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The Essence of This Path

The Essence of This Path

The Essence of This Path –
Pure Awareness, Field of Shakti, and Individual Means

by Igor Kufayev

If we have to summarize it: every single one of us is nothing other than pure undiluted awareness, and that awareness is not something which is coming and going. This awareness is our birthright. This awareness is who we are–everything else is added, and whatever we may add or subtract from it, we cannot reduce nor add anything to the essence of who we are. So this is the very premise of this work, the first and foremost tenet. In the field of pure potentialities, what we call the world in all of its manifestations, all this is but one unified field where you and I are but just fictitious characters playing their own roles until all this is being recognized for what it is.

Fine—tenets are good. Postulates are good. Having doctrinal explanations and positioning ourselves is good–but then comes the work, then comes what falls under the category of, “How did we find ourselves in this predicament?” This can be spoken in terms of, “How did we find ourselves in this predicament here and now, each and every one of us with our own uniquely unfolded story?” Likewise, “Where and how did we find ourselves here as a collective, even down to the situation that we are now faced with?” Because this is real—what is now unfolding is real. So I would, without trying to paint a darker picture—there is no need to do that—it’s simply being realistic in my assessment. We have entered, right now, since the start of the pandemic first—whether this pandemic is orchestrated, whether it is inflated, whether it has its own unfoldment, whether it is God sent, or whether this is devil sent—the fact remains that we have now entered a real test as Earthlings and as human beings.

Therefore, from the point of view of my understanding, spiritual work is no longer a domain of somehow, of one’s likes and dislikes. It’s no longer a luxury to indulge in. It’s a matter of pure survival. So I have the audacity to speak this from the perspective of how I have learned to understand this, based on my own direct experiences, direct insights, and also observing the transformations that many people went through in their life—those I’ve known for a while and those with whom I’ve had privileged to be on this journey with. And that also includes those with whom I’ve been privileged to work with over a period of time. So, the essence of this work is transformation. And the transformation of individual consciousness is nothing less than the transformation of the world. Because there is no such thing as an individual outside of the world—this is the primal understanding. We all exist inside each other, as the totality of this existence. From the perspective of your subjective experience, which is the one and the only thing there, nothing else is there—everything else is hearsay. All you have is your subjective experience of your reality. And this is a unique conglomerate of what and how this world is being created in such a way that although it seems uniquely individual, uniquely personal, unique to each and every one of us, it is at the very same time, each and every one of us, as it were, is a Walking Universe. It is that we just have simply forgotten that that’s what it is. 

So this work, as you can hear—maybe some of you who are newcomers can hear—overlaps with a lot of that maybe known territory, namely Nonduality as it took a lot of brilliant minds in the world, now in its third decade; whereas this work has an additional value which views this world, which views the individual, not as somehow a deductible, non-existent entity on the account of the world being unreal, but contrary to that, each and every human being, each and every creature here, is nothing other than the manifestation of Consciousness, manifestation of that Pure Awareness. And the world here is seen as the Body of that Awareness. So the world and Awareness are inseparable. Any talks about Awareness and the world, in fact, are nothing but categories of the language, which is always limiting—because it is subjected to and at the mercy of the fourth level of speech [vaikhari]; of which you can learn more about if you care to look into some of my discourses on the “Four Levels of Speech.” So the final level of speech, the audible and the thinkable—which is basically all our ideas, ideations, thoughts and impressions that we carry and what we speak and communicate—is nothing other than reduced consciousness to its fullness of its glory. But, whether it is reduced or not, every one of us experiencing this world for what it is is nothing, in any way, less than a God experiencing himself/herself/itself as the world. This is yet another tenet of this work.

