Siddha Dharma
In order to find the motivation to practice authentically, you need to listen to teachings, study them and reflect on their meaning. These days, with our busy lives and students who are spread out all over the world, this can be quite a challenge. So I have worked with some of my students to create a place on-line so that anyone with an internet connection can find guidance and support for their practice. I feel that this sort of endeavor is essential in today’s incredibly fast-paced world, so that we always can find inspiration at the touch of a button.
।। अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः।
गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथः सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः।।
(गीता १०:२६)
Among trees, I am the banyan tree, and of the Devarshis, I am Narada. Among the Gandharvas, I am Citraratha, and among the perfected beings, I am the sage Kapila.
(Geeta 10:26)
The above verse is taken from Geeta, where Shri Krishna mentions that among the Siddhas, he is Mahasiddha Kapila. Mahasiddha Kapila is acknowledged by lord Krishna in a time immemorial scriptures of Hindus. The very sage Mahasiddha Kapila belongs to the Siddha lineage of the Himalayas or “Siddha Dharma” in Kaulantak tradition.)
Siddha Dharma is the unbroken guru-disciple tradition of the Himalayan Siddhas who have their mentions in various scriptures and local epics. Siddha Dharma wasn’t born yesterday in Kali yuga. It was incepted by Lord Shiva himself and whoever emulated the lifestyle, pathways of the Lord Shiva are known to be a Siddha. Siddha Dharma therefore emerges from the premises that Lord Shiva is the embodiment of the knowledge of everything of this universe or creation and the vital force that administers it, called shakti. Since, Shiva and Shakti are inseparable, like a dreamer and the dream, therefore Siddha Dharma is the joint path of Shiva and Shakti.
Siddha Dharma is a lineage which is very secretive in its affairs and whereabouts but with the advent of Kali yuga and the declination of spiritualism in the society, the Siddhas have had to come out of their secrecy and transmit the wisdom to the masses. Every time this universe was devoid of spiritual wisdoms, the Siddhas have set their foot in the society and transmitted those wisdoms and in the process reviving it for the future generation. For instance,
Mahasiddha Matsyendra Nath Ji, the best revered among the Siddhas and the Naths, he descended down from the Himalaya and spread the knowledge of the Siddhas. He along with other Mahasiddha Goraksh Nath, Nidhi Nath etc. worked tirelessly to uplift the eternal teaching of Lord Shiva to the society where the Jeeva would walk in the path to become Shiva. Most of the Deeksha courses that IKSVP organizes are based on those wisdoms revived by Mahasiddha Matsyendra Nath Ji.
The Siddhas were revered so highly because of their wisdoms. They knew different secretive wisdoms which was like a Chintamani “philosophers stone”, those wisdoms could transform a Jeeva (Individual) to Shiva (ultimate reality). Those wisdoms include different wisdom like tantra, mantra, yantra, ayurveda, rasayana, karmakanda or rituals, niti, chikitsa etc. These wisdoms are propagated in the form of sadhana as he/she whoever perfected the sadhana would perfect life. IKSVP therefore conducts a monthly deeksha course solely for the purpose of informing people about these deekshas.
His Holiness Mahasiddha Ishaputra Ji is intrinsically connected with the Siddha Dharma, he is the selected one sent from the Himalayas to the society to inform the people about the messages of the Siddhas. He in a way is the messenger of the Siddhas, and he brings the message of the Siddhas to the society in the form of deeksha.
Lately, Mahasiddha Ishaputra has decided to merge to different pathways to form a joint path of spiritualism. The first is the Siddha Dharma and the second is the Deva Parampara or the traditions of the gods. Siddha Dharma is purely tantra based whilst the Deva Parampara is more or less a bhakti-based approach to spiritualism. The merging of the two wisdom paths gives a protective armor to the spiritual enthusiast against the arsenal of Kali yuga.