Spiritual Coaching with Peter:

http://spiritualcoachingwithpeter.blogspot.com/

Spiritual Coaching in Sintra

Sintra is one of the most picturesque and magical places on this planet.

Walk and meditate in the forests, visit initiatic gardens and labyrinths, have a picnic on the cliffs looking over the Atlantic, savour the local foods and unique sweets, visit organic farms, or learn to surf, and each day receive an hour (or more) of coaching while soaking in the magic of Sintra.

Now is the time. What better place to unwind and to let yourSelf flower?

Coaching with Peter Littlejohn Cook

information:

Tel: +351 967 045 411

panmandala@gmail.com

Shibendu Lahiri in Portugal - April 2010

Shibendu Lahiri at Quinta dos Milagres, Lagos.

Shibendu Lahiri is giving a lecture tomorrow night (16th April 2010) in Lisbon at 9pm, and Kriya Yoga initiations over the weekend and then a retreat in Fátima.

You can also find information about this and his upcoming events (UK, Germany, India, USA, etc.) at:

www.kriyayogalahiri.com/htmluk/program.htm

He is a true Advaita master - a voice for the Infinite.

His teaching is not 'comforting', it is profoundly disarming and dissolves the 'I'-centred illusion of separation...

If you meet him or 'his' teaching, prepare to be 'blasted'.

Retiro na Quinta da Enxara - 'Pára.... observa o Silêncio...' - com Atmananda e Peter Littlejohn Cook

http://prematmananda.wordpress.com/retirosworkshops/

One and many... One as many... Many as One

Every 'soul'
is a point of consciousness
in the kaleidoscopic hall of mirrors
that is the 'self-reflexive' universe –

The One Being
Meditating
upon its Infinite Nature.

Every 'self' is a story, contemplated by Divine Mind...
'ego' is a concept that makes all this 'separate' experience possible
'Maya' is also supreme Creativity and Play... ('Leela')
Without out it there is only the Deepest Silence

Many 'paths'... one realisation?

It seems strange that different paths, each setting conditions which supposedly must be fulfilled in order for realisation to take place, could lead to the same 'place', the same realisation.

But that is exactly how it is. These 'paths' and the subsequent realisation that is described can be understood simply as different forms or manifestations of one phenomenon - the feeling of a separate 'self' - through one means or another - falls away, and a realisation is experienced that 'separateness' is an illusion.

Nothing is required to 'achieve' Liberation or to 'become' Liberated

It is the divided and divisive mind that makes an effort. The best it can do is place one higher on an imaginary ladder of 'steps to realisation' – but this is just self-delusion – just a way to go on restricting the definition of one's self – and it is precisely this – the definition – the delineation of one's self – that is ignorance (ignore-ance) of one's Liberated nature – one's Liberated Being.


Realisation of the Self – Realisation of the True Nature of the Self arises by all else falling away – including the search for, or striving for, the attainment of our true nature.
The one who seeks (for his 'Self') is engaged in a futile activity as long as there is any striving. The seeker does not become a Liberated being. The seeker dissolves like a dream upon awakening, and what remains is not 'a Liberated Being' – but 'Liberated Beingness'.

"All paths lead to unreality."
- Nisargadatta Maharaj

Kriya Yoga and Tantra

"Tantra consists of methods to expand consciousness to perceive trancendental states. Certain practices referred to as "kriyas" help initiate this expansion.
In literature, one will find the word kriya used in several different contexts. It is applied to yogic cleansing practices that maintain the health of the physical body as well as in reference to certain rituals, devotional attitude, and prayers. In the context of this on-going column, Tantric Kriya practices are techniques used to open up the chakras and purify the nadi system.
Direct experience of these aspects of esoteric physiology is not necessary to begin the practice of Tantric Kriya Yoga."

- Alan Verdegraal

'Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition' by Marshall Govindan - a review

A fascinating look at the path of Self-Realisation (Enlightenment) which also goes far beyond purely historical and philosophical discussion.

The Siddhas are known as such because they manifest the Divine powers (Siddhis) which naturally arise through spirtualisation and Union (Yoga) with the Source.
The author is uniquely qualified to write on this subject, being himself a devotee and disciple of Babaji, the legendary Himalayan yogi who was made famous by Paramahamsa Yogananda's best-selling book: 'Autobiography of a Yogi'.