So, how is it possible that that can be such a state of affair in addition or in contrast to the Advaita postulates, upon which all the nonduality is one way or another fashioned? Well, this is where the energetic component—the component of energy—comes in. Because the world, in order for it to have fullness and reality, is carried here through that reflective awareness, which is nothing other than the reality of your own Self reflected in your own Consciousness. In Sanskrit, it is simply known as “Shakti.” So, this field of Shakti, often addressed by us as the field of Pure Potentiality, is what is also another essence of this work. This is what the transformative work is based on. This is where the alchemy of the transformation of human consciousness is a reality, which otherwise would have forever remained into pure possibility without any ways of actualizing it. And, we should add to that immediately, this work does not shy away from all the basic methodologies of what this work utilizes, whenever the higher measures fall short. That is, it’s working at the individual level—at the individual level of each and every one’s requirements. So in addition to the energetic component, which has Consciousness as chit—Consciousness, as that transformational power of the Divine Feminine—then there is an additional way, which is assisted and aided with the multivalent ways of methodologies for which Tantra is proverbial and very well known for. So we do not shy away from varieties of spiritual practices, approaches, and methodologies, including psychological self-inquiry, psychological examination, and various forms of meditation, which is all an inseparable part of this work on the individual level. So this is, in a nutshell, what this work comprises of.

And as soon as we say this, we can now have a greater picture perhaps—or at least in a nutshell—have this understanding of what our “containers” are. Containers are places where we gather to do this work. Because when we gather, we don’t just gather to talk about it. Nor do we gather just to sit in meditation and twiddle our thumbs, hoping the thoughts will go away. The distinctive, signature feature of this work is what all energetic transformation is inseparable from. So it is rich in all of that phenomena, which displays itself in a variety seldom seen in any other container, dare I say—and you can challenge me on that, if you will, at any time. 

So our containers, our live “Immersions,” we call them—we consciously chose that term “Immersion.” We in fact customized it to such a degree that other now peers in the field began to use this term, which we have introduced in the spiritual vernacular some 10 years ago. We call them “Immersions.” They’re not retreats; we’re not retreating from anyone. We are immersing ourselves in the field of that Shakti, in the field of these Pure Potentialities; which, at the very same time, we weave form out of the sum total of our vibrations at the very moment we set the intention to come into this work and sit together.

Did you hear what I just said? I’m not exaggerating. I want to just go back to it again and let you ponder on that. It’s not that the energetic component begins at the moment we come into the same building—it actually begins well before we sit together. The energetic component of these Immersions begin to form way before we have the chance physically to greet each other in the face. It is being formed already out of that very same sum total of the heartbeats who set the intentions to come and be together. This is why this work is so potent. And once that moment comes, once we have managed to gather ourselves together, then the work begins there and then without any delay. That means that everything is now being quickened. When we come to these programs, there is this process known as quickening. The time is experienced differently. Perceptions are being altered. The time being experienced differently is not something that I am talking about. This has been referred back to me by our program’s participants, who have stated that it’s as if we exist in a different kind of dimension during the time of these programs. And yet, we don’t make this into some kind of a curriculum of how to carry this work. It’s a pure byproduct of an expanded field, and whenever the field expands, it becomes as we call it, as we say to it, thicker. It’s becoming extremely fine, refined, so it’s kind of strange to call it thicker; but thicker here means that it’s so pregnant with that energy. It’s so filled with that power, that power of your own Self-Awareness that everything begins to be experienced in a way that is, I would say, impossible to recreate in an individual setting—because the sum total is greater than the parts that form it. It’s the same principle utilized and at work here at all times.

So, this is the kind of work that we do, and whether it is known—regrettably or not—it still remains relatively unexposed. It is only known to those in the know or those who are in this and have made some attempts at making some researches—looking it up, that is. So we’re far from enjoying what could come under the category of populous. It’s not that our programs are popular, far from it. In fact, if you are to watch the testimonials, the video ones in particular—and I’m referring to video testimonials—you might come across a certain hesitation of some of its participants to express fully about the nature of this work. Because (a) it seems like we fall short for words, and (b) it feels as if it’s not something that one can brag about easily and just say, “Oh yeah, you know what, I went there and it’s cool. Just come over, you’ll have so much fun.”

Yeah, there’s a lot of fun. But it’s the real, real stuff. So therefore, I really welcome this—we don’t cut it out, we don’t trim it, we don’t edit it out. We place it there because when people come to this work, it’s not a frivolous affair of, “Oh, I’m gonna go and visit my uncle for a weekend,” or “I’m gonna have a weekend out just to kind of crash down on a yoga mat, maybe have some kind of little meditation here and there.” No, not at all. 

