Rishi Singh Gherwal's 'Kundalini: The Mother of the Universe' is a profound exploration of the ancient practice of Kundalini awakening. The book delves into the esoteric knowledge surrounding the dormant energy believed to be coiled at the base of the spine, and the process through which it can be awakened to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Gherwal's writing style is both scholarly and mystical, drawing on ancient texts and personal insights to provide a comprehensive understanding of Kundalini energy and its transformative power. This book stands out in the literary landscape for its unique blend of spiritual philosophy and practical guidance, making it a valuable resource for both scholars and practitioners of Kundalini yoga and meditation. Gherwal's deep understanding of the subject matter shines through in every page, offering readers a clear and insightful exploration of this ancient practice. 'Kundalini: The Mother of the Universe' is a must-read for anyone interested in delving deeper into the realms of spiritual awakening and self-realization.

India is the mysterious land chosen as her own by Kundalini, The Mother of the Universe. What we read in old histories and Holy Bibles, and the records, can be seen there today. In India there are Yogis who perform such marvelous feats that Doctors, Scientists and Chemists are unable to solve them, and I may say, are unable to understand them. For instance, such feats, as lying down upon blazing logs of fire; walking over red hot fire that has been especially prepared by burning ten tons of wood, twenty men walked over this without a burn - not even a hair on their feet; also feats of levitation, walking on water, etc., equally as astonishing. Yogi Haridas, at Lahore, willingly permitted himself to be buried alive for forty days under fifteen feet of earth. After that length of time, he was taken out as normal as ever. Such as that, and standing on one leg for years; head buried in the earth with both legs up in the air for days; living without food for forty years, these and many other things can be seen in India today. Any one wishing to read further about this may obtain the author's booklet entitled: "Marvelous feats performed by Yogis through Yoga." I have received many letters asking: "How can that be done?" The answer is, they always do this through the Kundalini (The Divine Mother) by awakening her from her sleep, for then any one can have supernatural power - this is her gift with unfoldment. "Kundalini the Giver of Health"; "Kundalini the Giver of Wealth"; "Kundalini the Giver of Joy and Happiness"; "Kundalini the Giver of Faith"; "Kundalini the Giver of Bliss, Life, and Powers." By awakening her, seeming miracles can be performed by men and women. The resurrection came as a living faith; see "The Great Masters of the Himalayas" - by the author. The Kundalini is always back of all powers and feats of seeming miracles. She is the All in All. Swami Vivekananda says: "Whenever there is any manifestation of what is ordinarily called supernatural power or wisdom, there must have been a little (control over the) current of Kundalini which found its way into the Sushumna. Only, in the vast majority of such cases of supernaturalism, they ignorantly stumble on some practice which set free, (and made them conscious of) a minute portion, (of the control) of the coiled up Kundalini." The Kundalini (Divine Mother), always keeps for herself a chosen country, in which her higher wisdom is preserved from all dangers. That land is India. When she wanted to see the play of helplessness, weakness and ignorance of the world, she chose that land. When the Kundalini again wants to raise up from ignorance to Mighty Wisdom, and a Blissful state, she chooses India again, for the purpose of raising India once more to the highest of Pure Wisdom. In ages past the greatest Avatars, of India - Sri Rama Chandar, Ram Sri, Sri Krishna, King Janak, Guru, Buddha and countless others. The present day we have Saint Mahatma Gandhi. Why does the Kundalini choose India? To perfect her being and for the purpose of perfecting harmony. That only can save the world from misery of selfishness and hate. Only India can find harmony. That harmony is by change of heart. Such change and harmony comes by Yoga. Yoga can and will change the mind, heart, and action; this change is from within; not from without. Not by politics nor by creeds but by the realization of the Goddess Kundalini, remodeling life by pure Wisdom - not by knowledge. This Divine Harmony is not alone for suffering humanity, but for even the smallest insects, animals, etc. That change of heart, that Blessed Harmony, the son of Mother India, Mahatma Gandhi, has shown the world.

Those who love poetry will appreciate the wildly metaphysical, allegorical, and yet intensely honest and personal songs of the eighteenth-century poet and saint Ramprasad. These songs vividly present the mystery of the Feminine Divine, an intimate experience of the Mother, and a vast play of energy sustained by the Goddess Kali.

