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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 34
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KUNDALINI QUESTION: What is Kundalini? ANSWER: Kundalini
is Shakti or Holy Spirit. It
is God’s Infinite Power whereby He exists, experiences and accomplishes
whatever He wills. To understand what Kundalini is, it is necessary to have some
idea as to what is meant by God. God is the Supreme Being, the Ultimate
Reality, the Highest Truth. He is that than which there is nothing higher.
God is the Highest. God is also the Supreme Principle of Goodness, the
Highest Good, the essence of everything that is Good. Hence He is called Shiva which means “good”,
“beneficent”, “auspicious”. Another meaning of the word Shiva is “pure”. Shiva is the
purest, the most subtle, the most noble, the best and the highest. Shiva is
not some material substance. Indeed, He is Pure, Boundless Consciousness.
Nothing can be more pure, more noble, better or higher than Consciousness
itself. This is why Consciousness and Shiva, Consciousness and God are One and
the same. Shiva, of course, is beyond man’s capacity of conception or
perception. He cannot be seen, heard, touched or grasped by the mind. Even
so, He can be known by certain qualities, properties or attributes. Indeed,
it is man’s duty to try and know God. It is knowledge of God (Shiva-Jnaana)
that distinguishes man from animals. It is knowledge of God that links man
with Truth. It is knowledge of God that gives meaning and direction to human
life. Therefore, a proper human being must strive to know God. How can we know God? Just as the Sun, the Moon and the Stars
are known by their light, God is known by His Divine Light. This is why it
has been said that “God is Light”. Because God is the Light of Consciousness,
the Light of Intelligence, the Light of Wisdom, of Goodness and Compassion
whereby He establishes and rules the Universe. The
Light of Consciousness Just as the Sun and his power to shine, or fire and its power
to burn, are inseparable from one another, so God’s Consciousness and its
Power to know, illumine or reveal things are for ever One. Therefore, by
knowing God’s Power we know God. By knowing Shakti, we know Shiva. This is
the foundation of the science of Kundalini, the Science of the Holy Spirit of
God which was revealed to the World by Shiva Himself at the beginning of
time. Kundalini expresses itself in three main ways according to the
level of existence on which it operates: 1. Para Kundalini is the Divine
Force operating at the transcendental level of existence and upholding the
entire Universe. As such, it is identical with Shiva’s Universal
Consciousness. In the individual Soul it represents the driving force behind
all Spiritual effort. 2. Chit Kundalini is that aspect of
the above which operates at the psychological level of human existence,
upholding the psychological and mental processes of thinking, feeling,
perceiving, etc. 3. Prana Kundalini is the force that
operates at the physical level of existence and manifests itself in the
physical body as biological and chemical processes such as breathing,
assimilating food, moving, etc. These three fundamental forces are the same one Shakti (Divine
Power) who manifests its power in three different ways just as fire, though
being one, manifests as 1) the power to give light, 2) the power to produce
heat and 3) the power to consume by burning. Being man’s very life-force, Kundalini is always and already
there, within man, yet due to their mental and emotional conditioning, humans
become so absorbed in other things that they never develop the capacity to
experience it. Sadly, most humans are born, live and die without as much as
suspecting what a glorious treasure lies buried within them. Therefore,
mankind is sitting in the dark, as it were, not knowing where to go or what
to do. It is for this reason that all authentic Spiritual traditions
remind us of the fact that the Light of God burns in the temple of man’s own
heart. “Look within and you shall see the Light” is the message of all
genuine Masters who are the true Prophets of God. Indeed, as it is by the
very Light of Consciousness that we are able to experience all things, where
else may we seek that Light if not in our own heart? The
Chakras When, after many lifetimes of confusion, suffering and error, man
understands the futility of his outward concerns, he acquires a disposition
to inward contemplation and begins to see the light. Through pious deeds and
association with the wise, he finally - by the Grace of God - comes across a
Teacher who instructs him in the secret knowledge of Kundalini. Every Soul or inner Self (Antaratma) is covered by two bodies:
a subtle one, made of energy and not normally visible (shakta sharira) and a
gross, physical one which is made of material substance and is visible to all
(sthula sharira). The former is permanent and envelops the Soul in dreams,
out-of-body experiences and after death. The latter is temporary and
disintegrates upon man’s departure from the physical world. The subtle body (sukshma or shakta sharira) is a field of
luminous energy radiating or spreading out from the Soul. It contains certain
points of focus where energy tends to concentrate. These are known as Wheels or Whirls (Chakras) due to
their circular shape and movement. It is through these centres that energy (shakti) flows from
the Soul into the energy system and further into the physical body as well as
from these back to the Soul. The function of the Chakras is to facilitate and
regulate the flow of energy vibrations between Soul, mind, physical body and
the surrounding world, by means of energy currents known as Nadis or channels. In the same way as both the body’s skeletal structure and
nervous system are supported by the central axis of the spinal column, the
energy system of the subtle body is supported by a Central Channel (Madhya
Nadi) or energy current running along the spine and connecting the main
Chakras from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The Chakras are situated 1) at the base of the spine, 2) in
the lower abdomen (1-2 fingers above the first), 3) in the upper abdomen
(near the navel), 4) in the chest (near the heart), 5) in the throat (just
above the chest), 6) in the forehead (between the eyebrows) and 7) at the top
of the head. Their traditional names are as follows: 1) Muladhara or Root
Support, 2) Svadhishthana or Own Abode, 3) Manipura or Jewel City, 4) Anahata
or Unbeaten, 5) Vishuddha or Without Blemish, 6) Ajna or Command and 7)
Sahasrara or Thousand-Spoked. Although there are many other energy centres, the above seven
