The Power of Kundalini

Awaiting all men is a destiny most glorious. This destiny is what some call Soul Liberation,
other Self - Realization and Illumination, and still others divine Union and Cosmic
Consciousness. Whatever the name, it is where all men are headed, regardless of which
path they choose to traverse. It is the goal of all religions, brotherhoods and mystical
orders.
For the common man, the path is long, winding and laborious. Upon it, he travels slowly
and in ignorance. He is mostly unaware of the law, unseeing of the signposts and
landmarks, and virtually defenseless against the blows, the twists and turns, of mighty
karma. For the mystic, the path is much shorter, yet also strewn with difficulties.

Knowledge of the kundalini shakti is a part of many traditions and religions, especially in the
East. It is part of yoga, Hinduism, Christianity, the Hebrew Qabala, and various aboriginal
American Indian, African and Australian traditions, to name a few.
This passage from the ancient Christian Gnostic Gospels refers to kundalini:
"In each human being dwells an infinite power,
the root of the universe That infinite power
exists in two modes: one actual, the other
potential. The infinite exists in a latent condition
in everyone."

In certain Christian traditions, the serpent in the Garden of Eden is actually named
Kundalini. When it appeared, Adam and Esha (Eve) were not fully awake or even in
existence. They were just starting to come forth oblivion. It was the serpent Kundalini
which engaged them in the process of coming into full being and evolving. What the
serpent did was not to "beguile" Esha, but to fuse its physical fire with Esha's lost divine
fire, which was given new life.
The Hopi Indians believed that earth and man are built in a similar manner. Earth moves
along a central axis. In man, the central axis is the spinal column, which governs the
equilibrium of his action and functions. Also according to the Hopis, along the spinal axis
are vibratory centers through which the "sound of life" reverberates. These centers
correspond to the chakras in yogic lore.

In many parts of India, the kundalini was and still is- revered as a supreme cosmic power,
referred to as the supreme feminine principle. She is said to be the Mother of the Universe,
the progenitor of nature, the essence of all form. She is regarded as the goddess Shakti,
the consort of Shiva. She is the active counterpart of the formless, attributeless Absolute.
Interpreted this way, kundalini is very similar to prakriti.

Thus, from the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, we read:

The divine power,

Kundalini, shines
like the stem of a young lotus;
like a snake, coiled round upon herself,
she holds her tail in her mouth
and lies resting half asleep
at the base of the body.
The passage states in no uncertain terms that the Kundalini power is divine. It is also gives
important clues to its physiology, if we may use the term. It is coiled like a serpent at the
base of the body, with its tail held in the mouth.

But while the kundalini shakti (also called "serpentine power") is revered in many ancient
cultures, there is in modern times a certain fear of it. Even some chelas believe that
arousing the latent kundalini energy will result in bodily or mental harm. This is false notion
that we would like to dispel.

Fears about the kundalini are raised by false teachers and authors who have no real
knowledge of the energy. They speak not from the experience but from hearsay. While
their words may seem authoritative, especially to the unwitting reader or listener, they
should not be taken seriously by the chela. What we should heed are the words of
authentic scriptures and of many notable Adepts lauding the immense advantages to be
gained with an awakened kundalini. True, certain authentic Masters in the Himalayan
regions have sometimes summarily discouraged attempts at rousing the kundalini. But their
words were meant to drive away insincere or even foolish seekers. They were intended to
discourage the attention of ill-prepared adventurers and thrill-seekers.

In the spirit of scientific inquiry, we should endeavor to take a clinical and non-superstitious
understanding of the kundalini energy. Let us strive to keep an open mind, one that is
unbiased and fear-free, so that we can proceed as we should.

Like prana and prakriti, the kundalini is a force that vitally supports life. It pervades our
entire body, maintaining and invigorating it. It makes the mind think, the emotions feel,
and the body functions. But this is just the external aspect of kundalini, or kundalini
directed outwardly. As mystics, we are interested in directing the kundalini inwardly, that is,
spiritually. Our goal is to activate the inner, latent kundalini energy along the spine.

