Sri Vidya, Yantra, Mantra, Tantra, Mudra, Guru Karunamaya

[Nuralshamal]

Dear Dao Bums,

Today I'll share my experience with "Guru Karunamaya" and his teachings of Sri Vidya (a branch of spiritual practice in Hinduism).

I have tried many things under the sun, but I am extremely positively surprised by the power of his teachings.

Intro to Sri Vidya:
Your body, energy, chakras, aura, psyche etc, is a perfect replica of the universe. This is called the "microcosm" and "macrocosm" idea.

How the energy flows in your chakras and nadis, or energy centers and energy channels, showcases how your mind works, as well as how your life is working (and will work in the future).

If the energy is flowing freely in a particular chakra and its nadis, it means your life is flowing freely in that particular area. E.g. regarding work and money, sexuality and pleasure, power and fame, love and relationships, manifestation and communication, understanding and wisdom, spirituality and oneness with the universe, etc.

By opening your chakras and nadis, you also open the corresponding areas of your life. 

You then progress through the "sri chakra" or "sri yantra". This yantra holds all yantras, all gods and goddesses, all chakras and nadis, and all areas of your life.

The beginning practice:
You start from the outside perimeter, and then work your way through it. You end up in the center, the "bindu", the point, the dot.. The divine

The outside perimeter (bottom left corner, the outermost square line) corresponds to the elephant God "Ganesha" or "Ganapati". This energy corresponds to the root chakra (muladhara chakra), and general stability and trust in your life. This also includes basic needs like work, security, fincances etc.

When you get the deeksha (initiation) into the "ganapati" (another name for Ganesha or the elephant God) you start opening this chakra.

With the shaktipat (energy transmission) of the teacher, you get a boost to your own process. Then you recite 100.000 repetitions of the mantra. This makes the mantras energy "flower" - both in your chakras and nadis, your physical body, as well as your life.

This will give you physical health, heal any problems related to the anus, spine, legs and feet, bring you emotional and mental stability as well as trust, energetically it will open your muladhara chakra and its nadis, in your life it will attract a job to you (if you're looking for one), otherwise it will make your work situation stable.

The scope of continued practice:
Further, you continue this journey of self-healing alongside realization of ever subtler levels of the Divine, inside and out (your body, energy, emotions, mind and soul, as well as your outside life). This is done by working your way through the Sri Yantra.

There's a process for everything: opening chakras and nadis, getting a job, attracting more wealth, removing black magic and evil spirits, controlling the weather, overcoming racism, depression and other negative mental states, and it just goes on and on. The sri yantra contains everything. Also ALL the siddhis (supernatural powers, e.g. auric vision (called divya dristhi or divine sight), controlling the weather, healing of self and others, and so on and so forth).

Ending blessing and prayer:
May you all be blessed, and enjoy good health, long life, prosperity, happiness, wisdom and peace

Edited November 11, 2021 by Nuralshamal

[Nuralshamal]

Dear Dao Bums,

Small update:
A small update on the Sri Vidya front

I've now been practicing daily for about 6 months.

I've done the mantras, used some of the small rituals and pujas, and lastly a 41 day ritual to empower my mantra as well as attract stability and trust.

I must say... It works!

After finishing the 41 day ritual, I immediately started getting several money making opportunities in a way I've never experienced before. People just started contacting me with small money making "gigs", and my normal job stabilized.

Additionnally, having completed so many repetitions of the different mantras, I must say, they work!

Mantras and opening chakras
In the beginning it would take about 50 minutes of mantra repetition of the Ganapati Mantra, then I would feel comfortable warmth in the tailbone / muladhara chakra area, and then with continued repetitions, I felt this warmth circulate up and down my legs as well as my spine in 4 distinct channels (2 down the legs, 2 along the spine).

After 6 months of daily japa (mantra repetition), this chakra opening and nadi circulation happens in 1-2 minutes. The time has simply reduced slowly from 50 minutes, to 45, to 40 etc with continued repetitions, and now it happens very quickly.

The Bala Tripura Sundari Mantra for the Swadistana chakra has gone through a similar development; it now opens the chakra in the front (genital area), in the middle of the body as well as on the back of the sacral bone, and I feel the energy circulate in 6 channels, some down my leg and some up and down my torso.

