Initiation and Spiritual Realization is the closest thing to a work on 'spiritual direction' René Guénon ever wrote, touching as it does upon such vital topics as the transmission of initiatic grace, the various types and functions of the spiritual master, obstacles the aspirant is likely to encounter, different modes of contemplation, and the degrees of spiritual realization. A companion volume to Perspectives on Initiation, where Guénon had defined the nature of initiation and of the organizations qualified to transmit it, Initiation and Spiritual Realization was the first thematic collection of Guénon's articles to appear after his death. And one doctrine expressed in this book stands out as particularly timely: that esoterism is not and cannot be a religion in itself, since to take it as such is to reduce it to an 'alternative' exoterism, and a heterodox one at that. Initiatic esoterism can only be legitimately and effectively practiced within the context of one of the established, revealed religions.
The present volume is a companion volume to Guenon Perspectives on Initiation, in which Guenon carefully defined the nature of initiation and of the organizations qualified to transmit it. In Initiation and Spiritual Realization he adds many details on related subjects, including various inner and outer obstacles the aspirant may face, the need for attachment to a traditional exoterism, the role of the spiritual master, and a closer examination of the degrees of spiritual realization.
The Symbolism of the Cross is a major doctrinal study of the central symbol of Christianity from the standpoint of the universal metaphysical tradition, the 'perennial philosophy' as it is called in the West. As Guernon points out, the cross is one of the most universal of all symbols and is far from belonging to Christianity alone. Indeed, Christians have sometimes tended to lose sight of its symbolism of its symbolical significance and to regard it as no more than the sign of a historical event. By restoring to the full spiritual value as a symbol, but without in any way detracting from its historical importance for Christianity, Guenon has performed a task of inestimable importance which perhaps only he, with his unrivaled knowledge of the symbolic languages of both East and West, was qualified to perform.
In Art of Super-Realization: Initiation, Paramahansa Yogananda guides readers on a profound journey of spiritual awakening and self-discovery. Through ancient wisdom and practical techniques, Yogananda illuminates the path to realizing one's highest potential and experiencing the ultimate truth of existence. This transformative book offers a gateway to inner peace, divine love, and the art of living in harmony with the universe.
Soul initiation is an essential spiritual adventure that most of the world has forgotten — or not yet discovered. Here, visionary ecopsychologist Bill Plotkin maps this journey, one that has not been previously illuminated in the contemporary Western world and yet is vital for the future of our species and our planet. Based on the experiences of thousands of people, this book provides phase-by-phase guidance for the descent to soul — the dissolution of current identity; the encounter with the mythopoetic mysteries of soul; and the metamorphosis of the ego into a cocreator of life-enhancing culture. Plotkin illustrates each phase of this riveting and sometimes hazardous odyssey with fascinating stories from many people, including those he has guided. Throughout he weaves an in-depth exploration of Carl Jung's Red Book — and an innovative framework for understanding it.
If you are interested in an extremely enjoyable Rapid Spiritual Enlightenment, then this is the right book for you. In Hinduism, they say that we are already God - we just do not realize it yet. We are like a light bulb, which is glowing brightly with Godliness, yet we cannot experience our own light. We are covered in many layers of caked-on mud and muck (karmas), which induce ignorance. We have forgotten who we really are. As we clean the layers of this ignorance off, we begin to see a little crack in the muck here, a slight bit of light radiating there. The more we clean, the closer we become to experiencing the light of our own true nature (God). Yona's energy work has assisted spiritual aspirants, spiritual healers, spiritual counselors, psychics, psychologists, and both Eastern and Western medical doctors, and many nurses when they needed special help with spiritual growth, spiritual initiations, spiritual healing, and spiritual rewiring, both in their personal life and in their work. It helped to uncover their God-Self within. This book has been broken down into Three Sections: Section A addresses several major recurring areas of life on the spiritual path. Most people on this path will encounter some situations for which they have no obvious answers. Section B is a remedy for the hurdles encountered on the path to Self-Realization, through Spiritual Healing and Spiritual Initiation. Section C consists of several chapters of inspiring mystical experiences with living Masters. It is a spiritually uplifting group of Christ-like Beings, several adept Spiritual Teachers and world-renowned Spiritual Masters such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa (one of the teachers of the Dalai Lama), Satguru Sant Keshavadasji, Ammachi Mata Amritanandamayi, Shri Anandi Ma and Shri Dileepji, Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and several other blessed Souls. Yona witnessed a very definite pattern emerge after offering spiritual healing, spiritual initiations and spiritual counseling in over ten thousand individual sessions to clients from around the world. The hurdles and obstacles become glaringly obvious on this path after having seen them repeatedly in others, and he has gone through more than his share of experiences from which to draw insight. This book is the culmination of volumes of spiritual experiences with some of the most famous living spiritual masters of our time, beginning in 1987.
Explains the phenomenon of shaktipat, the spiritual transmission of power from a teacher to a devotee • Shows how technology has eroded personal power and how insight and awareness can play a higher role in our lives • Reveals how insight is the vehicle for profound self-transformation Shakti is the creative force, the bonding power, that holds the universe together. Shaktipat is the moment when enlightenment is conferred upon a student instantaneously by his master’s touch. The guru conferring shaktipat creates a bond of power in those who have accepted him or her as their teacher. In Spiritual Initiation and the Breakthrough of Consciousness Joseph Chilton Pearce describes his experience of shaktipat from his teacher Swami Muktananda. From this awakening Pearce experiences a dramatic shift of mind and comes to the realization that perception is reality and that insight is our only vehicle for profound self-transformation. Oneness with God is the birthright of every individual, though we are culturally vaccinated to resist experiencing this higher consciousness. Our search for objective truth has lead us not to wholeness, but instead to the belief that we have no bond to each other, to God, or to an inanimate, physical world. Our technology reduces our ability to experience revelation and leads us instead toward the chatter of confused thinking. The challenge faced by modern humanity, which is the challenge Muktananda gave to his students, is to passionately gather up the scattered fragments of our lives and channel them into the creative realm, where with insight or revelation we will be able to become more than ourselves.
A prolific writer and author of over 24 books, Rene Guenon was the founder of the Perennialist/Traditionalist school of comparative religious thought. Known for his discourses on the intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy of the modern world, symbolism, tradition, and the inner or spiritual dimension of religion, this book is a compilation of his most important writings. A key component of his thought was the assertion that universal truths manifest themselves in various forms in the world's religions and his writings on Hinduism, Taoism, and Sufism are particularly illuminating in this regard.
Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power is an analysis of cyclical manifestation, and more specifically of the relationship between royal and sacerdotal power. In accord with the Hindu doctrine of manvantaras and Plato's depiction of historical degeneration in the Republic, Guénon views history here as a series of 'revolts' of lower castes against the higher. The kshatriyas (warriors) revolt against the brahmins (priests), thus setting the stage for a revolt of the vaishyas (loosely, the bourgeoisie), as in the French revolution-and, finally, the shudras (the proletariat), as in the Russian revolution (which Guénon does not touch upon in this work). From one point of view, this is a progressive degeneration; from another it is entirely lawful, given the 'entropic' nature of manifestation itself. External, historical descent reflects an inner degeneration: knowledge (the celestial paradise) is eclipsed by heroic action (the terrestrial paradise), which is in turn overrun by the inertia and agitation of the passions. Yet the nadir of degeneration is also the point of renewal: the dawning of the Heavenly Jerusalem-spiritual Knowledge-which begins a new cycle of manifestation.