According to the great Masters and many scriptures, this awakening is the real beginning of
the spiritual quest. Just as the outwardly directed kundalini enables us to perceive and
interact with the material world, the inwardly directed kundalini energy empowers us to
experience the inner spiritual realms. As we stated in the previous satsang, ONLY with an
awakened kundalini is Self-realization possible. Only with it can we experience our true Self
that is divine, joyous, omnipresent Consciousness.

While kundalini is present throughout the human body, it has a special dwelling place found
at the approximate center of the body: the coccyx at the base of the spine. Understand,
however, that while we say " the coccyx," we actually refer to a subtle, intangible area
approximated in the physical plane by the coccyx. In yogic parlance, this area is the
muladhara chakra. "Mula" means "root" and "adhara" means "support." Ancient yogic
scriptures tell us that within this root, the Shakti dwells in a nonmaterial form, coiled three-
and-a-half times. Hence this energy is called kundalini, the coiled one. When it is roused, it
uncoils and journeys upward, passing through certain chakras along the spine until it
reaches the "abode of Shiva," or the sahasrara chakra at the top of the head.

The awakening of the kundalini shakti is accomplished through many different ways. Some
of these means are: through mantric chanting (japa), intense devotion (bhakti yoga), by the
grace of a guru (shaktipat), certain physical exercises (hatha yoga), or through the
performance of yogic practices (sadhana).

Once the chela has begun the awakening of the kundalini, he should continuously nurture
and enhance it. It can be dissipated or thrown away through intemperate living or through
the neglect of sadhana. But generally, once stirred, the kundalini itself urges the mystical
aspirant to proceed along the spiritual journey. It is an intelligent force that impels the chela
toward spiritual endeavors and practices.
However, there are extremely rare cases when a practitioner seemingly becomes weak, sick
or crazy when he begins to rouse the kundalini. This happens when he uses the untested
practices or coerces his ill-prepared body. Such a person usually works on his own, without
guidance for a school, tradition or genuine guru.
Understand this well: the kundalini is a conscious and intelligent energy that is
BENEFICIAL to MAN. It destroys negativities such as diseases, bad karma, mental
poisoning, and unfavorable tendencies. Occasionally - we repreat, occasionally only - a
practitioner may seem to be going through a difficult period. For example, someone who has
a weak mind may appear to become unusually forgetful and distracted. Or someone who
has a tendency toward the mental imbalance may briefly seem to be deluded.

These happen not because of the kundalini shakti per se, but because of a previously
existing deficiency or weakness in the person. The kundalini is merely working to ELIMINATE
the weakness or destructive tendency from the person's system. After a short while, as he
persists with his sadhana, he becomes stronger and healthier. His improvement continues
until he becomes totally cured of disease; there is no weakness or illness that cannot be
cured by the power of kundalini.

Kundalini purifies and strengthens not just the gross physical body, but the mental, physical
and spiritual bodies too. It gives physical vigor, emotional poise, and mental equilibrium and
acuity - not to mention great spiritual development. Its action is intensive and complete.
That is why, in VERY FEW instances, dormant germs or tendencies may be shaken up and
brought to the fore, resulting in the person's experiencing of some undesirable symptoms.
We reiterate three things: this happens only rarely; it happens to unprepared individuals,
not to long practicing chelas such as the well-prepared members of ONB; and it is
happening to cleanse the person's system of some negativities PERMANENTLY. Continued
performance of sadhana will quickly remove the symptoms and completely eliminate the
disease.