So maybe a word or two about what this work really is accompanied by. And I will return to this when I will begin to respond to some of the questions submitted in advance. 

Because it is energetic in its essence, the work is rich in terms of that what all the quickening is accompanied by, which, at the very same time, prompts a release of the deep-seated stresses from the nervous system which prior to that may not even have been accessed. So, in other words, often people report that, “Oh, I’ve been a facilitator of this or that program,” or “I’ve been a teacher, I’ve done this course or that course, I’ve been teaching courses”–and then they come to this work. And on the first or second day they ask me, ”Do you think I’m done, right? I’m just gonna sit and partake in everything. Because I don’t need all that stuff that others are doing, because I’ve done it.” And to that, I always welcome people, “Well, if you relax deep enough, we will see. If you can relax and there is nothing left in your system to unload, then we will just enjoy incredible states of bliss and nothing else. Bliss and beatitude, in the true sense of that term. Because bliss and beatitude is also a very staple, accompanying aspect of this work. But let us not rush into conclusions. Let us not make any hasty kind of promises. See how it goes.”

And surely, by day three or four, that very same person who may have had many, many programs, even when the word kriya—of which we’ll talk later as well—has been there as part of his or her training, they begin to display all of this because the body takes over. I didn’t just mispronounce myself or something. No, I meant it. The body’s intelligence takes over. All that what was there, neatly rearranged and everything, “I know it all, I understand it all, and I’ve done my work. Therefore, there’s nothing for me left to do except enjoying the state of nonduality,” may just simply, simply move on to the next level. And this is not uncommon at all. And then people humbly come and they express their gratitude and they express their admiration for the work, that “What an amazing thing this is, because I have never thought it’s even possible! I thought I was cooked as an apple pie.” But you poke the pie and—no, it’s not cooked? Back into the oven. Let’s see how cooked you are now. Just making a little light hearted analogy, but there is something to that.

So therefore, whether I like it or not, whether we like it or not as a Sangha, this work—it certainly works—this particular work enjoys an ambivalent reputation. “Ambivalent,” because some people or some people’s ideas of enlightenment don’t fit what is going on in our programs. Because some people come into this work thinking that it’s all about “understanding” and nothing else. Some people have been studying these philosophies, and I am absolutely humbled to admit—the first admit—that they may teach me a thing or two when it comes to this or that shastra, this or that scripture, this or that sloka. No, I’m all here to learn. But when it comes to the real job of the transformation of Consciousness, then it’s not at all down to just understanding or just grokking it or just getting it. It is down to the full, full take over. It’s a complete and utter re-evaluation on even the cellular structure. It is a complete and utter transformation of all the synaptic connections, if we are to speak of the complexity and completeness of the process. So it’s not about “What have I figured out that I somehow haven’t figured out already.”

So we humbly accept everyone into this work. Therefore, I find it very fascinating for me to come to these programs and face complete newcomers, complete newcomers who address themselves as newbies on the path, and also people who have been at it for decades, seasoned seekers, seasoned meditators, seasoned meditation teachers—and this is what makes it so beautiful. This is why I take it so humbly—how extraordinary and amazing this is to be able to partake, to be part of it, to witness that, to be of assistance to that process to whatever degree that the Mother allows in guiding that process and using this as a conduit. So that’s what in essence this work is about.

– Igor Kufayev, excerpt from free Q&A webinar “The Role & Nature of Live Immersions in This Work,” Mallorca, March 12, 2022. Watch the YouTube clip of the excerpt here.


If you feel ready and called to sit in this grace-filled field and experience the transformation of Consciousness on a visceral level, find out when and where the next immersion will take place here at www.igorkufayev.com/events. Listen to  what participants of an immersion have to say about their first-hand experience in this beautiful video testimonial “Riding Waves” or read the journal “First Encounters with Igor and this Work.”


Images: Courtesy of Flowing Wakefulness

1 comment

  1. Thank you for so clearly delineating what the role and meaning of these immersions are here. It is incredible to see it being put to words what all of us attending these immersions are feeling and know at a deeper, inexplicable level.

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