Taakatism – A Path of Spiritual Self-Discovery
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jon McManus who is the 64th Shikara, the current head of the International Taakatism Association. I had never heard of Taakatism before, and so investigated this fascinating “path of self-discovery.” Having created an entire Spiritual Toolbox(TM), of which meditation CDs are one integrative cornerstone, I found it particularly interesting that this faith incorporates meditation and massage as part of their religion. It’s also quite interesting to note that they incorporate smiles as one of their basic tenents. We should all take note.
1. Jon, what is Taakatism?
Taakatism is a faith, belief or religion. It is a path of self-discovery on a spiritual level. Everybody’s path of spiritual discovery is different, and Taakatism respects that. Taakatism is an accepting and peaceful faith and does not preach. From our main book: “These teachings are designed to help [you] discover your own link to this collective consciousness, [but, ...] remember that you and only you can do this for yourselves. [...] You must find what works for you.” Taakat is Sanskrit and Hindi for ‘Power’ or ‘Strength’ – a reference to the innate power of our own minds.
2. What is the history of it? The origins?
Taakatism originated in India about 500 years ago. After all the teachings were collected together, a council was formed, an this council elected Naabhi Dalajit Gohain as the 1st Shikara (Hindi for leader), who would head the religion. Every 8 years since, a new Shikara has been elected by this council, and this continues to this day. Nowadays, the council members are the heads of the national and regional Taakatism associations throughout the world. The council is nowadays based in London, England.
3. Do you believe in a supreme being as Creator/God? What do you worship?
Some Taakatists do believe in a God, but the subject is not mentioned within the faith. Some interpret the ‘collective consciousness’ tenets of Taakatism to mean that we are all Gods. That is to say that we are all born with innate Godliness and we just need to reconnect with that. Personally, I do not believe in a God. As for worship, the closest thing we have to that is the group meditation sessions often held by local groups. I also personally often hold meditation sessions on my travels.
4. You incorporate meditation and massage as part of your religion. Why and how does this help people?
Both meditation and massage have been scientifically proven to aid mental and physical health respectively. Taakatists have however had these as part of their faith long before this scientific evidence came to light. Meditation is a tool which is very useful in one’s spiritual path and development. Our meditations are mainly based on relaxation and visualisations. Meditation has also been proven to reduce stress and increase relaxation. Massage helps to keep one’s body healthy and has also been proven to reduce stress and is of course very relaxing. We mainly practice Indian head massage, but also back massage and others. The practice of massage is also connected to keeping energies flowing, which aids spiritual development. Both meditation and massage promote health and are complimentary.
5. Taakatism has three main belief systems. What are those?
The 3 most important tenets of the Taakatism faith are the 3 Ethics. These are:
“1. We undertake to never hurt another living being.”
“2. We undertake to avoid recreational drugs.”
“3. If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”
Number 1 regards to hurt caused by yourself, as that is all you can realistically control. This does not therefore require vegetarianism, although some Taakatists are vegetarians as they feel this lessens any possible harm further. Number 2 of course does not include medicines. Recreational drugs are discouraged because they can cloud the mind and therefore hinder spiritual development. These are not hard and fast rules, but instead intended as helpful guidelines.
6. Is there anything else people should know about Taakatism?
A good description of the spiritual path of self-discovery is contained within the book ‘Taakatism:The Path To True Freedom:’
“This is like scrubbing the dust off a dusty lens. This is your true self appearing like the sunshine in the morning to awake you from a dream. In this state of restful alertness, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence. This is to become one with the collective consciousness, and to experience life and our true selves as they really are. This is reality in it’s most pure form. As outlined above, this awakening comes in stages, and the process may be slow, but even a little bit closer is a huge amount gained. It is important to take each step at a time. This is the best way to turn the conceptual philosophy into an experiential reality. The key is not only to become one with the collective consciousness, but to harness and harmonise it. Through this collective consciousness, we can together spread peace in all directions.”
7. Where can people find out more about Taakatism?
I would recommend the website of the International Taakatism Association (ITA): http://taakatism.webs.com/ where you can download our main teachings in PDF format. You can also purchase them as a book if you would prefer. The book available online is the core teachings but there are other books – mainly discourses and debates. Alternatively, feel free to contact your local group who will be more than happy to help you.
Thank you very much for this interview and may yourself and all creatures be happy.
It was my pleasure, Jon. Sending you and all abundant smiles!
Dyan Garris
www.voiceoftheangels.com
