Questions and Controversies
by Kiara Windrider (kiara@deekshafire.com)
July 26, 2007
A lot of controversial questions are being asked in the deeksha community these days regarding certain aspects of Golden City, and Bhagavan himself (referring to several articles posted on www.freewebs.com/dikshainfo and www.enlightened-spirituality.org/deeksha_oneness.html). Some are questioning whether Bhagavan was born as an avatar in fulfillment of a divine mission or whether he is claiming to be one for less than altruistic motives. I have been asked to comment on this by many people. Rather than taking sides, I am taking this opportunity to examine the ‘big picture’.
Regarding the authenticity of Bhagavan’s claim to be an avatar, I personally don’t have enough direct information to make a public statement. However, since our opinions are usually based on our own individual perspectives of truth and reality, I would like to offer a perspective from my background as a transpersonal psychotherapist that will hopefully take this controversy into a more empowering direction.
I have noticed in many spiritual movements that followers have set their gurus up on a pedestal where they become infallible. From this point it is only a matter of time before they come crashing down. All their unmet expectations and fantasies suddenly turn into frustration and blame.
India has had a long tradition of gurus, avatars and god-men, and I have great respect for them. I also have a profound respect for the Western psychological traditions which have provided us with deep insights into human nature, and especially the teachings of the human shadow. I believe these traditions have much to offer each other.
Wherever there is light it inevitably casts a shadow. I don't believe there is any one of us who does not have shadow personalities and shadow issues. This includes the Golden Age Foundation, and it also includes Bhagavan. It also includes each one of us in our journey towards wholeness.
Most of us have a very dualistic perception of light and shadow. To the extent that we are uncomfortable with our shadows we are also uncomfortable with our own light. To the extent that we are uncomfortable with our light, and unable to take responsibility for our own divinity, we tend to project this light onto somebody else, setting them up on pedestals and making them into gods. It doesn’t matter if this is a movie star, sports hero, political leader, or spiritual guru. As long as we are basking in their reflected light, we avoid responsibility for shining our own. And as long as we are focused on someone else’s light, we find ourselves able to ignore or deny our own substantial failings.
Sooner or later, however, these same human failings are revealed in whoever it is we have placed on a pedestal, the illusion begins to fade, and they come crashing down. Unable to face the reflection of our own powerlessness, manipulations or separation mirrored back to us, we magnify these failings and make them into devils. It is a game of heroes and villains with a big thick line dividing them. We cannot imagine that the hero might also be a bit of a villain or that the villain may also be a bit of a hero.
But what about an avatar? Are they not beyond human failings and limitations?
Let us talk about ourselves first. In the case of someone we perceive as an avatar, the projections of our light and darkness become even more extreme. In the context of the Indian spiritual tradition, an avatar is someone who is held as a direct emanation of God. This reflects a perceived duality between human and divine, where everything that we tend to repress or condemn about ourselves is judged as human, whilst everything that we revere in our striving for perfection is worshipped as divine. Thus an avatar or guru is often worshipped by their followers as someone apart from themselves – infallible, unquestionable, and unreachably divine.
From the perspective of transpersonal psychology, each of us carries within ourselves both light and darkness, both avatar and devil. Furthermore, we are all mirrors for each other. Once we learn to recognize and befriend our own devils we can in turn learn to recognize and befriend our own gods. And once we can befriend our own gods we begin to see the same gods reflected back to us in everything we encounter. This would be the definition of enlightenment from a Western psychological perspective.
However, when the mirrors are not recognized, we become trapped in our ego minds, perceiving reality based on moral or hierarchical roles of superior and inferior, right way and wrong way, infallible guru and blind follower. This inevitably results in various combinations of guilt, insecurity, blame, control, manipulation and victimization. Once we realize that we are mirrors for each other, we can humbly accept our blind spots, whether light or dark. The shadows lift in the light of the rising sun, and we are free.
This to me is what the drama of human awakening is about, and what the dramas currently revolving around Golden City and Bhagavan are meant to illustrate.