will suffice to form a clear idea as to the nature of the energy system or
body according to the Yoga Tradition. The seventh centre is often not counted
as a Chakra as it corresponds to Cosmic Consciousness and not to the human
body proper. However, without it, no clear understanding of the Chakras is
possible, hence it is included here. Some traditions only mention six, five
or four centres yet they all are based on the same system. The
awakening of Kundalini The awakening of Kundalini is a much-talked-about subject in
Spiritual and pseudo-Spiritual circles. The acquisition of power and new
experience is something that most people feel inclined at least to attempt
achieving once in a lifetime if not as a life-long dedication. The possession of Spiritual or psychic power is no doubt
tempting to most humans. What could one not achieve even with a little
supernatural power! To counteract this temptation and the dangers it can pose
to unsuspecting aspirants, it is imperative to understand that the power or
powers we are here talking about are the Power of God. Not something to play
with or take lightly! The Power of God, Universal Energy, God Force, Holy Spirit,
Shakti or Divine Light, first descends from the highest to the lowest level
of experience and remains dormant at the base of the spine. Only some of its
infinite radiance remains in operation so as to animate the body-mind
complex. For this reason, it may accurately be described as the Breath of
Life, the Breath of God whereby He gently breathes life into man and infuses
him with His life-supporting Holy Spirit. The Awakening of Kundalini in man consists in the rise of the
Divine Life Force from the lowermost Chakra and its ascent along the Median
Channel (Madhya Nadi or Sushumna) and through the remaining Chakras to the
crown of the head. For this reason, Kundalini has been described as the
“Serpent Power”, being coiled up like a serpent when inactive and rising
along the spine in the manner of a serpent ascending a tree, when awakened. In addition to its conventional meaning of “ring-like” or
“serpent-like”, Kundalini may also be etymologically derived from “Kunda”
which means a well or hole in the ground for preserving water or fire, as
well as a sacrificial pit containing the sacred fire. It therefore refers to
the sacred power preserved in the storehouse of life at the root of man’s
innermost being. When, by the Grace of God or His human representative (Guru),
the Prana Kundalini is awakened,
it begins to remove the unconscious psychological blocks or Karmic sediments
in the Chakras. This process may give rise to spontaneous involuntary
movements known as Kriyas and
experiences of the Chakras revolving or otherwise becoming activated one by
one in ascending order. All of this leads to an awakening of man’s awareness
of the inner Life Force as a strange energy which animates his body from
within. An important point that needs to be understood at this stage
is that the awakening of Kundalini is only the beginning of a long Spiritual
journey that may take two or three lifetimes to complete depending on the
seeker’s Spiritual development, Karma and, above all, the Will of God. In
most cases, the awakening of Kundalini only serves to convince the aspirant
of the realities of Spiritual facts and reinforce his belief in the Supreme.
Years of Spiritual Practice (Sadhana) will still be needed to secure,
stabilise, assimilate and deepen one’s experience step by step. When Chit Kundalini
is awakened, it rises straight up the Central Channel to the top of the head
and beyond without activating the Chakras. This is usually a much more
powerful experience, rather like an overwhelming surge of luminous energy
culminating in a dramatic unfolding of a higher blissful Awareness
accompanied by a simultaneous loss of body-centred consciousness. As a rule, the full rise of Chit Kundalini is only experienced
by advanced Yogis whose Soul is pure and who have a pure, blockage-free
energy system. This experience enables the aspirant to recognise the inner
Life Force as his own energy and brings about the realisation that he is a
free and independent Soul made of Light, Intelligence and Energy, and
existing beyond the limitations of the temporary body-mind structure with
which ordinary man identifies himself. The awakening of Para
Kundalini is nothing but the Soul’s full realisation of his Identity with
Shiva. This form of Kundalini Awakening represents a direct realisation of
God that completely bypasses the Chakras and any practices or experiences
associated with them. It is a rare experience that is only attained by highly
evolved Yogis. Though glimpses of it may be had already in this lifetime, it
can only fully unfold after the death of the physical body. This is due to
the fact that the body being limited, it naturally causes the consciousness
of the Soul to contract however lightly. The
Guru In the Yoga Tradition, Shiva, the Supreme Being, has always
been recognised as the real Guru or Sat
Guru. Yet because Shiva is normally beyond the experience or even imagination
of ordinary humans, Yogis first meditate on their human Guru, and by doing so
their consciousness is gradually elevated to the level of the Guru and,
finally, to that of Shiva Himself. The Guru or Spiritual Guide being the link
between the individual Soul and Shiva’s Universal Consciousness, his
importance must not be underestimated by the seekers of Truth. Those who expect the Guru to “open their Chakras” or “awaken
their Kundalini” so that they can sit back and enjoy some exotic experience
without any effort or contribution on their part, are deluded Souls who do
not deserve to be accepted as disciples. Even if the Guru did deliberately
awaken the pupil’s Kundalini, self-effort would still be required for the
thorough purification of the energy system, as no Guru can or will completely
cancel the pupil’s Karma. Therefore, the Western-inspired idea of a saviour who would
somehow cancel the sins of all Souls and save the entire human race in one go
is absurd. As experience shows, though various “saviours” have made their
appearance on Earth throughout the long and painful history of mankind, man’s
best strategy is still to save himself by following the teachings of those
who, having understood the higher Laws of the Universe, know what they are talking
about. The fact is that an Enlightened Guru is inwardly identical
with God (Shiva-sama). If God is not willing to absolve a man’s sins, the
Guru won’t absolve them either. The Guru may temporarily postpone the effects
of some of the aspirant’s past actions, yet without the latter’s own effort,
his Karma will sooner or later catch up with him. In other words, nothing can
substitute man’s own Spiritual effort.
