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Arts of the Spirit

Our mission is to beget the bridges between spiritual traditions and to express ancient teachings in

24/11/2025

THE GENTLE WAY OF INNER TRANSFORMATION

In the journey of the Arts of the Spirit, a radiant difference appears between the effort of changing the self and the graceful art of allowing change to unfold. Many paths speak of self-improvement and self-correction, and these approaches carry an energy of striving. They invite the ego to take charge, to sculpt the inner world through willpower and personal force.

The way of awareness follows a softer rhythm. Awareness brings light to our inner landscape. It reveals patterns, beliefs, and emotional currents with clarity and compassion. Through awareness, the inner world opens like a book, offering its wisdom with ease. As soon as something hidden becomes clear, a natural movement begins. This movement carries its own intelligence, guiding transformation from the inside outward.

Changing the self through effort feels like pushing. Allowing change through awareness feels like receiving. The first approach seeks to create an improved identity. The second approach welcomes a deeper truth, already present, already ready to rise. Awareness creates a field of inner spaciousness. In this spaciousness, transformation flows with harmony, grace, and organic strength.

When awareness touches an old belief or a tight emotional knot, that place softens. It breathes. It relaxes into a more expanded state. From this openness, a new way of being emerges. There is no force, only alignment. There is no striving, only witnessing. Pure, luminous change arises from within, supported by the soul’s own wisdom.

In Arts of the Spirit, we honor this gentle unfolding. We invite awareness to illuminate every corner of our inner world. Through this illumination, evolution blossoms with natural ease. The self grows, expands, and rises into its fullest expression, guided by the quiet intelligence of the spirit.

This is the art of allowing. This is the way of true inner transformation.

- Vladan Tar -

24/11/2025

THE LIVING MOUNTAIN: A Journey Through the HIMALAYAN Esoteric Traditions

The Himalayan region offers a spiritual landscape filled with radiant diversity. Every valley carries a lineage, every peak holds an initiation, and every river echoes with mantras and drumbeats. The entire region expresses a continuous meeting of ancient shamanism, ta***ic Buddhism, Yungdrung Bön, and the Himalayan siddha traditions.

These streams flow together and create a unique spiritual ecosystem where humans, spirits, deities, and natural forces communicate with each other in a shared sacred field.

Below you will find an introduction to five primary exponents of this Himalayan esoteric world:

1. The Jhankri Shaman
2. The Tibetan Lama
3. The Ngakpa (Ta***ic Householder Yogi)
4. The Yungdrung Bön Practitioner
5. The Kulutta/Kaulantak Peeth Siddha

Each of them carries a distinct approach and a unique expression of the same sacred truth:
Spirit and consciousness flow through all things, and every being walks a path of healing, realization, and power.

1. JHANKRI SHAMAN: The Spirit-Bridge of the Himalayas

The Jhankri stands as one of the oldest Himalayan spiritual figures.
Their path arises from the living relationship between humans and the spirit world.

***Core Characteristics

Creates harmony between humans, ancestors, nature spirits, and local deities.

Enters trance with drum, song, and breath to communicate directly with spirit helpers.

Offers healing through soul retrieval, energy adjustment, offerings, and ritual journeys.

Lives in reciprocal relationship with mountains, forests, and rivers.

Serves as a bridge between visible and invisible realms.

Objective

The Jhankri supports health, balance, and prosperity by aligning the human soul with the spirit world and the elemental forces.

2. THE TIBETAN LAMA: Guide of Compassion and Wisdom

The Tibetan lama follows the Vajrayāna path, a tradition that embraces both profound philosophy and powerful ritual technology.

***Core Characteristics

Teaches the view of the luminous, spacious nature of mind.

Invokes deities through visualization, mantra, and meditative absorption.

Offers blessings, empowerments, and rituals that purify karmic obscurations.

Works with peaceful and wrathful energies through enlightened compassion.

Guides students toward liberation and clarity.

Objective

The lama opens the path toward awakening by illuminating the mind’s nature and transforming obscuring energies into wisdom.

