|
Back to Foreword (by Uri Geller)
Ever since Homo sapiens came into being, mankind has represented the deity he worships in the form of fire. God appearing to Moses is represented as a burning bush, and in The New Testament when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples-it took the shape of tongues of fire that stood above each of their heads.... This is why, in Christian art, Sainthood is represented as a halo around the saint's head. God's presence among the children of Israel in the desert also took shape in a column of fire at night and a column of cloud in the daytime for them to follow as he guided them through the wilderness.
Zoroastrians worship their God in the form of fire. In every church, cathedral, synagogue, temple or mosque in the world over, there is a constant flame burning in oil lamps or candles, representing the deity and ensuring His presence among worshippers in the form of fire and light. Moreover, throughout the centuries, human beings have discovered that fire is latent in every atom of creation. This can be seen when fire is produced when two pieces of stone, flint or other hard compact stones are rubbed together for a certain length of time. Also, when clouds collide in the firmament, lightening comes forth in the shape of fire; so, though things seem to be inanimate they all contain latent fire-producing energy. Even human beings contain fire-so do all animals. When a person sits on a chair, the seat is warm to the touch when he rises, as the calorie-produced heat passes from his body into the chair. When the body fire goes out of control, it is called a "fever". There are also numerous reported cases of what is known as "Spontaneous Combustion". Statistics indicate that there are over one hundred and fifty such cases every year in Great Britain Alone! This happens when the primordial energy (described in the Sanscrit Vedas as "Kundalini") which resides as dormant fire at the bottom of the spinal chord rises to meet superconciousness at the Sahasrar or seventh Chakra.
A high fever can kill the human organism and spontaneous combustion is also lethal. When we come across descriptions of such cases, we are told that a human being just bursts into flames-to the horror of the person who might be unlucky enough to be witnessing such a sight. The strangest thing about such events is that the person undergoing spontaneous combustion shows no sign of pain. The facial expression is placid. He or she goes on smiling and chatting until the life is snuffed out of them. More astounding still is the fact that only the human body burns, whereas clothing and shoes remain intact and are found in a heap among the remaining ashes.
There have been many cases where yogis who practise without the guidance of a Guru have combusted because their Kundalini has been aroused and passed through the wrong channel. Instead of going up through the main one of the three existing channels, the "Sushumna" it has either passed through Ida-the left channel, or Pingala on the right. It is rather like swallowing water or food and choking because it has gone down the windpipe instead of the oesophagus, which can sometimes be fatal. This is why yogic practices are sometimes considered to be dangerous and have been strictly guarded by secrecy, to prevent adepts from practising them and experimenting without a Guru.
With people like Uri Geller-the Kundalini is working up the spine. The Deity residing within each person controls it. Pantheists hold that God resides not only within a human being, but within every animate and inanimate particle of Creation. They contend that this is demonstrated by the fact that not only does fire exist in gross matter but in the subtle microcosm of atoms.
When one takes time off to think about it-one becomes aware of the mind-boggling energy contained in every single ATOM of Creation. The ATOM BOMB came into being when scientists discovered how to split the ATOM in two! The God that was hiding in the atom emerged to wipe out Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a fire of unimaginable energy.
It is a sobering thought to remember how many atoms our own body contains and what could happen if each one of those atoms "just happened" to split and release the indwelling God manifesting as stupendous powerful fire that could obliterate the whole planet in seconds. So, it is not too difficult to become aware of the workings of the fire without which our physical bodies could not be kept alive-as is seen when people die of hypothermia-if they cannot maintain their body warmth at the necessary level for survival.
In the case of the "Enlightened ones" the awakened fire is controlled by the indwelling Deity. Qualities like goodness, faith, love and courage ensure that the power within is a benign power. Whereas people with an awakened Kundalini who use their powers for evil purposes (Adolph Hitler and Charles Manson are prime examples) and who are not evolved enough spiritually to use their newly awakened powers in the service of God and for the good of humanity-always end up disastrously. Instead of undergoing inner heavenly experiences, they end up by experiencing an inner hell of their own making. Young people who experiment with drugs, soon discover that feelings of hope, faith and love lead them to a "heaven trip", whereas negative thoughts such as fear, envy anger or hatred capitulates them into an experience of living hell. This is corroborated in Aldus Huxley's book "The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell" while he wrote to record his laboratory controlled experiments while he was under the influence of L.S.D. He had an experience of utter bliss.
