To Climb or Not to Climb?
Before proceeding further, let’s review some of the major points we have covered thus far. At the very outset of our excursion, we were confronted with a startling analogy sent down to us by the ancient pioneers who blazed all the trails which lead to Self- realization. These sages advised us that, compared to what each of us could be if we were to realize all our hidden potential, even the wealthiest, happiest and most powerful people among us are no better off than miserable beggars who spend each day scrounging for crumbs, never suspecting that right beneath the spot where they sleep each night lies a buried treasure of inconceivable proportions.
   This hidden treasure-trove, we learned, is in the form of an inexhaustible wellspring of supreme bliss, peace, love, wisdom and power, and it’s buried right inside us at the very core of our being. Yogic scientists call this core the Self, and they tell us that this inner Self is the “real us,” our essential nature, from which we have become alienated due to the influence of certain natural forces that make us tend to direct our awareness away from the Self instead of toward it. Because of this tendency to look outside rather than within, we have developed a habit of trying to find such things as happiness and contentment in the outer world, when in fact the real source of everything we seek in life lies only in the inner world. This single factor, Yoga maintains, is the underlying cause of all pain and suffering
An earlier web page illustrated the yogic contention that only way we can ever regain access to our inner Self and all its treasures is by making deliberate effort to overcome our tragic tendency to seek fulfillment through external things, and learn instead to look within. We discovered that the main technique which must he employed in this cultivation of sell-awareness is known as “meditation,” which simply means the turning of awareness inward. Thus, spiritual meditation leads us to Self-realization, the elimination of all pain and suffering from our life forever, and the enjoyment of permanent, boundless happiness.
   We then examined the various general techniques which spiritual science recommends—techniques which have been proved through exhaustive research to be of great value in making our meditation practice as effective and efficient as possible. We saw that yogic techniques are based on practicality, and we became familiar with the primary aspects of meditation practice, including body posture, mind control, and a supportive environment.
   Next, we took a brief look at yogic philosophy and saw how modern scientific findings are substantiating many ancient assertions concerning the true nature of Creation. We found that modem physicists agree with the venerable Vedantic philosophers who accurately proclaimed the material world to be illusory; and we also saw how current scientific research is well on its way to corroborating Kashmir Shaivism’s description of the entire cosmos as a single, living, intelligent being—an indivisible universal Self which is identified in that tradition as Paramashiva.
   Finally, we turned our attention to the role of human beings in the cosmic scheme of things, first examining the ancient contention that no Creation is even possible without a subjective as well as an objective side—that is, without a perceiver as well as a perceivable cosmos. We studied yogic science’s discovery that each human being is a complex instrument through which a subjective purusha or soul perceives objective Creation; we saw that when, because of ignorance, a purusha identifies with the human instrument through which it perceives, it becomes limited and bound; and we also saw that when it realizes its essential nature, which is pure and divine consciousness, it is said to be ‘Self-realized” and immediately becomes unlimited, completely liberated.
   We found that, according to yogic science, each human being is a complex, multi-dimensional entity, about which the following important assertions could be made:

1. Each individual Self is qualitatively identical to the cosmic Self

2.  Each human being is a miniature model of the universe, a microcosmic version of the entire Creation, just as each tiny sequoia   seed contains an entire giant redwood tree.

3.  Just as modern science has found that every material object in Creation contains tremendous locked-up nuclear energy, yogic science has found that there is an enormous reservoir of dormant psychic energy, called Kundalini, locked up within each human body, and when activated this energy can elevate any one of us to superhuman status through an organic process of psychic transformation known as Self-realization.
 
4.  A Self-realized individual is one who is firmly established in total union with the cosmic Self, a human embodiment of Shiva.

   The final pages of the preceding section outlined the entire process of human psychic transformation in some detail, tracing its route through the chakras and sketching in the effects we might expect to observe as it unfolds within us. At this point, then, we should now be familiar enough with the general geography of Self-realization to at least decide whether or not the rewards which await us at the top of the mountain seem valuable enough to merit the climb. If much of what has been covered so far makes sense to us, chances are we will now be eager to press on and endeavor to discover the very best route to take for our ascent toward spiritual enlightenment.
   Since this particular presentation is designed to focus primarily upon the path of Siddha Yoga, our scope does not permit a detailed exposition of every valid spiritual science and its relative merits; our purpose here is simply to expound the merits of Siddha Yoga, and hopefully to do so without seeming to imply that any oilier valid path is inferior. Many valid paths are presently in use by serious aspirants, and though they are all equally effective in that each one leads to the exact same goal, they all approach this goal by different routes; thus, each of these paths will appear to he superior in the eyes of those seekers who find its route most compatible with their particular tastes and talents. The important thing is not that each of us who aspires to Self-realization achieves it by practicing the same spiritual science, but that each of us finds the path which is most appropriate for us.

