Yogi Book of November 2023: Gene Keys
“To enter on a path of contemplation is to slow down inwardly in order that you begin to see things around you more clearly.”
Why Yogi Book of the Month?
Yogi Book of the Month was born in the hopes of making Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge) more accessible.
Few of us have the luxury of access to living gurus or the attention span/ability to unpack the dense yogic scriptures on our own. Thankfully, gurus are many, gurus do not have to (necessarily) be alive, and knowledge that leads to sincere contemplation and self-realization can be found in stories and books imbued with profound meanings. Here at 7YGH, we endeavor to present you with various sources of such knowledge on a monthly basis.
To provide some instruction on how to best digest this source of knowledge, you will find a general explanation of Jnana Yoga in Jnana Yoga 101 followed by tips on how to apply Jnana Yoga while you read in How to Read This Book. If you are informed and/or would like to skip to the meat of the book review itself, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to your desired section.
Table of Contents
i. Jnana Yoga 101
ii. How to Read This Book
iii. About This Book
iv. Why You Should Read This Book
v. 7 Gene Keys for Further Contemplation
The Path of Knowledge
Traditionally, the path of Jnana Yoga refers to 3 processes. The main goal of these 3 processes is to answer the Big Question: Who Am I? By answering this question, smaller critical questions such as “Why Am I Here?” and “What Do I Do With What I Have Been Given?” are automatically answered.
These 3 processes are as follows:
(1) Sravana, or wholeheartedly (open mind, open heart) listening to yogic scriptures (Sruti) from the mouth of a verifiable source (Guru)
(2) Manana, or constant reflection upon what was heard, application of that which was heard to one’s own life and lived experiences, as well as the integration of that knowledge into daily action
(3) Nididhyasana, otherwise known as the culmination of sravana and manana, is a type of meditative and transcendent awareness that happens spontaneously on its own accord. It is a deep understanding and subsequent embodiment of the Truth gleaned from the process of listening deeply with one’s heart, contemplating, and living the knowledge.
Why Should You Practice Jnana Yoga?
The systematic processes of Jnana Yoga should be undertaken frequently to nurture the soul, put things in perspective, and loosen the bonds of strong attachments. Jnana Yoga directly nourishes our inner world by teaching us the skill of maintaining distance, of separating the “I am” from what follows. At its subtlest levels, the practice of Jnana Yoga allows us to mold reality with our right perception.
By regularly analyzing the nature of life, existence and the identity of the “I am” through the practice of Jnana Yoga, we are able to maintain peace of mind and more quickly come back to a place of balance during emotional upheaval, crisis, and the inevitable stresses of the world.
In its early stages, the practice helps us build endurance to the pain of opposites—heat, cold, love, loss, thirst, hunger, desire, repulsion, etc.
In later stages, the practice culminates in a transcendence of the pain of opposites, a state wherein we are able to truly bear witness to our bodies and minds, as well as the bodies and minds of others, without attachment or judgment. In so doing, Jnana Yoga allows us to live our lives to the utmost; by helping us understand the true nature of reality, Jnana Yoga results in the loss of attachments, and in the loss of attachments we are relieved of expectations. Freed of the bondage of expectations, we can truly and fully enjoy the world.
Treat this book as you would a more traditional transmission of knowledge (i.e. a living Guru or Teacher). Treat the book with reverence and respect; this is the first step to taking the knowledge contained within seriously, and the most important step to opening up your heart to receive and understand this knowledge.
If you aren’t open to learning, if you aren’t striving for betterment, and if you aren’t willing to be wrong (!), even the highest knowledge won’t be effective/can’t help you. Half the work of self-realization comes from effort on our parts to retain open minds and open hearts with a complete awareness of our nature’s tendency to do the opposite (to judge, close off, guard). The goal is not to stop these processes of judgment, etc., but to always be aware of them and to persevere to push past them when they flare up.
Do not rush through the book as you would a piece of purely sensual entertainment; savor the passages for their poetic and philosophical values. The point is not to drown yourself but to submerge yourself (!); you are not escaping nor chasing but running towards (!).
Take time after each reading to ponder implied meanings, reflecting on how lessons of characters/narrators/etc. can be applied to your own life—past and present. Try journaling, creating lists of lessons learned, and writing down those lessons on stick notes that you place in conspicuous places (e.g. on your bathroom mirror or kitchen fridge). And, most importantly, start applying the lessons you learn, becoming a living embodiment of the knowledge you are gaining.
Title
Gene Keys: Embracing Your Higher Purpose
Author
Richard Rudd
Genre
Spirituality, psychology, self-help
Language
English
Length
534 pages
Publisher
Watkins Publishing
Summary
💡 As a companion for your contemplation practice, Gene Keys teaches you how to transform shadow patterns and traumas into uplifting gifts. Inspired by various age-old wisdom traditions (such as the I Ching), Gene Keys presents a synthesis of seemingly disparate ideas that are readily applicable to the conflicts of our modern world. Always honest, this book is a powerful tool for understanding yourself, changing your life by changing your perspective (without even trying to), and finding the answers and guidance you seek when you need it most.
You can use this book in a variety of ways. Gene Keys exists on its own as a system of astrology-like wisdom that is unique to the person based upon their birth day details. However, this book does not require a belief in astrology or for it to be read in the manner that one would while trying to decode their chart or personal details. While you’re more than welcome to read this book in this manner, it is actually (and in my own experience) best read as any book of wisdom: over a long period of time, slowly, and with a follow-up of contemplation after each sitting/reading. You can most certainly read this book in one day, although it would probably make your head hurt; it is dense with wisdom and one page can be sat with for weeks. I enjoy opening the book at random to a section (gene key) and reading that gene key before my meditation practice.