3. THE NGAKPA: The Ta***ic Householder of Tibet

The Ngakpa embodies the non-monastic aspect of Tibetan ta**ra.
This practitioner lives in the world while practicing deeply within the inner yogic traditions.

***Core Characteristics

Holds ta***ic vows while participating fully in family and community life.

Works with mantra, yogic breath, tsa–lung practices, and deity yoga.

Offers healing and energetic support through ta***ic ritual.

Carries lineage blessings for protection, transformation, and guidance.

Honors the principle that everyday life becomes a powerful spiritual path.

Objective

The Ngakpa transforms ordinary experience into sacred expression, awakening liberation within daily life.

4. YUNGDRUNG BöN PRACTITIONER: Guardian of Ancient Himalayan Wisdom

Yungdrung Bön carries a sacred inheritance older than Tibetan Buddhism and remains one of the most complete spiritual systems in the Himalayas.

***Core Characteristics

Works with a visionary pantheon of peaceful and wrathful deities rooted in ancient Himalayan cosmology.

Performs offerings, smoke rituals, divination, and advanced yogic practices.

Engages in energetic rituals that harmonize spirits, elements, and karmic forces.

Maintains practices for soul healing, elemental balance, and spiritual protection.

Walks a path that unifies ancient shamanic roots with high ta***ic wisdom.

Objective

The Bön practitioner creates harmony between the individual, the elemental world, and the vast expanse of primordial awareness.

5. The KULUTTA SIDDHA: Ta***ic Adept of the Himalayan Crown

The Siddhas of the Kaulantak Peeth represent one of the deepest Śaiva–Śākta lineages of the Himalayas, flowing from the ancient siddhas connected with the sacred Kailāsa region.

***CORE CHARACTERISTICS

Works with Śiva–Śakti as the living pulse of consciousness and energy.

Engages in yogic alchemy, mantra, mudrā, kriyā, and inner fire practices.

Communicates with mountain spirits, yoginīs, guardian beings, and fierce deities.

Awakens inner power through Kuṇḍalinī, bindu, and subtle-body mastery.

Lives through direct experience of divine presence in nature and self.

Objective

The Siddha embodies union with Śiva–Śakti, expressing realization through transformation of body, energy, and mind into radiant consciousness.

SHARED PATTERNS ACROSS ALL FIVE TRADITIONS

Although each lineage carries its own language and style, the Himalayan spiritual world expresses several shared foundations:

1. Relationship with Nature

All five traditions experience the Himalayas as a living sacred landscape filled with spirits, deities, guardians, and elemental beings.

2. Healing as Sacred Art

Each lineage carries methods of restoring balance in body, mind, spirit, and environment.

3. Visionary and Energetic Practices

Mantra, trance, visualization, breath, and ritual create bridges between worlds.

4. Ritual as Transformation

Ritual acts shape energy, influence subtle worlds, and open doorways to spiritual clarity.

5. Courageous Engagement with Power

Every tradition embraces powerful energies—wrathful deities, fierce spirits, elemental forces—and transforms them into wisdom.

6. Path of Realization

Each offers a spiritual journey culminating in expanded awareness, inner mastery, and compassionate service.

DISTINCT OBJECTIVES

Jhankri - Creates harmony within the spirit world and restores the soul’s strength.

Tibetan Lama - Awakens the luminous nature of mind through wisdom and compassionate ritual.

Ngakpa - Transforms everyday life into ta***ic practice through sacred view and yogic discipline.

Yungdrung Bön Practitioner - Aligns human life with the ancient energies of the elements, deities, and primordial awareness.

Siddha of Kaulantak Peeth - Realizes the divine unity of Śiva–Śakti through yogic alchemy and fierce devotion.

ONE MOUNTAIN, MANY PATHS

The Himalayan spiritual world offers a vibrant spectrum of traditions.
Each lineage expresses a facet of the same mystery:
Consciousness flows through mountains, spirits, deities, and human hearts.