 

Dead-End Paths
   As we have already seen earlier, a spiritual science can be considered valid and complete only if it provides a comprehensive system of practical techniques guaranteed to properly prepare an aspirant, then safely activate and direct the entire process of Self- realization until the state of Enlightenment is attained—not just partially or temporarily, but completely and permanently. According to the yogic sages, no spiritual science can lead us to perfect Self-realization unless it includes the awakening of Kundalini and permanent reunion with Shiva. Of course, in traditions other than yogic ones this energy may be referred to in other terms, and in some valid sciences it is not overtly mentioned at all; in any case, it may be taken for granted that the dormant Shakti becomes active during the course of every complete science, and if Kundalini awakening is not expressly stated as a goal on such a path, it may be assumed to be an automatic effect of the prescribed techniques. But regardless of the terminology employed by any science, we should easily be able to determine whether or not it includes the unfolding of the inner Shakti simply by researching the type of Liberation it produces.
   For example, on some paths it is possible to achieve partial Self-realization without the activation of Kundalini, but any discipline which does not proceed beyond this point cannot be considered a complete spiritual science; it is a “dead-end path” which stops short of the highest pinnacle of Enlightenment.
   Consider the classic example of the somber ascetic who has little regard for worldly life, humanity, his own body, and perhaps even God Himself. Through prolonged and intense practice of willful sell discipline, austerities and detachment from the world, this type of spiritual practitioner can forcibly subjugate his mind, along with all worldly desires, so that the veil produced by mental functioning is removed and universal truth stands revealed. But unless his Kundalini becomes fully activated at some point, he will become stuck somewhere short of the ultimate goal; thus, the state lie identifies as “liberation” will be subject to severe restrictions.
   Even though some lower states of Samadhi may be attained while the Kundalini still lies asleep in the muladhara chakra, such a meditator can never experience any of the physical or psychic blessings which an awakened Shakti bestows—blessings such as automatic body purification and strengthening through spontaneous yogic kriyas, firsthand perception of all the realms in Creation, the boundless bliss that wells up as she awakens and unfolds, and the awesome psychic powers (siddhis) which attend her activation of the subtle-body chakras.
   In an incomplete science which does not include Kundalini awakening, the practitioner’s liberation is restricted only to periods of formal meditation, during which he completely loses all awareness. Such a state is known in Yoga as jada (inert) Samadhi. Since it takes a fully active Kundalini to transform our entire being, burn up all our karmas, make us into super humans, fill us with permanent bliss and reveal the essence of our being to be divine, adepts in a deficient science enjoy none of these benefits; instead, when they come out of their “jada swoons” they are still bound just like the rest of us—subject to the same pain, suffering and limitation. They do, of course, have one advantage over us in that they can periodically escape to jada Samadhi, but they cannot bring that carefree state back with them when they return from meditation to the mundane workaday world.
   In every complete spiritual science, both the inner Self and the universal Self are eventually perceived to constitute a single divine entity, and a perfected practitioner experiences a kind of natural Samadhi all the time, maintaining a continual awareness of union with the source of all Creation, whether awake or asleep, during transcendental states and throughout all the activities of worldly life as well.

Kundalini Paths
   In order to clearly delineate the relative merits of Siddha Yoga, let’s first compare it to just the specific group of spiritual sciences which share with it the explicit goal of awakening Kundalini. Anyone willing to expend some time surveying this particular class of Kundalini-oriented disciplines would quickly discover that in almost every one of them we as new aspirants would be required to invest a great amount of personal effort in preliminary practices designed to make us fit to command the Shakti’s awesome power safely and judiciously.
   Toward this end, apprentices on such paths are usually expected to spend many years in the diligent performance of rigorous exercises aimed at bringing body, mind and senses under complete, willful control. Such preparatory practices generally include physical exercise, mental focusing techniques, and the practice of self-denial and austerities, as well as strict moral and ethical observances which demand the virtual elimination of such behavioral characteristics as violence, falsehood, covetousness, sexuality, impatience, ambivalence, anger, envy, sloth, etc., and the cultivation of such qualities as compassion, simplicity, dietary moderation, cleanliness, contentment, studiousness, faith, devotion, charity, modesty, humility, dedication and self-sacrifice. Such strengthening, purifying and character-building practices are considered essential preliminaries to involvement in any science in which practitioners awaken and direct the unfolding of Kundalini through the willful expenditure of their own self-effort, for unless such aspirants have first acquired both the strength to house the Shakti’s boundless power and the ability to wield it righteously,    neither they nor humanity at large could ever hope to benefit her awakening in them.
   During this preliminary preparation period, because it generally requires prolonged observance of self-discipline, self-control and self denial, aspirants often find the outside world to be distracting and, like athletes in training, must choose to withdraw from worldly life for extended periods of time until the requisite skills have been mastered. The more an ardent aspirant is willing to sacrifice worldly enjoyments in order to intensify this process, the less time will be required to complete the apprenticeship phase. Then, once the main body of the science is entered into, each practitioner is usually required to put forth extensive additional self effort in order to force the awakening of Kundalini and direct it’s unfolding. Since activation and unfolding of the dormant Shakti is reliant mainly upon an individual’s willpower, there is always a certain amount of risk involved in the pursuance of most Kundalini paths, for without proper guidance or flawless personal discrimination, aspirants may inadvertently activate more of the Shakti’s infinite power than they are currently capable of handling.
   Among all spiritual sciences in which the awakening of Kundalini is an overt goal, however, Siddha Yoga is the only one which requires no preparatory practices and no personal effort for the activation of Kundalini; moreover, its practice presents no danger whatsoever to its practitioners.
   In our last section, mention was made of a type of science in which the dormant Shakti could be awakened very gradually and in such a way that she herself would then go about performing all the necessary strengthening, purifying and character-building renovations for us automatically. Awakening the Kundalini in just this way is the specialty of a Siddha Guru, a Yoga master with the unique ability to activate anyone’s reservoir of psychic energy simply through contact with his own fully active Shakti. In this science, our Kundalini does not become active only after years of self-effort, but instead is ignited immediately, at the very outset of our practice; and this ignition is not a result of any personal effort at all on our part—it’s strictly a gift from the Siddha Guru, who has the ability to awaken a seekers dormant Shakti at will, and to do so in such a way that the intensity of its activation is perfectly suited to the capacity of each individual.
   To illustrate how Kundalini-awakening on other paths compares to the way it occurs in Siddha Yoga, the following analogy is the one most often used: If we think of the sleeping Shakti as an unlit candle—since both represent dormant energy—we can then say that on other paths this candle is activated in some way similar to rubbing two sticks together, while in Siddha Yoga it’s ignited simply by bringing it into contact with another candle which is already lighted.
   In the preceding section, the section on yogic kriyas explained how this awakened energy works as “The Fire of Yoga” to burn up all our impurities, causing spontaneous activity during meditation in the form of physical, mental and emotional kriyas, and also automatic changes of behavior in our daily life as our character weaknesses are gradually removed. Since there is no need for arduous practices in Siddha Yoga, the outside world need never be considered a distraction on this path, for the activated inner Shakti will continue her work of transforming us even as we go about our normal daily activities of social, family and professional life.
   Under the expert guidance of the Siddha Guru, our own inner Shakti—which is nothing but the dynamic aspect of our own inner Self—determines both the speed and potency with which she unfolds and operates inside us, always working at the precise pace and in the manner most appropriate to our unique needs and capacities. Thus, throughout the entire process of spiritual unfolding in Siddha Yoga, there is never any danger whatsoever to the practitioner, for our inner transformation is not directed by some external will, nor are we left completely to our own fallible intellectual devices; rather, the entire process is supervised by our own inner portion of the cosmic Self, and since this is the same intelligent force which created the entire universe, it can certainly be trusted to see that our relatively modest needs are met with absolute safety and precision.