Govindan studied for years with Yogi Ramaiah before receiving a call to introduce people to the path of Babaji's Kriya Yoga. His book makes a serious attempt at de-mystifying the story of Babaji, the origins of Babaji's Kriya techniques, and introduces the Siddha gurus that Babaji apparently encountered as a young man almost two thousand years ago.

The book traces the links between these Siddha-gurus and the group of Siddhas known as the eighteen Siddhas in Tamil Nadu (South India), linking these also with Lao-Tse and the Taoist sages of China, and taking the reader even further back, into prehistory through the legends of the Lemurian continent in the Pacific, its links with South India and Sri Lanka, and its forgotten civilisation whose spiritual practises are preserved and embodied by these powerful yogis known as the Siddhas.

The book is not written only for those who are practising yoga, it is of interest to anyone who wishes to have a deeper insight into the nature of existence, consciousness, and our potentially and naturally blissful ever-present awareness of Spirit through Love.

It is believed that Babaji himself resides in an almost inaccessible region of the Himalayas, however, the path of Babaji's Kriya yoga and the Tamil Siddhas as described in the book is not a path of spiritual escapism, or renunciation through remoteness. It is a universal path of love and service to humanity and transformation of all aspects of our lives through action with spiritual awareness (kriya).

The chapters on other Siddhas that have lived in recent times, such as Ramalinga Swamigal and Sri Aurobindo can help to bring the fantastic stories of miracles and God-Consciousness into focus and root us in the awareness that spirituality is not so much about gurus and the authority of religious dogmas, but is really about our own present experience lived in full awareness.

Despite the historical information on Babaji which was mostly received directly by Yogi Ramaiah and V.T. Neelakantan in the 1950s, there is often a resistance to de-mystifying the story of Babaji's origins. Much of this information is therefore not generally known or agreed upon within the various lineages of Kriya Yoga.
However, there is also something to be said for considering the 'real' Babaji as being simply the form that the Divine mystery takes when appearing as a human being, and as not being in any way limited to this history of a single human form, even though it is certainly an instructive and inspiring story that sheds light on some very powerful insights and practices known as the Tamil Siddha Yoga tradition.

Some consider Babaji to be Shiva or Murugan...

"'Babaji' is not a 'person'... He is a Spiritual phenomenon."

Shibendu Lahiri (great-grandson of Lahiri Mayasaya)

"A minha devoção é de uma espécie estranha.

Nesta, a água do Ganges não é necessária.

Nenhuns utensílios especiais são necessários.

Até as flores são redundantes.

Neste Puja todos os Deuses desapareceram

E o vazio surgiu com euforia."

Lahiri Mahasaya

KRIYA HATHA YOGA

sessões com Peter Littlejohn Cook

uma forma símples de promover a sua saúde

e descobrir a paz de espírito

A vida consiste no desabrochar da energia...
No entanto, os hábitos modernos nos levam normalmente a uma falta de movimento adequado para a nossa saúde tanto ao nível físico como ao nível emocional e mental/intelectual/criativo.

O Yoga nos dá uma oportunidade de restaurar um fluxo energético além do nível físico, actuando ao nível mental e emocional (e talvez até em níveis para quais nem sequer temos nomes), permitindo-nos viver com paz de espírito, apesar das necessidades e demandas do dia-a-dia.

Apesar da popularidade do Yoga o ter levado agora até aos ginásios, é útil lembrar que o Yoga não é só uma forma de ginástica.

As práticas do Kriya Hatha Yoga actuam holisticamente, manifestando resultados à vários níveis – aumentando a nossa mobilidade, estímulando o sistema endócrino (associado ao funcionamento dos ‘chakras’ ou ‘centros energéticos’), melhorando a circulação sanguínea e aumentando a nossa capacidade de absorção de oxigénio.

Além do nome ‘Yoga’ se referir às práticas, seu significado (‘união’/‘ligação’) também indica o efeito das mesmas – a dissolução das barreiras psico-energéticas e a união com a fonte da vida.

