Title | : | Kindle My Heart: Wisdom and Inspiration from a Living Master |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 0135153476 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9780135153475 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Paperback |
Number of Pages | : | 256 |
Publication | : | First published June 10, 1990 |
Kindle My Heart: Wisdom and Inspiration from a Living Master Reviews
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A COLLECTION OF TALKS FROM 1985-1986
An introductory section (‘A Living Master’) of this 1989 book states, “From the time of the ancient sages, the power of the Siddhas has passed from Guru to disciple… Gurumayi Chidvilasananda is the living Guru of the Siddha tradition. Through Shaktipat initiation, she awakens the Kundalini energy in a seeker and guides the course of the divine energy as it illumines the higher realms of awareness. Her own Master, Baba Muktananda, prepared her from early childhood to fulfill this extraordinary destiny, having himself received the power of the Siddha lineage from his Guru, Bhagawan Nityananda, a revered saint of India… Shortly before Baba Muktananda left his body in October 1982, he commanded Gurumayi to succeed him, and transferred to her the grace-bestowing power of the lineage.”
The ‘Note to the Reader’ explains, “[This book] is a selection of talks given by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda as she traveled around the world in 1985 and 1986… In her talks, Gurumayi does not speak ‘about’ a subject---her thoughts, words, and actions are one. Her inner experience is not different from her words. She is what she speaks about… These talks are meant for us personally. They are not philosophies or ideas to be learned or studied. If we are open to them, they will enter us directly and kindle the flame of our hearts… Gurumayi quotes from the scriptures in every talk. Although she cites the holy books of all traditions, the philosophies of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism are those which most closely approximate her own direct experience.”
She says in the first talk, “This feeling of unworthiness creates disrespect. If we do not feel greatness or divinity in ourselves, if we do not experience the Truth within, how can we recognize that greatness and that Truth in others? This is the reason that, even though the great beings teach us to respect one another, we are not able to imbibe their teaching.” (Pg. 1)
In another talk, she observes, “There are different phases in meditation. One day you feel great; another day, dry. When you feel great, you think you are great. But when your meditation is dry, you think YOU are dry and you give up meditation. You say, meditation is supposed to fill me with juice, but I feel so dry.’ Then you go looking for vodka or beer to juice yourself up… If you are only clever at theorizing about God, the Truth, or the Self, you do not attain any of them. You need the practical aspect so sadhana, the direct realization of God. Without this direct realization, there is no attainment… we do not feel anything because we have neglected the practical aspect. Without direct realization, theory cannot really do much to help us.” (Pg. 22-23)
She states, “Different sages and seers performed different techniques. However, before practicing these techniques, they received grace. Without grace, all techniques are dry. This is why a lot of people do not want to do the practices. The practices have become mechanical; they do not bring … joy. What brings joy to the practices is grace. Baba gave us a very simple technique. He said, ‘Just close your eyes, and you will have the experience of God.’ This is the simple truth. Just by closing your eyes, you can find the Truth.” (Pg. 36)
She suggests, “To live a balanced life, we need both the inner and the outer vision. We are amazed at psychics, astrologers, and others who have the power of looking into the future, knowing the past, and reading minds. But we are never amazed at the fact that every one of us has this potential.” (Pg. 50)
She advises, “Let us make a pledge that, if not all day of all night long, at least for a few moments every day, we will make an effort to experience love, love that is free from selfishness, free form desire, free from expectation, love that is complete freedom. Just as the sky stays in its own place without any support, love must rest in itself without any support. That is true love.” (Pg. 64)
She says of Kundalini, “The awakening of the energy is the greatest miracle. Then we live in supreme discrimination. This is true miracle, because it frees us from both pain and pleasure. This is the highest state. There is no more boredom, no more loneliness. When people say that even though they meditate they still experience boredom, that means they are not meditating! And when people say they have received Shaktipat, yet they still feel lonely, that means there is still a long way to go.” (Pg. 85)
She observes, “People get very scared. They say, ‘If I give up my ego, I will lose all my ambition. Then how can I work in this world?’ It is not your ego, but your inner strength that enable you to work. The ego does not cultivate the energy within. In fact, it reduces its strength.” (Pg. 104)
She recalls, “Many years ago, I had to have an anesthetic, and I remember that I was very reluctant to have it. It feels as though you are putting all the senses to death… I got slower and slower---and I was gone! I was totally gone, but I knew I was gone. I knew I wasn’t there. The whole time they were operating on me I knew they were there, and I knew they thought I didn’t know they were there.” (Pg. 118)
She proposes, “when you sit for meditation, hand everything over to grace. Don’t try to DO something. Don’t try to prove to yourself that you can meditate. Just sit for meditation and offer one thing after the other to the Truty, to God, to the Guru. As you offer all this, you will become lighter and freer, and the moment that happens, you will go very deep inside, into a very deep meditation.” (Pg. 132)
She states, “Through nonviolence, noninjury, you don’t become lazy, either. You remain strong, but you still have sympathy and compassion toward yourself and others. It is said that if you are a true ascetic, a true renunciate, you are completely devoid of anger. If there is any trace of anger in you, you are called a scoundrel, not an ascetic.” (Pg. 151)
She says, “When you become established in love, you become totally free and start to live in the being of God. It is for this reason that the saints of all times have said with such conviction: ‘God’s kingdom lies within.’ ‘I am Brahman.’… ‘I am God.’ It is not longer just that God is living in your body, but that you live in God. Then, whatever happens is happening through the will of God, and there is total perfection.” (Pg. 175)
She observes in the final talk, “It is for this constant ecstasy and constant love that we turn within, plunging deeper and deeper, rising higher and higher. As we detach ourselves from everything, we get in touch with every cell, with every particle of dust, with this entire universe. As we experience this oneness, our hearts throb and pulsate with love longing. This longing is the ultimate experience.” (Pg. 182)
This book will be of keen interest to those interested in Gurumayi.