Living with Kundalini

Rating:
Summary: Too repetitious and moralizing
Review: I checked this book out because I began having similar bodily sensations, and I was looking for information -- hopefully from someone who was willing to share their personal experience without cluttering the issue with extraneous stuff. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't looking for an autobiography, but a personalized account of what the title seemed it would deliver. I took the title to mean that the book would be about a living relationship with Kundalini. I read the whole book, cover to cover in a fever, looking for information.
I appreciate the man's honesty. However, the book is clearly a repetitious biography that was put together by someone who didn't bother to edit it. In other words, it's a hack job. This is not at all what I have come to expect from the Shambala Dragon Editions!
As other reviews state, the book should clearly be half (or a third!) of the length, and if the title is to be lived up to ("Living With Kundalini"), it should keep to the focus. I was sorely disappointed and considered a major part of the time I spent essentially a waste, since I was not really looking for an autobiography to begin with -- much less a rambling and (although kindly-offered) moralizing one, including such issues as the evil effects of the dowry system in India.

Rating:
Summary: A true account but...
Review: I find Gopi Krishna's account of his experiences with Kundalini a true, first-hand narrative which every devoted student of Yoga should read. I also find it sort of a rambling of his thoughts as I find repeated examples relating to the same theme again and again making the same point - the awakening gives you some special powers and also torments you. The book could very well have been condensed to half its size.

One has to read only the first few pages to get a feel of what happens when the Shakthi within oneself rises. I felt bolts of lightning rushing through me as I read the introduction becuase of my similar experience.

For the not so deeply spiritually rooted tending to disbelieve, the whole book still leaves one with a sense of mysticism providing you read till the end. And for those who believe that such an encounter as the Kundalini awakening is scary, this book kind of confirms it. But what it does not do which I would have liked is that for those who are purely service minded and practise karma (work) expecting no results as the Gita preaches, they need not be scared and can experience the divine to further help them in their cause.

Rating:
Summary: Best read on Vedic philosophy yet...
Review: I have been exploring vedic literature via a study of sanskrit and have searched several other secondary sources for insights into the true vedic path...this book was recommended to me by a friend who is both a respected psychiatrist in the field of adolescent psychiatry and a native Indian. In the book, Krishna relates his life story in the context of kundalini, and the truth about accessing the incredible power available to us...both the good and the BAD! Anything with sufficient power carries significant danger as demonstrated clearly. If you are find yourself in an exploration of either Kundalini as a form of meditation or Vedic philosophy in general, I highly recommend it. Not only does it read well, but it provides the kundalini student due warning as to the consequences of vain 'experimentation' with this potent energy source and for the vedic scholar, it puts forth a view of Hinduism as expressed from a truly great and humble man. This book is to Hinduism what Merton's 'Seven Storey Mountain' was to Catholicism...Kenneth Giuffre M.D. , author, 'The Care and Feeding of Your Brain'

Rating:
Summary: GRACE IN DAILY LIFE
Review: I love this book , Gopi is very clear and not at all concerned with prevailing cultish views on the nature of awakening. He gives us a deep look into the effects of this most mysterious force, and the resulting transformations in consciousness . Many people have experienced this opening of deeper energies and live with this new depth and current of life force. And may wonder at the path this energy is taking, where does it lead ? what is the purpose of this awakening? . Gopi gives us a clear view of the Unfloding of Grace within the life of a Human being . I find it fascinating that there is so much variety amongst descriptions of the awakening process. Yet within that we can discern a pattern , the small sense of self dissolves ( often this can be a painfull and frightening process) and the mind merges into the ALL PERVADING HEART OF REALITY, prior to "sapce/time" . More REAL than any-"thing" known via the senses an OCEAN of PURE BEING. Yet for this transformation to happen a vast process of expanding perception must unfold . Gopi provides us with a clear description of his journey.He gives us renewed faith in the INTELLIGENCE guiding ALL of life , and reveals many laws of nature as seen from his standpoint of Higher vision . There are many ways in which grace functions , as evidenced by the many sages and their wide ranging ways of living and expressing this process , ie Ramana Mahsrshi, Ramakrishna , J krishnamurti and most Improtantly YOUR OWN. I recomend this book highly and even more highly recomend you read the book of your OWN SELF .

Rating:
Summary: An intresting account but dont take it as gospel
Review: Krishna gives, what I believe, to be a true account of kundalini awakening. I don't have doubts about what he writes; he seems to be sincere. His book is a telling of how he practiced meditation on the crown chakra and gives in terrifying detail how the kundalini affected him. However I must agree with one of the reviewers, who wrote about how little Krishna knows about the effects of meditation. It seems he picked up a meditation technique without knowing anything about its results. He appears to have no knowledge of yoga or the yoga sutras of pantajali. It looks like he just started meditating without any prior study of authentic information on meditation and its effects. This is surprising to me, because India has many good books on meditation and yoga. He started to meditate and then proceeds to give an account of his results. I got the idea that kundalini was incredibly dangerous and meditation was not something one would want to do. His results are real, because I have experienced to a greater or lesser degree some of the things he writes about. For example, in one of part of the book he writes that his appetite increased greatly. The true reason for this is that meditation increases the gastric fire. The result of this increased appetite is that kundalini uses the greater amounts of food to increase your physical and mental health. But if you read Krishnas account of it, you think its something truly terrible. I would suggest you take his conclusions with a great deal of skepticism. He also writes that he could not find someone in India who would explain what was happening to him. One guru told him that he was possessed by a demon. This shows me that there may far less genuine teachers and information in India then one may be led to believe. There are authentic teachings however; the works of Swami Sivananda come to mind. This man, as far as I know, is a true guru and spiritual genius. He has written many excellent works on yoga and meditation. I refer the spiritual seeker to his books which are inexpensive and filled with wisdom and practical teachings. True teachings are out there but they are not abundant. One should follow the yoga students of long ago who read authentic works such as the yoga sutras of pantajali and carefully STUDIED these works to get at the deeper meanings of the text. The deep secrets of the occult are found this way and not by following books or other instructions that dont know what they are talking about.