‘Yoga’ é ‘união’/‘ligação’

‘Hatha’ é a harmonização entre polaridades (‘Ha’ e ‘Tha’ significam ‘Sol’ e ‘Lua’, em sânscrito)

‘Kriya’ é ‘acção Inspirada’ ou ‘acção purificadora’

~

Ao longo dos anos Peter recebeu orientação em vários aspectos do Yoga (os oito 'ramos' do 'Ashtanga' original, que incluem a meditação) do Siddha Tantra e do Advaita Vedanta através de contacto com várias linhagens e vários 'mestres', incluindo o Paramahamsa Hariharananda e o Paramahamsa Prajnanananda em 1995, o Guru Dharam Singh em 1997, o Marshall Govindan ao longo dos anos desde 1998, a Amritanandamayi Ma (Amma) desde 2001 o Mantak Chia em 2003, o Dattatreya Siva Baba em 2002 e 2004 o Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath em 2006 e 2007, o Stephen Wolinsky (discípulo do Nisargadatta Maharaj) em 2008 e o Shibendu Lahiri em 2009.

Apesar de ter estudado com várias linhagens e recebido bênçãos para partilhar certas práticas (mudras, mantras, kriya hatha yoga, e kundalini shaktipat), a sua abordagem é essencialmente independente. Mais do que qualquer técnica, o que partilha é a Presença do Ser... a Consciência. Seu foco é a meditação - não como 'prática' mas como Vivência do Ser - algo que partilha através de 'concertos', 'satsangs', 'sessões de meditação' e 'sessões individuais de Coaching para Autoconhecimento Radical'.

Neste momento a única prática 'formal' que partilha através de aulas é o 'Kriya Hatha Yoga' e 'os 5 Tibetanos'.

~

Em breve haverá sessões de Yoga e Meditação na Casa Semente em Alvalade, e na Dançarte em Sintra.

Para mais informações por favor contactar Peter Littlejohn Cook pelo mail: panmandala@gmail.com ou pelo número de telemóvel: 967 045 411.

Inscrições podem ser feitas directamente através do Espaço Maaiana, a Dançarte ou contactando o Peter:

panmandala@gmail.com

Tm: 967 045 411

Kali Yuga... or not?

According to Sri Yukteswar, the Vedic astrologers have been basing their calculations on annotations made by misguided sanskrit scholars of the Kali Yuga and so have miscalculated the actual length of the Kali Yuga...

Which means that we may not be in the Kali Yuga anymore after all...
Which could mean it's time to wake up now... not in 426,891 years!

If we believe we're in the Kali Yuga we can look around us and interpret everything as being precisely because of this... and if we believe that we're in the Dwapara Yuga we can look around and interpret things as being precisely because of that.

What does that tell us about the nature of the mind?

Another opportunity to see the whole series

about Self-realisation and the non-dual (Advaita)

teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj.

First film at 18h30:

Second film at 21h:

Nisargadatta Maharaj and Ramana Maharshi are considered to be the two greatest representatives of Self-realisation and Advaita (non-dualist understanding).

Contribution: €3

Bring your dinner :o)

"Love is not selective, desire is selective. In love there are no strangers. When the centre of selfishness is no longer, all desires for pleasure and fear of pain cease; one is no longer interested in being happy; beyond happiness there is pure intensity, inexhaustible energy, the ecstasy of giving from a perennial source."

- Nisargadatta Maharaj

"The Heart is another name for the Reality, and it is neither inside nor outside the body. There can be no in and out for it, since It alone is."

- Ramana Maharshi

Tantra and Maithuna

Tantra has been popularly associated in the west with sexual practices, although this is an over-simplification, to say the least.

One aspect of Tantra is Maithuna (sexual union, in a ritual context). Tantra, in this context also refers to paired polarity.

The couple become for the time being divine: she is shakti and he is shakta (or Shiva). The scriptures warn that unless this spiritual transformation occurs the union is 'carnal' and 'sinful'.

(source: Wikipedia)

Matsyendranath

Matsyendranath (or Macchindranath), from the 9th-10th century, was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas, and is the patron deity of Nepal. He was guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga, one of the branches of Yogic practices. He is revered by both Hindus and Buddhists.

Matsyendranath is considered by many to be the founder of the Nath Sampradaya of sadhus. While the Naths had actually been known much earlier, from the time of Dattatreya, Macchinndranath did initiate a revival by combining the three viewpoints of Siddha, Tantra, and Nath philosophy.