Every practitioner—shaman, lama, yogi, Bönpo, or siddha—walks a path that empowers healing, awakening, and harmony.

Together, they create one of the most profound esoteric landscapes on Earth.

27/10/2025

Why believe yourself to be a dweller of an island, a nation, a planet?
God has given you and all beings the whole universe to live in.

- Semar -

20/10/2025

DURGA KATYAYANI OIL
- Sacred love attraction oil-

ARE YOU SEEKING LOVE?
Do you wish to attract that special someone into your life because you know you deserve to be loved?
Do you long to fill the emptiness in your heart?
Have you tried to gain the attention of the opposite s*x without success?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then Goddess Katyayani’s Love Oil is for you.

Since ancient times, shamans, priests, and spiritual artisans from every corner of the world have sought to align divine will with the practical needs of their people as a form of service to their communities. They assisted others with matters of health, prosperity, harmony, wisdom, guidance, and protection. Not all of these sacred practices have been lost—we strive to keep the ancient sanctity of life alive.

Durga Katyayani Oil carries the energy of a rare and time-honored spiritual artifact, empowered by a powerful Durga ta***ic. It is created through a sacred process known only to the priests of the renowned Katyayani Temple in Karnataka, India, who assist countless pilgrims seeking help in matters of the heart. The temple is famous for never failing a sincere devotee. This spiritual artifact has been charged with the full shakti of the Goddess and placed at her feet overnight within the temple. Beyond this, its potency is further enhanced through the shamanic methods of our order and charged into the oil.

Those who possess this oil often feel the Goddess’s vashikaran energy working to enchant any love interests that cross their path. The priests say that new lovers often appear within three lunar cycles.

THE STORY OF THE GODDESS KATYAYANI
Katyayani is the warrior aspect of Parvati, who defeated the demon Mahishasura, protecting both the world and the sanctity of her marriage—for Mahishasura dared to propose to her even knowing that her husband was Lord Shiva. Devi Katyayani manifested from the wrath of the divine triad, reminding us that the anger of the wise can bring blessings, while the love of the foolish and unrighteous leads only to suffering. She embodies righteous anger directed against injustice, restoring cosmic order and truth.

Worship of Ma Katyayani Devi bestows countless blessings. Her grace purifies the heart, dissolves resentment and hatred, and resolves karmic burdens accumulated over many lifetimes. Hindu mythology tells us that the Gopis worshipped Goddess Katyayani to win the love of Lord Krishna.

CONTACT US
Take advantage of centuries-old sacred practices that harness divine power to bring harmony into the lives of those with sincere hearts. Send us a private message if you wish to purchase this sacred oil, which invokes invisible forces to attract the lover and partner you deserve.

***Prices vary depending on the package and shipping destination.

16/10/2025

THE FOUR ENLIGHTENED ACTIVITES — Paths of Compassionate Power in the Himalayan Tradition

In the vast and luminous landscape of Tibetan and Himalayan spirituality, the realization of enlightenment naturally flowers into activity — the compassionate expression of awakened awareness in the world. Once a practitioner attains deep realization, their wisdom and clarity manifest spontaneously as beneficial actions, known as the Four Enlightened Activities. These four are symbolized by colors — white, yellow, red, and black — representing four dynamic ways that enlightened beings serve and uplift all beings.

These activities are not limited to Buddhist practitioners alone. They are found throughout the living spiritual heritage of the Himalayas — among bonpos, ngakpas (ta***ic householders), and shamans of ancient lineages — all of whom work to harmonize the energies of nature, spirit, and human life. The essence of these activities is the same: to transform the world through wisdom, love, and awareness.

1. White Activity — Pacifying (Shantika karma)

The white activity is the way of peace, healing, and purification. It calms disturbances, eases suffering, and restores harmony wherever there is imbalance. Enlightened beings use this activity to soothe mental turmoil, dissolve karmic obscurations, and pacify illness or conflict.

The energy of white activity is gentle, radiant, and cooling, like moonlight over calm water. It brings serenity and clarity to individuals and communities alike.