This obviously bears scrutiny and would be extremely beneficial if it were taught in schools as part of the curriculum. The way education is heading-it will probably become part of the educational system of the future.
Having considered a few aspects of the fire latent in the human physical body it might help to shed some light on the enigma that surrounds Uri Geller. Hopefully, as the details relevant to the workings of the Kundalini gradually unfold, there will be an end to all the speculation and arguments and accusations of charlatanism and sleight of hand that are slung at him right, left and centre.
When Uri bends metal just by touching it-people are understandably baffled, amazed and very predictably react in a manner that corresponds to their own stage of intellectual, spiritual and emotional evolution. Those who have studied mental and physical yoga are familiar with what Arthur Avalon calls the "Serpent Power" and understand and accept Uri's extrasensory powers for what they are-supernatural and God given. Scientists drag him to a laboratory and plaster electrodes over his head and put him through endless tests ad nauseam. Those scientists who are atheistic and accept only empirical proof shake their heads and refute the evidence of their own eyes and insist on denying their findings an add to the calumny and slander of the anti Geller brigade, because human nature loves to crucify anyone who is extraordinary and anything that lies beyond their understanding. On the other hand the scientists who are spiritually inclined, express delight and wonder and bow their heads in the humble acknowledgement that there are many events and phenomena in this world that simply cannot be explained. As for the layman in the street, the semi developed, semi literate, non intellectual, spiritually underdeveloped person will react by snarling abuse through his fear of the unknown and incomprehensible, while his opposite numbers will flock to see and listen to Uri Geller and marvel at the miracles that unfold before their very eyes.
For Uri's activities do not consist of only bending spoons. His feats have been documented and televised and enumerated in over a dozen Geller Biographies-the most recent one being Jonathon Margoli's excellent book "Uri Geller-Magician or Mystic?" in which there are eye witness accounts of Uri sprouting radish seed in the palm of his hand and reproducing someone's previously drawn hidden picture accurately to the last millimetre in size. The contents of a computer disc can be wiped out when Uri walks into a room-objects fly around or materialize out of thin air-Navy and Air force authorities have used him to help locate sunken submarines to retrieve millions of pounds worth of equipment and governments of countries like Mexico have been made rich by employing Uri in helping them to find Gold mines and oil hidden underground.
For over three decades every newspaper in the world has recounted his exploits and still the speculation rages as to whether Uri is a charlatan or a very skilled magician. Of course HE IS NEITHER. No charlatan or magician, however skilful, succeeds in stopping and starting clocks and bending spoons in homes up and down the country at the same moment he is appearing on television to demonstrate his powers. No-we just have to accept that he has in his possession an unusual psychic gift. This fire that exists in Uri, exists in every living creature, but in some people it is awake and active, while in most human beings it lies dormant until woken up by meditational techniques given by a bona fide guru or God-realized teacher. It is probably going to be centuries before humanity reaches its peak potential and becomes God Realised en-masse and the "Cloud of unknowing" is shifted and eradicated as surely as the physical diseases of the plague, cholera and smallpox were finally eradicated. Hindus worship Agni-which is the Sanskrit term for fire, though it is not Agni that they worship but one God, Unmanifested, Universal, Absolute who manifests Himself as fire which consumes all matter that it comes into contact with, and which provides us with warmth but forces us to keep our distance and can burn us if we get too close. It is useful to understand that individuals who are blessed with an awakened Kundalini enjoy a greater rate of activity in the higher states of consciousness, brought about by the sublimated energy pouring into the brain. Consciousness being consequently raised to great heights of bliss and intuition and super-human knowledge. It is extremely necessary when this is taking place, for one's mind to be kept absolutely pure and uncontaminated by fear, anxiety and the desire for material possessions. One needs to be constantly vigilant and avoid over excitement of the nervous system or over indulgence in sexual activity. As for the partaking of mind-altering drugs, they should be avoided like the plague because they could lead to manic depression, madness, damaged brain cells or worse. It is not only people whose Kundalini is awake that have to guard against mind contamination.