The next mantra is the Raja Shyamala Mantra for the Heart chakra. It has great and very powerful energy, and it goes straight into the heart. I've not practiced it long enough for the chakra and nadi opening, but I can feel its power and energy.

Guru Karunamaya has also given a particular way of opening all chakras and nadis using mantras. I've only seen it demonstrated, but I can't wait to try it out! I could feel energy in each nadi when the Guru recited the mantras and demonstrated how to do it.

Imagine having mastered all the mantras for all the chakras and nadis! Then you simply meditate for 10-20 minutes, repeat the mantras for all chakras and nadis, and you will open and circulate all your chakras and channels every single day.

Only one Supreme Being, yet many Gods?
I like the intellectual explanation for the meanings of the "Gods and Godesses". Being raised strictly monotheistic, I never understood the Hindu pantheon. My current understanding, after studying Sri Vidya, is that each God/Goddess is simply a particular kind of energy.

Just like you're only one person, yet you use different parts of your body for different tasks. Your hands can work, your feet can walk, your eyes can see, yet they're all part of one, indivisble whole: you.

Similarly, there is only one Supreme Being. All the Gods are simply different types of energies of this one Supreme Being.

I look forward to continuing my Sri Vidya journey
 

[old3bob]

you might consider if you haven't already that besides there being certain energies or principles that there are also certain and actual souls or gods in related realms that the Supreme Being works through. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by old3bob

[ronko]

Hi , just wondering if you are still practicing ?

I am quite interested in taking his online course after reading your posts

[Creation]

Out of curiosity I googled "Online Srividya course" and was shocked by how many I found.  I'm glad to have this recommendation for investigating this beautiful tradition.

[Nuralshamal]

@ronko

Yes! I am still practicing

And I must say, things are progressing!

I can feel the mantras for the muladhara, swadistana, manipura, anahata, vishuddi and agnya chakra starting to work

Those are the mantras I've been initiated into so far, and with continous practice, it really works.

The daily mantras for all chakras and channels are also extremely powerful, yet it takes some time to fully open all channels.

My feeling is that it depends on your karma in each field. The more good karma you have related to a certain chakra and channel, the faster it opens. The more bad karma you have, the longer it takes.

As you open them up through the mantras, you will see and relive whatever bad energy is stuck there. Just let it pass through

@Creation
Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad it's useful

I can definitively vouch for DeviPuram and Guru Karunamaya

Everything I've learnt, I've felt in my body, my energy, my mind and in my "outside material life" (e.g. money, relationships etc).

 

[Nuralshamal]

Dear Dao Bums,

A small update

Some of my ideas about Sri Vidya so far regarding:
1) Gods and what they represent
2) The types of rituals used in Sri Vidya
3) Some of my recent experiences with mantra and rituals and their effect on my life

Each God represents:
Microcosmic level: your chakra and it's related energy channels, body organs, emotions, capacities etc
Mesocosmic level: which areas of your life are connected to that particular energy (e.g. finance, romance, sexuality etc)
Macrocosmic level: supernatural beings of a higher order, some living in the astral world of planet Earth, some living on other planets or starsystems in our galaxy

Ganapati, Ganesha or "The Elephant God" represents the muladhara chakra, root chakra and the related nadis (down the leg, up the back into the brain).

Bala represents the swadistana chakra, and the related nadis down the leg and up the torso. In your life it's related to pleasure, creativity and the sense of self.

Chamunda or Durga represents the navel chakra, which is connected to all the nadis around the navel, and it gives you "ego" power and the ability to achieve in wordly life. You have the power to defend yourself verbally and energetically, and go after what you want and achieve it.

Raja Shyamala represents the heart chakra, and all the nadis around the heart and chest area, and the sense of love, acceptance, joy and power of attraction in your life.

Varahi will give you protection from black magic, and also heal each layer of your body (flesh, blood, muscle, organs, bone, marrow and sexual fluid).

