Tag Archive: gurus


Shaktipat: Can Psychic Ability Be Transferred from One Person to Another?

Filed Under: Intuitive Development, Psychic Ability, Spiritual Growth by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Shaktipat: Can Psychic Ability Be Transferred from One Person to Another?

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I recently saw an advertisement from a woman who says she can “transfer” her psychic abilities to others. This is supposedly done in three day-long sessions, and the total cost is several thousand dollars. She claims that this is worth it because one can skip many years of psychic development. Is this possible? What do you think of this idea? Also, is it possible that just being in the presence of a “guru” can cause spiritual enlightenment?
– Jan

Dear Jan:

It is never wise to try to cut spiritual corners in order to access various spiritual “powers.” Psychic abilities unfold as a natural consequence of spiritual development; if we simply focus on spiritual growth, psychic and other spiritual abilities will develop of their own accord. It is foolish to put the powers first and the awakening second. I would thus be very suspicious of a spiritual teacher who was promoting instant psychic ability or suggesting that it’s possible to “sell” enlightenment!

There are good reasons that spiritual practices like meditation and yoga have been prescribed for millennia. When we devote ourselves to lifelong spiritual development via regular spiritual practice, we enjoy a smooth journey where one state of being naturally flows into the next.

Big problems may occur when this natural order isn’t followed. For example, sometimes people have “kundalini experiences” when kundalini (life force energy) is awakened suddenly or “accidentally.” This may happen as a result of a fall or blow to the tail bone, a near death experience, or the use of psychedelic drugs. When awakening occurs like this, one may go through quite an uncomfortable period or experience what some call a “spiritual emergency.”

To me it seems only prudent to listen to the teachings of spiritual masters, and to devote oneself to the work involved in achieving our aims. Trying to become psychic in a weekend is like putting on a black belt after a few days of karate training, or someone with an honorary degree trying to practice law or medicine. You might look the part, but would you really want to be put to the test? You can imagine all the problems that might erupt from such an approach.

Now, all of these matters aside, is it possible for a teacher to transfer spiritual powers to a student? Supposedly, this is one of the greatest blessings of having a “guru.” This gift of spiritual awakening is most commonly called shaktipat. It’s sort of an initiation wherein a master awakens a student into higher levels of consciousness.

Sadly, the sort of guru who can bestow shaktipat is probably very rare, but even if your spiritual teacher can’t enlighten you instantly with a touch or a look, you may still gain great blessings from such a relationship.

For obvious reasons, it is very helpful to have someone who has been where you want to go show you around. Great spiritual teachers can save you tons of time by teaching you what they have mastered themselves. They can help you remain motivated and hold you accountable to your own personal goals. They can help you over stumbling blocks, provide specific answers and personal guidance, and lend you support and understanding when no one else in your life has a clue what you’re going through. The further “out there” we get, the more refreshing and reassuring it is to find someone who truly understands our strange spiritual experiences because they have been through that twilight zone themselves.

Further, just being in the presence of some people can instantly alter our own vibration. I’ve been in lectures and classes with some great spiritual teachers, and felt everyone present move into synch with that teacher’s energy. It is said that one who is connected to the stream of pure positive energy is more powerful than thousands who are not, and this can be directly experienced in such situations.

Ram Dass and Deepak Chopra are two such teachers who come to mind. Deepak’s aura was the biggest I’ve ever seen; it extended beyond the walls of the huge auditorium he spoke in. This was very surprising to me, as I had some prejudices about him beforehand that I realized were totally unwarranted. Similarly, when I went to a lecture by Ram Dass many years ago, I was in an altered state of consciousness the entire time. I have no recollection of anything he said, in fact, but I was blissed out for days following this experience.

When in the presence of such a person, we may feel like we’ve been hypnotized, but I believe this is not a matter of brainwashing – we’re just “under the influence” of this master’s energy. It only makes sense that the more time we spend with such a person, the more our own vibration will entrain to theirs.

