fully fledged – completely developed or established; of full status.
yogini – 1. female master practitioner of yoga 2. formal term of respect for Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers 3. sacred feminine force incarnate
If master, then fully fledged. If teacher, then ought to be fully fledged or the teaching is half-baked, half-awakened. If the sacred has been physically manifest, then it is fully fledged without a doubt.
Yogini means fully-fledged. If not fully fledged, she is not yogini. Maybe, if correctly established in her practice, she is bhakta, or devotee of the Goddess. If she is fortunate to be initiated directly by her guru, then she is shishya – a student or disciple. If not yet fully-realized but somewhat advanced along the path of her practice, she can be referred to as siddha, or an adept of tantra. Or if academic and fully versed in the tantra shastra, then maybe she will be called Sarvvatantra.
And that was rather technical. And almost meaningless in this day and age with so many schools of thought, and opinions, and this and that and this and that. Perhaps the reader knows well that any woman practicing yoga is calling herself yogini these days. It is fine. No problem. But the issue taken with fully fledged is an interesting one.
I Am Yogi.
I Am Shiva.
I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor the reflections of inner self (chitta). I am not the five senses. I am beyond that. I am not the ether, nor the earth, nor the fire, nor the wind. I am indeed, that eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
Neither can I be termed as energy, nor five types of breath, nor the seven material essences, nor the five coverings of a being. Neither am I the five instruments of elimination, procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking. I am indeed, that eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
I have no hatred or dislike, nor affiliation or liking, nor greed, nor delusion, nor pride or haughtiness, nor feelings of envy or jealousy. I have no duty, nor any money, nor any desire nor even liberation. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
I have neither virtue, nor vice. I do not commit sins or good deeds, nor have happiness or sorrow, pain or pleasure. I do not need mantras, holy places, scriptures, rituals or sacrifices. I am none of the triad of the observer or one who experiences, the process of observing or experiencing, or any object being observed or experienced. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth. I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth. I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes, and without any form. I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation .I have no wishes for anything because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.
The Atmastakam Shivo’ham Mantra
I identify as that. I am Yogi. I am Shiva.
Yogini may also identify with that, or as that, but more likely she will identify with yogini tantra –Anuttarayoga, or Margyud or other Mother Tantra which emphasizes enlightened awareness or otherwise cultivation of pure mind.
…is a Saiva Tantrika, Gyana Yogi and founder of Uma Maheshwara Yoga & Ayurveda. David has an MA in Semiotics, lives in Japan with his family and works as a coach in L & D, devoting his time to developing science-based tools and programs that help people reach the fullest potential of the human condition.