So you are saying all this is simply a reflection of our own inner process?
In an ultimate sense, yes. But it also implies a responsibility look deeply into the mirror when needed, both for ourselves and for each other. When shadows come up we have two choices. We can sweep them under the rug or justify them in some way, which means they only come up stronger next time. Or we can take responsibility for them, learn from mistakes, and evolve deeper into wholeness.
The issues that seem to be coming up around Bhagavan and Golden City are the same issues that have come up in many spiritual organizations over the years, where a movement that begins in truth, simplicity and humility slowly starts becoming overly commercial, overly hierarchical, overly sectarian, overly condescending, and overly controlling.
Shadows cannot be ignored or they simply grow stronger. I feel it is very important to identify these clearly and to have an honest dialogue about these issues. If we can do this from a place where each of us is willing to enter more deeply into the hall of mirrors, beyond judgement, projection, fear, and blame, perhaps it will become possible to enter into a place of deeper awareness and truth. Can we embrace each other in our darkness as well as reflect each other in our light?
It requires a great deal of clarity and awareness to walk this path. Not everybody is ready, and it doesn’t happen all at once. However, it seems to me that the process of spiritual evolution is forcing us towards an increasingly deeper place of honesty, humility, and clarity, a place where blind spots can be addressed, and where the divine as well as human can be honoured in each one of us.
If the Eastern spiritual traditions lead us towards the state of spiritual enlightenment, the Western psychological traditions guide us towards emotional maturity. I believe we are moving towards a mature spirituality where each of us must claim responsibility for our own shadows as well as our own light. The old model of infallible masters and spiritual hierarchies is fading out, and we are entering a new paradigm of shared responsibility and equal partnership.
Perhaps, ultimately, this is what oneness is all about.
What is your current relationship with Golden City?
I have been committed to planetary awakening long before I met Bhagavan, and this continues to be my highest priority. I see deeksha as a beautiful gift from God, and wish to continue supporting this. To the extent that I feel aligned with the truth of Golden City I will continue supporting this as well. But I am not a ‘blind follower’, and am aware of certain dysfunctional behaviours and attitudes within the Golden Age Foundation which I do not support. If these issues cannot be resolved then I would need to discontinue my association with them. I continue to listen to my own heart as best I can, and support people in doing the same.
Do you still encourage people to go through the 21 day program in Golden City?
This is not an easy question to answer. Most of the promises that were made by Bhagavan in the early days regarding enlightenment, which for many were the primary motivation for going, have not been fulfilled. The price for these seminars is still significantly high for many people. I also see that there hasn’t been much support for people after having completed their process in terms of dealing with the physical and emotional stresses that inevitably come up afterwards.
All this has led to a great deal of questioning and disappointment for many people, and this is a genuine concern for me, especially because a great many of them went in response to my book (Deeksha: Fire from Heaven) or to our deeksha seminars. On the other hand, many people have benefited greatly from their experiences there, and appreciate that they can be part of the global deeksha movement.
So for anybody who feel a connection with Bhagavan and Amma, and who feels guided from their hearts to go through this program, I would say by all means do it. However, in the quest for wholeness and enlightenment I would like to acknowledge that there are many other equally valid paths and techniques for those who would like to pursue their spiritual goals and help serve the planet. There is never only one way to get anywhere. Even just being in a body and responsive to spirit is enough.
What are your current views about enlightenment?
Whatever anyone may say to define enlightenment; if our lives don’t reflect a basic sense of kindness, humility, caring and love for each other, it is nothing more than narcissistic self-interest. If we are truly enlightened there is no personal self left to debate the issue. If we are fixated on enlightenment, as if this were the crowning achievement of our spiritual journey, this is simply another veil of glamour.
I feel that ultimately enlightenment is a collective realization. We are neurons within the planetary brain. We are cells within the body of God. Once we realize this, we no longer see ourselves as separate from one another but completely effaced in service to the divine in all forms. If this is indeed our reality we won’t need to question or talk about it. If this is not our reality we have no business calling ourselves enlightened.