Every human being striving towards spiritual enlightenment is advised by all Holy scriptures to keep the heart and mind pure and free of negativity; diligently practising self control and chastity and moderation of all animal appetites. Over indulgence in sexual activity has often led very advanced enlightened beings to their downfall, obliterating their spiritual achievements and powers and taking them back to square one-or worse. Every religious leader has advocated constant vigilance against spiritual backsliding. This is not just a case of goody-goody morality but is based on psioscientific status quo. The energy consumed during sexual climax is so colossal that it deprives the Kundalini of the amount of energy needed for the upward journey to the brain in seeking union with the male polarity. Without such union of male-female, positive-negative or mental emotional polarity, the individual remains unintegrated and living in a state of a divided self, with conscious and sub-conscious states eternally warring with each other.
It can be said of Uri Geller by many of those who know him, that he leads a life of moderation in spite of his material riches. Yes-his place of residence is palatial and full of works of art and precious ornaments, sculptures and the like (he has done that mostly for his family) but in himself, one is astonished at how little he spends on clothes.
He wears a simple T-shirt even when he is appearing on television. He does not choose to cover his hands with rings or watches or engraved name bracelets, nor does he wear expensive tiepins or cuff links or any form of men's jewellery. When it comes to food he is abstemious. He is a vegetarian. He has a disciplined routine of daily exercise, which most people would consider punitive. In Uri's case, cycling, jogging, walking the dogs and constant air travel for what the Kundalini needs most is to be helped upwards through the Chakras. He takes vitamins eats unpolluted food, does not smoke, or imbibe spirits and most certainly avoids drugs of all kinds. So from the yogic point of view he has won half the battle. In order for him to become a fully-fledged yogi with any claims to full enlightenment he would need to put the brakes on any sexual activity.
Yoga makes allowances for a certain period of sexual activity in a couple's life for the purpose of procreation, but once the children have been produced, any amount of sexual indulgence for self gratification constitutes the main obstacle in the path of the primordial energy upwards along the spinal chord through the "nadis" or subtle nerve channels towards the brain. The energy flows out of the body during sexual activity and is wasted. It is the very fuel needed for the union of polarities that will bring about Superconciousness also known as Enlightenment, or God-realization or Self-realization (obviously referring to the Higher Self or the indwelling God within each person, and not to the lower self or ego.). If we read the Scriptures they all advocate chastity. In the New Testament, Christ says, "many have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven." Eunuchs, as we know were castrated men. In other words, He is saying, "even just lusting after a woman in one's thoughts constitutes adultery". So if one wants Self-Realization, chastity is of paramount importance. It is traditional in Indian family life, for a couple following the spiritual path, when the children have left home, for the husband to concentrate on the inner life and try to achieve enlightenment. He offers his wife the choice and if she agrees, they continue to live together, but as brother and sister-no longer as man and wife. They meditate regularly, pray and perform rituals and burn incense and wave lights in front of their Guru's picture and go to the temple. If the wife ops out, a man may choose to go and join a monastery, or withdraw to a forest or live in a cave at the foot of the Himalayas. We cannot, obviously, tell at what stage in his spiritual evolution Uri Geller is now. He may or may not be aware of the fact that he is the recipient of an awakened Kundalini. On the other hand, he may be completely uninformed about the process of enlightenment and the laws governing psychic unfoldment.
If he felt he could set aside some time to delving more deeply into yogic literature, he could discover where his powers come from, and what he could do to increase them, and most importantly, how he should use them.
