Kundalini Vidya The Science of Spiritual Transformation: A comprehensive system for understanding and guiding spiritual development

Description

AN UPDATED NEW EDITION OF KUNDALINI VIDYA TO BE RELEASED FIRST QUARTER 2024. Kundalini Vidya is an ancient Vedic spiritual science that includes Yoga and Vedanta. It describes the workings of the Divine within, Kundalini Shakti, which is known by many names and is revered as the Holy Spirit at the core of every human soul. This sacred inner presence motivates and empowers our striving for spiritual attainment. Once released, Kundalini Shakti progresses through discernible stages of spiritual development and culminates in Self-Realization. Kundalini Vidya is a scripture based system with a living oral tradition dating back 500 years. A special feature of this system is its description of the various types of Kundalini process that can occur based on the routes and levels Kundalini is able to reach. Essential to understanding the various ways this journey can happen is Kundalini Vidya’s detailed description of the subtle body system, which includes the chakras, nadis, prana, and mind. The quality of a seeker’s subtle body functioning determines much about how they experience their Kundalini rising, which in turn affects the functions of the subtle body. When the divine Power within is released, the subtle body (energy system and mind) must be strong and clear to properly host it. Otherwise, non-ordinary experiences and uncomfortable phenomena may occur as Kundalini attempts to clear the experiencer’s system and improve their process. These manifestations can be dramatic and are sometimes called a spiritual emergency, spiritual emergence issue, spiritual problem, spiritually transformative experience, or a Kundalini awakening. People in an active process of spiritual awakening sometimes report altered states of consciousness, paranormal abilities, mystical experiences, psi phenomena, psychic ability, special powers, expanded awareness, and a host of other non-ordinary capacities or holy gifts of the spirit. The seeker must understand how to deal with these phenomena if they occur and find a way to clear and vitalize the dwelling place of the Divine power within so it can function freely and not be constrained by limitations of the individual’s subtle system. The esoteric branches of all great spiritual traditions preserve the sacred universal inner teachings conveyed in Traditional Kundalini Science and protect sincere seekers from making errors that would be harmful to their spiritual process and cause them distress. Successful spiritual life is based on the ability to correctly understand and follow the perennial, universal wisdom revealed by the revered spiritual masters, sages, saints, adepts, and holy ones from throughout the world who exemplify the full human potential that is possible with spiritual realization. Kundalini Vidya explains how this sacred transformation takes place in human beings.Kundalini Vidya provides important basic guidelines for identifying and supporting a healthy process of spiritual transformation. Properly supporting a Kundalini process improves spiritual development and can eventually result in enlightenment, samadhi, nirvana, liberation, and spiritual fulfillment. Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care is the spiritual guidance service based on Kundalini Vidya. It seeks to educate and guide sincere spiritual aspirants so they can care effectively for their physical and subtle bodies, allowing Kundalini Shakti to unblock and rise to higher levels of spiritual experience. PKYC assesses the Kundalini rising and recommends personalized spiritual practices with ongoing individualized spiritual guidance to meet the particular needs of each qualified seeker. It utilizes spiritual methods such meditation, prayer, scripture study, contemplation, breathing practices, postures, Ayurvedic supplements, and healthy, spiritual lifestyle to strengthen the subtle system and improve Kundalini process. Review: Detailed Examination of the Kundalini Experience - “Kundalini Vidya” includes a wide range of information on Kundalini risings or awakenings and their implications for spiritual growth. The author draws on her personal experiences, those of her students, her spiritual advisors, and over 150 references. The depth of the information is unparalleled and it is by far the best book I have read on the subject. While Sanskrit terminology is abundant throughout the text, a comprehensive glossary is included to aid understanding. Many original, innovative, and thoughtful diagrams also help the reader to get their mind around the material. The author has clearly put a lot of thinking and care into the development of the document. Harrigan's book provides a meticulous description of the six nadis through which Kundalini may rise and the minutiae of their respective effects on the physical and subtle bodies and psyche, an explanation of events that can trigger a Kundalini rising, differences between a Kundalini arousal and a rising, and the character and subtleties of each chakra, among other very useful information on the subject. Harrigan emphasizes the importance of being involved in a spiritual discipline and having access to spiritual guidance while undergoing a Kundalini rising. While this makes sense on one level, such an approach excludes the vast number of people who have undergone spontaneous risings or awakenings, need help, and do not have access to knowledgeable spiritual advisors or prescribe to a specific religious practice. Kundalini risings can be lonely and difficult journeys for people in this category. For more personal accounts of Kundalini risings or awakenings and references for help, I suggest “Kundalini Rising” (Khalsa et. al. 2009) to complement the information in “Kundalini Vidya”. There are, however, a few shortcomings in the production. For example, an index would be useful, and the table of contents could be more comprehensive. A digital version would also be helpful to readers and researchers. Nevertheless, these are small failings, and overall the material is well-organized, the content is compelling, and the text is well-written. Review: Seasoned and Encouraging - Joan Harrigan is smart, well-read, has a gift for assimilating and digesting material, had a genuine Kundalini master as her guru, knows Western humanistic psychologies and philosophies backwards and forwards, and is a strong advocate for following the dharma on the spiritual search. That's a pretty good base from which to write a book on Kundalini and her book reflects it. The book does a nice job detailing many aspects of the Kundalini process. It puts a lot of potentially confusing and esoteric material into a clear and understandable format without dumbing it down or oversimplifying it. Kundalini is presented as a sacred path leading to profound non-dual awareness, ever deepening after that. The appendix has a nice essay on the history of Kundalini in America starting with Emerson reading the Gita and finishing around 2000. It is a treasure trove of books and teachers to potentially explore. There is also an essay on the archetypal and psychological nature of the chakras. It is thorough and a nice Western counterpoint to the more traditional Indian scriptures. Seasoned wisdom. It is probably a bit detailed for a beginning book on Kundalini. For that I would recommend Dhyanyogi's Shakti and Bonnie Greenwell's Kundalini Guide. Even Ms. Harrigan's other book, Stories of Spiritual Transformation, offers perhaps a more succinct summary of the process - with twenty short inspiring autobiographies of advanced spiritual processes. Sometimes I felt the pre and post Makara processes could have offered a few more handholds - I still don't get much of it after multiple (mis)readings. However, the basic point of "get to Ajna" and then stay out of the way of Ma by leading a quiet, dharmic life comes through clearly. Overall, this book has been very helpful. It is wise and encouraging. Don't be put off by the price. It is a large book and long (without being tedious or know-it-all-ish.). Lots of diagrams. It has been a valuable aid to me on this Kundalini path.