What about you? Are you and Grace enlightened, as is claimed in your book?
I suppose this would depend on who defines it or which way the wind is blowing on any given day. After Grace and I first went through our process at Golden City, Bhagavan and the dasajis enthusiastically declared that we were enlightened. Later, after all the controversies surrounding enlightenment and the 21 day programs, they declared that we weren’t. This issue is no longer of interest to me one way or the other. I personally do not regard enlightenment as a single event so much as a gradual process of deepening into God. Ultimately it is about ‘en-lightening’ the body so that we can radiate the divine light through each of our cells, transforming the physical body into a body of light – and this doesn’t happen overnight. Using this definition, I do not feel that the fullness of enlightenment will take place for any of us until the collective birthing of a new species of humanity.
Can you define this ‘new species’?
We are a transitional species. Sri Aurobindo spoke about 4 distinct stages in human evolution. The first stage, the ‘animal human’, is where most of humanity is at today, guided primarily by instinct (fight, flight, reproduction, and survival). The second stage, the ‘human human’, is where most people on a spiritual path have evolved to, where the vibration of the physical body is starting to change in order to allow access to the frequencies of soul. The third stage, the ‘divine human’, emerges when the soul has managed to incarnate into the body to the extent that we perceive ourselves not as separate personalities governed by a thinking mind, but as one cell within a divine wholeness governed by a cosmic mind. This is where I feel we are currently evolving into on a collective level, what Barbara Marx Hubbard refers to as ‘homo universalis’. The fourth stage, the ‘supramental human’, is perhaps still some generations away. It is a time when we will transcend the limitations of space, time, and matter as we know it, when the physical body will transform into a body of living light, a process sometimes known as ‘ascension’.
When and how do you see this happening?
Actually, this is quite a vast theme, and the subject of my next book. Astrophysicist Paul LaViolette refers to a ‘galactic superwave’, sort of a galactic heartbeat, that emanates throughout the galaxy in concentric pulses, and which enters our planetary field roughly every 13,000 years. We are beginning to experience this now, and our accelerating evolutionary process is a response to this pulse.
This pulse includes gamma ray frequencies currently bombarding our solar system, facilitating the magnetic and vibrational changes in matter which are preparing our bodies for the shift. It also includes cosmic ray frequencies, the highest frequencies known within the electromagnetic spectrum of light.
This wave of cosmic ray particles hasn’t reached us yet, but when it arrives, it is expected to cause a dramatic change within the base harmonic frequency of all matter within our solar system, which in turn would facilitate a shift in identity from personal self to cosmic self, from ‘human human’ to ‘divine human’.
According to the Mayan calendar this could begin to happen by 2011 or 2012 AD, a moment that is defined as the end of linear time and the beginning of multi-dimensional time. Whatever this actually means, and whatever the actual timing of this may turn out to be, it has the potential to propel us collectively into a quantum leap of awakened consciousness like nothing we have ever seen!
I have heard you define deeksha a little differently from most. How do you see deeksha?
Like I said, there are certain galactic frequencies entering into planetary consciousness, making possible for large numbers of people to begin dissolving the illusion of separation, and to enter deeply into their god-consciousness.
I see this energy entering the stream of humanity as a rainbow spectrum of light. It doesn’t matter whether we call it deeksha or holy fire or divine light or anything else we want. What matters is that it is pouring through each of us as we open our hearts, minds and bodies to this energy. This is happening to people all over the world whether or not we can give it a name, and whether or not we are even aware of what is happening or why.
Bhagavan was able to link with this divine energy, and bring it through in a way that inspired many people to access it. As the full extent of this galactic superwave sweeps through planetary consciousness, an increasing number of people will find themselves spontaneously channeling these energies.
What about Bhagavan’s claims that he is the source of deeksha?
I have great respect for Bhagavan’s role in introducing the deeksha to many people, and for inspiring them to connect with their divine self. But I do not see him as the ‘source’ of this energy, anymore than a light bulb is the ‘source’ of electricity. Deeksha, to me, is one expression of a cosmic evolutionary energy, which is revealing itself simultaneously through many different people through many different traditions in many different forms and frequencies, even beyond any forms existing today.