Every religion and spiritual path prescribes a discipline that aims at overcoming human inherent tendencies towards sexual appetite and base passions-though no religion suggests that they should be suppressed altogether-but that to facilitate the achievement of enlightenment and union of the individual soul with God, moderation should be applied to all aspects of life. As for sexual gratification, the surest way to achieve any spiritual goal is to practise voluntary abstinence from the pleasures of the flesh. In order to avoid wastage of energy, every ounce of which is needed for Kundalini's journey up the spine. Hundreds of renowned and not so renowned yogis and maybe hundreds more completely unheard of yogis all over India have practised austerities over years or decades When they had achieved enlightenment, they discovered stupendous powers at their disposal.
Any pilgrimage to Indian shrines and monasteries or Himalayan caves, reveals God-realized men with the most mind-boggling powers. The levitate, live without food, materialize objects out of thin air, foresee the future, read people's innermost thoughts asn tell them about their past, heal the sick and influence people and events at a distance as well as appearing to people in different places simultaneously. They write superb poetry in languages they have never studied and are able to hypnotize a whole hall full of thousands in the audience, and so on and so forth. Indian literature and indeed Western literature is full of records of these astounding feats. Even sceptical newspaper reporters have been astounded at yogis who allow themselves to be buried alive in the ground for six months and emerge alive and well at the end of it. But even the most advanced Yogi in full possession of the highest superhuman powers (or "Siddhis" as they are termed in Sanskrit) will be the first to emphasize that not only are these powers a secondary boon which should not be sought after-but that they can actually constitute a stumbling block on the path to enlightenment.
There are enlightened men who teach, and there are those who live in solitude and pray and work for the good of mankind in secret and in silence.
On the other hand the teaching Gurus with one voice warn the spiritual searcher not to embark on the spiritual journey and practise austerities with the intention of acquiring any or all of the superhuman powers just enumerated. Obviously such an intention would defeat its own purpose.
If one lover loved the other for the gifts they would be likely to receive, that would ensure the eventual dissolution of such an alliance-rather than culminate in conjugal bliss.
The spiritual path has been described as being like walking on a razor's edge-with the constant possible danger of falling off on either side before reaching one's desired goal, I.e. union with God. The only guarantee of success is absolute single mindedness about achieving union with God, and this entails turning a blind eye to all the allurements that supernatural powers dangle before one's eyes. They are likened to the fly paper that traps the unwary insect to its sticky end. Having been lured bu the sticky honey coat, it feasts on its sweetness for a short while, unaware of its fate until it tries to fly away; but by then it is too late, and in spite of effort it is unable to extricate itself. Some yogis on the other hand have fallen into the fly paper trap! Up and down India one can come across these men in the market places and side streets, performing their astounding feats and receiving money from impressed onlookers and tourists. Most people have come across the Indian Rope Trick, where the yogi climbs up a rope that leads to thin air, and the audience having been hypnotised into seeing this. Or a man kneeling by the wayside with his head buried in the earth for hours on end, and a begging bowl by his side, where onlookers throw coins. He emerges when the bowl is full and calls it a day. It doesn't take much to realize that these ill-fated yogis have fallen by the wayside, by allowing their powers to be used for gain. Sadly, they reached quite an advanced point in their progress towards the goal; acquired certain powers; then succumbed to their charm and the lure of money.
Christ spoke of such a possibility in his parable of the sower and the seed, and how the seed that fell by the wayside was eaten by birds, or choked by thorns or withered because their roots withered on the rocks.