Much more significant than these temporary inconveniences (which most chelas do not
experience at all) are the numerous wonderful effects of the stimulated kundalini (which all
earnest practitioners experience). With an awakened Kundalini, different powers, including
clairvoyance, healing, super - memory and prophecy are stimulated. The person also
develops a new zest for life, an enthusiasm for everything that he does. His daily activities
that once seemed dull or even difficult are now imbued with the promise of adventure and
excitement. The people with whom he interacts are also now seen in a different - as divine,
filled with God. Thus he becomes more friendly, more compassionate, more cheerful, more
joyful, and more filled with a light divine. In time, he is able to feel in his heart waves upon
waves of bliss, especially during mediation.
As he becomes adept in the sadhana, the chela is able to enter a state called tandra. In this
meditative state, he has visions of mountains, rivers, gods, the great Masters, many other
worlds and dimensions. These visions are real, not dreams. The chela sees not only the
entire universe in its indescribable vastness, but also the inner physical world in microscopic
detail. He is able to see planets, stars and galaxies million of light - years away in perfect,
wonderful detail. Also, he is able to see systems of nerves, tissues and cells inside his very
body. He can view how blood pulsates with life and light inside his very veins. In fact, he
can even see prana flowing through the subtle nadis that traverse the entire body system.
And why not? In daily life, modern technology enables us to see events happening in distant
places, as they happen. For instance, with a mere turn of the television dial, we visit one
far - away place after another. We see and hear what is happening there is great detail and
clarity. The "travel time" between places is only a matter of seconds or even less. The
same experience is afforded us by the radio or the computer. By analogy, the supremely
powerful kundalini shakti can quite easily transport us to place we can never reach
physically. The kundalini attunes us to the all - pervasive, all - knowing consciousness of
God, which knows no spatial or time limitations.
We have always said that the mystical path we tread is the path of hastened evolution. But
up to now, the chela probably has no conclusive idea of what this truly means. How do our
teachings and practices quicken evolution? Recently, we gave a very concrete answer to this
query, when we said that one cycle of the kundalini yoga sadhana hastens spiritual evolution
by ONE WHOLE YEAR. How is this possible?
We have stated that in its ascent, the kundalini travels along the sushumna (physically,
along the spinal canal) which is the "royal road" of the Soul, the indwelling Self. It is
through this channel that the Soul constantly moves, up and down, resulting in our
experience of various moods and degrees of inspiration. Through kundalini yoga, the
channels is cleared of obstructions and opened more widely, allowing easier passage of
divine vibrations.
As the kundalini shakti ascends, it pierces six chakras along the sushumna. These spiritual
centers, or plexuses, are the following:
•
muladhara, approximately at the coccyx, called the "four - petal lotus"
•
svadisthana, between the navel and the sexual organs, the "six - petal lotus"
•
manipura, in the navel, the ten "ten - petal lotus"
•
anahata, in the heart, the 'twelve - petal lotus"
•
vishuddha, in the throat, the "sixteen - petal lotus"
•
ajna, in the forehead, the 'two-petal lotus"
At the same time, the rising kundalini also unlossens three "knots" in the human body,
called the granthis. These three are:
•
brahma granthi, between the coccyx and navel plexuses, which blocks the realization
of Truth, keeping man absorbed in material and sensual desires
•
vishnu granthi, from the navel plexus to below the pituitary, which blocks the
realization of God, keeping the senses attuned to the external world
•
shiva granthi, between the pituitary and sahasrara, which thwarts constant and
continuous God - centeredness
The aim of every mystic, translated into physiological terms, is the untangling of these knots
and the piercing of the chakras. When this is accomplished, man attains complete Union
and becomes a Perfected Being. In him, the female principle (represented by the kundalini)
unites with the male principle (Shiva), thus he becomes a Complete, Realized Being. Again
expressed in psychological terms, this is brought about when latent kundalini energy from
the muladhara ("root") has ascended to the sahasrara (the "abode of Shiva"). This union is
also the merger of pure consciousness (Shiva) and primal energy (Shakti). It is divine
marriage which generates ananda (pure bliss).
At this point, we must digress briefly to explain an important point. Without a doubt, the
Realization accomplished through kundalini yoga is supremely ecstatic or samadhic - but
with a significant distinction. It is the type of samadhi that makes the practitioner more
alert or conscious, not lethargic and other - wordly. What do we mean exactly? The
samadhi experienced brought by an awakened kundalini is the kind that makes one
recognize the presence of God in everything. It makes him more truly aware of the people
and things around him - as various manifestations of one God. This enables him to function
normally in the world. It does not necessarily impel him to abandon normal society to