The source of the deeksha, as I see it, is within each one of us, deep within our own unfettered hearts where the divine presence resides, a Presence that is slowly awakening within our cellular bodies in response to the galactic energies currently entering our solar system. These energies are increasingly pushing us to break through limited identities based on personal histories and memories, and to evolve into the new ‘divine human’ species being birthed in our midst today.
Can people give deeksha without going through the 21 day program?
This is a controversial question that many are asking today. Many people have been feeling that they have a strong connection with this divine energy and can bring it through for others. When Grace and I initially asked Bhagavan about this in a private interview, he responded saying that people should experiment with this, and if it seemed to work, then they should certainly continue. Later this was retracted by Golden City, who told us we should stop saying this to people, and that only those who had formally gone through the 21 day program could give deekshas.
My personal sense is that if the divine wishes to move through us, we should let it happen, bringing it through directly from the divine source, letting it do whatever is needed for each person, and doing our best to maintain the purity of the channel. In a universal sense, deeksha has been around for thousands of years. But for trademark purposes, please do not call it a “oneness blessing” or “oneness deeksha” unless you have been through the 21 day process. You can call it anything else you want. There is no trademark on divine grace.
Grace and I personally do not invoke Amma and Bhagavan when giving deekshas, rather allowing the ‘cosmic evolutionary energy’ to move from the highest source down all the way through the body, in accordance with each person’s individual needs. I feel it is very important to integrate this light into the physical body and personality structure, and that we need to work with many different modalities to support this process.
Are there other energies you have worked with that are similar to deeksha?
Evolution happens in waves. I believe there are many such waves moving through human consciousness today, each of which is working to create changes in our DNA and guiding us towards spiritual awakening. Reconnection, Ilahinoor, and the Christ Codes are just a few examples of how these energies are coming in through many different traditions around the world. Ultimately, I see all this as simply a response to the intensified gamma ray and cosmic ray frequencies pouring through planetary consciousness in response to a divine timing mediated by the galactic superwave.
I feel that a ‘critical mass’ of people who are holding a certain degree of unified consciousness might be necessary to anchor the potential of the galactic superwave for the benefit of the rest of humanity. This is happening all over the world, and a beautiful cosmic intelligence is guiding the process. Why limit God by claiming that deeksha is the only way this can happen?
Have we entered the Golden Age?
As with enlightenment, I do not believe this is an event so much as a process. From an outer perspective there is obviously a great deal of chaos in the world today. Scientists tell us that 10 percent of all species have already become extinct during the past 100 years, and that if we continue going the way we are going, fully half of all species on our beautiful planet will disappear within the next few decades – perhaps even including the human species. According to the Hindu tradition, we are moving from this cycle of chaos (kali yuga), into a cycle of oneness (satya yuga), also referred to as the ‘golden age’.
I personally feel that this entire cycle of ‘yugas’ has to do with our periodic encounter with the ‘galactic superwave’ as it pulses through galactic space. We are experiencing the beginnings of this already, and the drastic climate changes we are noticing today are simply one result of a chain of events arising from this encounter.
But there is much more to come, and we can expect to go through some dramatic upheavals on many levels before we are able to integrate these cosmic energies as a planetary consciousness. Using the metaphor of birthing, I would say that the contractions have begun, but we are still very much in the beginnings of the birth canal. It seems to me that once we are birthed into the Golden Age it will become so obvious that the question won’t need to be asked anymore.
How do you perceive Bhagavan personally?
Each must find his or her own answer to this. I honour him for the role he has played in humanity’s evolution, whether he is considered as an avatar or not. Perhaps he has his own shadow issues and shadow personalities as well, but so do each of us. I have gone through my own process with this, and do not currently feel the need to set him or anybody else up on a pedestal as something separate and beyond. Nor do I feel the need to pull him or anybody else down. I feel deeply grateful for the wonderful gifts I have received from Bhagavan, including the gift of deeksha, and the confirmation of my own sense that we are moving into a time of profound human awakening.