 Self-Effort, Ego-Surrender and Grace
   Having first examined Siddha Yoga in the light of other Kundalini oriented paths, let’s now broaden our scope and consider how this Yoga relates to the entire field of spiritual science. For the purposes of this examination, we will divide all valid spiritual sciences into two main categories according to the primary means relied upon for the attainment of Self-realization. In the first type, which we will call “self-effort paths,” the individual’s will assumes most of the responsibility for instigating and sustaining the process of spiritual unfolding; while in the second type, which will be designated ego-surrender paths,” this responsibility is mostly deferred to a higher authority—the cosmic will.
   As mentioned a few pages back, in Siddha Yoga both the awakening of Kundalini and its subsequent ascension to the sahasrara are accomplished through the latter means, for on this path, after ignition has been effected by the Siddha Guru’s will, all we need do is defer responsibility for the ensuing process to the inner Shakti’s supreme will, which is the will of our very own Self.
   Though the Kundalini-Shakti is supremely intelligent, she is also supremely indifferent as to whether we choose a path which brings her power under our own direction, or one which permits her to guide herself to a reunion with Shiva in the sahasrara. Should we choose to rule over her, then naturally the responsibility for unfolding her properly is also ours but if we choose instead to let her take command, then she will gladly accept full responsibility for leading us to the final goal with ease and safety.
   Today’s seeker will readily accept the practicality of approaching any goal through personal effort, for our modern society has been founded upon the belief that no material achievement is out of reach for anyone willing to strive hard enough for it. But when it comes to the concept of surrender, many of us turn our noses up, for we too-often equate the word with negative connotations such as self-abasement, submissiveness, groveling, disgrace and shame. In the realm of spirituality, however, surrender means something else entirely.
   In an earlier page we saw that our limited self is a product of our ego, the part of us which considers itself to be separate from the rest of Creation. In spiritual science, the term “surrender” refers to ego-surrender; it denotes the voluntary giving-up of this self- limiting instrument which constantly says, “1 am this, but I am not that,” and identifying instead with that part of us which says, “I am everything, and everything is my Self.” Most of us have been educated to think of our ego as the most valuable aspect of our inner being, thanks to the theories of analytical psychology; but spiritual science looks upon the human ego with quite different eyes. Modem psychoanalysis views the ego as an instrument to be strengthened during therapy, and considers the loss of ego to be a pathological condition; in fact, the language of this modern mind- science will permit the loss of ego to be discussed only in terms of illness, because psychoanalysts feel that ego-loss can never be a beneficial occurrence. Spiritual scientists, however, while agreeing that the involuntary disintegration of ego may indeed be pathological, insist that there is an alternative situation in which the willful surrender of ego can have immensely positive results.
   According to the yogic scriptures, the following formulas accurately portray the function of ego in our being:

God + ego = man
man - ego = God

   To quote the poet-saint Eknath Maharaj: “Eliminate your ego and whatever remains is God.” Spiritual surrender, then, means the giving up of our own smallness by surrendering our limited I-awareness or ego to our divine Self, or God. In this type of surrender we do not give up freedom, we give up oppression. Through ego-surrender we become free of what is preventing us from possessing the entire universe. The ancient yogic texts also say this: “As long as you have ego, you will exist in just a tiny corner of the cosmos, but when you become free of ego the entire cosmos will be found to exist in just a tiny corner of your being.
   As explained earlier, this trading-in of our miniscule ego in return for one of cosmic proportions does not mean that we in any way lose our awareness of personal identity; it simply means that our I-awareness becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes all-inclusive. Once we have grown to encompass the whole of manifest Creation, who knows what evolutionary vistas, may then become opened to us?
   Now that we have hopefully eliminated any wrong understanding concerning the true nature of spiritual surrender, we almost immediately find our self confronted with an even more formidable concept which figures prominently in virtually every spiritual science:

Divine Grace
   Any dictionary will tell us that Grace is divine assistance given us for the purpose of regeneration or sanctification. Though this definition my at first sound too suspiciously religious to figure prominently in any science, it is not at all inconsistent with the model of Creation presented us by yogic philosophy. According to this ancient system of knowledge, the dynamic, Shakti aspect of Shiva continually performs five basic actions: (1) She creates, bringing objects into manifest existence; (2) she sustains, causing such objects to remain manifest for a time; (3) she destroys, returning objects to their potential state once more; then (4) through her power of concealment, she hides the essential divinity of all her creations by willfully assuming limitations and obscuring the fact that she herself becomes the very objects which she makes manifest; and (5) through her power of Grace-bestowal, she casts off her assumed limitations and reveals her true nature to those purushas which attain sufficient worthiness.
   If this power of Grace-bestowal were not among the basic functions of universal consciousness, we would never he able to realize our divine essential nature, no matter how hard we might try. If we recall the story of The Secret Key we will remember that it was only out of compassion that Ishwara chose to hide the key to the Self in a place where we could eventually find it. If such a key did not exist, what hope would we ever have of finding it?
   The important question to consider here is, “Who or what is it that determines the exact moment we become worthy of Grace; and who or what decides precisely how much Grace we are worthy of receiving?” Many modem students of spiritual science are fond of casting this process in purely mechanical, impersonal terms, describing Grace as a natural force which manifests impartially in direct proportion to each individual’s capacity to contain it. They feel that Grace, therefore, is always available to each of us in full measure; the more receptive we are to it the more we receive; and our receptivity can be increased through the willful performance of the practices prescribed by spiritual science.
   Religious metaphor, on the other hand, portrays Grace- bestowal as an act of divine compassion dispensed by a cosmic overseer who judges the quality of our every deed and rewards us according to His desire to do so and not out of obligation.  Viewed in this light, then, Grace is not the automatic fruit of certain efforts we put forth; it is not something the cosmic Self is bound to dole out to us in return for specific services rendered, for God is totally free to give or not give as He pleases; He is not obliged to deliver His favors automatically upon demand by us mere mortals. He bestows His grace upon us only when He is pleased with our efforts and thinks us worthy; then and only then will He permit us to experience His presence inside us and throughout the world.
   Which view is the correct one? According to Yoga, both are correct in their own way: Divine grace is an all-pervasive force which can indeed be invoked by any of us through certain practices, but exactly when our efforts will earn us Grace, and to what degree it will then manifest in us, are determinations which are not within our power to make—at least, that is, they are not controlled by that part of us which we identify with the pronoun “I.”
Yogic texts state that generally we become worthy of receiving Grace when our good karmas (actions which arc in harmony with our true nature) roughly balance out our bad karmas (past actions not in tune with our essential nature). Since our limited self is quite obviously not equipped to discern when this occurs, such determinations must be left to some aspect of higher consciousness, and whether we choose to call this judicial power God, supreme Shakti, the inner Self or some comparable appellative is just semantics.
   Viewed in this context, Self-realization becomes impossible without divine grace, which therefore must be considered an essential aspect of every valid spiritual path, though some disciplines use terminology which is more scientific and less religious. With this understanding it can now be stated that no matter what means a spiritual path employs, its ultimate purpose is to invoke the cosmic power whose function it is to reveal essential Truth. This cosmic power, which Yoga calls kripa, or Grace, causes the Self to become revealed by activating the dormant Kundalini inside us.
   Siddha Yoga is sometimes referred to as the Yoga of Guru’s Grace because in it the divine grace which awakens our inner Shakti comes to us through a Siddha Guru. Although it may appear that the Guru dispenses this Grace indiscriminately, while on other paths each aspirant must earn it through self-effort, this must not really be the case, for it would be contrary to natural law; therefore, we may assume that even the Grace received “spontaneously” in Siddha Yoga must still be a reward for meritorious actions performed previously—perhaps in past lifetimes.
We can now see that all valid spiritual sciences share the exact same ultimate goals: (I) the activation and complete unfolding of Kundalini, (2) the invocation of divine grace, and (3) the attainment of perfect Self-realization. Since such paths differ only in the means which they employ to reach these common goals, the best way to shed more light upon the special character of Siddha Yoga is by next comparing it to other spiritual sciences in terms of their methodology.

