IGOR KUFAYEV 

Biography of Igor Kufayev (Extended)

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Early fascination with Perennial Philosophy was an integral part of Igor's upbringing. His influences ranged from German Existentialists, Pre-Socratics, Sufi Mystics, Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo in the earlier years and Advaita of Kashmir Shaivism later on in life. His spiritual quest culminated in surrendering to the Grace received from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

 

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in his childhood Igor had many episodes associated with awakening of Kundalini. Classically trained in art from an early age, he was recognized as something of a prodigy. A one time student at the St Petersburg's Academy of Fine Arts, Igor had his first solo exhibition in Warsaw at the age of twenty five and by his late twenties enjoyed a successful career in London. In less than a decade, he managed to establish his reputation as an artist with many of his artworks being in prominent collections around the world.  

 

A personal tragedy marked his experiences unconsciously directing his inner quest: in 1991, his six year old daughter died in a road accident. Coming out of a prolonged period of grief, Igor was initiated into meditation in a dream, immersed himself into the study of yoga, learned Transcendental Meditation and practiced it diligently for several years.

 

In 2001 in the wake of an advanced yogic course, the TM-Sidhi Program, he went through a profound expansion of Consciousness. Surrendering to the process, he recognized Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as his spiritual guide, the guru. Despite never meeting the master, Igor maintained an intimate relationship with Maharishi on the heart level which transcended the boundaries of a common teacher-student relationship. He shared his experiences in an intimate letter, entitled “Never Meeting Maharishi”.

 

At the age of thirty-six Igor underwent a radical transformation of consciousness which subsequently blossomed into spontaneous unfoldment of Grace. For the next five years he continued long hours of meditation, integrating expanded state of awareness throughout his daily activities. Around that time he began sharing his insights with those who were attracted by the energy emanating in his presence.

 

Through the teaching of Muktananda he discovered the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, which became the focal point of his interest. Its “transcendental physicalism” appealed to Igor’s down to earth, creative sensibility. Unique to that tradition, the doctrine of Spanda had been verified by direct experience, in perceiving the World as a Throb of Pure Consciousness in the Heart of his own…

 

There were episodes of spontaneous healing of those close to him and Igor consciously attended to the practice of pranic healing, successfully treating patients with cancer and other conditions. However, he realized that without the psychophysiological transformation of an individual, true healing cannot take place.

 

Igor’s teaching points out that awakening takes place in the body on a cellular level, and it is the body with its nervous system, that acts as a support for individual consciousness to mature into full enlightenment. Having gone through the furnace of alchemical transmutation, he emphasizes the biological nature of Self-realization, and sees the process as the progressive purification of prana, the vital force which acts as the conduit for directing and orchestrating all movements and cognitive processes in the body.

 

Igor’s involvement with sacred tradition expresses itself not only in scriptural exposition and metaphysical discourse, but also as non-intellectual, heart-based illumination. It could be said that Igor’s teaching methods are rooted in Advaita Tantra, and he often teaches from the platform of Kashmir Shaivism. However, having studied such diverse traditions as Vedanta, Tantra, Sufism and Zen for many years, Igor remains elusive to categorization, maintaining that tradition is not a set of esoteric teachings and techniques, but a vibrant field of energy enlivened in the hearts of those who go through this transformative process firsthand — and bring these teachings to life. He maintains that,

 

Abiding in a state of spontaneous absorption transcends the boundaries of any given truth based on intellectual grasp of ultimate reality…

 

Igor shares the view that the main prerequisite of a spiritual teacher is being fully and permanently established in the Self, explaining that it is only from that uninterrupted flow of Consciousness that the teacher can be carried to do the work that needs to be done. His teaching is delivered spontaneously, and his approaches are not limited to a certain system. A teacher of immense spiritual experience, Igor nurtures and facilitates spiritual growth using whatever means best suit the individual student — the degree of their spiritual evolution, readiness and capacity to respond — from energetic transmission to breath work, mantra work, self-inquiry, and emotional introspection.

A constant feature of Igor’s work is the phenomenon of kriyas (i.e., involuntary physical, mental, emotional, psychological movements), arising in nearly every participant at his retreats, with spontaneous yoga asanas (postures), mudras (graceful gestures, usually of the hands), bandhas (yogic “locks”), spontaneous vocalization and glossolalia (speaking in tongues) observed. Igor explains that these arise as the result of greater activation of life force, exemplified in pranic expansion and forms an indispensable part of all awakening processes. These in turn unleash powerful purification and progressive freeing of the system from accumulated stresses which have created blockages in our nervous system. Igor’s teachings are unique in delivering explanations of these phenomena, as well as in-depth knowledge of the psychophysiologic aspects of the awakening process —  themes rarely addressed directly in most contemporary spiritual traditions.

Igor often refers to his teaching as this “Path of the Heart,” explaining that it is a non-intellectual and direct cognition of the essence of one’s reality — one which transcends any tradition, because by definition it cannot be contained by a set of doctrines. Here, knowledge is not mental or intellectual, nor spoken of in terms of acquisition — it is simple direct knowingness itself — beyond concepts and precepts, understanding, and language. Igor explains this:

So when I said I don’t belong to any tradition, I want to make one little adjustment to that. I do belong to a tradition and that is the tradition which could be called simply, ‘the heart.’ And don’t try to decipher it again through any ‘isms’ or spiritual traditions, because the experience of the heart transcends all traditions. And the time has come when we have to transcend those traditions that calcify to themselves...

 

Since 2002, Igor Vamadeva Kufayev has been sharing his insights into the nature of Being, and for over a decade has been serving as a conduit of transmission for awakening towards the new era of heart-centered consciousness. Speaking from direct realization of Oneness, he inspires all seekers of truth to recognize the fullest potential present in human birth. Many have been touched by grace and awakened in his presence, as he continues working towards building a global community to serve as a container for exploring possibilities for alternative, consciousness-based culture.

 

Igor is the founder of Flowing Wakefulness Fellowship, and with a dedicated team of companions, is working on his vision of creating centers for spiritual regeneration as facilities for research in consciousness, with bases in Europe and California. He travels extensively, offering gatherings and retreats for seekers of truth worldwide. Igor currently resides in Mallorca, Spain with his partner, Amrita Ma Devi, and their two children — daughter Ramana, and son Keahnu. He is currently working on his first book, a comprehensive exposition on some of Tantra’s most compelling perspectives, based upon oral transmission from his own selected discourses.

 

Igor’s spiritual name is Vamadeva, which translated from Sanskrit means, “the preserving aspect of Shiva in His peaceful, graceful and poetic form.”