The Characteristics And Goal Of Kundalini Oriented Spiritual Practices

Kundalini comes from kundala, which means “coiled” and refers to a powerful energy portrayed as a serpent. Kundalini is stored at the bottom of the spine, where it lies coiled and dormant like a snake. This energy is considered to be of feminine origin. Kundalini lies dormant until properly awakened with Kundalini yoga, and at that time Kundalini rises through the spine to the crown of the head and there in the highest chakra joins with the male aspect of consciousness. Kundalini yoga brings the union of the feminine and masculine aspects of energy, which leads to selfrealization and enlightenment.

Practitioners of kundalini yoga employ particular practices to help the arousal of this energy. The movement of kundalini energy has been described by some as having the force of a streak of lightning. The awakening of kundalini energy with Kundalini yoga can be one of the steps on the path to enlightenment. For this reason, various practices have been developed over time to help practitioners cultivate the releasing of Kundalini energy as a way of attaining enlightenment. These practices can include physical postures (asanas) and special breathing techniques (pranayama) combined with meditation and recitation of sacred sounds to raise and release the kundalini energy.

The Characteristics And Goal Of Kundalini Oriented Spiritual Practices

We are all well aware of attainments based on intellectual brilliance and sharpness of the brain. An intellectual, educated person generally succeeds in his area of specialization. Thus since everyone is aware of this fact, they use up a lot of their wealth and time for educating their children. Great Indian Rishis and Yogis say that the center of this intellectual brilliance is the Brahmarandhra in the brain. It is also called the nucleus of the brain. With its aid not only does the brain state gets influenced but that the door of give and take with the subtle world is thrown wide open, akin to the bond between the earth and other planets with the sun.

The axis of the human body is said to be the Sahasrar Chakra in the Brahmarandhra (Brain area). This center not only influences the brain but decides its stature too. Further it opens the gateway of give and take with the cosmic consciousness by contacting it. Material and spiritual powers (Ridhi-Sidhi) can be attracted from this gigantic cosmos with the help of an activated Sahasrar Chakra. A tree attracts rains towards itself with its magnetic force. With its magnetic force, ore mines attract ores of its own kind towards itself and thus gets filled with it. Based on the type of magnetic force present in the Sahasrar Chakra, one can attract and collect that particular level of the invisible cosmic wealth. This very invisible attainment of one’s life creates wealth of the nature of one’s personality and that very stature. Thus it is the author of the creation of our character. This region is also the center of sense organ based knowledge and extra-sensory knowledge attained via a conscious and unconscious brain. It is from here that all spiritual practices like meditation, trance, self-reflection and Yoga of devotion etc. become more advanced so as to ultimately attain the goal. One’s Ojas (enterprise), Tejas (discrimination faculty) and Brahmavarchas (soul force) augment from this region.

Another very important sexual center is “seed of sexual passion” dwelling in the root of the genitals that is similar to the South Pole. It is called the Mooladhar Chakra by Indian seers. Its utility and grandeur is of a very high stature. The brain is the source of knowledge and seed of sexual passion is that of capability. Soul force lies at the top and material power at the base. Emotions, thoughts, aspirations rain from above and enterprise, enthusiasm, fervour radiate from below. The upper center is the contact door of Brahma (creator) and the lower center is that of material nature or Prakriti. It is from these centers that give and take of various levels takes place.

The upper region accepts and the lower region emits. The upper region has a mouth which partake food, water etc. Via the nose we breathe in air. The ears hear sounds and eyes see objects. Thus the knowledge based wealth of the brain augments. Since the head region accepts things it is called the North Pole. Its axis is the Sahasrar Chakra.

We can directly visualize things being emitted from the lower region. It is from here that faeces, urine and sperm are emitted. Sexual passion manifests from this region and by dangling the carrot of a good feeling, it ensnares you in its net. Thus the net of marriage and children is woven. A major portion of life’s wealth is utilized for this purpose. One can directly see how the act of emission takes place in the South Pole with the help of the sexual center. Ojas (divine light) manifests in the body. If it is made more subtle and advanced, one can augment mental Tejas and soul based Varchas thus making man more enterprising. But what happens is that these divine glories on contacting the emissions of the sexual center tend to get scattered away to nought. As against this if man only observes bodily and mental sexual continence (Brahmacharya) so as to utilize this focused energy for artistic and sensitive purposes, what can he not attain? Yet because of dissipation, all this energy gets wasted. In fact he experiences hardships even for maintaining his body, hence what will be his condition if he has to make efforts for achieving higher spiritual goals?