Rituals
There are 3 types of rituals:
Tarpana, which is done using water (a kind of offering of water with mantras)
Puja, which is done using food, incense, lamp, bell etc (representing and embodying the 5 elements during the rituals) offered using mantras.
Homa, which is done using fire (offering into the fire with mantras).

Under these general types, nyasas are used to activate certain points of the body, and mudras are used to represent or activate specific energies.

My recent experiences
The Raja Shyamala mantra and tarpana has profoundly changed my life. There is no comparison between now and before! It's really insane.

For all of my life, people that know me tend to like me, e.g. family, friends, collegues etc.
However! Strangers have always had a completely neutral, sometimes sceptical (slightly negative) attitude towards me at first. Only if they got to know me, or after they got to know me, would their attitude switch from slighty negative or neutral towards positive.

After the Raja Shyamala mantra and tarpana, even complete strangers will have a positive attitude towards me. Strangers have even begun to approach me for small talk in the supermarket, gym or even in the street. 

This has never happened in my life before! (it's not a natural part of my country's culture to do that, like it would be in the US for example. Talking to strangers outside of practical matters or politeness is considered weird).

It's really noticeable and quite peculiar to experience such a switch.

Especially the opposite gender is visibly more attracted to me than before.

Before I would say about 60% of girls would be open to me romantically if I approached them. However, now it's about 90%! They all smile, look at me, try to get eye contact, and feel like talking to me.

It's crazy!

I really feel more and more that Sri Vidya is similar to the magic we all heard about growing up. There are mantras, meditations and rituals, and they effect not only your physical body, energy and mind, they change your outer life too.

I'm steering clear of anything that could override other people's free will (e.g. attraction or sexual magic directed at specific people), and also of course any a-dharmic action (that hurts myself or others, physically or mentally, now or in the future) like cheating.

What I've read is that this "attraction" power should be used for good, guiding others towards the right path (e.g. vegetarianism, being good to oneself and others and all living beings, being loving and compassionate, not stealing, hurting, cheating, lying etc, respecting parents and elders, taking care of family and serving society, giving charity etc).

I just wanted to share with you, that Sri Vidya could potentially allow you to become like the wizards, sorcerers or magicians of the adventures and fairy tales we grew up with. Or have seen in video games

You can heal yourself and others, you can remove black magic and evil entities (at higher levels), you can attract the opposite sex and much more. I was told that at the last level, when you finally get the highest mantra and the rituals for the Sri Yantra and the Meru, you can achieve any thing you want.

You can worship the specific part of the Meru or Sri Yantra which gives more money, makes you more fertile, produce better offspring, gives you power of clairvoyance, changing the weather etc. There are 64 parts of the Sri Yantra or Meru, and each can give you a particular power or benefit in your spiritual or wordly life.

It's like a catalogue, you can "order" what you want more of in your life: money, love, sex, romance, spiritual powers etc.

I look forward to reaching that level, God willing  

Be blessed by the Divine!
 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Nuralshamal

[Nuralshamal]

Update:

Dear Dao Bums,

I would advise anyone wanting to start Sri Vidya Sadhana to opt for Devipuram's program

It's exceptionally good. 

There is a sense of community, cozyness, enjoyment, pleasure and joy when you're learning. You enjoy yourself in the process. It's great

I can't wait to continue with them, and go all the way. 

God bless you!

[forestofclarity]

How does your Sri Vidya experience stack against your Spring Forest qigong, genital weight lifting, Daoist sexual yoga, and at least two other qi or qigong related systems? That seems like a lot of systems. 

[Nuralshamal]

23 hours ago, forestofemptiness said:

How does your Sri Vidya experience stack against your Spring Forest qigong, genital weight lifting, Daoist sexual yoga, and at least two other qi or qigong related systems? That seems like a lot of systems. 

I would split spirituality into:
1) Body related
2) Breath related
3) Mantras
4) Mind related
5) Healing
6) Rituals

Sri Vidya has given me rituals and mantras for all things life-related.

SPQ I've kind of put on the back burner. I tried it, it was good, it worked, but I vibed more with some of the other systems.

SKY gave me meditation and breath.

Master Wu's qigong gave me body and healing.

Sexual qigong is body related, just makes lovemaking more enjoyable and converts it from a qi-depleting activity, to a qi-building experience.