To an Indian, Uri Geller would be considered one of the hundreds or thousands of yogis that exist there today and be revered as one who has achieved advancement on the path to God-realization, and would recognise Uri's psychic powers as the natural consequence and reward that he has deserved and drawn to himself through his practice of the prescribed spiritual disciplines and austerities, if not in this life time then in the last one according to the tenets of Reincarnation. If he had chosen to be a Spiritual Guru, people would have flocked to him in their thousands-and if he had chosen to live the life of a recluse sending out powerful vibrations into the atmosphere for world peace and the betterment of humanity-he would never have been heard of-but he certainly would not be considered "unique" in the way the Western world considers him. Indian culture takes miracle performing men and women for granted. They are revered, respected and cherished. There are certainly no endless discussions and arguments about whether they are Charlatans, deceivers or clever magicians and do not have to endure scientific experiments, electronic tests trying to prove their authenticity or trying to find out what makes them tick. We do know that there have been God-realized men in the West-and that there was a tradition of mystic union endeavour and that there have existed enlightened souls like Julian of Norwich and Joel Goldsmith-and the transcendental poets including Alfred Lord Tennyson who had experiences of mystic union. The Druids, the Cathars, the Cabalists have all recorded facts and expounded their pooled knowledge about the mystic journey - but in this day and age, where materialism has seized the upper hand, people's lives are so fraught with financial worries that affairs of the spirit have receded into the background and the mystics and Christian Saints have been forgotten or overlooked and are revered and remembered only by a fraction of the population. So when Uri Geller burst upon the scene - it had shock repercussions.
People were jolted back into the realization that there still existed a spiritual dimension to life, that there was a non-manifest power in the cosmos which empirical science could not explain. Of course, human nature being what it is, opinion was divided into three camps; those who were delighted at the triumph of the spiritual over material forces, those who gnashed their teeth in furious envy and sought his downfall-propagating vicious slander and life threatening machinations and propaganda, and those who still don't know what to make of it all!
We have no way of finding out whether Uri Geller succumbed to the temptation of having many beautiful women from around the globe throwing themselves at him or if he had umpteen girlfriends in his youth and sowed his wild oats profusely but this would have stopped his Kundalini in its tracks. Being a young man and untutored in these matters and completely unaware of the workings of the primordial energy working within him, it is not surprising that he just "did what came naturally" and went with the flow. Maybe if he had taken up the yogic way of life in early youth, and practised sexual abstinence, he might have reached the Sahasrar - that wonderful opening of the seventh Chakra at the crown of the head -, which would have given him a thousand times more psychic powers than he has now. Throughout history one has been able to observe that Kundalini, when active, is a divine instrument in shaping human destiny.
Many biographers of enlightened men describe how their lives are taken over by this cosmic force. They become leaders of humanity and become instruments of Divine Force, causing evolutionary upheavals in the lucky chosen few individuals and through them, changing the fate of whole nations. People like Socrates, The Buddha, Ghandi, Alexander the Great and Sai Baba of Shirdi, Ramana Maharishi-Muktananda, Satya Sai Baba and a multitude of others, both in the past and some that are still alive today, who have changed the course of history.
We do know from Mahatma Ghandi's Own writing and books that have been written about him, that he too the pledge in later life to be a Brahmachari. That is to say-to live his life in total sexual abstinence, even while his wife was still alive. He very often lamented the fact that he came to it so late-saying that he would have reached a far higher state of being had he done so.
We know that he took the vows of abstinence in 1906 and did everything in his power to obliterate the slightest suspicion of erotic desire. He put himself to the test by allowing his niece to share his bed while she was living in his ashram-to the scandalised shock of his followers. Needless to say, nothing ever happened between them. He firmly believed and taught that chastity endows a man with powers that would serve to help him accomplish his mission in life.
Gandhi also experimented with various diets, which would help to attenuate his sexual drive. We know that Yogic diet shuns onions and garlic and red meat and oysters precisely because they are aphrodisiacs that foster the erotic drive. It makes one wonder what Gandhi's reaction would be if he could see the queues around the block of men desperate to pay any price for a bottle of Viagra pills today!
Arthur Avalou's book - "The Serpent Power" which focuses extensively on what is known in Sanskrit as Urdhva retas - meaning a man with the upward flow of the reproductive energy, whereas in the common man it flows outwards to his spouse for the purposes of reproduction. When the reproductive energy starts to flow upwards through meditation and yogic exercise the erotic demands begin to abate, making it easier to become celibate.
The awakening of Kundalini - according to Tantric texts - can last for months or even years - depending on one's life style and length of practice or application of yogic discipline or environment or, if one believes in the tenets of reincarnation, one's Karmic record. Gopi Krishna in his autobiography entitled "Kundalini" describes the awakening of his Kundalini after thirty years of daily meditation.