In Tibetan Buddhism, this activity is embodied by deities such as Tara in her White form, and Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menla). Practitioners of the pacifying path serve by blessing, healing, and guiding others toward peace and understanding.

2. Yellow Activity — Enriching (Paushtikakarma)

The yellow activity increases abundance, vitality, and wisdom. It multiplies all positive qualities — longevity, prosperity, joy, and spiritual understanding. Enlightened beings act through this activity to nurture growth and support the flourishing of life.

The energy of yellow activity is radiant and life-giving, like sunlight nourishing the earth. It uplifts and empowers beings, awakening their potential and opening pathways of opportunity and grace.

Deities associated with enriching activity include Vasudhara and Yellow Dzambhala, the deity of prosperity and spiritual richness. Shamans and ta***ic practitioners channel this energy to bless harvests, ensure communal well-being, and inspire creativity and wisdom in the hearts of people.

3. Red Activity — Magnetizing (Vashyakarma)

The red activity magnetizes — it attracts positive forces, harmonizes relationships, and draws beings toward truth and awakening. It is the power of love, charisma, and enlightened passion.

The energy of red activity is warm, vibrant, and full of life force. It unites communities, strengthens connections, and awakens devotion. Through it, enlightened beings inspire others to walk the path of realization and to serve with joy and confidence.

Deities of magnetizing include Kurukulla as dakini, and Amitābha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. In both ta***ic and shamanic traditions, red activity is the art of drawing blessings, opportunities, and spiritual companions into harmony with the awakened field of being.

4. Black Activity — Subjugating or Wrathful (Raudra karma)

The black activity, often called wrathful activity, expresses fierce compassion. It removes deep obstacles, dissolves harmful forces, and transforms ignorance and negativity into wisdom. This activity is destructive when needed, like the lightning of pure awareness that burns away illusion.

The energy of black activity is powerful and protective, like a thunderstorm clearing the air. Enlightened beings use it to dispel harmful influences, protect the vulnerable, and reestablish the sacred order of life.

Wrathful deities such as Mahakala, Vajrakilaya, and dakini Simhamukha embody this energy. In the ancient Himalayan world, shamans and ngakpas invoked such powers to protect communities, maintain spiritual balance, and transform the energies of chaos into vitality and order.

The Living Essence of Enlightened Action

These four enlightened activities are not separate powers but four harmonious expressions of awakened mind. Each arises spontaneously from the natural compassion of realization — a luminous intention to benefit beings according to their needs.

In our spiritual community, we teach that the purpose of these activities is service. Enlightened beings act not for themselves, but for the welfare of all. Through their realization, they become instruments of universal harmony — healing, enriching, inspiring, and protecting the world around them.

When practitioners embody these principles, they participate in the sacred work of balancing life. Whether through meditation, ritual, prayer, or acts of kindness, they carry the flame of awareness into every part of existence. Thus the Four Enlightened Activities continue to move through the world, blessing all beings and awakening the wisdom that lives within each heart.

- Shankara Nath -

15/10/2025

TAPAK KHODAM GURU SEJATI EMPOWERMENT:
- The Awakening of the Inner Master -

Tapak Khodam Guru Sejati is a sacred Javanese empowerment that awakens the inner connection between the seeker and their divine essence, often called the Guru Sejati or True Inner Teacher. This transmission of energy and consciousness allows the individual to attune to their higher self, awakening the subtle inner voice that continuously guides through the experiences of daily life and the depths of metaphysical practice.

In Javanese spiritual tradition, the Khodam represents a spiritual companion or luminous force that accompanies and strengthens the seeker. Through the Tapak—the spiritual footprint or vibration of divine presence—this companion aligns with the Guru Sejati, forming a living bridge between the human soul and its divine origin. The empowerment activates this alignment, allowing the higher energies within to flow into awareness and shape the seeker’s path toward balance, wisdom, and illumination.