So I really felt like learning each of these systems gave me something different. 

All together, I now feel empowered. No matter what I need, I feel like I know how to get it. No matter if it's body, energy, mind or even life related, I feel like I have the tools.

Want more money? I have the mantras and rituals for it.

Want more peace of mind? I know the meditation

Want better sex? I got some handy skills

Want healing? I know the exercises and mantras for that.

So I bow down before Almighty God, and all of my teachers, for allowing me to use these systems for improving the harmony within my bodies (physical, energy, spiritual), the bodies of my friends and family, as well helping me and my friends and family in staying healthy, happy, whole and materially secure as well as spiritually uplifted.

God bless you

[NaturalFlow]

On 24. 8. 2022 at 10:48 PM, Nuralshamal said:

Dear Dao Bums,

A small update

Some of my ideas about Sri Vidya so far regarding:
1) Gods and what they represent
2) The types of rituals used in Sri Vidya
3) Some of my recent experiences with mantra and rituals and their effect on my life

…

greetings !, your posts made me really curious about Sri Vidya courses from Guru Karunamaya. My main concern is the complexity of the ritualistic part of worship. Would you say it is quite difficult to learn for someone not Indian and with only a little background in puja etc… ?

 

[Nuralshamal]

2 hours ago, NaturalFlow said:

greetings !, your posts made me really curious about Sri Vidya courses from Guru Karunamaya. My main concern is the complexity of the ritualistic part of worship. Would you say it is quite difficult to learn for someone not Indian and with only a little background in puja etc… ?

 

If you're from the first world with a high school education / upper secondary level education, you should be able to manage.

I've been in contact with 3 Sri Vidya teachings so far:
1) Karunamaya,
2) Devipuram (same lineage as Karunamaya, actually Devipuram was founded by Karunamaya's Guru),
3) Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom (different lineage, south India).

The materials from Devipuram were prepared by western people who are also western educated. They must have had a degree in design or something similar, the materials are of exceptional quality. Super clear, beautiful and well-structured. Similar to what you would read from a professional academic in the West - illustrations, set-up, mini-explanations, color-coding, the whole she-bang.

Any person could pick them up and follow them - they're that good.

The materials from Karunamaya are (sorry to say) quite poor. Without the oral explanations and visual demonstrations, you will most likely not be able to just pick them up and do the rituals. However, of course, if you do the online workshops, you can (with some strain).

Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom are somewhere in between - pretty clear in explanations, however they usually don't provide materials for everything - only sometimes. They give the explanations, but it's usually up to you to take notes. If you follow the classes and actually practice what is taught, you will pick it up.

If you're looking to start Sri Vidya, here are my pros and cons for learning from each:

Karunamaya
Pros
Quite frequent online workshops

Cons
Indian-ly strict, not that friendly, loving, understanding nor compassionate from a westerner's viewpoint of a Guru
Little bit expensive
Mid to low-level quality of materials
Cannot really be personally contacted and have one-on-one dialogue for guidance etc
Mostly looking for donations, building his organisation and personal brand, increasing number of followers and making a name for himself

Devipuram
Pros
Exceptional materials
Guru Amritananda (even though passed away physically or in "maha-samadhi") is very high caliber spiritually
When you connect with his energy it's very noticeable and really helps your sadhana
Just 3 levels to get all dikshas and rituals 
The 3D Meru specifically designed by Guru Amritananda is really good and beautiful to use for puja and for meditation
First level is free and online
If you travel to the physical site, you can connect with the energy of a 3D Sri Yantra (Devipuram IS a Sri Yantra)
Level 2 and 3 on site is exceptionally fairly priced, even though of course you will have to physically travel there
Their live teaching is also very good - well-structured, evenly spaced with breaks, focus on hands-on training alongside theory, very good and friendly community - you can feel they're well-educated and used to westerners.