Once this happens, the new activity in the brain leads to an expansion of consciousness that ends up by giving the lucky individual mystical visions and sounds. We are told that the opening of the brain centre or Sahasrar in the seventh meridial junction or seventh Chakra does not usually occur at once, because it would be too much for the nervous system to be able to bear. It could, if done without a Guru's supervision, lead to insanity or even worse. But in benign cases, the transformation takes place by degrees; each year bringing greater and greater expansion of consciousness until one's full potential is reached. This manifests itself differently for each person. It is impossible for onlookers or observers to surmise how far advanced an individual may be interiorly in his evolution, although it might be possible to observe the possession of extraordinary powers in one who has achieved the awakening.
In the case of Uri Geller, the fact that metal melts at his touch and seeds sprout in his hands and that he has remote control over his objects and events and has extraordinary telepathic and other psychic powers, is sure proof that his Kundalini is well awake. The fact that he is still embroiled in the process of wealth accumulation and consequent numerous claims like the Glen Hoddle fiasco and the fact that he cares passionately about football results is a sign that his Kundalini has not quite made it to the Sahasrar into the blissful state of Nirvana or God-realized bliss.
One whose similar self has become united with the Higher Self or Indwelling God exudes peace and calm radiating happiness, contentment and shows no sign of angry agitation, which occurs only when ego is still active. If there is any trace of ego there can be no union of the soul with God.
The whole point of sexual abstinence is that the sexual drive is sublimated into a vital, spiritual force that then pervades one's whole being. Of course all this depends on the individual and whether he or she wishes to live sampling the delights of this life in an uninhibited manner-regardless of what the physical or moral consequences would be-or whether they would be willing to control the extent of their sexual activities in order to enhance and be allowed entry into a life of bliss after they have succeeded in driving the energy upward to join the brain.
Most religions emphasize that if one allows sexual energy to flow outwards, there is no way that one can gain entry into the blissful state. Sexual abstention and control is at the root of the fact that monasteries and convents have come into being. Men and Women have worked out right from the start where it is that they want to go and what it is they want to obtain out of life, decide once and for all that they do not want the world and its ways and its non-lasting pleasures and choose rather to strive for spiritual perfection in order to enter eternal Divine bliss. They take refuge in a monastery or a convent, where they think they will be out of temptation's way and make it easier to follow the path of abstention. Of course, history has shown that. Alas, even monastic life cannot guarantee one complete escape from temptations of the flesh. Spiritual Masters often point out that a cobra placed in a basket with the lid firmly closed will prevent the cobra from venomous attack, but once the lid is open and the cobra escapes, it has lost none of its venom! The real test is to "live in the world yet not be of the world". The Buddha insisted that disciples should "return to the market place" I.e. after time spent in prayer and meditation to purify one's mind and recharge one's batteries, one needs to go back into society and practise what one has learned and test one's will power and be able to stay calm and detached and untouched by worldly turmoil or attractions that could lead one off course. The phrase "use it or lose it" is a fallacious formula used by the uninformed layman. The truth is if you do not "use it" it still functions, and at an even greater degree with the vital, creative energy and fluid, or as Dylan Thomas put it, "The force that through the green fuse drives the flower" is pushed upwards rather than diffused outwardly and wasted. IF the energy goes outwards it is wasted except when channelled for procreation-but when control is practised it is possible to redirect the energy upwards towards the brain through the Sushumna canal within the spinal cord. The lucky individual who's Kundalini reaches the brain-the sp-called "thousand petal lotus" in the crown chakra-enters into the ecstatic state of super consciousness. To achieve this blissful state is why thousands of monks and nuns throughout history have practised sexual abstinence.