Reveals connections between the shadow and the light. By studying this book for some time, I’ve come to a real understanding of the complexity of the relationship between the shadow and the light. It’s one thing to say that one cannot exist without the other; it’s another to contemplate and realize it without judgment or an agenda. This book helps you get there with its clever system of Shadow, Gift, and Siddhi. Every gene key has three words that define it—the Shadow, the Gift, and the Siddhi. Simply the act of contemplating these three words (without even reading the explanation of the Gene Key) will start to spark interesting insights into the connections between the shadow and gift frequencies of certain energetic patterns. For example, I really appreciate the 18th gene key, which speaks about Judgment (the Shadow) becoming Integrity (the Gift) which in turn becomes Perfection (the Siddhi or superpower). Rudd’s specificity with his word choice for all the gene keys is palpable and appreciated and the contemplation of these trios is a worthwhile practice in its own right.
An excellent daily or weekly oracle; great to consult in times of inner turmoil or outer strife. Have a burning (preferably open-ended) question? Need guidance? This book can work like the traditional I Ching or like any deck of oracle cards. Close your eyes, formulate your ask, and open to a random page. Even if you don’t have a question/need guidance on anything in particular, this method is bound to illuminate something.
Uplifting and full of hope for the future of the individual and the collective—in a realistic, practical way. Some spiritual books take you there by showing you where you fall short; others take you there by revealing your incredible potential and possibility. This book does both. It’s rare to find a book that’s this honest and romantic at the same time.
Inspires change at the quantum level by shifting your perspective... versus giving you a set of rules to follow or asking you to change the way you live your life. This book meets you where you’re at. All you’re asked to do is read and contemplate. Even if you’re not willing to contemplate, just read; you’ll find yourself thinking about what you’ve read whether you mean to or not. This rumination will in turn cause incredible things to happen in your life based upon a deep shift in your consciousness. This shift occurs as your perspective widens, not by force but naturally as a byproduct of the action.
An interpretative synthesis of some of the world’s most ancient wisdom traditions. I really enjoy the chakra system and have been a student of I Ching for a couple of years. I definitely wouldn’t say that owning the Gene Keys manual replaces the wisdom gleaned from a more in-depth study of these wisdom traditions. However, Gene Keys is snappy and practical enough (and new enough) to draw you in and introduce you to these otherwise extremely esoteric and symbolic systems of thought in a way that feels readily applicable and practical. And if you’re not new to these systems of wisdom (such as the chakra system or I Ching) but quite familiar, then you’ll enjoy Gene Keys as an interpretation of the synthesis of the core tenets of these philosophical systems. Even if you’re a traditionalist, the Gene Keys won’t make you wince; Rudd never once claims to replace these systems, but rather build upon them.
An introduction and strong support to the somewhat forgotten spiritual path of contemplation. The beauty of Gene Keys is that it really advocates for the use of contemplation. Contemplation isn’t like meditation; while meditation completely bypasses the mind, contemplation works with the mind. Contemplation works over time and when you least expect it to by opening up pathways in the body and brain. I stand by the effectiveness of meditation and believe that it is a companion to contemplation; in the ideal world, one doesn’t exist (isn’t practiced) without the other. The two bolster each other in unimaginable ways, and in my experience, the rumination allowed by contemplation helps the mind become truly still for successful meditation. Gene Keys is really the best tool I’ve come across in a long time for establishing a contemplation practice that is both conscious and subconscious (as in, running in the background of your mind as you go about your day-to-day, popping up occasionally with a smile and a surprise).
Each Gene Key has a name and three words that are used to describe the Shadow, Gift, and Siddhi frequencies of its manifestation. Below, you’ll find the name and vocabulary trios of 7 gene keys that can be particularly fruitful to ponder.
Here are some meaningful questions to ask yourself as you chew on the words attached to each gene key:
How does the shadow lead to the gift and the gift lead to the siddhi?
How are the shadows, gifts, and siddhis all sides to the same coin?
What are the initial reactions you have to these words?
After revisiting a particular set of words an hour, day, week, or so on, how does your reaction or interpretation of the words differ or change?
What word associations exist in your mind? As in, when you think of one word, what other words come up?
How does the context of Shadow, Gift, or Siddhi classification change your interpretation of the word? (For example, what does it mean to see Dishonesty as the shadow of Intimacy? And Intimacy as the gift of Dishonesty?)
5th Gene Key — The Ending of Time — Impatience (Shadow), Patience (Gift), Timelessness (Siddhi)
16th Gene Key — Magical Genius — Indifference (Shadow), Versatility (Gift), Mastery (Siddhi)
23rd Gene Key — The Alchemy of Simplicity — Complexity (Shadow), Simplicity (Gift), Quintessence (Siddhi)
31st Gene Key — Sounding Your Truth — Arrogance (Shadow), Leadership (Gift), Humility (Siddhi)
52nd Gene Key — The Stillpoint — Stress (Shadow), Restraint (Gift), Stillness (Siddhi)
59th Gene Key — The Dragon in Your Genome — Dishonesty (Shadow), Intimacy (Gift), Transparency (Siddhi)
64th Gene Key — The Aurora — Confusion (Shadow), Imagination (Gift), Illumination (Siddhi)