Cons
Don't host programs that frequently, so you have to be patient
You can't really have a one-on-one personal relationship with anyone for on-going guidance in your sadhana, it's all somewhat mechanical teaching-wise "this is the program our guru set up, this is what we teach, nothing more, nothing less" and no space for a personal guru you can talk to, cry with, get guidance and reassurance
Doesn't focus on occult skills or practical applications (prayogas) - everything is a clear-cut system you simply follow in a bhakti (devotional) manner

Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom
Pros
Good technical explanations
FREE 1 year program including initiations
Can be completed online
Focus on occult skills and practical applications (prayogas)

Cons
Depending on where you live it can more or less difficult time-zone-wise for the online courses
You need to be very mindful in how you personally interact with the guru - the pro is that you can indeed contact him directly (whatsapp), however in 90% of cases he will wave you away with standard copy/paste responses - which can be very frustrating. However, every once in a while he gives pretty good and helpful personal feedback - he might even do a prayoga to help you with your issues. I felt this the first or second time I contacted him - he gave a pretty good, helpful and heartful personal response, and after a little while I felt a Narasimha energy come over me (which was an energy we discussed could help me with my issue, however I am not yet initiated in it, and as I live in western country there are no temples to go to). So I felt he did some small Narasimha prayoga and sent me the energy, which I thought was super nice and helpful. So with these high hopes I've contacted him once or twice more (over maybe 1-2 months), however all the other times he waved me away or semi-insulted me. So that was kind of a bummer. I think it depends on whether you get him on a "good day". But compared to the others, at least the possibility of personal contact and help is there, which it is not at all with the others.

Wrap Up
Depending on your personality and likes/dislikes, I would most likely recommend you not to start with Karunamaya, but opt for either Devipuram or Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom.

If you like low-risk high reward, I would recommend you to simply sign up for the free 1 year program starting next month: you can see the 2 posters at the end of this post https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/56087-update-new-experiences-of-sri-vidya/

Then you can try it out and see if you feel it will be worth the wait to do Devipurams 3 levels (1 level online, 2 on-site).

All the best!

Sri Matre Namaha

 

[NaturalFlow]

Hello

On 31. 8. 2024 at 9:19 PM, Nuralshamal said:

If you're from the first world with a high school education / upper secondary level education, you should be able to manage.

I've been in contact with 3 Sri Vidya teachings so far:
1) Karunamaya,
2) Devipuram (same lineage as Karunamaya, actually Devipuram was founded by Karunamaya's Guru),
3) Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom (different lineage, south India).

…..

 

Hello dear Nuralshamal! Wow, that is such a nice, clear, detailed and helpful answer. I really appreciate it and I am grateful for your words and the time you had to spend writing it. It gives me a better starting point. 
 

A little “thank you wish”: May you always be well, happy and prosper

[centertime]

I wonder bija mantras are the same, do they  also open the chakras? 

[Nuralshamal]

18 hours ago, centertime said:

I wonder bija mantras are the same, do they  also open the chakras? 

Hey @centertime,

Bija mantras are like "basic building blocks" of energy.

So yes, repeating the bija mantra of a chakra will activate the energy of that chakra. Bija means seed, it's the seed level of energy.

E.g. 100.000 reps of "lam" will energize your root chakra.

However, deity mantras do more than just that. On top of unblocking your chakra, the effect of repeating the mantra will fructify a whole host of benefits in your material and spiritual life. A deity is a living being.

So bija is a seed in potential, latent and unexpressed form, deity is a full grown, living tree continously bearing a wide variety of sweet and nourishing fruits.

Edited October 1, 2024 by Nuralshamal

[Shakti Abby]

I also want to throw in my support for the Devipuram on-line course! They have a very comprehensive setup for beginners. Especially if you're interested in the ritual side of Sri Vidya. I took it a few years ago and what I learned is still a very important part of my sadhana. I ultimately decided to go with a non-dual shaiva tantra group, but proximity was the deciding factor not the quality of teaching.

Edited November 10, 2024 by Shakti Abby
mispelling

[Nuralshamal]

Thanks for sharing your 2 cents @Shakti Abby
 

Edited November 12, 2024 by Nuralshamal

[Nuralshamal]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to do a small update to what I've written earlier about the pros and cons of Devipuram, Karunamaya and Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom.