One of the miracles of the sexual center is that man can procreate children. Although it is God who creates all creatures, yet when we see man procreating another similar human being one yearns to call him a creator. It is indeed a miracle that man begets another human being from his own body. A magician manifests new objects from his hands, bags etc., yet none of them can create a human being. This miracle can only happen with the help of the sexual center of the human body.

The sexual center does not merely manifest desire for sexual intercourse because it is known to manifest art, beauty, zest, zeal and other creative instincts too. The word “eunuch” is thought to be an insult. From the standpoint of health such people are deemed unfit for political jobs. They cannot enter the police, army, navy etc. While carrying out Shradha and Yajna rites “eunuch” priests are not allowed to take part in them. In a certain sense Lord Krishna has insulted Arjuna in the Bhagwad Geeta by calling him a “eunuch”. In the spiritual arena eunuch-like qualities are dryness, despair, inactivity etc. It is the center of sexuality that is held responsible for the rise and fall of such qualities. Procreation and other creative endeavours are related to this center of sexuality. Unification of many such facts prove that from the viewpoint of material prowess and success, how important is the Mooladhar Chakra in which lies the center of sexuality. Evolutionary scientists have labeled evolutionary inspirations as “sex” in the field of psychology. Over here “sex” does not mean sexual intercourse but connotes zeal, bliss etc.

Mooladhar Chakra is the symbol of seed of sex and the seed of wisdom is represented by the Sahasrar Chakra. But these are extremely important centers of human existence. An important point to be noted over here is that from the anatomical science standpoint, it should not be looked upon as some special organ because all of these exist in a subtle form. No doubt one finds organs in the gross body that can be correlated to those of the subtle body. Thus a give and take relationship exists between the gross body and the subtle body. Yet both have a separate existence. On the one hand the heart is a center of blood circulation and on the other it manifests emotions like love, oneness, of soul etc. We are generally advised to meditate on the cave of the heart. This heart is not the organ of blood circulation but is a special conscious center of the subtle body. In the same way the Mooladhar and Sahasrar Chakra is not any special gross bodily organ. Yet, they may be correlated to some gross physical organ. Their importance is limited to influencing the presiding subtle energy when they are incited. In one’s spiritual practices these organs are made use of in some way or the other. They definitely help us to march ahead on the path of spiritual endeavours.

When the Kundalini or Divine Serpent Power is activated the otherwise lax relationship between the material forces and soul forces of the Mooladhar and Sahasrar Chakras are made more intense. The process of give and take between these 2 intensifies. These 2 “lakes” are joined by the bridge called Merudand (subtle spine). It is called the royal path. It is called Mahaprayan or Devayaan. This is symbolically represented by the Pandavas ascending heaven.

Kundalini Yoga is believed to be a spiritual practice that attains material and spiritual prowess. Kundalini or Divine Serpent Power activation encompasses the union of earth, which is a bodily power of Mooladhar and the sun of the Brahmarandhra in the Sahasrar Kamal. Between the Mooladhar and Sahasrar lie 5 more Chakras (subtle plexuses). Kundalini Shakti present in the Mooladhar Chakra activates these 5 Chakras before ultimately uniting with Sahasrar. As a result all Ridhi-Sidhis (divine glories) get activated.

In order to activate the Divine Serpent Power present in the Mooladhar Chakra, various spiritual practices have to be undertaken. On the basis of various Vedic rites / rituals, spiritual seekers try to activate the 6 Chakras and raise their Divine Serpent Power upto the Sahasrar. They also take recourse to Pranayam (Yogic breathing), Pratyahar (cutting off the contact between sense organs and their objects), Dharana (one pointed focusing of mind), Dhyan (one pointed meditation) and Samadhi (trance). In all these spiritual practices it is one’s mental resolve (Sankalpa Shakti) that is made use of. With this power of resolve all those divine glories are attained which are described in Yogic texts.

