Ritsuko Sato 29, clinical inspection engineer at Japan Red-Cross
Although I had no interest in spiritual practice, I enrolled in AUM because my boyfriend recommended it. Nearly one year has passed since then. Looking back on the past one year, I'd like to write about Shaktipat, mystical experiences and transformation of my consciousness.
Let me start with Shaktipat, which led me to the path of spiritual practice.
I participated in the seminar held in June 1986 for the first time and received Shaktipat. The master said to me in advance, "You're going to have mystical experiences during this seminar." It's during this Shaktipat that they happened.
The energy of the master became poured into my Ajna Chakra, and made the Muladhara Chakra at the coccyx hot; heat went up as if it were raised by the master's energy; the heart started to beat fast and breathing was fough; the whole body tingled and became stiff; I was �ut of control. As I thought, "What on earth is this feeling?", my first Shaktipat was over. The master told me that what I experienced was the state called Etsu (Ecstacy), but I could not understand it at all. So I wanted to know the cause for the sensation which happened to my body and yet does not seem to be my own.
Though I received the second and the third Shaktipat and experienced similar states, they were not so exciting as the first one. This is because I myself stopped each change in my body and did not accept the master's energy obediently.
As my practice was advanced little by little, I was able to enjoy Etsu by myself. At first it happened by accident. Now if I concentrate on the Ajna Chakra, Kundalini goes up through each Chakra from the Muladhara Chakra, and the body reacts in the same way as when I receive Shaktipat. This experience solved the question that I had at the first Shaktipat and advanced my practice a step further.
As I received Shaktipat for the fourth, the fifth and the sixth time, the pleasant feeling got stronger and stronger both in the mind and body due to marvelous energy of the master, and it seemed that something beautiful was wrapping me, which can not be described adequately by such words as satisfaction and happiness. This is all about my experiences of Shaktipat in the past one year.
Now as to mystical experiences, I have little experiences such as Separation of the Lower Astral Body and Astral light and visions. However, one thing was printed on my mind firmly. It happened when I entered into the state of Etsu by myself for the first time. Since the Master was not beside me, and I knew no technique to control it, I was really scared and kept crying, "Master." Surprisingly the master came in through the wall and gradually approached me and quieted my mind and body. It was not an image, but I could clearly recognize his existence. I asked the master about this later, and he told me that he was in a deep meditative state at that time. This experience was quite valuable to me. I thought that the master was always with me.
By the way, what has been the most painful to me in the past year is to reflect upon my mind. It was very hard and painful to watch my own mind and actions controlled only by egoistic ideas such as conceit, envy, anger and adherence which continuously came up from myself. I hated myself. I avoided meeting people and had the urge to take myself out of existence. Pretending not to notice this feeling, I sometimes tried to turn my eyes to marriage, which was generally believed to be happiness in our society.
However, since I couldn't leave my mind as it previously was, I'm now trying to purify the mind by looking on its workings. I thought that this practice was going to make me and people around me happy, and decided to advance my practice seriously under the guidance of the master. After one month, I had the honor of receiving Shaktipat of the master demonstrated on the T.V. program. His energy I received at that time was stronger and greater than ever before. I believe it is indeed good to have believed in him, and recently I lived a very pleasant life with a bright heart.
I'd like to conclude my description of the past one year by expressing my gratitude to the master and to my boyfriend who introduced me to such a great master.
Points of Practice
She is a typical Kundalini yogini. Surprisingly, she could get into the stage of Etsu (Ecstacy) at the first Shaktipat. Such a person is indeed rare. The points of practice she should follow should be, whether or not she can get rid of the last obstacle, namely adherence, and whether or not she can perfectly believe in the Guru. If she can, she will achieve emancipation.