightning, pure blue or white light,
piercing energy, waves of bliss etc. and its true that Chiti will descend to awaken Kundalini but never
Paramashiva as Shiva is everywhere and nowhere and in such a state, going from one place to another does
not happen.
As for the statement No one can activate another persons Kundalini It all depends on the context in which
this is written, as it is true that a normal person cannot awaken another persons Kundalini, however if
someone is capable of channelling Chitshakti or the force responsible for awakening Kundalini then its not
only possible but very likely that the recipients Kundalini will awaken, thats of course assuming that such an
individual is ready. Kundalini will not awaken for example if for whatever reason an awakening would cause
then physical or mental harm. However the previously mentioned tantra teacher is suggesting that even a
Tantric Master such as Swami Muktananda - not to mention the thousands of masters before him - did not
and would not have the ability to give Shaktipat and awaken anothers Kundalini. To me this statement is
completely ridiculous as I and many others personally witnessed Muktananda continually awaken thousands
of peoples Kundalinis for well over a period of 15 years. To make such an outrageous statement especially as a
qualified tantra teacher you really have to have your head deeply buried in the sand, clouds or whatever.
Of course theres always the possibility that a self-nominated Tantra instructor whos never received
ordination or qualification from any Guru may perform a Shaktipat ritual, and in such cases the statement
quoted previ0ously one person cannot awaken anothers Kundalini, would be true. In these scenarios
however, the self-proclaimed Shaktipat Guru is only putting on a performance that ultimately has no results
what-so-ever. This at best just turns out to be a case of simple deception, however theres a possibility of
greater harm that can not only come to the recipients attending the ritual but to the person pretending to give
initiation as well. In such instances unfortunately any false guru can further his or her own cause by claiming
to be able to give Shaktipat initiation, however in the long run this sort of scam is not only harmful to the
individual giving Shaktipat and the people they deceive, but the whole of tantra as well. In several cases that
Im aware of, there were novices earnestly seeking to learn Tantra and yet they were fed all sorts of
misinformation by instructors who cared more about success and their own public-image, than they did their
students. As a result many of those who were unfortunate enough to study tantra under them came away
feeling mislead, exploited and abused. This could have all been circumvented of course if the students had
been more discerning but also if the instructor(s) had taken the time and had the patience do proper sadhana
(spiritual practice) in the first place. In that scenario however theres always the chance that the disciple will
not meet the masters approval and many wanna-be spiritual teachers are afraid to take that risk.
So to be clear with you, YES a qualified person can awaken another persons Kundalini. I know, as Ive had it
done to me and have also personally awakened others Shakti myself hundreds of times. However I should
add, the me that I mentioned as having awakened Kundalini is not synonymous with my ego. As a separate
individual I cannot and do not personally awaken anothers Shakti. With the use of mantra and other
methods given to me by my Guru I enter an ego-free, thought-free trance, which allows a powerful energy
(Chiti) to pass through me and into the recipient. If theyre ready the Kundalini will fully awaken. If the
recipient is partly ready then theres usually a period of arousal followed by a lull and eventually if nothing
further is perused by the student the Kundalini may slip back into dormancy. If the person is not ready at all
the energy they receive will be similar to having a healing but the Kundalini will not be activated.
In cases where Kundalini does awaken on its own and/or outside the traditional Shaktipat initiation ritual,
its usually inauthentic or very rare. I should also mention that an independent awakening, for example with
the self-awakening previously mentioned, can also be quite dangerous as its outside the care of an
experienced tantric lineage. Usually in these situations you end up entirely on your own, with no qualified
teachers to offer advice concerning the possible hazards and pit-falls that you may encounter. This was in fact
one of the main motivations for the creation of these spiritual lineages/traditions and mystery schools in the
first place. Here the students are safe to evolve and learn, rather than be exploited like the more recent pop-
tantra schools have been renowned to do.
As for the new improved kundalini awakening technique Im not even sure this advertisement elicits a
response but I will make at least one comment; as I mentioned previously, no ones Kundalini can awaken if
it is not ready to awaken regardless of how many new improved techniques they try. Also I may add, if your
Kundalini is ready to awaken theres very little you can do to stop it from happening. Kundalini Shakti
doesnt need outside gimmicks to awaken, it needs sincere students whore ready to commit to a lifetime of
spiritual practice. Keep in mind the Kundalini force is not controlled by human minds or your willpower.
Believe me it knows far more about what its doing than you do!
The quotes and cases in point Ive chosen to exemplify here in this text were only taken as random examples
of the many misconceptions that exist around Shaktipat, Kundalini and tantra yoga in general these days.
This will hopefully encourage anyone studying these subjects to take a more dispassionate and
discriminating approach as they progress and also a warning not to accept everything you are told as the
absolute truth including my own opinions without thorough discernment and scrutiny. Ultimately its up to
you to choose what to believe and what not to believe. All I can do ultimately is encourage you to seek with
not only your mind but heart and soul as well. If this is done youll surely avoid many problems and obstacles
along your path that could otherwise have been prevented.
Namaste,
Bud Barber