International Nath Order

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Virtual Kula Discourse

October 10, 2024

Introducing the monthly Virtual Kula Discourse.

Engage in stimulating conversations about the mystery and magick of our hallowed spiritual lineage with INO seekers, aspirants and initiates. We’ll explore many key paradigms and processes related to Tantra, Mantra, Yoga and Meditation as well as our initiatic background that supports the present-day INO practitioner.

Hosted by Sri Vijayanath, these one-hour conversations take place on Zoom.

Subscribe now – first month is free!

More information and registration HERE.

A Visit to the Void

November 15, 2024

Though only written a year ago, if I were writing Dissolving Kleshas in the Void right now, I’d flip the kleshas associated with parakasha and mahakasha. Not that it makes a huge difference, but it points to something important:

Being a helix path, our Yoga will bring us around to the same scenery again and again, but each time with a slightly “higher” vantage point which lets us see a bit further out than we could before. I’ve heard it also put that meditation is like drilling a well for water. If you keep moving your auger to a new spot after only drilling a foot down, you’ll never hit the underground spring. You need to drill deeply in one spot to reach your goal.

With that in mind, let’s revisit the five-in-one Void.

Last time, I wrote in terms of the five pain-bearing obstructions, or Kleshas, and their dissolution by contemplation of the five voids discussed in the classic literature of Yoga. When we discuss the Kleshas, we are essentially discussing the root-conditions of individual consciousness, those deep habits which cast fearsome shadows in the light of Awareness. By “dissolving” them, we gradually stop reifying them, undermining them in the most literal sense of removing the ground from beneath them. The five voids are ultimately one Void, and this Void is nothing other than the unconditioned Awareness which we experience in our deepest meditation and our highest moments of clarity. We contemplate them as five in order to give ourselves a ladder to climb, not because there’s any real separation. The voids thus also map onto different exercises and experiences of our Yoga.

In Mahayana Buddhist Yoga, much emphasis is placed on the emptiness of appearances, and this corresponds to the illusory nature of phenomena in Shankara’s Mayavada. When we see into this emptiness, we experience the void of akasha, the transparent darkness of Maya. It is useful to have this insight — and to have reminders of it — but we can easily get stuck here. When that happens, we ourselves may feel empty, life devoid of meaning or purpose, and the lives of others devalued. The detachment we gain is of immeasurable value, but if we stop at the recognition of empty appearances, we lose the color and light of beatitude and spontaneity. In Chan, this is “falling into the dead void”. If we stop here during meditation, we lose ourselves in trance and halt our progress. The whole of Yoga is to be found in remaining steadfastly awake.

When we see again the beauty of the illusion, or experience the “emptiness of emptiness”, we come to realize that “illusion” is just a way of saying “ever-changing”. It isn’t that the world of appearances is non-existent, but that it is not self-existent; it is eternally subject to change, to dissolution. This is the experience of parakasha, the fiery void of time. Emptiness which eternally gives rise to shifting and changing phenomena is the pregnant belly of Shakti.

Through open meditation, we eventually come to experience the base of appearances which is none other than the mind. Whether or not the world exists independently of us, its existence or nonexistence doesn’t matter if it goes unobserved, and only a mind can observe. When the mind faces outward, it populates the world by observation; when the mind faces inward, it rests in its own soft luminosity. Seeing the activity of mind in the flux of appearances, and vice versa, we call this mahakasha.

The “I-sense”, or ego, may also turn inward or outward. When the mind rests in its own luminosity, that luminosity will be found to intensify as it is explored. When the ego is outward-facing, it is identified with the infinitely mutating appearances in the mind. When turned in, the mind observed in its purity, the ego becomes “pure I-sense”. The ego thus resting is sometimes called “awakeness” (buddhi) or “the Great” (Mahat). This awakened openness is the void suryakasha.

With suryakasha, we have already gone beyond the capacity of language to precisely describe an experience. Tattvakasha is most simply described with a direct translation: the Space of Reality. The four preceding voids are only more or less obscured experiences of this final one which is nothing but the open, unobstructed Reality. If we can say anything meaningful about it at all, we can say that it is simply Self-Aware.

In Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, Sri Siddha Gorakhnath instructs the yogi to know the voids both within and without the body. Apart from active contemplation of the voids in Zonule work, the experiences they embody may be carried out into daily life. The yogi may rest their mind in the void, experiencing it directly as the inner nature of the body, mind, and outer world; so doing, we may undergo the awareness of emptiness, then of ever-shifting energy, and so on through the subtle gradients of Void, and do so as we go about our activities.

The International Nath Order teaches that, “The Nath initiation is conducted inside a formal ceremony in which some portion of the awareness and spiritual energy (Shakti) of the Initiator is transmitted to the Neophyte.” This form of initiation, called shaktipat, grants the new initiate a glimpse into the experience of the Guru — the experience of the living Cosmos inseparable from the Pure Light of Awareness, temporarily overwhelming the karmas and konditioning which keep us from seeing things as they are. Shaktipat initiation from a competent teacher within an authentic lineage is a leap into the Void. But it takes our continued exploration to find for good our home there.

