Dharsan
It can also mean, for those on a specific path with a connection to a particular deity, to be in the presence of an image of that deity. Being in that special being’s presence could invoke a state where the recipient can “see” as they “see”, or feel as they feel.
During darshan, I have experienced enlightened energy transmission from spiritual teachers, and I have experienced it directly from Source during meditation and yoga practices.
This term darshan overlaps with the term “Shaktipat” – an intended transmission of awakening power from adept to aspirant. In Siddha yoga and Kundalini yoga cultures, Shaktipat can be meant as a deeper and permanent transmission, not just “seeing” but “becoming”. Shaktipat is also generally associated with teachers of enlightenment from various traditions, where the emphasis is on a felt or experienced kind of knowing, beyond “book knowledge”. These types of receivings can occur within many cultures and lineages, and such experiences vary in how they unfold.
Darshan, shaktipat, Diksha, Initiation whatever term used, can be experienced as having found the thing you’ve been most longing for all your life, on the deepest level. A single taste could begin to shift a person, and such an experience could remain a source of faith and knowing for the rest of one’s life – particularly when cultivated with consistent spiritual practice.
Wordless transmission
Wordless transmission can occur from person to person or from Source to person, and can be more intense or less intense. It can happen while hearing words spoken by a significantly enlightened being, or reading their words. It can happen sitting alone during silent meditation. It can happen during Kirtan (call and answer singing names of God). And, Wordless Transmission from Source, leading to to awakening can happen from profound life experiences such as giving birth, near death experience or for no obvious reason.
The actual volition and internal execution that causes transformation is a somewhat mysterious process. It is an expression of how life force itself operates, and the mechanics of that movement may seem hidden. Each person is unique in how they find their way in (to greater Consciousness) or their way out (from overly conditioned existence). Or we can say, their “liberation” (in Hindu terms “Mukti”). Ultimately, one must find the way of their own unique heart’s path, even when performing a systematic method.
But one is not alone. There is an aspect of Grace, meaning: the Divine Source of all of us, which will partner with you and open doors at a time that could seem spontaneous or sudden. We cannot know the full mystery of the workings, but we practice on the mat and in life and benefits come, many of them ordinary benefits such as concentration ability or increased social kindness. It all works together, and in subtle and obvious ways, wordless transmission is part of what’s happening . This is true Initiation – not necessarily a ceremony, that is symbolic – it happens inside. Some masters have called it “remembering” “waking up” or “going home”.
In this article I will refer to all forms of wordless transmission from master to recipient or Source to person as “WT” (Wordless Transmission).
A yogi once said “It is better to learn to love things than to try figure them out”. And indeed it is a wonderful play, enlightened energy flowing between human beings, and from source to beings, through mentorship, music, prayer, child rearing and so on – the love that passes through all, and the moments of Wordless Transmission that lead to God.
And that brings us to the issue of believers and non-believers. One quality I have noticed about people who have experienced this wordless transmission, either from a teacher or in some other way, is that they are more interested in loving things, “feeling” things, as a priority over merely figuring them out with logic only. Buddhism teaches that wisdom is made of equal parts insight and compassion.
Facts are facts and Truth is Truth, but they are not the same thing”. “Truth” here is meant as Unity Consciousness/God/Pure Consciousness. The Truth of that as a basis of all else, the Truth of feeling it, being in it. This is Truth (“Satya”), as referred to by spiritual adepts, tens of thousands of them, in hundreds of thousands of documents, prayers, artistic works and mantras over thousands of years.
The debate between the evidence-based/materialist and the spiritual yogi is difficult to resolve if they haven’t both experienced this wordless transmission. Knowing Truth will help one understanding facts, but understanding facts alone is unlikely to reveal Truth, it is more likely one will uncover additional facts, to feed the inquiry machine. And so, we have a pragmatic and beautiful purpose for wordless transmission.
These various transmissions are not all at the same “level” of Conscious energy. The highest pure energy of the universe is One Presence, one stuff.
Hindus have names for different contexts, for example: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (AUM) from which all things are formed as a separation of transitions.
Shaktipat has been described as increasing the presence or movement of this form-changing energy (Shakti), opening the chakra and finally meeting with Shiva’s energy and becoming another one that results in the realization of Peaceful Happiness.
