196. Swami Khecaranatha

Swami Khecaranatha has been teaching Kundalini Sadhana since 1972. With a mastery etched from five decades of inner practice and selfless service, he is an authentic adept of Tantric Shaivism and an initiated carrier in the Shakti Transmission Lineage of Bhagavan Nityananda and Swami Rudrananda (Rudi). Khecaranatha is the spiritual leader of Heart of Consciousness, which is based at Nityakash, his retreat center on Maui, Hawaii. Swami Khecaranatha was not born to privilege or in a spiritual environment, but to an American family in circumstances comparable to those of most of his readers. While living in an ashram for thirty years he also held several “real-world” jobs, including that of CEO of a multimillion-dollar publishing/consulting business. This personal experience has strengthened Swami Khecaranatha's conviction that it is possible to live fully in the world while developing and maintaining one's conscious connection with the Divinity within. From this platform, he is able to discuss spiritual growth in language that is relevant to students' daily lives, giving them specific tools to actualize the radical transformation of consciousness that is available to anyone willing to work in-depth, over time. Books: Merging With The Divine: One Day at a Time Depth Over Time: Kundalini MahaYoga: A Path of Transformation and Liberation The Heart of Recognition: The Wisdom and Practices of the Pratyabhijna Hrdayam Shiva's Trident: The Consciousness of Freedom and the Means to Liberation Website: heartofc.org Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 5, 2013. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Swami Khecaranatha (Nathaji) 00:03:29 - From Disbelief to Spiritual Awakening 00:07:12 - The Grace of Meeting Rudi 00:11:39 - Rudi's Break from Muktananda 00:15:14 - The Kundalini Awakening and Meditation Techniques 00:19:18 - Kundalini Yoga: Becoming aware of energy frequencies 00:22:44 - The Transmission of Shaktipat 00:26:26 - The Initiation from Rudi 00:30:28 - Kundalini Awakening and the Potential Dangers 00:34:17 - The Intensity of Kundalini Awakening 00:38:02 - Burning with Emotions 00:41:35 - The Divine Force that Created Us 00:45:25 - The Zoomed-In Microscope and God's Plan 00:48:53 - The Four Upayas 00:52:29 - Rudi's Accelerated Growth 00:55:45 - The Intensity After Rudi's Passing 00:59:02 - Siddhis and Enlightenment 01:02:34 - Finding Joy in Life 01:06:01 - The Seduction of Enlightenment 01:09:44 - The Challenge of Describing Enlightenment 01:13:46 - The Origins and Development of Shaivism 01:17:15 - Awakening the Psychic Body and Ascending Consciousness 01:21:15 - The Ultimate Reality within Ourselves 01:24:01 - Tantra as a Practice in Kashmir Shaivism 01:27:59 - The Journey to Becoming a Swami 01:31:42 - Rudi's Teaching and Tantric Shaivism 01:35:21 - Swami's Personal Life and the Levels of Sannyas 01:39:09 - Surrendering to God and the creation of Rudramandir 01:42:43 - Thriving Amidst Challenges and Authenticity 01:45:57 - Concluding Remarks and Next Episode Preview 01:48:19 - End credits