Amma
As I mentioned in a previous post, a friend of mine went to an event with Amma in Seattle last Sunday event. She told me that as she received the hug from her, an explosion went off in her heart. And since then, she has experienced everything and everyone - without exception - as love. The Universe itself, in all its forms, is love.
I was deeply touched by the story, and could certainly see the change in my friend. I could see her live as love.
And isn't it beautiful how it can be catalyzed by something as simple as a hug? I would take a hug any day, over the customary gazing (as much as I enjoy that) and talks.
It is also a reminder of the beautiful symmetry of consciousness and energy, as Ken Wilber outlines in his new book. If we divide our being into levels, from physical through to causal, then we can say there is an energy- and consciousness-component at each level. They each influence each other. And in any awakening, both are included although one may be more emphasized than the other.
Amma's hugs and the dikshas are just two examples of how awakenings can be catalyzed from the energy side, in turn inviting the consciousness to awaken. In this case, it seems that an awakening of the energies of the heart chakra opened for a recognition - a clear seeing - of everything as love. And other forms of energy work, such as Indian and Taoist yoga, are other examples of how the energetic side is addressed.
And of course, Amma and the dikshas are not truly neccesary. They just remind us of what we already are. They allow us to give ourselves permission to find it. Yet that reminder may be neccesary, at least in the beginning. They are a mirror of what is already here.
Seeing it there, I am reminded of what is already here.