Self-Effort Versus Ego-Surrender
   Truly speaking, all spiritual sciences utilize both self-effort and ego-surrender to invoke the cosmic power of Grace-bestowal, but each path prescribes these ingredients in varying proportions, placing more emphasis upon one approach or the other. In the main, the following differences will be observable between those sciences which favor self-effort and those which attach more importance to ego-surrender:
   1. As discussed in the preceding section, paths which rely mainly upon self-effort must prepare all aspirants with extreme care, which means that novices are generally required to practice an extensive system of exercises and moral observances before the process of inner transformation can be initiated in earnest. Paths favoring ego-surrender, however, seldom demand such preliminary austerities.
   2. Spiritual sciences which emphasize self-effort usually prescribe elaborate systems of difficult techniques which must be mastered, while those which emphasize ego-surrender require far fewer, more simple practices.
   3. On self-effort paths, every aspirant must proceed step by step through a precise series of stages, each of which must be mastered through specific techniques before the next higher level can be attempted. This set sequence must be gone through in the proper order by all aspirants, regardless of their initial aptitude. Therefore, even the most adept initiates must be prepared to devote a certain length of time (usually three years, minimum) to attaining the highest goal on such a path.
   On paths of ego-surrender, however, there is no mandatory progression of levels, and so it is possible, in theory at least, to attain the final goal instantly: at any time, from the moment one’s practice is initiated, it is possible to leap to the very top of the mountain without having to conquer every cliff along the way.
   At first glance such a prospect may sound fantastic, but we must remember that Self-realization does not really involve attaining something that we don’t already have, for the Self is fully manifest inside us at this very moment. All we really need do to become Self-realized, then, is to rid our self of all the false, obscuring notions which are keeping us from perceiving our true nature, and this does not require the acquisition of arty new skill, hut the simple letting go of all those concepts which are obstructing our perception of the Truth. Acquiring new skills may take time, but letting go of old ideas can be accomplished in art instant. Hence, the primary practice on such paths is learning to surrender our present identifications which are based upon self-limitation and replacing them with ones which remove this self-imposed handicap.
   In following such a basically technique less path, progress depends primarily upon constant refinement of our attitudes and understanding, making them reflect true reality more and more, and “false reality” or illusion less and less.
   4. The final general comparison which can be drawn is in the area of possible regression during practice. In self-effort- oriented sciences, prolonged striving is generally required, and this must be sustained without fail, especially after the basic levels of Self-realization have been attained, for until the very ultimate state is reached on such paths, there is always a possibility that its aspirants’ determination or discrimination may suddenly fail, thus causing them to become stuck or even sending them tumbling backward down the mountainside.
   On surrender paths, however, no personal effort need be directed specifically toward the attainment of Self-realization:
rather, it occurs naturally as an automatic effect of our inner Shakti’s merger with Shiva. Since it is the very nature of an awakened Kundalini to seek reunion with her cosmic mate, on paths which rely upon her will there is never any danger that once she is activated she will ever decide to stop short of her ultimate goal, veer erratically off course, or return to the muladhara chakra and go back to sleep.

   The question may naturally arise at this point as to why any one would choose to tread a path emphasizing self-effort when the same results can be achieved by favoring ego-surrender, without austerity or risk. The fact is that many people, simply by their very nature, cannot relate effectively to the concept of ego-surrender. Moreover, many seekers actually thrive upon self-effort and find the rigid demands of such disciplines to be both challenging and exciting.
   However, it must also be noted that because of prevailing attitudes these days, many of us have been raised to look upon all avenues of intense self-effort as being somehow more noble than alternative routes, precisely because they are more taxing and risky; hence, people who are not really cut out for such approaches are often attracted to them, with disappointing results. To avoid such a possibility, it may be wise to remind ourself here that ego-surrender is not a passive approach, nor is it in any way less noble than that of self-effort. Though each demands a different type of courage, both demand the same amount.
   On self-effort-oriented paths we must bravely keep our nose to the grindstone and expend a lot of blood, sweat and tears in order to reach the goal, while paths favoring surrender require us, at some point, to completely let go of our present identity—everything we think we are—in order to discover who we really are, and this too takes enormous bravery. Ego-surrender involves an extremely courageous gesture which has a parallel in modern psychoanalysis called sacrificium intellectus; it is a condition which obliges us to completely abandon our self to the ongoing process, as to the current of a rushing river, without knowing where it will take us, without having a clear chart of the course ahead, without the solace of sure knowledge beforehand about exactly what we will eventually attain in return for giving up everything we now possess.