The Tapak Khodam Guru Sejati empowerment harmonizes deeply with the principle of Sedulur Papat Lima Pancer—the four spiritual siblings and the central self. These subtle forces represent the elements of life that surround and sustain human existence, while the Pancer symbolizes the conscious center of being. When these energies unite through the empowerment, the seeker experiences inner harmony, grounded awareness, and spiritual equilibrium.

This empowerment awakens the higher currents of consciousness and channels them into the mind and heart. As these forces unfold, the seeker gains clarity, intuitive strength, and a deeper understanding of life’s mysteries. Many experience an expansion of creativity, a sharpening of spiritual perception, and an awakening of healing abilities. Dreams often become vivid and instructive, and the intuitive faculties—such as spiritual sensitivity and higher awareness—grow stronger and more refined.

Across generations, Javanese masters have used this method to nurture self-realization and spiritual strength. In recent years, Tapak Khodam Guru Sejati has also drawn attention in the West as a genuine path for personal evolution and expansion of consciousness. It offers a means to access inner potential and to cultivate wisdom as a living, active force within daily life.

Through this empowerment, seekers open the gate to their higher essence—the Guru Sejati who resides within every human heart. It is a journey toward inner mastery, creative awakening, and spiritual maturity, empowering each individual to live in harmony with the divine order and to express the light of their true being in the world.

We offer Tapak Khodam Guru Sejati empowerment for those who feel a sincere calling toward this sacred form of spiritual work from Javanese tradition. Contact us for more details.

The following virtues of The Tapak Khodam Guru Sejati are presented below:

- Access to the powers of the ‘Sadulur Papat Limo Pancer’ or ‘spiritual brothers’
- Unleash powers which can heal physical and psychical problems.
- Increase inner strength, instinct and develop better intuition.
- Enable yourself to become a professional practitioner of metaphysics.
- Express creativity, release dependency and allow for spiritual growth of consciousness.
- Increase capability of the mental and physical faculties.
- Awaken latent powers dormant within your subconscious mind.
- Increase charisma, personal magnetism and bear an authoritative presence.
- Be guided to reach your spiritual path as spiritual masters imbed spiritual teachings into your thoughts.
- Develop greater love for humanity and the Almighty as well as being a powerful and noble human being.
- Understand and absorb spiritual knowledge easily and automatically.
- Let angelic spirit beings help you solve your problems.

06/10/2025

KHODAM - SPIRITUAL HELPER AND GUARDIAN ANGEL FROM JAVANESE TRADITION

The concept of the khodam originates within the Javanese mystical and magickal arts, where it represents a sacred bridge between human consciousness and the unseen realms of spirit. Rooted in the spiritual traditions of the Indonesian archipelago and later harmonized with Islamic esoteric knowledge known as Al-Hikmah, the khodam emerged as a luminous being of service and guardianship. Within Javanese heritage, the khodam is revered as a personal spiritual companion, guiding the adept through the stages of inner transformation and higher realization.

A khodam acts as a personal guardian angel who surrounds the adept with divine protection and illumination. Its energy sustains the aura, strengthens the heart, and restores harmony to the subtle bodies. Through its constant presence, the khodam shields the practitioner from disruptive influences and gently redirects consciousness toward divine alignment. In the flow of daily life, this sacred ally brings serenity, clarity, and a deep sense of spiritual security. It also assists adepts in a more personal way than angels in Christianity or Islam, and may be approached for the fulfillment of individual spiritual or practical needs.

Beyond its protective function, the khodam is a transmitter of higher wisdom. It awakens dormant spiritual faculties such as intuition, clairvoyance, and inner knowing. Through dreams, meditative insight, and signs in the outer world, the khodam communicates subtle messages that guide the adept’s path. This relationship is one of mutual evolution: as the adept’s awareness refines, the khodam’s light becomes more present and radiant, guiding ever deeper into the mysteries of divine reality. The power of the khodam strengthens the adept’s spiritual authority and presence. It enhances charisma, amplifies healing potential, and reinforces the inner radiance that inspires and uplifts others. Through the khodam’s influence, the adept learns to act as a channel of divine energy, manifesting compassion, protection, and blessing in the world. Javanese shamans and mystics consider developing a successful relationship with their khodam a pivotal process in achieving spiritual mastery.

