Homage

Homage to Guru Datta, Maha Siddha Matsyendranātha, Guru Gorakhia, all Siddhas, Ḍākinīs, Three Mothers, and the One Luminous Presence in all beings.

In Hindu year of 2034 (1977 CE), I had privilege of meeting a Siddha. A Siddha is Sanskrit word for person who has achieved ‘impeccable excellence’ or ‘accomplishment’ in the realm of inner work. I was 8 years old and I had no idea that he was a Siddha or what was his ‘accomplishment’. His name was Gorakhia, at least that is what he used as his name. Gorakhia means one who belongs to Guru Gorakhnath (9th-10thCE), the great yogi and siddha.

Mahsiddha Matsyendranātha (8th-9thCE) was teacher of Guru Gorakhnath and together they founded Hatha Yoga and Nath Tradition. The mahasiddha Matsyendranātha was Kāpālika who also founded Kaulamārga and influenced Vajrayana Buddhism (as MahaSiddha Luipada), and Trika (Kashmir Shaivism) traditions. In Nepal he is known as Macchindranāth.

Gorakhia lived in a cave in Girnar Mountain, an hour’s ride from my house. The Gir forest is home to many wild animals, reptiles, lions, yogins, aghories, sadhus, and siddhas. The Girnar Mountain is considered the prehistoric home of siddhas; a legend says that Girnar Mountain is the face of Sri Dattatriya, the founder of Siddha tradition.

Gorakhia used to visit our town three or four times a year to collect food and donations from people and rest of the year he would be in his cave practicing tantric inner work. He rarely used to talk to anyone. He was initiated into practice of three tantric traditions: Kaulamārga, Natha, and Kāpālika. His inner practices focused on mandalas of: Trika/Three Mothers, Varahi, Bhairvi, Bhairva, Mahakala, Kali, Chedna (छेदन, or Chöd) and kiliya.

The practice of Yoga and Tantra is common to the Vajrayana Buddhism, the Kāpālika and the Kaula tradition. Kāpālika Natha tradition (8th CE) is ocean of multiple tantric tributaries from Vajrayana, Kāpālika, Kula, and Karma, with primary practice focused on Samāveśa (समावेश). Many Yogini temples of North-East & Central India (Odisha, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Central Maharashtra), and Nepal were primary centers of practitioners.

As a child I had very weak immune system and suffered from many chronic metabolic and respiratory illnesses. I was always fascinated by stories of people who live in forest and never get sick or suffer any illness.

To this day i don’t know, and will never know, what prompted Gorakhia to take me as his apprentice and help me in healing and transformation of physical and subtle being. He taught me deeper and internal aspects of yoga, ayurveda, antar matrika nyasa, shatkriyas, trika/paravak, and above all empowering me into inner mandala of Varahi and Bharavi to circulate ojas-agni before my puberty. There are no words to express my gratitude towards his kindness and grace.

All his inner tantric work was focused on one accomplishment: Samāveśa (समावेश)

Samāveśa is a Sanskrit word and often translated as entering or abiding together, merging, inclusion, penetration, possession, etc. These translation may be considered literally correct but they don’t resonate the depth and spectrum of subtle meaning that Gorakhia explained. His way of explanation was that if one literally translates his name, ‘Gorakhia’ (Go-rakhia) then it will mean ‘keeper of Cow” or “saved by Cow” and that will be correct translation but does not convey the deeper meaning. Gorakhia means the one who follows the path of Gorakh, to become the Gorakh the great siddha yogi. And that becoming or recognizing and transforming is: Samāveśa.

The meaning of Samāveśa is based on oneness. In love we become who we love – that is the ultimate samāveśa.

When we wake up in morning, we become ‘waking consciousness’ and ‘sleeping consciousness’, when we go to sleep. Learning ‘to become’ is the core aspect of all tantric paths.

Samāveśa is the innate power of our awareness. In tantric work healing is not about “fighting illness”, or “getting rid of disease”, or “balancing the unbalanced”, but it is about ‘transforming to become healthy’.

In 1990, Gorkhia left Girnar mountain and went on his final journey to Mt. Kailash and never came back. In 2010, I travelled for seven months across Himalaya from Ladakh to Sikkim, including performing the kora of Mt. Kailash, with a faint hope to find Gorkhia one more time. I met several healers, lamas, yogis, tantriks, but not my teacher Gorakhia.

I have continued to learn and receive empowerments from many teachers, HDDL XIV (Yamantaka, 2012), Lama Lodru Rinpoche (Chöd, 2015), Lama Allione (Dakini Mandala, 2018), and Mantra Healing (Yuthok Nyingthig tradition, 2021).

I focus on practicing and teaching secular healing (not religious, nor mystical) aspect of inner tantric work which is the transformation of awareness.

āpyāyantu iti śāntiḥ
May this bring fulfilment and thus, peace.
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