Originally Posted by Uma

Hi Edy,
The key is being receptive. Sri Vasudeva says that a wet log of wood will not catch fire. It has to be dry. So too if we are full of desires for material pleasures, full of "ego" and little desire to know our own divine self, there is nothing to even attract that grace of awakening. And it is not enough to say, "Ok I want awakening, come and get me." The universe wants to make sure you really badly want it. So you need to prove it. And you do this by self-discipline, following some spiritual practice (it doesn't have to be Kundalini Yoga) and all the self effort it takes to show that you are sincere. When you are deserving you get what you want, as with anything in life. And the saying is, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. The purpose of the teacher is to transmit his or her energy to you (Shaktipat). The great ones are transmitting all the time but we can only receive it if we allow that energy in. So it's the idea of "Seek and you shall find," (desire) and "Knock and the door shall be opened unto you," (self effort or "God helps those who help themselves"). It's like one candle lighting another.