[From an email exchange on January 6, 2008 11:14 AM]
Subject: Question To Guruji from Don about Lineage
* Namaste!
- Namaste and Great Day -
* Where might I read most specifically about Guru Swami-G's lineage?
- My path has been eclectic - my Guru's none that would be recognized. Lineage: Esoteric Christian - Tantric - Shavite (one of the 10 dasnami traditions, this is one of the oldest traditions in India). What is it you are specifically looking for?
* I am trying to get a clearer picture of the function of "lineage," as you spoke of in your videos. Particularly that a Sat Guru is "commissioned" to be able to help others from a "lineage." And, without being "commissioned by a lineage" the Guru would not be able to help others.
- OK - there is a bit of confusion then. I have said to those who start with the litany of "you are self appointed" that No, i had a Guru that indeed pronounced the state of Realization here. His background was he was taught by 3 Tantric Masters and he himself was also a Tantric, although for him Realization came through Poonjaji, as he was Ripe through his former practices so there was but a thread to be cut. His father was a Realized Being as well.
This means simply that when my Guru saw that, indeed, all had fallen away into Realization he commissioned me to be a Guru by directly saying "it is now time for you to be a Guru". This was not an idea that i had - it was his admonition. He didn't appear in a dream nor was it that i simply decided "gee, being a guru would be nice". OThere is a danger when one doesn't have a Sat Guru that when the first taste of Bliss or oneness arises that they will *think* they have attained and then they self-appoint themselves as gurus. And yet they are still themselves in the midst of the journey. Then you have the blind leading the blind. Now maybe they are very charismatic and have a lot of shakti but this is no indicator of having the wisdom to be a Guru. People confuse this. Guruji always said that the only true Tantric is the Realized 0-ne. ahahahahahahahaah
* I was wanting to know how you see your lineage and what lineage you were commissioned by to do the important work you do.
- The Lineage of having walked the path from start to completion. The Lineage of Realized Masters - as far as the externals of lineages, they are only indicators of perhaps what type of leanings that the practices will take. Some lineages have become so bogged down in dogmas that they have lost the lifeblood. When speaking of lineage it simply means that there was guidance along the way - although for most of my life it was the Inner Mystics Path - traversing the dark night of the soul and much inner soul searching etc. That came under the heading of the Esoteric Christian Order- Walking the path of Christ.
* As I and others have shared, I have so needed one-to-one instruction and guidance by someone who has traveled this path.
- Indeed, only one that has actually walked it from start to finish can understand and write the map of it. It can't be given by one with theory and no practical knowledge. No lineage by itself is going to help. One HAS to have a Master in place that has Mastered their own journey rather than a set of dogmatic rules and practices. Am not speaking of dead lineages of pomp and circumstance. Am speaking of the Lineage of Realized Masters no matter what the tradition they passed through.
* When you mentioned the "tantra" tradition as one that does this,I felt something deep inside of me click into place. You so clearly do that, so I was wondering if your lineage was that of "tantra" or included that.
- Tantra is the art of using All of life as practice. This is a tantric type of path - yes. But tantra has gotten such a bad name in being touted as finding liberation through sex. Or in india, as being somehow mixed up with doing black magic. Neither of these is correct. And so have not used the name tantra too often as it brings more confusion than not sometimes.
* I am sorting out, in a most productive way, so much confusion the past two weeks with my brief connection to you and your teaching, and this is just one of the many things that have confused me when reading and studying with other teachers who claim a lineage.
- Ok - well there is lineage as far as a tradition and school is concerned. And this can become a dead thing - when you have those who are caught up within dogmas - practices by rote etc. that simply keep one in a spin of creating and exchanging one conditioning for another. So am not speaking of this type of being commissioned. hahahahahahah Nor this type of lineage.
* When you study with a Guru do you, as a student, therefore, become a part of or belong to the Guru's lineage?
- One becomes their Guru - yes. Their background becomes in a sense your background. Would say a lineage is a way of seeing - as lineage comes out of a Sat Guru's or Masters pointings. Unfortunately when there is not a Sat Guru or Master in place that remains Fluid then the tradition may become cold rather than Enlivened.
* Can you have more than one lineage (seems to me most people, especially in the West are eclectic but none I have met ever attained Realization)?
- In the case here i had a number of initiations and have belonged to a number of traditions BUT each was walked on it's own merits only for a time. In other words i wasn't mixing them all at once. I didn't have numerous teachers trying to juggle them at one time. It was a succession of Teachers - paths - and teachings - one by one. <ul><li>1. Esoteric Christian Path - Holy Order of Mans</li><li> 2. Bhakti path - no formal initiation but was instrumental in development </li><li>3. Buddhist - initiate name Karma Sonam Wangmo - Karma Kagyu path (this was really simply a connection with past life tradition) there was remembrence of doing Chod practices in former life and this was a conscious seeing. hahahahahaha nothing is lost from lifetime to lifetime when it comes to spiritual endeavors. </li><li>4. Sri Rajiv instruction into Tantric and blowing out all conditionings. Commissioned to be a Guru. </li><li>5. Sundar Puri - aiding in his passing - also he pointed for this one to give to those in the west (this is also having to do with past life- one could say tying up lose ends hahahahahahah). He really pushed for the taking of Sannyas in this tradition as it has to do with Kundalini.</li><li> 6. Ushered into Sannyas - after Realization. Into this old tradition and lineage of Shavism. For whatever reason this was the way it unfolded.
* Does the lineage only matter if a person becomes a Guru, versus Realization?
- hahahahaha It only matters to those in the world that have a bookish mentality. It is only another way to *classify and to box in a way of thinking*. The world wants a way to define and catagorize but really the path is about breaking free of all of this. Simply what is meant by all of this is that one needs to have a Realized Master or Guru in place to aide in ones journey or else one has simply a blind man bumping through the night. Without having the Gurus and Mentors in place that were there at the right time this one would still be wandering around in no-mans land chasing phenomena and having ideas about what it should be versus being able to break through to the Reality. It is only a Realized Master that can understand and stabalize one that is having the conditioned mind broken apart and dismantling, pulling one towards Realization. ONLY 0-ne that rests in Realization understands whether or not it is Realization or just another passing stage along the way. The one traversing these stages can get to a passing stage where there is Bliss and oneness and may mistake it to be Realization. This is where it is Paramount to have in place a Guide and Mentor that KNOWS the path - the way - from start to finish.
* Thank you for your follow up question.
- You are most welcome The journey here was long and colorful - hahahaahahah it was like tying up lose ends from lifetimes of practices and coming out the other side Free of them. O-ne enters into the Tradition and Lineage of Lineage Holders - those who speak from the Fluidity of Crazy Wisdom or Direct and Penetrating Knowing that carries the Transmission of Stillness Directly. It does no good to be locked into a *tradition* or even a *lineage* when it has been reduced to dogmas and dead practices.