Eternal salutations to Sri Durga, to Sri Kali, the boundless ocean of spiritual Wisdom who is the Divine Mother of the Universe. This ever-present Goddess epitomizes both the bliss of unlimited Awareness and the enthralling play of universal projection. She manifests countless beings abiding in an infinite set of worlds, seen and unseen, gross and subtle, hidden and exposed. Her existence is confirmed by the holy scriptures, for She is perceived intellectually by means of the Six Darshanas, Her perpetually flowing streams of eternal spiritual knowledge. She is approached and contacted by the devotees through intense sadhana, spiritual disciplines prescribed by the guru, and She is accessible through contemplation and meditation. Ultimately, She is realized as the essence of limitless Consciousness, infinite, indivisible, all-pervading and absolute... The Twenty-Four Aspects of Mother Kali, then, represent in book form an attempt to remind humanity of their divine parentage, of their divine nature, of their source of origin. It is hoped that those who are still asleep to this supreme verity called the Divine Mother of the Universe will have their inherent spirituality awakened; that those who have fallen into complacency or despondency will have their commitment to this non-dual Truth of existence rekindled; that those who are already abiding in this Truth will further exult in this sublime Essence of pure Being and continue to spread the pure light of Timeless Awareness to all inhabitants sporting consciously or unconsciously in the boundless ocean of the Universal Mother’s ineffable Grace.

Presents the mystery of the Divine Mother in all her manifold aspects • Explores more than 30 different goddess aspects of the Shakti force, both beneficial and malefic • Includes Sanskrit hymns and classic verses by Sri Auribindo for each of the goddesses Shakti is synonymous with the Devi, the Divine Mother or divine power that manifests, sustains, and transforms the universe. She is the womb of all creatures, and it is through her that the One becomes the many. Our first and primary relationship to the world is through the mother, the source of love, security, and nourishment. Extending this relationship to worship of a cosmic being as mother was a natural step found not only in the Shakti cult of Hinduism but also in ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures. Shakti presents more than 30 goddess incarnations of the Divine Mother that represent both the beneficial and malefic aspects of the Shakti force. From Lakshmi, Parvati, and Saraswati to Durga, Chandika, and Kali--each of the different functions of the female goddesses in the Hindu pantheon is revealed, accompanied by traditional Sanskrit hymns, classic verses by Sri Auribindo, and discussions of tantric philosophy. The author draws from the Devi Bhagavatham, which describes all the stories of Shakti, and the Devi Mahatmyam, the most powerful scriptural text that glorifies Shakti in her form as Durga. Using these texts she shows that through the power and grace of the Divine Mother we may be released from the darkness of ignorance and taken to the abode of knowledge, immortality, and bliss--the source from which we have come.

This beautiful book takes us to India today and shows us a Goddess who flourishes in temples, festivals, and in the hearts of millions. Johnsen penetrates the heart of the tradition to reveal that it offers not only an honouring of fertility and feminine values, but an amazing revelation of the limitless potentials of human consciousness.

Adapted from a series of lectures on the historical basis and current resurgence of the sacred feminine, given by Andrew Harvey at the California Institute of Integral Studies in Spring 1994, The Return of the Mother is a profound journey into the heart of the Divine Mother. In this comprehensive and groundbreaking work, mystical scholar Andrew Harvey unearths traces of the sacred feminine in major world religions—Hinduism, Islam (Sufism), Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity—and in aboriginal and indigenous wisdom traditions. Harvey presents a scathing critique of the patriarchal distortions in religious history and doctrine that have obscured full knowledge of the Divine Mother, and shows how to reintegrate this vital aspect into the spiritual consciousness of humankind. The Return of the Mother offers a radical new perspective, balancing the historical overemphasis on transcendence by honoring the immanence of the divine in passionate engagement in the world. Only by cultivating a direct, respectful relationship with the transformative power of the sacred feminine can we alter our disastrous attitude of dissociation from nature, the body, sexuality, and the details of human life, and generate the energy and compassion needed to reverse the course of destruction we have set the planet—and all of life—hurtling toward. In lively question-and-answer sections, Harvey further illuminates these vital issues and takes a strong stand against our dependence on “gurus” and “masters,” proposing instead an egalitarian model of spiritual community based on intimate groups of mutually supportive guides and friends. The Return of the Mother is an eloquent and passionate call for all of us to rediscover and reclaim an authentic and empowering relationship to the divine, and recreate a sacred life-in-the-world.

"A profoundly personal exploration of our soul'squest for the direct mystical experience of the Divine. It combines the ancient wisdom of the East, Kundalini and insights from Joseph Campbell and C. G. Jung to illumine your path to God.