Vijnananath

Transformation of Rta to Dharma

October 29, 2024

The evolution from the concept of Rta to Dharma did coincide with the institutionalization of caste duties (varna dharma) in Indian society. Here are some thoughts regarding this transition:

Caste System Integration: As Dharma became a guiding principle for moral and ethical conduct, it became closely linked to the roles and responsibilities associated with the four main castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras). Each caste had specific duties and obligations that were viewed as essential for maintaining societal order.

Scriptural Foundation: Texts like the Manusmriti codified the relationship between Dharma and caste, providing detailed rules and guidelines for behavior based on one’s social class. This further solidified the association of Dharma with caste-specific duties, promoting a hierarchical social structure.

Moral Justification: The emphasis on fulfilling one’s Dharma as a means to attain spiritual merit and progress in life contributed to the justification of the caste system. Performing one’s duties according to caste norms was often seen as a way to maintain societal harmony and cosmic order.

Shift in Values: The move from the broader, more universal concept of Rta to the more localized and individualistic concept of Dharma reflected a change in values from a focus on cosmic order to one centered on human action and social responsibilities.

The shift from Rta to Dharma did indeed mark a significant change in societal ethics, leading to a framework where castes and their associated duties became central to understanding and practicing moral behavior in ancient Indian society. This association has had lasting implications in Indian culture and social structure.

Sri Kapilnath I.M.M.

Thoughts on Rta

October 24, 2024

If we consider the concept of Rta (ऋत) beyond the constraints and interpretations imposed by human societal structures and the notion of “free will,” it opens up a deeper discussion about the cosmic order and the role of various beings in maintaining and adjudicating that order.

Other Beings and Rta

Divine Beings: In Vedic literature, various deities are often depicted as guardians and enforcers of Rta. These deities—like Mitra and Varuṇa—embody the principles of truth, cosmic order, and natural law. They are seen as those who ensure that the universe operates according to Rta. Thus, within this framework, these divine beings do indeed adjudicate Rta.

Cosmic Forces: Beyond anthropomorphic deities, the concept of Rta might imply the influence of natural or cosmic forces as well. Elements of nature such as the sun, moon, earth, and celestial bodies are inescapably linked to Rta, influencing seasonal cycles, life rhythms, and the natural order. These forces function according to inherent laws, suggesting an acknowledgment of a natural intelligence or order beyond human comprehension.

Other Races or Entities: If we expand the discussion to incorporate the idea of other sentient beings or entities (whether mythological, spiritual, or even extraterrestrial), it is reasonable to assert that, in various philosophical and literary traditions, these beings might also interact with or affect Rta. These hypothetical races could have their own forms of understanding or enforcement of cosmic law, perhaps operating beyond human perspectives of morality, ethics, or reality.

Nature of Reality: In many esoteric traditions, including some interpretations of Vedic philosophy, the notion exists that there are layers of reality inhabited by various beings, each contributing to the maintenance and understanding of natural laws. Thus, adjudication of Rta might be a cooperative interaction among these layers rather than the sole purview of humanity or a singular divine authority.

From this broader perspective, it can be argued that the adjudication of Rta operates on a more complex level than human bureaucracies and systems, suggesting a symbiotic relationship among various beings—divine or otherwise—that together uphold the fabric of cosmic order. This view resonates with systems of belief that see the universe as interconnected and alive, with multiple intelligence’s participating in the unfolding of existence according to these universal laws.

Sri Kapilnath I.M.M.

Vira Sadhana

August 22, 2024

In the lore of Tantrika there exists the Sanskrit word Vira. This word is intended to reflect the idea of a motivated spiritual hero. One who exerts. The context in this case, comes from the idea of an individual aspirant accomplishing specific premeditated attainments and goals. In Tantrika, these goals include both the spiritual and mundane.

In this context, Tantrika reveals that homo sapiens of any race or caste could both practice (exert) and succeed in many aspects of Tantrika. In other words, the personal accomplishment and success in sadhana (exertion) and the attainment of that intention.

While the process remains open to all people, there are few who conquer all the possibilities in one lifetime. If you are sufficiently talented, you will certainly attain, learn and experience new things of great value. This is an investment in your individual spiritual development and future.

Tantrika’s view remains in conflict with the idea that only specific “familial priestly bloodlines” could practice and succeed. Tantrika called foul on this narrative. The reasoning remains that all homo sapiens contain the spark and potential to access the frequencies, vibrations and energy of the Divine. In this case, it was the mission of the aspirant to move forward and both experience and reflect this divine potential in local space and therefore real life. This remains one requirement for tangible success in Tantrika. This is family lore.

Initiation remains a serious basis for our meme of both becoming and not becoming. The details however assert the requirement that you must personally succeed in application. Siddhi – a thing brought to a high level of accomplishment and relative success reflected in the human process. Individual goals among homo sapiens exhibit spectacular variations. Some goals are better than others. FYI.

In my opinion, we must consider the position of these two lineal narratives. One says, “no, you can not” and Tantrika says, “yes, you can.” I don’t know your view, but I remain pro homo sapiens. Encourage and assist the best of any family, caste or gender to ascend the helix process through their own initiative. While this potential remains our birthright, the standard is adjudicated by the values of perceived merit in the actions and attainments achieved by the individual. By their progress in this lifespan, we shall know them.

Sri Kapilnath I.M.M.