From the expanded, multidimensional perspective of 5D consciousness, the khodam operates as a living frequency aligned with the adept’s spiritual vibration. In this elevated field, the connection becomes a partnership of pure energy and intention. The khodam assists in the purification of karmic imprints and the harmonization of personal and planetary energies. Within 5D awareness, the relationship with the khodam transcends the conventional adept–guide dynamic, unfolding through direct energetic resonance, heart-centered unity, and the realization of oneness.

Working with a khodam invites discipline, dedication to the spiritual path, and inner purity. Regular meditation, prayer, offerings, and gratitude nurture the connection and keep the energetic field clear and open. The process is simple yet profoundly transformative. Invocations made with a sincere heart and focused intention open the subtle pathways through which the khodam’s presence flows. Maintaining this sacred relationship calls for humility and service, allowing the adept to act as a conscious collaborator with divine intelligence for the purpose of spiritual growth, empowerment, protection, and the development of psychic, healing, and magickal abilities.

Working with the khodam does not require the adept to be a follower of the Javanese shamanic path or to be Muslim, even though the prayers we use are Islamic. The khodam is a personal spirit given to us from God at birth as a guide and as a connection to the higher spiritual realms; it naturally adapts to any tradition one may follow.

We offer khodam empowerment for those who feel a sincere calling toward this sacred form of spiritual work. This empowerment opens the energetic gateway to connect consciously with one’s personal khodam and to begin the path of mutual growth and service. Those who feel drawn to the spiritual science of the khodam are warmly invited to contact us for further information.

- Vladan Tar

12/09/2025

SPIRITUAL PRIDE IN TA***IC PRACTICES

Ta***ic traditions present a distinctive approach to spiritual transformation, one that does not merely observe the sacred as something distant or external but invites the practitioner to embody it directly. Central to this vision is a kind of spiritual pride—a confident recognition of one’s innate potential for awakening.

Rather than viewing enlightenment as remote or reserved for extraordinary beings, ta***ic practice affirms that the qualities of wisdom, compassion, and purity are already present within the practitioner. Through vivid visualization, symbolic language, and meditative absorption, ta**ra encourages the practitioner to perceive themselves and their surroundings as radiant expressions of the sacred.

This perspective is not a matter of fantasy or wishful thinking, but a deliberate way of training perception: the world, the body, and the mind are understood as inseparable from the enlightened state they seek to realize.

Spiritual pride in this context is a dignified assurance, a way of standing firmly in the awareness of one’s own luminous nature while engaging fully with the transformative power of ta***ic methods.

1. GENERATION STAGE: Visualization and Vajra Pride

Visualization
Self as the deity (yidam):
The practitioner dissolves the ordinary body, speech, and mind into emptiness. From emptiness arises the seed syllable of the deity, which transforms into the deity’s full form.

Example: From a white syllable HŪṂ arises Vajrasattva; from HRĪḤ, Avalokiteśvara.

Mandala palace:
One imagines the deity’s celestial mansion — a geometric mandala palace representing enlightened mind.

Pure world:
Everything surrounding one is visualized as a pure realm, populated by Buddhas, dakinis, bodhisattvas, and guardians.

Vajra Pride
The practitioner does not think, “I am visualizing something outside myself.”

Instead:
“I am this deity. This palace is my natural expression. This world is already pure, radiant, perfected.”

This is not fantasy but recognition of Buddha-nature manifesting in symbolic form.

The confidence and dignity of that realization is called vajra pride (rdo rje nga rgyal).

2. MEDITATION ON EMPTINESS (Preventing Ego-Clinging)
Without emptiness, vajra pride could easily become a subtle form of spiritual arrogance. Therefore, practitioners always unite pride with wisdom of emptiness:

Deity as illusion:
The deity’s form is clear and precise, yet empty — like a rainbow in the sky, a reflection in water, or a dream image.