immerse totally in God - consciousness. This kind of samadhi is also the goal of a yogic
discipline called Siddha yoga.
Ordinarily, following the pull of gravity, the direction of the movement of the kundalini is
downward. The chakras are also similarly directed, with their petals drooping down toward
the coccyx. Understand that these actions are not merely symbolical. They are the actual
physiological or anatomical "postures" of the chakras, if we may use that term, as seen by
those with astral vision.
Kundalini rises upward through kundalini yoga - thus, a reverse action is induced. The
petals of the chakras turn upward toward the sahasrara. Thus, the sadhaka consciously
directs his life - currents upwards, to the Eternal source, the great Cosmic Spirit. Here
again, as we note that these upward movements run counter to man's natural tendencies,
we are reminded of the necessity of much effort and striving.
We mentioned that the destiny of all men is Perfection. It may not be apparent to us, but
the progression of all things is toward this same end - Perfection. Every movement of
nature, every single event that takes place, is a Cosmic act which brings all beings closer to
their destined end. Thus, upon the earth's completion of one revolution around the sun, all
things - including human beings - automatically experience one whole year's amount of
evolution. This evolution or advancement is affected by external influences and vibrations.
In the case of the ordinary man, these external influences include worldly experiences and
newly acquired knowledge that make him wiser and more mature.
When we practice kundalini yoga, we effect such changes internally. How so? Occult
knowledge points out that the Soul is the central sun. Around it, the life force (kundalini)
revolves, following an elliptical path and passing through the six chakras. One complete
cycle (in our sadhana, one upward and downward movement along the sushumna) makes
twelve points, corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac and equivalent to twelve
months. Thus, one such cycle accomplishes one whole solar year of evolution. This is a
great quickening of spiritual development which the chela can effect through mastery of the
kula kundalini sadhana.
In astronomical lingo, a declination of the sun is its angular distance from the celestial
equator. The northern declination begins with the vernal equinox, and the southern
declination with the autumnal equinox. Each declination takes six months, totaling one
year. At the end of this period, the earth has received a certain amount of energy from the
sun.
The ascent and descent of the kundalini through the sushumna, passing through the six
plexus, correspond very closely to the northern and southern declinations of the sun. A
complete cycle gives the practitioner spiritual energy to one year of performing other
sadhanas.
The "Hong - Sau" meditation which is the preparatory practice in doing the kundalini
sadhana also has great occult significance. At the earliest grade, one is instructed to focus
on the third eye or ajna chakra (physically corresponding to the pineal gland, at the center
of the forehead) by intoning the mantra hong sau <CAUTION: for proper way of meditating
on the akna chakra using "Hong Sau", one should be initiated by a genuine guru or acquire
it from the authentic ONB lesson> or visualizing a brilliant light since this method, known
as, figuratively, "grabbing the serpent by the head," SAFELY prepares the body of the
practitioner in the ascent or awakening of the force of kundalini. When one focuses on the
ajna chakra, the lower chakras, like the muladhara chakra (physically located at the base of
the spine) which is the abode of the sleeping or dormant kundalini, likewise become
vivified. Thus, while it was revealed to the student of the ONB at the very start of his
studies, the mantra Hong -Sau should never be taken lightly. Called the Siddha mantra, it is
actually the mantra of Perfected Beings. Focusing on this is the essence of God - centered
consciousness.
T
he syllables Hong and Sau are variations of ham and sa, which are the first and last letters
of the Sanskrit alphabet, respectively. (Ham also represents the physical body, and sa the
Soul.) It is said that the sounds of all fifty letters of the alphabet are in the sushumna.
Ham is in the area of the pituitary gland, while sa is in the muladhara chakra. Through
kundalini yoga, sa, together with the other forty letters, is drawn into the pituitary chakra to
unite with ham. A supreme state called the hamsa is then reached. In this ecstatic state,
the practitioner perceives divinity in his entire body. He attains Realization as he becomes
truly aware of the meaning of hong - sau or hamsa. This meaning, of course, is " I am
That."
The great Muslim saint Kabir is among the venerated Masters who have reached the hamsa
stage through practice of kundalini yoga. Describing his spiritual experience, he said:
It is as if my spiritual canal is just like a pond
where: in the cocygeal center, I am perceiving a
four - petal lotus; in my sacral center, a six - petal
lotus; in my lumbar center, a ten - petal lotus; in
my dorsal center, a twelve - petal lotus; in my
cervical center, a sixteen - petal lotus; in my
pituitary, two petal lotus. The latter is called
hamsa and means I am He! Therefore, I am
perceiving the hamsa in my whole body.

<CAUTION: The preceding discussion was but an initial exposition of the unknown force of
kundalini. A sincere and responsible aspirant must seek proper guidance. >