It is thus wise to spend time with people you admire, people who embody qualities you are trying to develop or who have already learned the knowledge and skills you wish to make your own. At the same time, however, it is NOT wise to deify human beings or to see them as somehow superior to us. This is disempowering to ourselves, and it’s a pretty heavy trip to lay on the teacher. Remember: we can not see in another anything we do not possess ourselves, so we might say that a “guru” is simply embodying some part of ourselves that we are in the process of discovering and developing.

So if you find yourself in the presence of some great spiritual teacher, know that it is because you are in harmony with their energy and with moving in this direction yourself. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In time, you may outgrow this teacher and move on to a new one – someone who can guide you further along your path. This doesn’t mean each one of our teachers will be somehow better than the last, however – just that whatever we need at the time is what we will attract.

Even when people find themselves caught up with ‘false gurus’ to whom they have given away their personal power, it seems to me that they’ve attracted just what they needed. What a powerful lesson! Through this experience, they are learning not to deify human beings, but rather, to value their own inner truth and wisdom above all.

In summary, if you’re longing for a guru, make sure you’re not trying to skip over some of the work you see before you. When we try to take spiritual “short-cuts,” we often end up lost and far off course. Also, make sure you’re not looking for something outside of yourself that can only be found within. The ultimate guru (teacher) is within you, and can be accessed at any time by honoring your own inner knowing as your ultimate connection to divine wisdom. If you’re satisfied that neither of these is the case, then longing for a guru may in fact be a sign that you are being led to a new teacher.

If and when you do find a wonderful spiritual teacher, question everything and be very careful not to worship this individual. Remember that your “guru” is no more divine than you are, and is not infallible. Do not expect your teacher to be a living saint, either; just because someone knows more than we do about something, that doesn’t make them perfect. Gratefully accept from spiritual teachers the lessons, knowledge and experiences that resonate with you as true and useful, and leave the rest behind.

Remember too that this is not a one-way relationship, and even spiritual teachers must earn a living. Offer your teacher the same courtesy, kindness and understanding you would to anyone else, and make sure you are giving back in equal measure to what you receive, whether you do that by paying for your lessons, volunteering your time and energy, or expressing your heartfelt gratitude.

– Soul Arcanum

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She’s Weary of Her Spiritual Mentor

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Intuitive Development, Spiritual Growth by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on She’s Weary of Her Spiritual Mentor

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

Lately I have felt stagnant in my spiritual growth and practices. I had a friend that was kind of like a mentor to me, but within the past six months, I have grown very tired of her and weary of anyone trying to “mentor” me. Am I being stubborn, going through my own growing pains, or is it something else?
– Jennifer

Dear Jennifer:

I do feel you are being stubborn – not because you are resistant to others’ guidance, but because you are resistant to letting go of relationships you have outgrown.

As we grow and evolve, we are led to the people and experiences that can help us learn what we need to learn next or become what we want to become. When we first discover those people or experiences, we feel strongly attracted to them. This is our inner guidance telling us that we’ve found what we’ve been looking for. Our feelings of interest and excitement are signs from our inner compass that we should go in this direction. This is why it is wise to “follow our bliss.”

As time goes on, that which once was blissful and exciting naturally loses some of its shine. Challenges arise. Now we’ll either move beyond the surface to deeper levels of understanding, or lose interest and move on. This holds true both for new teachings/practices and for new relationships.

Think about it: when we first make a new friend or start dating a new lover, that person seems wonderful and fascinating. After a while we get beneath the surface, however, where things are more complicated. In addition to all the good things that first attracted us, we discover new stuff that we struggle to understand. We may not be sure what to think of it, and spend a good amount of time really weighing it out. That “struggle” is at the heart of personal growth.

If we hang in there, over time we learn how to work it all out: how to be patient and understanding with these new issues and push through the rough spots. If this relationship or practice really works for us, we may stick with it indefinitely and make it our own. If it continues to bring us joy and blessings, that will be easy. If it brings new lessons and challenges, we’ll be motivated to keep it alive – at least as long as our desire for growth outweighs our fears and insecurities.

If, however, we discover that there isn’t much for us to chew on beneath that surface, we’ll start to experience feelings of stagnation, boredom, frustration, etc. These are signs that we have outgrown the relationship or situation.