It is seen vividly, but the meditator knows it lacks inherent existence.

Union of appearance and emptiness:

Appearance = the luminous, detailed visualization of the deity.

Emptiness = the understanding that this appearance is non-solid, dependent, and without self.

Holding both simultaneously prevents clinging to divine pride as a new ego.

You are not saying: “I, John or Jane, am a god.”

Rather: “My true nature, empty and luminous, is inseparable from the deity’s form.”

3. COMPLETION STAGE (Niṣpanna-Krama): Subtle Body Integration

In the highest yoga ta**ra, the visualization of the deity (generation stage) is later united with completion stage yogas — working directly with the subtle body: channels (tsa), winds (rlung), and drops (thig le).

Channels (tsa): energy pathways in the subtle body.

Winds (rlung, prāṇa): vital energies that carry consciousness.

Drops (thig le, bindu): subtle essences (white/red) that sustain life and bliss.

Integration with Vajra Pride

The practitioner brings the winds into the central channel, dissolving ordinary conceptual mind.

At this point, the deity’s form and vajra pride are not just visualized but energetically embodied.

The bliss arising from winds dissolving into the central channel is united with emptiness-awareness.

This union produces non-dual wisdom — the actual experience of Buddhahood.

So:

Generation stage = assumption of deity identity (appearance + pride + emptiness).

Completion stage = that identity becomes embodied in the subtle energies, giving rise to direct realization.

4. THE DYNAMIC BALANCE

The whole path of practice rests on holding two poles simultaneously:

Vajra pride = unshakable confidence that one’s identity is enlightened.

Emptiness meditation = recognition that this identity has no solidity.

Completion stage = uniting this recognition with the body’s subtle energies to realize the indivisibility of bliss and emptiness.

11/09/2025

ISHTA DEVATA YOGA: WHEN WORSHIP BECOMES SELF REALIZATION

1. THE PERSONAL FACE OF THE INFINITE:
In the Vedic and Ta***ic worldview, reality is both one and many. The Supreme Consciousness (Brahman) expresses itself through countless archetypal forms—deities (Devas and Devis)—each embodying particular aspects of wisdom, love, power, or creative energy. These deities are not external gods demanding worship but living symbols of universal forces already present within our consciousness.

The concept of an Ishta Devata—personal chosen deity—arises from this understanding. Rather than trying to approach the formless Absolute directly, the ta***ic tradition offers a form, a voice, and a personality of the Divine that resonates with our soul’s unique pattern. Just as sunlight refracted through a crystal reveals many colors, the one Self reflects itself through different divine archetypes. Choosing a personal deity allows us to build a relationship with the infinite—an intimate, emotional, and experiential connection that bridges devotion (bhakti) and self-knowledge (jnana).

This is not about blind belief or sectarian loyalty. It is a method of self-realization: by focusing on a single archetype, the mind stabilizes, our heart awakens, and deeper aspects of consciousness unfold. The Ishta Devata is a mirror of our own higher nature. A way for our own Self to call us home.

2. IDENTIFYING YOUR ISHTA DEVATA

Inner Recognition:
Many discover their Ishta Devata through dreams, powerful emotional responses to a deity’s image or story, or spontaneous attraction to a particular mantra. Others receive guidance from a qualified teacher or through astrological traditions. Each way is fine.

Resonance Over Reason:
We should avoid over-intellectualizing the choice. The right deity evokes love and awe, not merely agreement.

3. PRACTICES FOR IDENTIFICATION AND EMBODIMENT
Ishta Devata Yoga uses several layers of practice to move from external worship to internal realization:

a. Mantra Japa (Sacred Sound Practice)

Each deity is associated with a bija mantra (seed syllable) and a mula mantra (root invocation). Chant slowly at first, feeling the vibration resonate in your chest or between the eyebrows. Over time, the mantra should become a subtle mental current even outside formal sessions. Mantra works as a vibrational key unlocking the corresponding divine energy already present within our subtle body.

b. Dhyana and Bhavana (Visualization and Feeling)

- Sit quietly, bring to mind the deity’s form: their colors, ornaments, weapons, and the sacred symbols they hold. Each of them are symbols of your deity's powers and attributes. Imagine the deity’s presence expanding within your heart or above your crown.

