MAP OF AWAKENING (LOC)

This is the introduction to the first edition of Ramaji’s book «1000» by Koort, who has been personally guided by Ramaji in his awakening through RASA. Koort is one of the first people to stabilize at LOC 1000 through the power of RASA. In this introduction, he discusses the basic features of the LOC 500s to 1000 from his own experience and realization.

Koort writes,

1000 is the ultimate level of consciousness, or LOC, the numerical assessment of a person’s state of awareness, on the «way» to Self-realization or Freedom in this lifetime.

Even though 1000 is the only thing that is real, it is realized by taking the imaginary journey through the lower levels of consciousness. In «1000,» Ramaji quantifies, qualifies, and maps out this journey as it is — level by level, step by step.

Although everyone’s experience and time spent at each LOC will be unique, Ramaji shows you how to recognize each level, alerts you to the pitfalls as you move through them, and encourages you to complete the journey.

He opens up about his personal journey to LOC 1000. He lists the LOCs of numerous contemporary teachers, gurus, authors, and historical figures. He also explains the benefits of «Ramaji Advaita Shaktipat Attunement,» or RASA.

It was my great pleasure to have Ramaji’s extraordinary tutelage for over a year on my personal journey to LOC 1000. I made his acquaintance for the first time in July 2012 in San Diego. I immediately began meeting with him for up to six hours a week to confront my questions, eliminate my doubts, and receive RASA.

The people at LOC 30 through LOC 499 are experiencing the early stages of Awareness. They progress and move through life operating from basic, animalistic impulses, great passions and emotions, and the power of intelligence.

The LOC 500s have awakened to spirituality. They expect a reward for their good service to God and mankind either in this life or in the hereafter. Early in my teens, I turned to a higher power hoping to earn a problem-free life, loving relationships, and recognition from my peers.

I had lots of fantasies about enlightenment, such as an enlightened person will be saintly, be able to perform miracles, have lots of money, and be very charitable. At other times, I imagined they would be very poor and serve humanity, never eat red meat, not wear glasses, never have health problems, and never get cancer.

I became a web-surfer and spiritual globe trotter moving from one teacher to the next. For close to forty years, I read many different books, tried all forms of spirituality such as abstinence, affirmation, mantra, meditation, yantra, yoga, new age, old school, you name it. I had several mini awakenings and peak experiences via Kundalini, psychedelic drugs, and dreams.

Yet, for whatever amount of love I felt, I had an equal amount of fear in the form of shame, guilt, anger, rage, loneliness, or some type of demon or shadow that I avoided.

Eventually, my mental anxieties, depression, suffering, and suicidal thoughts overwhelmed me, but I gave up trying to fix myself.

I faced the fact that all the spirituality, psychology, sex, drugs, or whatever I tried offered no permanent solution to my suffering. For several months, I was barely able to leave my bed.

As difficult as life was for me in the LOC 500s, I realize now that if I had not let go of resisting my fears and pain, I would have continued suffering the extreme emotional highs and lows I had become accustomed to and risked remaining a seeker in the LOC 500s for the rest of my life.

The LOC 500s have not yet faced their greatest fears, but the LOC 600s have. At this time, I passed through the first void passage and had my first ego death. I felt like I experienced a second birth. I was more completely in my body than ever before.

I started living in the first stage of non-duality and sought out Ramaji’s guidance (his good friend and teacher at that time). I existed in the world as the no-self and as the non-doer. Compared to life in the LOC 500s, this was a vast improvement. I basked in the glow of my new life in the LOC 600s. However, Ramaji told me that even though this was enlightenment, it was far from Self-realization. As good as it felt, it was really no big deal. The journey was far from over.

Ramaji explained that I risked crystallizing myself in the LOC 600s for the rest of my life if I continued to hold up my newfound awareness as something special. He told me that there would be more darkness to face, but the good news was that it would be much easier for me to transcend and that I would move ahead more quickly. He was right.

Although the LOC 600s are considered enlightened, they have more subconscious fears to face. In contrast, the LOC 700s confronted the reemergence of their fears after the bliss and excitement of their rebirth wore off.

Like me, they buckled down and got back to real Self Inquiry. I experienced a second void passage. The concepts of no-self and non-doership dropped away, and I started living in the second stage of non-duality called «cosmic consciousness.»

It felt as if the whole world was moving through me while I remained perfectly still. I now existed as King of the Universe, abiding mostly in peace and joy. Everything was in me, and I was the world.

During this stage, Ramaji let me know that the world and knowledge of myself as cosmic consciousness was just another concept or state and that it had absolutely no value. If I did not toss it out and continue the journey, I would remain in the LOC 700s as the King of Crap for the rest of my life.

The LOC 700s still identify with the familiar concepts of the world and cosmic consciousness, but the LOC 800s have thrown these concepts out. Like me, they passed through the third and final void passage and started living in the third state of nonduality, the pure «I Am.»

Although this was a short-lived level for me, I enjoyed a personal, mystical relationship with Kali, Ramana, and Jesus. As poetic and beautiful as my life was, Ramaji let me know that the pure «I Am,» God or Light was just another concept and a seductive form of separation.

He explained that I was holding onto the belief that I was because of them, but actually, the opposite was true. They were only because I was.

Ramaji warned me that if I did not want to get stuck in the LOC 800s for the rest of my life, my God/Goddess/Guru would eventually have to go. He told me that they wanted to go. When that happened, I would go with them into That, in which all states exist but which is touched by no state. My beloved Kāli, Ramana, and Jesus were so kind as to remove themselves from me. No Kāli. No Ramana. No Jesus. No God.

The LOC 800s exist in the brilliant state of «I Am,» but the LOC 900s have transcended this state and the concept of God/Goddess/Guru. Like me, they discovered that there is no other. I was now living in the fourth stage of nonduality, the true «I.» During this time, I kept to myself a lot, not because I was stuck in my pain and fears, unable to face the world, but because I had a preference for living as peacefully as possible.

I lived happily and mostly secluded within the four walls of my home, leaving only to work out at the gym, go to the grocery shop, and take a weekly nature walk with Ramaji. I chose to have minimal interaction with family, friends, and other people who could possibly disturb my peace.

To avoid getting stuck in the LOC 900s, Ramaji encouraged me to throw all caution to the winds along with my need to control anything, including my own peace. He told me that there would always be disturbances and differences and that my need to control was a form of separation.

While the LOC 900s are very close, they still have a subtle need to control, whereas the LOC 1000s exist in complete «controlessness.» They have gone full circle and are fully engaged in the world. One afternoon after a RASA, the idea of a «me» that was trying to control or become LOC 1000 dropped away. There was only LOC 1000. It was not that the journey was over. It was that the journey never began.

This is It, and I do not know what It is. This not knowing is LOC 1000, the ultimate level of consciousness. I am no longer disturbed by being disturbed. The difference between all the ups and downs makes no difference. The next thing is just the next thing.

Before meeting Ramaji, I had many teachers that I turned to for help along the way. I know now that most of them never completed their journey. Ramaji explained that it is likely that they crystallized at the LOC they started teaching at.

By assessing the LOCs of the gurus, teachers, and authors whose guidance we seek, words we listen to, and books we buy, Ramaji may create controversy and juicy gossip within the worldwide non-duality community. Why shouldn’t he? What is the problem? The dialogue will be lots of fun.

The journey from LOC 30 to LOC 1000 is imaginary, yet it is exactly what it is. Why should we deny it? Why shouldn’t we talk about it and quantify and qualify our LOCs along the way? Ramaji shows you how to recognize each LOC, alerts you to the pitfalls along the way, and encourages you to realize the ultimate Reality — LOC 1000.