055. Siddhananda

Siddhananda’s journey began in her teenage years. It wasn’t until she was around 30 that her journey and seeking of truth began in earnest.

At this time, Spiritual practices were picked up on her own, and Kundalini spontaneously awakened due to a sincere prayer of wanting to be of service to humanity. She was not prepared or had any idea what this awakening would open or where it would lead.

With this awakening, many phenomena, shifting states of consciousness and radical mood changes manifested which left her extremely ungrounded and shaken. After a long period of struggling to understand what was taking place and being unsuccessful at coming to any balance or peace within, Siddhananda found her Guru, GuruSwamiG.

Siddhananda has been with her Guru for 10 years. Increasing stability, deepening states as well as balance slowly filtered in during this time  due to  her Guru’s  grace and guidance.

Recently, a profound shift took place in which all sense of separation and individuality suddenly dropped. Spontaneously, a starkly different reality was revealed–an immediate non-dual, pure beingness in which there never existed an “other”.  This presence (One without a second) has remained and is known without a doubt that it is the truth of what all of humanity truly is at the core.

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 1/18/2011.

Audio and video below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Siddhananda’s spiritual journey
  • 00:02:39 – Facing Fears in Graveyards
  • 00:04:31 – The Poetry of Krishnamurti
  • 00:06:01 – Debilitating Experiences and Mystical Insights
  • 00:08:00 – The Pull of Spiritual Awakening
  • 00:10:08 – From Darkness to Light
  • 00:12:33 – Discovering Kundalini Energy
  • 00:14:33 – The Potency and Caution of Spiritual Experiences
  • 00:16:35 – Five Years of Intensity
  • 00:18:58 – Kriyas and Spiritual Awakening
  • 00:21:23 – Connecting with a Kundalini Guide in Seattle
  • 00:23:36 – A Life-changing Encounter in India
  • 00:25:35 – Finding Stability and Balance
  • 00:28:20 – The Importance of a Guru Guide
  • 00:31:14 – The Blessing of Suffering and Desperation for a Guru
  • 00:33:52 – Submitting to a Teacher
  • 00:37:30 – Trusting in the Inherent Intelligence of the Universe
  • 00:40:47 – The Blessing of Guruji
  • 00:43:26 – Vibrating Thoughts and Fluid Consciousness
  • 00:45:49 – Devotional Experiences and the Practice of Mantras
  • 00:49:00 – The Illusion of Seeking Phenomena
  • 00:52:38 – The Experience of Non-Dual Consciousness
  • 00:57:02 – The Dissolution of the Ego
  • 01:01:39 – The Illusion of Separation
  • 01:06:51 – The Revelation of Non-Dual Presence
  • 01:13:28 – The Mystery of Personality and Identity
  • 01:20:43 – The Nature of Ego and Suffering
  • 01:25:45 – Working with Students in the Online Ashram
  • 01:31:32 – The Temporal and Eternal Qualities of the Substratum
  • 01:37:21 – Transmission and Bliss
  • 01:44:34 – Trusting the Universe