It is important to clarify that these are ancient teachings and words are not helpful beyond a point. The teachings cannot be shared casually on a website for it risks disrespect and dilution of its profound potency. They would need to be shared only in a very intentional and well-nurtured container where we have all really slowed down to receive Her (the alive transmission of the teachings).

Having said that, for the sake of some rudimentary understanding that pacifies the mind we can say:

The ultimate goal is Sahaja (सहज). That is achieved through:

(1) Coming into attunement and alignment with the Sacred or Divine. It is to inquire what is the Sacred as a direct visceral experience for me (and not just a philosophy, concept, dogma, ideology or religion)?

(2) Freedom from ignorance, i.e. Avidyā (अविद्या) or the fundamental misperception of the nature of reality; and freedom from Karmas (कर्म) and Saṃskāras (saṅkhāra सङ्खार or संस्कार or saṃskāra)​​ (eg: greed, hate and fear or delusion that causes unnecessary suffering i.e second arrow); and the ability to experience reality as it is and not as it appears to be.

(3) Samāveśa (समावेश): Entering or abiding together.
Samāveśa is a dynamic process of absorption either from the individual sense of self into the universal consciousness or the descent of that universal consciousness into the individual layers of being. Both movements are significant in the spiritual journey, leading to deeper states of realization and embodying the highest truths within one's existence. Samāveśa is not just a theoretical understanding but a visceral experience that transforms one's perception of self and the world. It is a profound state of absorption or mystical union where the practitioner becomes completely one in the divine or ultimate reality. Samvesa is often facilitated through specific practices such as meditation, and deity yoga.

In an era marked by profound personal, interpersonal, systemic and global conflicts, an increasing number of individuals grapple with discontent, stress, and rudderlessness and this has ever intensified the external turmoil. Throughout history various spiritual traditions have attempted to offer a path to navigate this unrest. However, a pivotal teaching that seems to have eluded humanity's collective memory is the consequences of generating karma (कर्म) that is not in alignment with the Divine.

What happens when we generate Karma mis-aligned from the Divine?

Karma, in its essence, is the volitional actions (as well as inactions) of body, speech, and mind that stem from intention (cetanā). These actions and inactions trigger a chain of cause and effect, sculpting an individual's experiences across lifetimes. Aligned karmas, in attunement with the Sacred, unveil the inherent Buddha-nature, leading to 'ananda' (profound bliss). Conversely, misaligned karmas breed suffering.

Sahajayana teachings call us to be intentional about our karmas and deeply inquire whether they are in alignment with our Dharma (धर्म Sacred duty or path). Because when we are out of alignment we are not just causing suffering to ourselves but also risking great harm to others.

In the Anthropocene era, our awareness will uncover a troubling reality. I request you to truly slow down in order to read the following:

(1) In the 50 years from 1970 to 2020 human beings are responsible for the decline/disappearance of an average of 69% of wildlife population. (This percentage is based on the Living Planet Index (LPI) which tracks over 5000 vertebrate species. Many more known species which are under the threat of extinction may not be included in this study). Source [1] & [2]

(2) An astonishing 79% of the total plastic production has ended up in landfills or oceans, where it takes over 500 years to break down. Source [1]

(3) In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years. Source [1]

(4) Since 1900, sea levels have risen faster than in any preceding century in at least the past 3,000 years. Source [1]

Upon truly opening our eyes to the state of our world, it becomes undeniable that humanity is perpetrating an ecocide on this planet. The imbalance of the outer ecology is a direct reflection of the turmoil in our inner ecology.

Today, much of human activity stems from a failure to confront our true selves, a desire to flee from the present moment, resulting in actions driven by fear, greed, and unhealed trauma. Another way this manifests is through dominant behaviors of racism, classism, sexism, heteropatriarchy and capitalism.

(5) US defense budget was 817 Billion for 2023. China’s budget is 224 Billion. The UN's World Food Program says that $40 Billion per year i.e. 5% of the US Defense Budget can end world hunger by 2030. Source [1] & [2]

(6) Income inequity: According to federal data, the top 1% of Americans own a whopping 31% (43.94 trillion dollars) of the national wealth and the bottom 50% own less than 2.45% . The world’s ten richest men own more wealth than the bottom 40 percent of humanity, 3.1 billion people. Also the bottom 10th percentile of US household wealth was zero dollars, meaning 1 in 10 households had wealth of zero dollars. Simultaneously, the top 10th percentile owned 69% of the nation's wealth. Source [1], [2] & [3]

(7) Globally, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in 2021. Source [1]

(8) According to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in 2022, the number of people forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order stands at 108 million, up from 40 million in 1990. Source [1]

When we see these numbers we realize that this is not just an ecological or economic crisis. This is indeed a spiritual crisis.

When most people let themselves, not just read, but feel what is happening around them, they experience grief, anger, fear, confusion, shame, guilt, helplessness and despair. The over-coupling of these emotions creates overwhelm inside, causing many to default to a state of freeze (or flight or fight). In short, they disconnect. They turn away. They detach and seek refuge in denial, crafting an alternate reality that negates the turmoil surrounding them, perfecting various forms of self-numbing and self-delusion.

In this retreat, they pivot towards an intensified focus on individualism, prioritizing personal security, well-being, and the prosperity of their immediate family. Investments in personal futures, health enhancements, and professional achievements become the focus. The pursuit of fulfillment becomes entwined with material possessions, societal accolades, and the quest for external validation, profoundly shifting where they channel their energies.