Tantric Yoga is one of the paths that can help yogis seeking union with the Higher Self to achieve their goal. It pushes abstinence to the extreme. A yogi teams up with a beautiful, desirable member of the opposite sex and they are encouraged to lie side by side and arouse each other sexually in order to awaken their latent Shakti or sleeping primordial energy, otherwise known as Kundalini. Then, rather than consummating their attraction for each other through sexual intercourse the couple willingly refrain from doing so, when the energy thus aroused if forbidden exit through the normal outwards flow-it goes into reverse and flows upwards through the Sushumna to the brain with the above mentioned results. This is the basis of Tantra Yoga which has been so misunderstood by people who have not made a deep study of the practice. This subject is of course very complex, and is only touched upon lightly here in order to shed light upon certain points. There are numerous books dealing with Tantra Yoga, but it goes without saying that these practices should never be gone into on one's own-it is absolutely essential to be under the guidance of a bona fide guru-otherwise the whole venture could have really tragic consequences.
Visitors to the Khajuorao caves and other numerous temples around India are shocked by the beautiful lifelike sculptures depicting erotic embraces between lovers-intertwined into almost impossible erotic positions imaginable. The point of these sculptures however, are not to provide erotic stimulation to the viewer-nor even aesthetic pleasure-but are there to illustrate Tantric procedure as a form of instruction to the illiterate adept-who has no access to scared Sanskrit texts, rather like Byzantine icons festooning cathedrals and churches depicting the life of Christ to those who could not read the gospels before literacy became widespread as it is today. Instruction about enlightenment through austerity applies only to the seeker who is still striving to reach the enlightened state.
But the lucky few who have already achieved enlightenment no longer need to apply these principles. Of course, it goes without saying that sexual abstention is by no means the only way to achieve enlightenment, though it would be nigh on impossible to do so without it. One has to work on the perfecting of one's character and morality and cultivate unconditional, selfless love for every member of the human race and indeed for every living creature and refrain from acting in any way that might offend the Holy Spirit.
The enlightened soul no longer needs to practise austere sexual control, or refrain from other forms of sensual gratification but they are in such a state of inner bliss that the pleasures of the flesh pale into insignificance and are not sought after ot given a second thought.
Many people who meditate have had the experience of the blissful consciousness but sooner or later they have to return to "normality". Such a state has also been experienced by people experimenting with drugs, but they too, once the effect of the drug has worn off, are pushed back to their daily mode of consciousness. Only those who have achieved union of conscious and subconscious mind have permanent access to Superconciousness where all is bliss. That state in Sanskrit is "Samadhi" and "Nirvana" of Buddhism. Also what Christ referred to as the "Heaven within."
It would seem that Uri has achieved partial enlightenment when as a child the ball of fire approached him and then entered into him so that he lay unconscious for a long time afterwards-this was one of the forms that enlightenment takes. He shares that experience with another notable contemporary enlightened one, namely Pak Subah - or Bapak, founder of the Subud Faith - who, while strolling along the road homeward one day, met a great ball of fire coming towards him until it entered into him. Subud (short for Suzilah, Buddhi Dharma) was the result of that momentous event. So, when Uri Geller tells us of his own experience, we are compelled to believe him because forty five years later-metal still melts in his hands and seeds sprout in his palm and watches all around the country start ticking again after years of motionless existence.
He has stated that sometimes this energy residing within him is stronger than at other times. Indeed, on certain occasions it would depend on the people that surround him, and the atmosphere in which any experiments take place. If the atmosphere is congenial, he finds it easier to work whereas if he is made to feel tense, nothing happens. If after a bout of conjugal bliss he felt his supernatural powers diminish - that would be a clear indication as to what new direction he should be taking-or whether he should continue along the same lines that he has been pursuing up to now.
The fact that Uri was only a small child when he was enlightened or partially enlightened raises the question as to when the necessary austerities were possibly practised and we know that in some cases a seeker might practice meditation and abstinence on all levels, for ten, twenty or thirty years before attaining a state of blissful Nirvana and supernatural powers so how come, we may wonder, a child so young achieved such a high state of consciousness so effortlessly? A believer in re-incarnation would inevitably say that Uri Geller had carried forward the fruit of all his efforts from a past life time, where he didn't quite make it to the ultimate goal. In this life tie-he carried on where he left off-obviously needing only a few childhood years for the Kundalini to re-awaken and continue her upward journey along his spinal cord Sushumna.