Is Bhagavan an avatar, unique among others, born on Earth in fulfilment of a divine mission? It is not up to me to evaluate this claim one way or the other. My role is to hold the unified vision, and it may be someone else’s role to ask the hard questions. However, I do see that such a claim ought not be made lightly or for personal gain, and goes with a great deal of responsibility towards those who may choose to follow him on the basis of this claim.
Yet, the responsibility lies at both ends, and how each of us understands this claim is equally important for us to look at. We often have a tendency to bathe ourselves in the light of those we consider more divine or more evolved than ourselves. This inevitably leads to a hierarchical model of spirituality. But is it not the responsibility of the followers as well as the gurus to discern if this attitude continues to empower them?
I believe this may be one reason why so many challenges are coming up in the deeksha community at this time, as it has in a number of other spiritual communities in recent years. When something is out of integrity it must certainly be addressed, but let us not get too polarized about it. I feel that the responsibility belongs to all of us to guard against spiritual inflation and megalomania on one side and cynicism and condemnation on the other side.
If we need the idea of an avatar or guru whom we can consider as the only infallible and externalized image of God, that is fine, as long as we all recognize this as a conscious role being played. I also see that many people are able to access their own avatar-consciousness directly now, and acknowledging this is also an important aspect of our journey into maturity.
“I am who you think I am”, as Bhagavan likes to remind people. Each of us will receive the teacher as well as the teachings at whatever stage of evolution we happen to be. There is no truth out there independent from the truth that is in here. As we discover the God within us, we will discover that same reflection everywhere around. Rather than bringing somebody else down, are we willing to raise ourselves up?
Are we not all direct emanations of God? Isn’t each of us unique, born to fulfil a divine mission? Are we each ready to claim this same avatar consciousness within ourselves? Many of us are more afraid of our own light than we are of our own darkness. Could it be that our need to bring someone down is based on our fear of raising ourselves up? Once we recognize this, in humility and wisdom, a truthful dialogue can begin.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts I have discovered through this whole process is the recognition that each of us is being called to trust our own source of light, love, wisdom and power. Each of us is born with a divine mission, and we can each choose to what extent we wish to live this out. Perhaps it is time to recognize that we are all part of the collective avatar consciousness awakening on earth, and to embody this in our daily lives. This to me is what the Second Coming of Christ is about.
The Mayans have a beautiful way of saying goodbye. In Lak’ech, they say, I am another you. At the end of it all, are we willing to walk a step in each other’s shoes, really climb inside each other’s hearts and minds, experience God discovering itself through this entire play of creation – no villains, no heroes – just God seeing God as God?
May the light of God continue to guide our hearts and minds in this exciting journey of remembrance.
In Lak’ech.
-------------
Please Call Me by My True Names
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow --
even today I still arrive.
Look deeply: I arrive in every second
to be a bud on a spring branch,
to be a tiny bird, with still fragile wings,
learning to sing in my new nest,
to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower,
to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.
I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,
in order to fear and to hope.
The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death
of all that are alive.
I am the mayfly metamorphosing
on the surface of the river,
And I am the bird,
that swoops down to swallow the mayfly.
I am the frog swimming happily
in the clear water of a pond,
and I am also the grass-snake
that silently feeds itself on the frog.
I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,
my legs as thin as bamboo sticks,
And I am the arms merchant,
selling deadly weapons to Uganda.
I am the twelve-year-old girl,
refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean
after being raped by a sea pirate.
And I am the pirate,
my heart not yet capable
of seeing and loving.
I am a member of the politburo,
with plenty of power in my hands.
And I am the man who has to pay
his "debt of blood" to my people,
dying slowly in a forced labor camp.
My joy is like spring, so warm
it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth.
My pain is like a river of tears,
so vast it fills the four oceans.
Please call me by my true names,
so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once,
so I can see that my joy and pain are one.
Please call me by my true names,
so I can wake up,
and so the door of my heart
can be left open,
the door of compassion.
|