1)
I'd like to start by introducing you in the piece. Can you give
me a brief summary of how you got on
your current spiritual path and became acquainted with the
teachings of the Siddhar Sages?
As
a little boy living in India, aged 14, I met my first "Guru"
Lewis Parker, who was from UK. He later assumed a fatherly role
in my life. Our common ground was philosophy. His deep
experiences with Mother Kundalini was so revealing to me of the
knowledge I was familiar with. Later, he sponsored me to UK
where I completed my higher studies and then returned to India.
This was more than two decades ago. Shortly after I returned back to
India, he committed suicide. His death broke all the theories
and philosophies I thought I knew.
After a struggle trying to understand the deeper wisdom from the
pains of death, I felt a deeper sense of agony begin. It
was then that I
began to sense my own death coming for me.
The pains of death was engulfing
with deep depression as the question
of "Why me" kept swirling around at
first and then, a primal fear.
The
moment I surrendered and let go, I felt an ancient bond
reconnect. It was then that I heard this voice in me say, "I
will come and take you today!". The whole day I waited.
That evening,
I heard a knock on my door and I opened
the door to see a young saint, Bhairava
Sekar Swamy, with fire
in his eyes. He told me, "You have death
coming for you. Lord Siva has sent me to
bring you to Him. Will you come with me
now?". Without hesitation I went with
him to the forest. He took me through my
'death' through a night long ritual.
Slowly, through the process of "death",
the Spirit in me emerged as 'my' true
being. The next day, I was crying
out of extreme joy, a state of happiness
that I must have searched several
lifetimes for. "I" felt myself
as a huge elephant -like
expansive being inside a little body. It
was an initiation into the secretive
path of the Siva Siddhars. Thereafter,
every breath of mine was focused on
retaining and enhancing the sublime
state of bliss of being the spirit in
the body.
This led me
to my deep journey through the
wilderness of
India where I
had several masters waiting to guide me.
I realize that it was a previous journey
I was continuing this life time and the
larger purpose of this birth knowing
each breath in its divine moment.
2)
What sort
of wisdom can be found in the teachings
of the Siddhar
Sages?
This is an
ancient wisdom passed through a lineage
of over thousands of years. The Siddhars
are the enlightened yogis who journey
beyond the thresholds of human
limitations gently prodding the human
civilization to greater heights. It is
from the Siddhars (also called
Nath/Natha in North India)
that hatha yoga and tantra teachings
come. The diluted versions of the yogic
practice of the Siddhar yogis have been
adapted by the Brahmin tradition of
India. The
Siddhars discard belief systems and set
social norms for truth based on
experience. "Religion" is called a bad
word since we then seek to limit
ourselves and become prisoner to a set
belief system that is the source of ego
and conflict. The Siddhar teachings are
devoid of collective intellectual ego
due to its origin from intense
meditation guided by the lineage linked
as guru and disciple. Since this wisdom
is in tune with the moment of now,
without judgment and controlling factors
of belief systems, the teachings enhance
our lifestyle in all levels in its
evolving grace and the freedom that we
search from birth.
3) Onto SIVA
SIVAA. What can the listener expect to
experience by using the CD?
SivaSivaa is
the journey within through each chakra,
the energy centers that lead to inner
and outer transformation. SivaSivaa, the
journey is:
a. An
initiation into the ancient lineage of
the Siddhars through the mantras.
b. The
teaching builds a solid platform on
which the spiritual journey begins- as
basic fulfillment. When fulfilled in our
career, love, home, sexuality and
health, the essence of the base chakra,
we look upwards to higher ideals. It is
from the base chakra that we are
inspired to climb above to seek the
angelic experience and then question
what we are as in human realities meant
to be the doing, i.e, aware of our
purpose.
c. The
meditative journey is with the rich
wisdom of the yogic Sages guiding us
into the harmony, well being and
abundance when awakening the kundalini
fire.
d. Pranayama
(breathing techniques), bandhas (energy
locks to enhance meditative depth) and
visualizations enable empower the mantra
chants and the proper guidance through
the awakening process.
e. SivaSivaa
gives us the experience of conscious
samadhi to enable us to have each
thought source guided into action so
that our newer reality is the
fulfillment of our innermost purpose in
its fullest potential.
f. SivaSivaa
enables the experience of intense
meditation as that of the yogis who
dwell in caves for years. If the Sages
sit before a lamp not eating or even
sleeping, for months together, they must
be doing something superlative or
enjoying that phenomenal joy to not want
to come out! SivaSivaa gives us an
experience of this joy and the
meditative journey.
4) How have
these chants/mantras affected you
personally in your life?
Yes, in
every aspect of my life. Each day was
surrender into the process after my
death experience two decades back. The
mantras opened ancient doors of the
mystical pathway and enabled me to see
the larger vision and my purpose.
Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was asked by his
disciple to show him God. The saint
said, "Take a bucket of water and put
your head into it. Do not come out till
you have seen God". In our Siddhar
teachings, this means, "When reciting
your mantra, do not let go till the
deity you wish to invoke comes to you.
Go beyond breath and unite yourself to
that Supreme Presence". This is what a
mantra is. Siddhar mantras are powerful
since they are sound based, needing very
less intellect to recite it. Our whole
focus becomes that single-pointed
Oneness- much like a magnifying glass
converging sun rays to transform the
epicenter to heat.
Each day
unfolds and the vision and its purpose
inspires!
5) What
sorts of things should one do to prepare
for the meditative journey on SIVA
SIVAA?
A child
like mind is the only essential
requirement- to desire deeply for the
divine and the eternal joy. SivaSivaa is
simple in its teachings though powerful
and transforming. It does not require a
lot of thinking. Just flow with CD One
keeping the booklet as reference.
After your
journey through CD One, utilize CD Two
as many times over. It is pure chants
with inner energies that work with you
on subconscious levels. SivaSivaa leads
the listener to an empowered meditative
mind through enabling the
single-pointedness and energies of
Source.
6) In the
liner notes, you give in depth
explanation as to what is happening
every step of the way. Can you give me a
general overview of what is presented on
the CD?
SivaSivaa is
a journey that begins with creating the
room for sacred energies by the sound
resonance of "AAAH". We awaken the root
chakra, the muladhara that enables us as
in the human to evolve. We keep the root
chakra fire awake as we grow this fire
upwards through each chakra. As this
kundalini fire grows upwards, it
blossoms each energy center of ours.
This transforms us on each level ,i.e,
above the navel- the body consciousness
is dissolved helping the mind to free
itself and
be able to concentrate; the heart
chakra- to experience 'love' and the
blossoming of the heart chakra that
enables the upward journey; the throat
chakra where the karma is- dissolving
karma of the past, present and future
enables a hassle free life in the
external world and in the inner world-
dissolving the veil between the Source
and us.
SivaSivaa
leads us into the third eye and the
teachings of manifestation. The journey
ends with our descent back into the
intellect with specific techniques that
enable us the energies that sustain,
heal and guide us.
7) What is
the meditation useful for?
SivaSivaa is
a meditative journey through each
chakra, awakening each chakra through
the process so that we can transform our
inner and outer worlds on all levels.
The Siddhar Sages say that our human
birth is too precious. We have taken
birth for the sole purpose of evolving.
SivaSivaa helps fulfill our inner most
desire, enables us to unfold our larger
purpose, removes hurdles of karma and
ignorance, inspires our daily journey
with the 'knowing' and connects us to
Source through each thought. SivaSivaa
teaches that every moment, we are on
fire- a meditative journey.
8) What is
the meaning of the words Siva Sivaa?
Since
Siddhars discard belief systems.
The wisdom perception of the
millions of Gods and Goddess
worshipped in the Hindu pantheon
are different facets of countless minds
seeking divinity.
Brahma, the
creator is our ego located below the
navel. Vishnu is our mind that sustains
us- located above the navel and beyond
the heart. Siva is the Holy Ghost, our
Supreme Self, the Soul that is the
eternal yogi. When we experience Siva,
our divine Self, we are awakened and as
spirit, we are in tune with Source. This
is what SivaSivaa means.
To know ourselves as
Source, connected to Source and the
extension of Source.
9) How often
should one practice the meditations on
the CD? Is there a learning curve?
This
meditative journey is best accomplished
in its teaching and guidance by adopting
a mind that is relaxed and brought to a
calm state. After purchasing the CD, it
is recommended to read the booklet and
wait for the inner call before getting
started. Doing CD One once should be
enough as CD Two is the 'experience'
that assimilates the teachings by actual
practice. However, it will be of benefit
to undertake the journey in CD One at
least 2 or 3 times to allow ourselves
experience certain guiding principles
that we may not have previously
observed.
10) I
noticed on the CD that you make your
breathing very clear so that the
listener understands the rhythm and
technique. Can you explain this further
as well as any other things you added to
the program to aid listeners?
Breath is
the most important aspect of 'yoga' to a
yogi. When breath is mastered, wisdom
and the love for the divine too is made
more expansive.
SivaSivaa
contains far too many teachings in the
intellectual and wisdom levels of our
understanding. In a dynamic world where
the mind is caught up with survival and
the intoxicating mundane of routine and
stagnation, SivaSivaa opens us to the
infinite possibilities that we are
capable of through divine energies that
we work with on each level. The simple
visualizations, the energy blocks
through ?bandhas? performed each breath
and other techniques enable the
activation our own wisdom as our
intellect connects to Source.
Beyond all
this are my Masters who are responsible
for these teachings! With the journey,
they accompany each of our breath and
infuse our thought pattern with their
meditative energies of guidance and
blessings. SivaSivaa sets us on the
track of knowing, the daily inner
journey of ascendance and lightness of
being!