          A Path of Integration
   Originally there existed only one, all-inclusive spiritual science, a single pathway leading seekers to the pinnacle of Self-realization, over the course of time, the masters of this primal science have deliberately isolated, one by one, its various aspects, expanding each into a valid spiritual path in its own right.
   Of the many branch sciences which have evolved in this way to date, most have been expressly devised to suit the unusual needs of seekers living in a specific culture at a particular point in history. Such trails, having been blazed with a unique historical situation in mind, can usually be recognized because of their relatively short lifespan; they are well-traveled for a time, but then they become anachronistic and eventually slip into obscurity.
   In addition to these, however, there are a few offshoot sciences whose purpose is to provide a more timeless utility, and these generally tend to retain their popularity throughout the ages. Such paths are those which seem to have been tailor-made for certain types of individuals—namely, those who exhibit unusually intense inclinations toward such pursuits as intellectual reasoning, emotional expression, or physical activity.
To typify this more enduring group of spiritual sciences, let’s look at the Yogas of India, the country generally considered to be the homeland of the original mother science from which the others have sprung. Currently there are scores of Indian Yoga systems being taught throughout the world, and they all profess uniqueness in some way, but upon examination most of these diverse paths can be categorized among just seven basic approaches to Self-realization. These elemental schools of Indian Yoga are often distinguished by the following titles: Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga. Mantra Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Karma Yoga.
   Where, we may now wonder, does Siddha Yoga fit into this picture? If these seven paths are seen as specialized branches stemming from a single, all-inclusive mother science, then the most accurate way to view Siddha Yoga would be to identify it with that original integrated science from which the others have been derived. The masters of the Siddha Path teach that their science does not stand apart from other Yogas, but rather encompasses them all. In effect, Siddha Yoga represents a return to the very foundation of spiritual science, an integration of all specialized approaches into a path of balance, harmony and universality.
   This claim of all-inclusiveness is substantiated by the demonstrable fact that in Siddha Yoga, during the unfolding and ascension of our Kundalini-Shakti, any of the effects which are the specialties of other Yogas can manifest within us automatically. To illustrate this, let’s briefly survey the seven special sciences and see how the particular benefits and techniques of each can occur spontaneously during the practice of Siddha Yoga.
   Although for simplicity’s sake we are limiting our survey to schools of Yoga which are indigenous to India, it may still be said with reasonable safety that all spiritual sciences throughout the world have been fashioned through some blending of these seven basic approaches to Self-realization. Of course, it’s important for us to remember that the distinctions to be drawn here are by no means black and white. Just as a biologist cannot dissect and analyze a living organism without killing it in the process, we cannot hope to dissect Yoga into constituent parts without sacrificing much of its vital essence.
   Spiritual science is an organic process; it is not inert and rigid dogma. All Yoga masters—even those of the same path—presents their teachings in a unique way, varying their guidance in accordance with factors far beyond the scope of ordinary comprehension. Thus, it is impossible to precisely categorize the characteristics of any spiritual path. Still, there is some value in our attempting to dissect, analyze and categorize such subjects in some logical manner, for this device permits us to encapsulate voluminous material within a few brief pages, even though the oversimplification required distorts a bit and robs our topic of some vitality. This text then, must be perused with somewhat the same attitude we have when we look at a caged eagle: realizing that the creature has been confined for our convenience, we must not forget how much more magnificent it is when it exists unfettered in the wild.
   Our survey now begins with a quick rundown of those basic approaches which emphasize self-effort over ego-surrender. Once again, the reader is urged to bear in mind that (1) every valid path requires both self-effort and ego-surrender in various proportions, and (2) a spiritual science which employs one of these seven basic approaches as its primary focus will usually utilize supplementary elements from some of the other approaches as well.

 

 Basic Paths which Emphasize Self-Effort

   1. Raja Yoga - The Science of Willful Mind-Control. Back in Pail Two we saw how stabilization of the mind permits us to experience the Self. In Raja Yoga, the mind is forcibly restrained by act of will, a precise and delicate process implemented by difficult mental exercises which were equated earlier with “trying not to think of a monkey.” The primary technique employed on this path is a type of meditation which, because of its highly sensitive nature, must be practiced completely without distractions; therefore, aspirants must first engage in an often extensive phase of preliminary practices aimed at purifying and stabilizing the body, senses and emotions.
   Raja yoga meditation is primarily the practice and mastery of intense mental-focusing exercises which increase in subtlety by sages, the gradual result being a systematic elimination of all random mental activity. In time, the diligent practitioner learns to harness the power of the mind and focus it upon a single point, just as the normally dissipated power of the sun can be intensified by focusing its rays through a magnifying glass. After prolonged performance of forceful concentration and mental-purification practices, the practitioner’s Kundalini-Shakti is gradually drawn out of its dormant state and put to work as mantis-Shakti (mind power), which then can be willfully directed in any way the seeker chooses, thereby gaining access to a vast range of psychic powers (siddhis), plus all the transcendental states of Samadhi, including the supreme state of perfect Enlightenment, called Kaivalya in this tradition.
   This path relies mainly upon self-effort for its attainments, with ego-surrender employed in a subsidiary capacity until the final stages of Enlightenment, when it then becomes an essential implement in the practitioner’s ascension to Kaivalya. Thus, the type of seeker most likely to find this path appealing would be one who is very strong-willed, rational, dispassionate, introverted, and oriented toward psychology.
Raja Yoga is said to be encompassed by Siddha Yoga in the sense that once the dormant Shakti has been awakened by the Siddha Guru, it can cause the spontaneous occurrence of the full range of Raja Yoga benefits, including the control of body, mind, senses and emotions, plus the attainment of siddhis, all the levels of Samadhi and, of course, the ultimate state of Kaivalya.

   2. Hatha Yoga - The Science of Physical Culture. In a previous section we made a detailed examination of the human structure, discovering that each of us is a complex system of four different bodies, of which two—the physical and the astral or subtle body— operate in extremely intimate relationship. Anything which affects the physical body produces a corresponding effect upon the subtle body, and vice-versa. Since our subtle body contains all our life- force, or prana, and since this prana is the power which normally operates the mind and all our other psychic functions as well, it is therefore possible, through repeated specific manipulations of the physical body, to influence the subtle-body prana in such a way that it in turn causes the mind to become stabilized and the dormant Kundalini to become active.
   Toward these ends, the Hatha Yogi employs a wide range of rigorous physical techniques (called asanas, mudras and bandhas), coupled with strenuous breathing exercises (pranayama), and topped off in the later stages with Raja-Yoga-like meditation practices.
   This path appeals most to physical culturists with strong, healthy bodies and a natural inclination toward intense self—discipline and physical exertion.
   Aside from the ultimate rewards common to all other valid paths, Hatha Yoga techniques thoroughly strengthen and purify both the physical and subtle bodies, resulting in such additional boons as rejuvenation, longevity, perfect health, inordinate strength, extraordinary endurance, uncommon dexterity, and complete willful control over all bodily functions and processes.
During Siddha Yoga meditation, many Hatha Yoga practices often occur spontaneously as the awakened Kundalini manipulates the subtle-body prana, which in turn affects the physical body, causing physical kriyas in the form of the involuntary performance of even the most difficult and advanced Hatha Yoga techniques. In this way, without having to deliberately practice the austere Hatha Yoga exercises, Siddha Yoga practitioners may experience some of the same physical benefits automatically.