- Use bhavana—deep feeling—to absorb the deity’s qualities: Mahakala's courage flowing into your actions, Krishna’s playful love infusing your relationships, Saraswati’s wisdom inspiring your speech. Over time, the boundaries between “you” and the form dissolve—what you are visualizing is revealed as your own higher awareness.

c. Ritual and Sensory Engagement
- Simple puja (offering of flowers, incense, or light) connects the senses to devotion. As you offer, remember: the offering, the altar, and the receiver are all expressions of the same Self.

- Listen to or sing bhajans and kirtan for your Ishta Devata. The emotional resonance of music helps anchor divine qualities in the heart.

d. Daily Life Integration
- Practice Seva (selfless service) as if serving your deity in all beings.

- Before important tasks, silently invoke your Ishta Devata and ask to act through its qualities.

-Let difficult moments become opportunities to remember: the same consciousness behind your deity is present in every challenge.

4. THE DEITY AS THE HIGHER SELF
In advanced stages, the practitioner stops seeing the deity as separate. The mantra becomes silent awareness, the form dissolves into light, and devotion becomes direct Self-recognition. In Ta***ic terms, this is the movement from Saguna Brahman (God with attributes) to Nirguna Brahman (the formless Absolute). Here, the Ishta Devata has served its purpose: to focus the wandering mind and open the heart until we realize that we were Shiva, Kali, or Krishna all along—not in the sense of ego-identity, but as the infinite consciousness beyond birth and death.

SUMMARY
Ishta Devata Yoga is a bridge between devotion and self-realization. By choosing a deity that resonates with our inner being, chanting its mantra, visualizing its form, and embodying its virtues, we gradually align our personality with our higher Self. Over time, devotion transforms into non-dual knowledge: the beloved deity, the world, and our own soul are revealed as one eternal consciousness. We realize there is nothing but God.

This is the heart of Deity Yoga.

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Who are we and what are Arts of the Spirit?

God. Absolute. Shiva; Allah; Goddess. From remote times until today those were some names' humanity used to define ultimate reality of the Universe in which we live. This reality, this principle, in its first emanation expresses as Existence and Awareness of its existence. Every consciousness, every Self, every body and even every object – everything that is - is nothing else that personified portion of this Awareness. It expresses itself as infinite forms of his creation in all visible and invisible realms, from amoebas to archetypal beings, from atoms to galaxies, by being in the same time ones that lives the experience, observer of that experience and experience itself.

In this sublime dance of the creation Divine invents, creates, plays, imagine, supports, destroy, compresses and extends itself with an intention to experiment and then to evolve in all his parts, until they turn back again to experience unity which was deliberately left out. The ways which consciousnesses find in order to accomplish this long journey towards home, in our vision are ARTS OF THE SPIRIT.

On this portal there are several of them, some are traditional and others that can be called modern, born from our personal experience, but also from necessity to reword some old concepts and to propose some relatively new which goes right along with current planetary ascension. Our desire is to make this Arts accessible and comprehensible to all spiritual seekers in search for healing, empowerment and enlightenment, as well as to all the people whom for various reasons might not necessarily be inclined toward traditional spirituality, but nonetheless feel strong urge to change their lives and conditions of life on mother Earth.

Vladan Janković (Shankara) is born in Serbia (Jugoslavia). From 1999. He has lived in France and Italy, he currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal. He dedicated all his life to spirituality, even thought he was not always aware of that in the early childhood and teenage years. By growing up in atheist family and society he built his own relationship with the Universe and after some metaphysical experiences, most of them enthusiastic and successful, led by strong desire to become a part of ancient spiritual tradition, he became member of Orthodox christian church as that was the only option in his country at that time.

24/11/2025

24/11/2025

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Who are we and what are Arts of the Spirit?