The
Practice Kundalini or the Divine Potency of Shiva cannot ordinarily be awakened
without preliminary practice and preparation. Among the preliminary practices
necessary to this end are Image-Worship, Study of Scriptures, Dietary
Observances and Yoga Postures. Among the advanced practices we may mention
Meditation on Shiva in the form of the Guru followed by Breathing Exercises,
Meditation on the Chakras, Meditation on the Breath and Meditation on Light.
Chanting of and Meditation on Mantra may also be practised as and when
directed by the Guru. In all instances, details of the individual practices
and techniques must be obtained directly from a competent Guru and not from
books and other secondary sources which outsiders are bound to misinterpret
without adequate guidance.
Tantra
Yoga Tantra Yoga is based on the
polarity of Consciousness and Energy which are the Static and the Dynamic
aspects of Reality, respectively. Kundalini is regarded as the Feminine,
dynamic aspect of God while God Himself is the Masculine, static or
changeless Principle. Thus Shiva and Shakti, God and Goddess, are the two
fundamental aspects of Ultimate Reality through the interaction of which
everything comes into existence. The Awakening of Kundalini in the human body
is interpreted as the Reunion of the Dormant Feminine Principle lying at the
base of the spine, with the Waking Masculine Principle situated at the crown
of the head. Tantric
Union Mithuna, Duti-Yajana, Yogini-Yaamala, Yogini-Melaapa, Kula-Yaaga or “Tantric
Sex” as it is erroneously called in the West, consists of certain ritual
practices designed to bring about an awakening of Kundalini. As all
experience is the product of the interaction of the two fundamental
principles described above, intercourse between man and woman is regarded as
capable of bringing man closer to the State of Absolute Unity and Oneness
from which all other states and experiences ultimately derive. Contrary to Western-inspired beliefs, the Sacramental Union of
man and woman in Yoga is not practised for sexual gratification but for the
purpose of elevating man to a state of Union with God. It is important to understand that even
Western Scriptures admit that God made man and woman in His own image. Similarly, Yoga is a holistic and unitive
Spirituality which regards the Universe as a manifestation of God. Man and
woman are images of God and reflections of each other. In Yoga, therefore, devotees are enjoined to see God in each
other. “Every man is Shiva (God) and every woman is Shakti (Goddess)”, says
the Shiva Mahapurana. What becomes obvious is that the Sacramental Union of
man and woman is not sexual but Spiritual. This is why Tantric Scriptures
declare: “Woman must not be touched for the sake of bodily pleasure but for
the perfecting of the spirit”. Given their notorious lack of Spiritual guidance, knowledge
and purity, however, it is not surprising that Westerners and
Western-indoctrinated Indians alike fall prey to all kinds of
misunderstandings. The main misunderstanding stems from the fact that Tantric
teachings are couched in symbolic language reminiscent of sexual practices due
to the fact that the blissful states of Yogic experience often resemble those
ordinarily known only from such practices. Indeed, from a Spiritual point of
view, all experience of pleasure, whether physical or Spiritual is an
expression of Shiva’s Power of Bliss (Ananda-Shakti) a fragment of which is
also present in man. It is therefore legitimate for Spiritual experience to
be described in language ordinarily associated with more mundane activities. Be that as it may, the fact remains that Mystic Union in Yoga
generally consists not in physical intercourse but in certain inward
concentration and visualisation techniques aiming at the integration and
unification of man’s own inner being. Ultimately, the Mystic Union is nothing
but the Union of Shiva Himself with the Light of His Own Consciousness which
every true Yogi or Follower of Unity seeks to bring about in himself. As with
all Yogic practices, this can be successfully achieved only under the
guidance of a competent Master (Guru).
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