3. Laya Yoga -The Science of Inner Nada. The word laya means “absorption.” On this path, the goal is for the mind to become absorbed into its source (the Self) through willful concentration upon subtle inner sounds, called nada, which arise from the heart chakra during meditation. In its initial stages, this science employs techniques similar to those of Hatha Yoga, though not as intense, to cleanse and stabilize the body, mind, senses and emotions so that the inner nada may be perceived and concentrated upon without distraction. As the mind becomes captivated by these sounds they become more and more subtle, luring the mind to ever deeper levels of awareness until the very source of one’s being is reached. At this point, the limited self becomes absorbed in its true nature, and Self-realization is attained.
   Kundalini is awakened through special advanced techniques in the final stages of this Yoga, and as she activates the chakras all their wondrous contents become available for exploration. Thus, during Laya Yoga meditation, practitioners experience divine melodies, visions, tastes, fragrances and feelings, and are given access to all the different planes of objective reality, which they may tour to the hearts content. In this yoga, meditators perceive their supracausal body, the body of the inner Self, as a scintillating blue dot or pearl, which explodes upon final    Enlightenment as the individual's consciousness surrenders its limited form and becomes all pervasive. Because this path employs Hatha-like means to attain mystical experiences, aspirants who choose its approach are generally inclined toward physical exercise and have strong interest in occultism.
   One of the most important experiences in Siddha Yoga is considered to be the spontaneous appearance of the Blue Pearl during meditation. In addition, practitioners of this science may become gifted with any of the other Laya yoga experiences, depending upon the extent of their interest in such things and also in accordance with their needs as determined by the unfolding Shakti.

4. Mantra Yoga—The Science of Sound Vibrations. Since we are all made entirely of vibrating Consciousness, we are profoundly influenced by every other pattern of vibration which touches us. On the path of Mantra Yoga, practitioners strive to synchronize the vibrations of their own consciousness with those of higher (cosmic) consciousness by repeating, mentally and vocally, special syllables which contain innate transforming energy. Such syllables are called “spiritual mantras”; they are unique patterns of sound capable of producing dramatic evolutionary effects upon the repeater, provided their inherent energy has been activated, either through initiation by a Yoga master or through the aspirant’s intense self-effort. The primary demands of this practical science are patience and perseverance, for although a mantra is guaranteed to bestow specific rewards upon anyone who repeats it in the prescribed manner, the number of requisite repetitions usually runs into the millions.
   Because the use of mantra is so simple and surefire, mantras are employed in almost every spiritual science; but Mantra Yoga can also be practiced as a complete science in itself, in which case it involves many other subsidiary techniques, including preliminary practices similar to those of other self-effort paths, and also the extensive use of devotional rituals. All the benefits of this Yoga are derived from different types of mantras, each of which has the power to yield a particular boon such as Kundalini awakening, a specific siddhi, nadi purification, etc. all the way up to the supreme attainment of complete spiritual enlightenment.
   During Siddha Yoga meditation, practitioners often utter unfamiliar mantras out loud involuntarily, or they find themselves
spontaneously tuning in to strange and beautiful mantras being chanted by ethereal voices somewhere deep within their being. In addition to these automatic manifestations, mantra repetition (jappa) is also an essential practice performed deliberately in Siddha Yoga, therefore, this mysterious subject will be dealt with in greater detail later, at which time we will look into exactly how such a deceptively simple technique can be so effective in producing such a vast range of benefits.

Jnana Yoga—The Science of Intellectual Reasoning. In essence, this is a path cut specifically for seekers who are primarily thinkers—that is, those who possess a great amount of subtle reasoning power and who wish to attain divine knowledge by means of intellective processes. Of course, as with other self-effort systems which all rely heavily upon various combinations of mind-, will, character-, and body-strength, this path also requires aspirants to undergo an initial period of preparatory exercises before the specialized area of practice may begin.
   The stated goal of Jnana Yoga is to achieve and then maintain a continuous awareness of ultimate reality, and toward this end its aspirants are provided with a practical discipline which consists mainly of (1) the acquisition of indirect knowledge by first hearing universal truth explained by an adept master, and (2) attaining direct knowledge and experience of this Truth through meditation
practices which focus upon contemplation and analysis of, and eventually the direct perception of, the supreme cosmic principles under examination. Jnana Yogins experience Kundalini awakening us intellectual illumination, and her union with Shiva as the attainment of pure knowledge—meaning wisdom obtained through direct perception of Truth—as a result of their intense, willful refinement of their subtle intellect.
   In Siddha Yoga, one of the spontaneous windfalls which the awakened Shakti bestows is the automatic occurrence of intuitive flashes giving the meditator sudden and profound insights into the fundamental nature of reality.
 