Yet behind self-preserving walls of hyper-individualism and indifference, the waves of grief, frustration and existential emptiness still rise. This results in a pervasive, toxic tension that spreads throughout the body, creating knots, sapping vital energy or prāṇa. To counteract this depletion and internal discomfort, they double down on external stimulants like shopping, need to be seen and admired by others, as well as alcohol, drugs, porn, beauty and health obsession, orthorexia, hyper-wellness, entertainment, and social media..

There's an inherent distortion in this form of individualism, warping the subtle energy-body at its core. We are not wired to be separate - it goes against our nature, our flow, our eros. We are interlinked through unseen neural pathways, reminiscent of Indra's net, like the trees in a forest connected and nourishing each other via a mycelium network. Our own well-being is deeply tied to the well-being of others.

Sahajayana teachings show us the unsustainable nature of this disconnection. In fact, it illuminates how this disconnection or turning away from reality, from our Dharma, generates more unwholesome karmas entangling us further in a web of suffering.

These teachings offer us the tools and nourishment we need in order to not succumb to avoidance or spiritual bypassing but instead to meet the intensity of what is happening with eyes and hearts wide open.

The 84,000 dharma doors in Buddhism symbolize the vast array of paths to spiritual enlightenment, reflecting the diversity of human psychology and the various routes to liberation. However, many find themselves anchored to a singular domain of their spiritual inquiry, often remaining stuck within the myopia of that path.

While many religious and spiritual practices have brought relief and uplift, the intent here is not to condemn any system that has helped individuals. However, in the interest of self-inquiry, it is crucial to recognize possible self-deceptions that confine our spiritual potential to partial truths.

Some common spiritual traps

(A) The Transcendence Model

In the cosmology of many spiritual teachings the material realm is deemed inferior, with a focus on transcending samsara through specific practices. This raises the question: if the material realm is not real, why concern ourselves with it or seek our Dharma, our purpose, and serve this earth?

This approach fixates on transcendence without harmonizing the relative and absolute aspects of reality. The material realm is not necessarily as it appears to be, but dismissing it as entirely unreal, risks veering into nihilism.

Dismissing the material world as irrelevant and inferior while still reaping its benefits presents a perplexing paradox, exposing an extractive and anthropocentric attitude. (For example: a person who might demean the material realm might go into a one month meditation retreat, where they consume tomatoes in their meal, cultivated by a Mexican farmer, who toils for less than 23 cents an hour under grueling and exploitative conditions).

(B) The Danger of spiritual siloes
We honor teachings guiding inner calm amid outer storms. But there are many meditation techniques and spiritual paths that create compartments between spiritual and worldly life - which leads to a fragmented existence - where spirituality serves more as an escape rather than a means of engagement with life's complexities. This dichotomy prevents a holistic awakening, neglecting significant aspects of our humanity — such as messy emotions, sensuality, sexuality, relationship with material pleasures and interpersonal dynamics — unexamined and unhealed. When our spirituality does not help us fully confront our shadows, our realization remains stunted and perpetuates violence. Disconnected from the raw pulse of life, a fragmented spirituality illuminates only part of the self, leaving the rest in muted echoes.

(C) The Coddling Spirituality

Humanity as a collective is stuck in the adolescent stage of its spiritual development. When overwhelmed by challenges people’s adolescent consciousness reacts with either (a) helplessness and withdrawal or more often (b) by a kind of teenage rebellion. This is characterized by shortsightedness, excitedness and even recklessness. Mirroring a rebellious teen's disregard for rules (i.e. sacred laws of nature), pushing boundaries, throwing tantrums and testing limits, we've pillaged the earth, oblivious to the consequences.

Our collective immaturity shows a stark absence of accountability, a glaring lack of capacity for self-reflection, and a woeful neglect of our responsibilities to each other and the planet. Alarmingly, even at the highest levels of influence, our so-called political leaders and corporate heads exhibit juvenile self-destructive behavior, threatening to obliterate humanity with their short-sighted actions - be it through nuclear warfare or relentless extraction of the planet.

Because most people are in this adolescent consciousness, there's a tendency to gravitate towards spiritual communities that soothe rather than challenge. (There is surely a stage in one’s spiritual journey, for practices that heal and comfort us. That softly holds us and strengthens our nervous system. But an endless focus on soothing and coddling stunt’s growth. )

Generally, these communities foster co-dependence, providing an echo chamber that shield practitioners from the rigors of self-inquiry and shadow work - in awakening the sacred warrior that shows up for their Dharma.

In a world fractured by conflict, our quest for safety and belonging might not be fulfilled by simply seeking out or passively dwelling in purported safe havens for an endless amount of time. True safety and stability in our nervous system may be cultivated through tapping into our inner resources and making active efforts towards ‘systems changing service work.’ This shift from a passive to an active stance marks our transition from adolescent to adult consciousness.

Sahajayana is clear that the mind that birthed this turmoil cannot resolve it. The answer can never come from the structure of thought. It requires us to activate a completely different faculty of consciousness to find our way. And for that our body is our portal.

The teachings of Sahajayana are not in words or books. They are a living transmission, lifting liminal veils into Advaya's expanse. These life-altering approaches demand intense dedication and delicate attention from the student. They are not something to be casually spoken of on a blog post or social media.

At the more intermediate and advanced levels the teachings flow mostly through non-verbal energetic communication between the teacher and student; a stream that is very consciously and delicately nurtured through devotion.

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If you are feeling called to explore further then you can apply for the upcoming Foundations Course starting on July 12th, 2024: Nourishing the Ground