Karunamaya
To Karunamaya's "pros" I would add that he personally as a sadhaka has really put in the work. His mantra dikshas (initiation) are actually the ones I felt I got the most energy from. I feel like he's probably done the most sadhana personally out of the different schools, lineages and teachers I'm mentioning - aka he's the most powerful.

Devipuram
I would say a small critique of Devipuram since last - they cancelled an onsite program because out of 20 aspirants they deemed only 6 qualified, and they wanted at least 10 to do a program.

From a practical perspective, it kind of makes sense. However, if you remember from last, I listed it as a con that there's very few programs, you have to wait several years.

So if they were already super busy, it would make sense, however with them not really doing a lot of programs, it seemed odd and somewhat lazy.

Further during their explanation of why they cancelled it, their main argument was that if other people from around India saw sri vidya students from Devipuram not being "qualified" (like I said, they said only 6 out of 20 were qualified), e.g. not doing all steps properly, that would reflect badly on Devipuram.

So in short, it was actually an ego-reason!

They care more about their own social standing and reputation than actually helping other people advance in sadhana.

Compare this to Vethathiri Maharishi (founder of Simplified Kundalini Yoga, SKY) who in his early days as a guru took a 3 hour bus ride just to awaken the kundalini of an aspirant. When he got there, the aspirant wasn't even home! He had forgotten the appointment and gone to the city to see a movie in the cinema. Then Vethathiri waited for 7 hours until that person came home, awakened his Kundalini, and then went home.

He even instructed my SKY teacher that even if there is just 1 person wanting to learn, you should teach. Something I've followed as a SKY teacher too.

So his main motivation and concern is helping and assisting his fellow man.

Compare this to Devipuram: slightly lazy and ineffective, main motivation is their ego-pride, social standing and reputation in Indian society, and even with 6 qualified students they would rather wait and have the students be inconvenienced than themselves hold some workshops. In short, they want others to carry "the burden" / the suffering instead of themselves making an effort.

A person's behaviour, love and treatment of his fellow man is the only true measure of spiritual development in my opinion - not powers, energy, status, convenience, authority or anything like that. So felt like Devipuram made a wrong choice there, showcasing their true motivations.

I feel like their whole approach is actually not focused on Sri Vidya, helping sadhakas advance, helping people and so on, Devipuram itself as a political project is actually their main concern.

Compare this to the founding Guru Amritananda, he really wanted to spread love, joy, bliss and Sri Vidya. That was without a doubt his main motivation. Devipuram was just an extension of that. Think about all the social taboos he broke, all the criticisms he faced, he didn't care - he kept pursuing the spread of love regardless of race, religion, nationality and social standing. Sri Vidya is the most secret and occult Goddess worship, all the mantras and methods were highly secret, only taught to respected men over 40, just like Kabbalah. He opened it to all, and gave everyone mantras, methods etc, even people from other races and religions, no discrimination, we're all one. And all the nudity, eroticism and sexual methods, India is already super conservative, all brahmins, priests etc, all really critiqued him. Yet nothing could stop him. Just like Moses, Jesus or Muhammad. Moses was in the desert with wife and kids, he could've just stayed and enjoyed. But prompted by God, he had to endure so many tests, so much suffering, and even after managing to free the people, he had to endure their troublesome nature for 40 years in the desert! And he only saw the Promised Land, he never even entered. Like Jesus too, tortured, ridiculed, spat on and put to death. Even Muhammad, he was very respected and had high social status. He lost all that. The first 3 years after his revelation, he was spat on, they threw rocks at him, he lost all his status and respect, but he still soldiered on.

I feel that's a great testament of a real man - truth over comfort. Only with the strength given from God can someone endure things like that and still soldier on. Amritananda as well. Vethathiri too, he also faced severe financial struggles and social ridicule, but that didn't stop him. They all kept on keeping on, following Divine Guidance, to help and uplift the very people that directly attacked and opposed them. Rama also - he could've gone against dharma and the vows of his mother, and just stayed in the palace. But he followed Dharma. Again, when Ravana kidnapped Sita, he could've just gotten a new girl, but instead he fought a whole war to restore dharma. 

Impromptu poem about truth over comfort: fight fight fight, fight with all your might, keep doing what is right, fight the good fight

Sri Vidya Tantra Peedom
I would change almost 100% what I said last time.