Basic Paths which Emphasize Ego-Surrender
Because the whole of modern culture is founded upon the sanctity of logic and reason, most of us will find it easier to understand the effectiveness of the above approaches to Self-realization than we will those paths which are rooted more in mysticism. Even the word “mysticism” impresses most of us as meaning something ethereal and eerie, whereas it simply refers to the doctrine of belief which holds that direct knowledge and experience of ultimate reality is attainable instantaneously, through insight or intuition, in a way which differs markedly from the usual way we perceive or understand things.
   As mentioned earlier, on such a path the aspirant endeavors to go directly to the goal without having to master elaborate techniques or progress step by step through a series of increasingly higher states of awareness. Mystical paths prescribe ego-surrender as the primary means of establishing direct communion with the cosmic Self, and to this approach they add just a few basic techniques, such as jappa and meditation, as the only essential willful practices. Jappa and meditation help purify the aspirant’s mind and focus it in the direction of the Self, and surrender does the rest.
   This approach may at first sound simplistic when compared to the intricate and precise sequence of steps laid out by every science of self-effort, but the fact is that among all the many aspirants who attain Self-realization primarily through personal effort, one common experience stands out in the light of our present discussion:
Once practitioners of a self-effort approach finally reach the ultimate goal, they are often struck with the startling revelation that none of the arduous practices they performed in order to get there were really necessary.
   What is meant by this, of course, is that these beings have personally experienced what we have been seeing proclaimed throughout this web site: that there is really nothing to attain because the Self is already attained, its right inside us, on the other side of all the false notions we’ve been storing in our minds in order to give ourself the feeling of personal identity until we can discover who we really are. Seeing all this with perfect clarity at last, every realized being understands that all we really need do to attain the Self is to simply discard all those false notions; then the Self will stand revealed at once. Meanwhile, those of us who still stand on the dark side of our false notions continue to swear that many of them are valid, and because of this wrong understanding we choose lo cling to them throughout our quest for the Self, thereby setting our self up for all sorts of unnecessary ordeals.
   A few of us, however, possessing characters which are not so rigidly geared to logic, reason, and the preservation of our false self-image, soar straight to Liberation both naturally and easily by way of such surrender paths as Bhakti and Karma Yoga.

I. Bhakti Yoga—The Path of Divine Love. This approach to Self realization focuses upon surrender through selfless devotion to the cosmic Self, or God, and as such it is usually categorized in the area of religion rather than practical science. Still, spiritual seekers in whom devotional attitudes come naturally or are easily cultivated may indeed approach this path scientifically. To do so, aspirants must first feel a particular affinity for the cosmic Self in some form which can be visualized, be it a divine incarnation such as Krishna, Buddha, Christ, etc., or one of the many gods and goddesses which religions throughout the world revere as embodied aspects of the cosmic Self. Next, this divine embodiment is made the focus of intense devotion through such willful practices as prayer, chanting, offerings and sacrifices. Throughout each day, Bhakti practitioners strive to perceive everything in the world around them as manifestations oh their divine beloved; anything pleasant that is seen, felt, tasted, smelled or heard is immediately
acknowledged as the result of intimate contact between the devotee and the chosen deity in various guises. Mantras are repeated with the understanding that they are nothing less than the deity itself in the form of sound. Thus, when spiritual devotion becomes intense enough to invoke the cosmic power of Grace-bestowal, the Bhakti Yogin will automatically become gifted with spontaneous meditation, Kundalini awakening, and Self-realization. Because intense devotion has the power to make many of us forget ourselves completely, this path teaches devotionally inclined aspirants to become lost in divine love, thereby surrendering all their false ego-identifications. As soon as this occurs, Bhakti practitioners realize that the external deity they’ve been worshipping is none other than their own inner Self.
   In Siddha Yoga, experiences of divine love well up from within spontaneously, and often Siddha meditators burst into joyful tears or laughter, or find themselves involuntarily performing beautiful dance movements which are love-mudras characteristic of ecstatic Bhakti Yogins
 
2. Karma Yoga—The Path of Selfless Service. What the Bhakti Yogin accomplishes through devotional practices, the Karma Yogin gains through the performance of egoless actions. Acknowledging the fact that everything in Creation is a divine emanation of the cosmic Self, Karma Yogins realize that all actions also belong to that divine Self, and with this understanding they perform ceaseless work, usually for the benefit of others, and always with the attitude that they are not really the doer but are just an instrument of the divine will which is working through them. Working with meticulous efficiency and no concern whatsoever for the fruits of their labor, Karma Yogins become lost in selfless service until eventually they are graced with the realization that the Creation which they serve, as well as its Master, are both in reality their very own Self. On this path, too, aspirants with a natural inclination toward selfless service can deliberately set about to become Karma Yogins by willfully practicing self-sacrifice and meditation. When this Yoga becomes perfected in them, the ultimate spiritual attainments come automatically through Grace-bestowal, as on the Bhakti Path.
   In Siddha Yoga, as our awakened inner Shakti gifts us with increased understanding and experience of our true nature, an attitude of selfless service automatically begins to pervade our daily life. All our worldly activities—-our work, recreation, and pursuit of personal relationships—gradually begin to lose any taint of selfish desire and become instead pure acts of celebration performed with joyful recognition of one divine Self that resides in everyone and everything

   These, then, are the bases upon which it is stated that Siddha Yoga includes all other Yogas. Such an assertion, however, does not mean to imply that the goal of this science is in any way superior to that of any other valid path. The distinction being made here is simply this: while the paths outlined above feature specialized approaches to Self-realization, the Siddha Path represents a harmonious balance among all these basic approaches. Beyond this, each of us must make our own determination about which of these alternatives is best suited to our needs and capabilities.
   Meanwhile, having examined the general field of spiritual science and Siddha Yoga’s relationship to it, we may now begin to focus more sharply upon the precise terrain of the Siddha Path.

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Siddha Yoga 
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