HOME | Kundalini | Divine Experiences | Karma | Q & A | Glossary | e-Yoga | About me | Contact me

TheKundaliniYoga.Org
Happiness is our nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside - Ramana Maharshi


Q & A: Worried if I will have any spiritual progress or not?
 
I felt constant revolving at the base of my spine since I was 14yrs. Presently I am 60. Previously all medical investigations were conducted and were normal. I then came to know about Kundalini awakening. If I concentrate in any work, throbbing in my lower back starts. All my life by nature I lived virtuous life. I am presently worried whether or not I shall have any spiritual progress or not? Guide me. I retired 2 years back and I was a judge. While attending court matters and arguments of lawyers I could concentrate.

Raman (Name changed), India

You mentioned: “I felt constant revolving at the base of my spine since I was 14yrs. All medical investigations were conducted and were Normal.”

If you do not have any medical issues in lower back area then there is a possibility of Kundalini Kriyas in that area (especially if those Kriyas are joyful for you when they happen). Often during Kundalini awakening and for several years thereafter the seeker will experience spontaneous movements that can be subtle, mysterious and very uncommon. Think of it as cosmic energy that kicks in as soon as the seeker sits down for meditation or is able to concentrate their mind. It is very important to understand that this is JUST a "purification and correction" process (initiated by Kundalini awakening) that should eventually disappear (possibly after several years or decades of practice). Read and see the Kriyas here: Kriyas in action, amazing, bizarre Kriya videos

Does it mean your Kundalini has awakened? Yes, it is possible if Kriya experience is joyful or blissful. Should you be excited or overjoyed with it if that is so? Not really, because Kundalini awakening is just the start of a spiritual journey. There is long long distance to cover before one can reach the destination. But Kundalini awakening is always a good thing to have. It is like you were walking so far, now you got a Car for your further travel. At the same time having car can help only if the driver is driving the right direction, else it can also cause an accident. In this respect your statement of “All my life by nature I lived virtuous life” is extremely important. This is absolutely a basic necessity for any spiritual progress. Most of the people miss this point. Living a virtuous life helps keep once Karma clean which is extremely helpful in spiritual journey. Clean Karma provide clear straight path of travel. Bad karma (non-virtuous) path is extremely slippery.

You said: “I am presently worried whether or not I shall have any spiritual progress or not?”

This statement in itself is an indication that your spiritual progress is going on well. Now, one needs to understand what is spiritual progress? Most of the people think spiritual progress is only when they have spiritual experiences or God’s Darshan (visualization) in dreams etc. That is not true. Spiritual progress can happen even without spiritual experiences. Excellent sign of spiritual progress is – when one’s view towards material life changes over the period of time. This is a key sign of spiritual progress.

Here are some questions to ask to judge your own spiritual progress: Has your approach to material enjoyment changed? Are you getting aloof from people and parties? If yes, then it is spiritual progress. Have your desires (of anything in material life) reduced or increased? If they have reduced over the period of time then your progress is on. Has your attachment towards objects (family members, wealth, property, TV, movies and all that is material) reduced a little bit over the period of time? If yes, then it is a spiritual progress. Has your level of anger, fear, Moha (delusion or extreme greed), hatred, jealousy, prejudice reduced over the years? Your answer will tell you the amount of progress you have made.

In short it is possible that you might have progressed over the period of time but you may not even know it. Let me assure you one important thing. If you are seeking the God then God is also seeking you. This statement is 100% true. The only thing is the God cannot come before you because you yourself have engulfed in the fog of Maya (grand illusion of mind) created by the God. Progress is where the fog start melting.

If you are a person who over the years has detached from material words and have less Vasanas (subtle desires of anything material) than you had earlier then you have progressed spiritually (whether you had spiritual experiences or not is not that important.) At the same time, for human mind it is necessary to have experiences – I agree with that.

Here are few things that will help you in your spiritual journey:

All spiritual progress and the ultimate success (attainment of the Bliss or Self-Realization) depends on three important things:

#1) Consistent and sincere efforts of several decades and probably more than one life...I would say several lives. You will find several web sites that talk about Kundalini yoga (Siddha yoga) and its greatness and the "dramatic Kundalini awakening" (Yes, it can be dramatic...but that is where the sensation ends, afterwards it is all about the application to our life, and believe me, it is not easy). It is true Siddha Yoga is most powerful Yoga, at the same time it is not a magic pill that can change everything in few months or years. (sorry, even most powerful Siddha yoga does not work that way.) Siddha yoga involves "application" of several lives. Since you are reading this text it is possible that you have already traveled part of that path.

#2) Clearly understanding how human life works (Law of Karma) and removing all doubts and misunderstandings about the Life and the God from the mind (What is God?). That gives absolute clarity of the path towards the God. This is exactly what they call "Gyan Yoga" (Yoga of knowledge and awareness.) Again, this is a process of more than one life. Believe me, path to the God is lit with millions of 500 Watt bulbs. (I mean, that is how one can see the path clearly when all doubts are removed from the human mind.)...and even after the path is seen very clearly one has to still travel it....a lot of distance after the "dawn of divine knowledge" arrives in the life.

3#) Applying that knowledge in a day to day life. This is the most important step. Most of those who "claim" to be following the path to the Divine carry lot of knowledge about the God, but totally lack its application to their life. Knowledge of spirituality may be great but "absence of its application" to our life is like a rock in the water (does not lead a person anywhere.) This is the exact reason those who wish to attain the God choose the life of an ascetic (but it is not for all). Bottom line is - It is all about the real life application.
It is absolutely dark until there are doubts in the mind and the tools one can use to remove the doubts are

a) Continue to seek spiritual knowledge.
b) Regular Sadhana, Naam, Seva and Vicara (inquiry, sustained thinking).
c) Application of the spirituality in day-to-day life.
d) Patience and time.
e) And clear understanding that this is a loooooong journey.

With these tools, slowly but surely there will be a dawn of the Bliss in our life.

And Rest assured God is walking every step with you as long as your steps are going in his direction. You may leave him but he won’t leave you. You will start seeing him when the fog of doubts around you start melting (as the divine Knowledge grows with spiritual efforts).

Hope this helps.

Thank you.
Mahendra Joshi

Ask a Question       Q&A Home page     Most Recent Q&A
 


 
Q & A: Worried if I will have any spiritual progress or not? Topics: Divine and Experiences

Yoga is an exact science. It aims at the harmonious development of body, mind and soul. Everyone should follow one Yoga as their primary Yoga (based on their character). Then we must combine Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyan Yoga. This “Yoga Synthesis” will lead one to the God.
    
HOME | Kundalini | Divine Experiences | Karma | Q & A | Glossary | e-Yoga | About me | Contact me
TheKundaliniYoga.Org
Kundalini Yoga is also known by the names: Siddha Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Shaktipat Yoga, Maha Yoga, Shakti Yoga or Kriya Yoga