Scholarship has tentatively associated Macchindranath with Luipa who is venerated as a Mahasiddha in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition.

(source: Wikipedia)

Nath Sampradaya

The Natha Sampradaya is a development of the earlier Siddha or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters. Its founding is traditionally ascribed as an ideal reflected by the life and spiritual attainments of the guru Dattatreya, who was considered by many to have been a human incarnation of Lord Shiva. The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, Matsyendranath (sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranath in some sources).

One story of the origin of the Nath teachings is that Matsyendranath was swallowed by a fish and while inside the fish overheard the teachings given by Shiva to his wife Parvati. According to legend, the reason behind Shiva imparting a teaching at the bottom of the ocean was in order to avoid being overheard by others. In the form of a fish, Matsyendranath exerted his hearing in the manner required to overhear and absorb the teachings of Shiva. After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Matsyendranath took initiation as a sannyasin from Siddha Carpati. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of the specific stream of yogis known as the Nath Sampradaya.

Matysendranath's two most important disciples were Caurangi and Gorakshanath. The latter came to eclipse his Master in importance in many of the branches and sub-sects of the Nath Sampradaya. Even today, Gorakshanath is considered by many to have been the most influential of the ancient Naths. He is also reputed to have written the first books dealing with Laya yoga and the raising of the kundalini-shakti.

There are several sites, ashrams and temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanatha. Many of them have been built at sites where he lived and engaged in meditation and other sadhanas. According to tradition, his samadhi shrine and gaddi (seat) reside at the Goraknath Temple in Gorakhpur. However, Baghavan Nityananda stated that the samadhi shrines (tombs) of both Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath reside at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari Temple about a kilometer from Ganeshpuri.

The Natha Sampradaya does not recognize caste barriers, and their teachings were adopted by outcasts and kings alike. The heterodox Nath tradition has many sub-sects, but all honor Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath as the founders of the tradition.

(source: Wikipedia)

Tantra - Western concepts and 'pop tantra'

The first Western scholar to take the study of Tantra seriously was Sir John Woodroffe (1865–1936), who wrote about Tantra under the pen name Arthur Avalon. He is generally held as the "founding father of Tantric studies." Unlike previous Western scholars, Woodroffe was an apologist for Tantra, defending Tantra against its many critics and presenting Tantra as an ethical philosophical system greatly in accord with the Vedas and Vedanta.

Following Sir John Woodroffe, a number of scholars began to actively investigate the Tantric teachings. These included a number of scholars of comparative religion and Indology, such as: Agehananda Bharati, Mircea Eliade, Julius Evola, Carl Jung, Giuseppe Tucci and Heinrich Zimmer.

Following these first presentations of Tantra, other more popular authors such as Joseph Campbell helped to bring Tantra into the imagination of the peoples of the West. Tantra came to be viewed by some as a "cult of ecstasy", combining sexuality and spirituality in such a way as to act as a corrective force to Western repressive attitudes about sex.

As Tantra has become more popular in the West it has undergone a major transformation. For many modern readers, "Tantra" has become a synonym for "spiritual sex" or "sacred sexuality", a belief that sex in itself ought to be recognized as a sacred act which is capable of elevating its participants to a more sublime spiritual plane. Though pop-tantra may adopt many of the concepts and terminology of Indian Tantra, it often omits one or more of the following: the traditional reliance on guruparampara (the guidance of a guru), extensive meditative practice, and traditional rules of conduct - both moral and ritualistic.

According to one author and critic on religion and politics, Hugh Urban:

Since at least the time of Agehananda Bharati, most Western scholars have been severely critical of these new forms of pop Tantra. This "California Tantra" as Georg Feuerstein calls it, is "based on a profound misunderstanding of the Tantric path. Their main error is to confuse Tantric bliss ... with ordinary orgasmic pleasure.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Origins of Tantra

"In the Nath Tradition, legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya, a semi-mythological yogi and the assumed author of the Jivanmukta Gita ("Song of the liberated soul"). Matsyendranath is credited with authorship of the Kaulajnana-nirnaya, a voluminous ninth-century tantra dealing with a host of mystical and magical subjects, and occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage, as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism."

(source: Wikipedia)