I would not advice anyone to go for any of their free programs.

Their paid programs are good, very technical and precise, however super slow. They spend 1-2 hours communicating what an average educated westerner would communicate in just 5 minutes.

The best approach I've found is that, say in a 2 month program, you simply attend their "practice sessions" which are about 1x/month. The whole 2 month program you can get in just 2 hours, instead of 1 hour a week totaling 8 hours.

And make sure it's paid. Here they're friendly, helpful, respectful and professional.

In the free programs, my God, it's complete insanity.

In all of my life I've never suffered such cruel and inhumane treatment. And I was 14 years in the army and deployed more than 3 times to warzones!

It's like because it's free, they feel like "they want to make you pay", but instead of money, you give away your basic human dignity.

So I would advice any sane, normal person, especially from the Western World to only opt for paid programs and thereby preserve your dignity as a person.

The abuse, cruelty, inhumane and bad treatment on the free programs are torture to the human mind, heart and soul and completely divorced from what spirituality is supposed to be. There's a completely split between what they're teaching and how they themselves act as people towards you.

I will say that I saw 2 very friendly, loving, helpful and just actually "normal" people volunteering, however the main people were exceptionally cruel, borderline evil to be honest. I dare not dream what they would do in a real position of power.

Conclusion
Now I've shared a bit further my experiences.

My own purpose of course is simply to help as many people as possible - giving as clear, real, truthful and honest feedback about my personal experiences.

So you have the best possible facts available before deciding if Sri Vidya is something for you.

Of course you could experience it differently, we're all unique after all. But now you have at least 1 truthful testimony

And lastly I will just say in general about Sri Vidya - it's really good it's so cozy to do the pujas, homas and tarpanas together.

I feel Hinduism is just such a family-friendly religion. It's so much fun to do the tarpana (water ritual), it's like you're a child all over again, playing.

Because in the beginning you build a figurine out of water and turmeric (again, it's just like being a child again, remember when you were little? Producing things out of clay was fun, for no reason, no ultimate objective, it's just play, it's a fun, creative expression).

When you've molded it, now you have to aim and "shoot" the mantra energized water, and then you need to make sure the figure is completely melted again by the end.

In the beginning of a 41 day mandala (daily tarpana), you might not be able to melt the whole thing, as you're simply not that skilled in shooting the water. However after a while you become a master, and you just melt that thing in no time.

It's good, innocent and joyful fun it helps awaken your atma, your soul, your Point of Light, your spark, your innocent soulful nature of pure Being, free from concepts, ideas, self-images, ego and conditioning.

Similarly with the fire rituals. Why do we enjoy bonfires? It's just cozy to hang around. And now you can sit in nature with your loved ones, under the trees and shining sun, or at night under the shining stars and clear sky, and have that cozy moment together, playing, throwing things into the fire, and at the same time it's worship. It's uplifting your spirit, producing energy, attracting positivity to your and your life. The mantra energized smoke from the purified offerings and incense all go up to the atmosphere, changing the whole aura and energy field of the place you live and indeed the whole planet. Similarly with puja.

I remember when I was a kid (just 4 years old) my dad took me to a village in India for 1 month so he could meditate intensely. When we were there, he bought puja things we could use at home.

I just remember when we got back home again, I just loved walking around the house ringing that big puja bell. For no reason - it was just fun

It's fun in a very simple, basic, innocent and very soulful way. It's fun to light the camphor and wave it around. It's fun to do the rituals, and it's so cozy to do together as a family.

Also because it's active, everyone can get involved so they don't get bored - the kids can shoot water during tarpana too, or help throw things into the fire during the "swahaa".

Hinduism is really wonderful in that way. It reawakens that joyful, soulful innocence. I would say it reawakens your atma

In the end it's not about gurus, lineages, politics, money, organisations, workshops or classes - it's about you, your soul journey, your joy, bliss, love and fun, you enjoying your time here on this beautiful, green, God-given Earth, living a fulfilling life and enjoying yourself, your friends, family and relationships, and living in natural, daily contact with the Divine within you and around you.

God bless you!