Rating:
Summary: An intresting account but dont take it as gospel
Review: Krishna gives, what I believe, to be a true account of kundalini awakening. I don't have doubts about what he writes; he seems to be sincere. His book is a telling of how he practiced meditation on the crown chakra and gives in terrifying detail how the kundalini affected him. However I must agree with one of the reviewers, who wrote about how little Krishna knows about the effects of meditation. It seems he picked up a meditation technique without knowing anything about its results. He appears to have no knowledge of yoga or the yoga sutras of pantajali. It looks like he just started meditating without any prior study of authentic information on meditation and its effects. This is surprising to me, because India has many good books on meditation and yoga. He started to meditate and then proceeds to give an account of his results. I got the idea that kundalini was incredibly dangerous and meditation was not something one would want to do. His results are real, because I have experienced to a greater or lesser degree some of the things he writes about. For example, in one of part of the book he writes that his appetite increased greatly. The true reason for this is that meditation increases the gastric fire. The result of this increased appetite is that kundalini uses the greater amounts of food to increase your physical and mental health. But if you read Krishnas account of it, you think its something truly terrible. I would suggest you take his conclusions with a great deal of skepticism. He also writes that he could not find someone in India who would explain what was happening to him. One guru told him that he was possessed by a demon. This shows me that there may far less genuine teachers and information in India then one may be led to believe. There are authentic teachings however; the works of Swami Sivananda come to mind. This man, as far as I know, is a true guru and spiritual genius. He has written many excellent works on yoga and meditation. I refer the spiritual seeker to his books which are inexpensive and filled with wisdom and practical teachings. True teachings are out there but they are not abundant. One should follow the yoga students of long ago who read authentic works such as the yoga sutras of pantajali and carefully STUDIED these works to get at the deeper meanings of the text. The deep secrets of the occult are found this way and not by following books or other instructions that dont know what they are talking about.

Rating:
Summary: No Cryptic words. Just pure Simple & understandable.
Review: The Book is written in a very simple and lucid language. Kundalini has been a mystery for 1000's of years and there is not much written about it ..due to this there are numerous misconceptions about this topic. Gopi Krishna is the first person who has tried to lift the veil of ignorance about this topic. This he could do only because he is amoung the few in this world who have experienced Kundalini awakening in the seventh center called the sahashra chakra OR the 1000 petaled lotus situated in the brain. It is due to this self experience that he was able to lay down in front of the reader accurate information about this phenomena. Other Yogis who have written about this have done so in a very cryptic language ..which is not so easy to understand for the average person. Gopi Krishna have made honest attempt to clear & enhance the understanding of the new aspirant on his way to trying to find the superconscious & lift the veil of Maya.

Rating:
Summary: AUTHOR FAILS TO UNDERSTAND CAUSE OF HIS PROLONGED TORMENT
Review: The main value of this book as of the rest of this authors books is that he brings to light the fact that there is an inseparable link between spiritual, consciousness transformation and physical transformation, the latter being the prerequisite for the former. He never realizes that the marked fluctuations in his mental states was a reflection of fluctuations in his blood level of toxicity and consequently was never able to gain direct control over his fluctuating mental states, but rather had to endure the situation until the body finally settled into a new balance. It is elemental knowledge that in practicing yoga, Hatha Yoga (the yoga of purification of the physical body) is a prerequisite to the safe and profitable practice of Raja Yoga (which is meditation per se). Of course, everyone wants to get high, and the quicker the better. However, there is an inescapable price to pay as nature cannot be cheated and the price to be paid is very simply physical purification. The focus, contrary to popular opinion (which is always far from the truth) if you want to develop yourself should not be meditation, but rather physical purification and since there is no glamour in that, few have the necessary discipline to do what needs to be done. Once physical purification had been achieved to a certain level, the rest is relatively automatic. The body is designed to function automatically on the highest level, but first it needs to be cleaned out. Those who meditate without physical purification inevitably and invariably end up battling an intense and prolonged depression and although they may have entered into the light for a brief period of time, they are invariable cast back out into the darkness because they did not have the necessary wedding garment which would have allowed them to remain at the feast. The wedding garment is inner physical purity. The physical body must be disencumbered of its enormous stores of nonfunctional matter which create resistance to electrical flow

Rating:
Summary: Finally a down to earth description of Kundalini
Review: This book has been written with great purpose. It has made its point to me. Finally a book on Kundalini that makes a clear, almost scientific view to what could be the most accessible power we have

Rating:
Summary: Honesty and Courage
Review: With all the philosophizing and conjecture about the Kundalini force, we have here an account of a profound psychic experience by someone who has personally lived through it. Gopi Krishna, an obscure civil servant, tells his tale with great honesty and alacrity. I especially appreciated the lack of religious reference. The vital force is beyond religion. The author's integrity and intelligence add to the immediacy of his, at times, harrowing life story. But he tends to repeat and explain himself at great length, and the elegant writing style became overbearing after a while. The book could have been edited down by half without losing much. Still, an important and worthwhile read for those interested in the mysterious Kundalini force.