As we are always looking for “the answer,” “the key,” or “the one,” when we find something or someone that feels like it might be it, we tend to grab it with both hands and refuse to let go. We want it to be all we have been looking for, so we define it as such. Then later when we’ve outgrown it, if we fail to redefine it in light of all we’ve learned, we may feel confused because it doesn’t “do it” for us anymore.

Just because a certain person, practice, course of study, etc., is what we most need at one time, that doesn’t mean it will always be what we need. Even something of great power can become a hindrance if we cling to it too long. We can no more force ourselves to stay in relationships or situations that we’ve outgrown than we can force ourselves to wear the same pants we adored when we were six years old. Over time, they will become more and more uncomfortable until we finally discard them for something that fits better.

This is a natural process. It doesn’t mean we’re missing something, failing to appreciate our blessings or resisting our lessons. If you felt angry, inadequate, overwhelmed or challenged, I’d recommend you look within for how you may be resisting the wisdom and experience this teacher may have to offer, especially if you admire her and would like to become more like her.

By contrast, boredom, weariness and indifference are signs that it is time to move on. When we find ourselves saying, “I’m so tired of” this or that, or “This is getting really ‘old,'” it’s time to ask ourselves why we’re still in that situation. Usually, it’s because despite our lack of interest, we’re still living according to that obsolete definition, which keeps us hanging on.

To get unstuck, you just need to update your mental files and redefine this teacher’s role in your life in light of where you are NOW. It doesn’t really matter what you once got out of this relationship; what matters is how well it fits who you have become and where you want to go in your life from here.

While it’s wonderful to be grateful to everyone who blesses us with new wisdom and experiences, gratitude is not the same as obligation. Let go of any guilt you’re feeling about wanting to move on so you can celebrate how far you’ve come!

Now, this teacher aside, everyone on a conscious spiritual path at some point grows weary of others trying to mentor them. This is a very important turning point. I feel your inner being is telling you that you don’t need to be led by anyone outside of yourself anymore. Your next step on your spiritual journey will involve you developing your own conscious connection to Spirit and listening within for your own answers. You may still take classes or read books, but instead of assuming these writers and teachers know more than you do, you will weigh all input against your own inner wisdom.

You’re very wise to be questioning yourself. That means you have developed the ability to rise above your ego for higher awareness. It’s ironic: the more we can ask ourselves if we are just being “stubborn” due to ego issues, the less likely it is that this is true. Since you’re able to question your reaction objectively, I feel that you need to trust your feelings and honor them by doing what does feel right and best.

None of this means that you’ve learned everything there is to learn! It means now you have learned enough to dig in to a new level of experience, to apply what you’ve been taught and make some new discoveries of your own. This is very exciting.

It can be unnerving to begin to forge our own spiritual trail. It’s sort of like moving from a reader of great books to a writer of great books, or like moving from a child to an adult. Instead of trusting others to take care of us, guide us, and have all the answers, now we have to figure things out for ourselves.

Nevertheless, just as a child grows and realizes that her parents are not all-powerful and do not have all the answers, at some point in our spiritual journeys, we also realize that our gurus are not gods, and there is no one person out there with all the answers we’ve been seeking. While we can still learn from others, we realize that no one is a greater authority on our own spiritual truth than we are. No one else can direct us on our spiritual journeys better than we can ourselves by listening within for guidance and answers.

So when friends, jobs, teachers, etc. grow weary for you, ask yourself why you’re still there. Odds are good it is because you just haven’t updated your mental files on this situation in light of what you’ve learned and who and where you are now, or you’ve grown accustomed to being led and are reluctant to forge your own trail.

Whenever you feel stuck, call to mind the things in your life that you’re weary of, and for a moment, ponder how they are just one tiny possibility in an infinite sea of potential. Think of how many spiritual teachers there are! Contemplate how many friends, lovers, jobs, books, ideas, etc., you’ve yet to encounter. Let the immensity of all that potential stir your soul and draw you out of what has been into all that could be. If you listen to your weariness, it will eventually guide you into exciting new beginnings and discoveries.

– Soul Arcanum

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