The power of man’s resolve is unlimited. If it is possible to activate it and make apt use of it, one can attain the impossible.

“A creature can become a demi-god or an ascetic as per his wishes. It is man’s doership that can lead him up higher in life or create a downfall.”

– YOGA VASISHTHA

“Seven Rishis dwell in our body. They always protect the body with their pious deeds.”

– YAJURVEDA

Very few people pay heed to the fact that all divine powers are present in a latent state in man’s inner being. The sense organs of the body know only objects of the external world but they fail to experience the divine glories present in the cave of their souls. Our intellect revolves around attainments of the external world but fails miserably as far as understanding the nature, goal and true utility of life is concerned.

“The Creator created sense organs that opened in the external world (i.e. the sense organs were externalized) and hence man tends to gaze outside. He fails to study his inner soul. It is only a very are farsighted individual, who aspires for the nectar of immortality and hence goes deep within his soul.”

-KATHOPANISHAD (2/4/1)

The main leg of the high leveled Gayatri worship is the activation of the 7 Chakras. These 5 sheaths and 7 Chakras are related to one another. Both types of spiritual practices succeed together. It encompasses divine practices, worship of Rishis, all-round advancement, goal of life etc. It is also said that –

“Gayatri is that divine energy which activates all Chakras right from Mooladhar to the Brahmarandhra.”

– TANTRA KAUMUDA

If only all the divine glories of the cosmos present in the soul are searched for and made apt use of, man can become God from a lowly creature. This research effort is called divine wisdom and the process of activation is called attainment of divine light. “Chakra activation” is a process whereby one activates the 7 Rishis and thus one attains great benefits due to their divine might.

If we tend to emphasize only on the rites of Chakra activation and not add our power of resolve to it, our goal can never be attained. Alongwith power of resolve, a conducive atmosphere with reference to the sentimental level too will have to be created. The more one amasses earth element i.e. material wealth and sun i.e. soul or divine energy, to that extent one attains divine glories conjoined to Kundalini activation. Self-surrender is nothing but merging the limited ego into spirituality and bodily desires into soul based zest. In the spiritual arena this is called union of earth and the sun. Kundalini worship involves efforts that helps one reach this center of focus.

One fact has 2 names called weakness and narrow-mindedness. Via Kundalini or Divine Serpent Power activation, the inner fount of energy is released and one imbibes all forces of the cosmos within one’s soul. This imbibing of powers is that capacity of a spiritual seeker which helps him manifest divine glories. No doubt there is a need and utility of bodily and mental spiritual practices, yet they are fulfilled only when one’s limited ego is merged into the all-pervasive cosmic soul i.e. God. To the extent one’s surrender is apt and deep, one attains spiritual success.

Despite the fact that Kundalini power is only one, it fulfills goals of both the individual and the world in the form of consciousness and inert nature. Electricity of a power-house is of one single quality yet it manifests variedly in bulbs, heaters, coolers, ovens etc. The functions of all these have varied names and forms. The external forms of all these are so different that it is not possible to establish a relationship with one another. There is a great external difference as far as a fan rotating and a radio emitting sound. One machine is used to raise water to a higher level and another is used for melting ore. What a great difference. Yet it is one single electricity that helps in the functioning of these seemingly varied machines. In the same way Kundalini energy is one single cosmic life force full of intense power, yet it functions variedly in the inert material world and the world of consciousness.

In the world of consciousness the Divine Serpent Power functions as birth, growth, old age and death of all creatures. These activities are either visible or invisible. The light of this great power is seen as desire, wisdom, action, nature, psychic imprints etc. The activities of Kundalini energy in the world of consciousness encompasses an admixture of the 5 great elements, unification of many classes of various energies and birth of various creatures in different species based on imprints of past actions. A divine existence is the cause behind various movements on earth in the inert world and known/ unknown movements in space. As a result of these changes a lot of turbulence is induced in these areas. It is Kundalini or Divine Serpent Power that is at work as far as slow movements seen within atoms/ molecules, movements of stars and galaxies, ebb and flow of ocean waves, earthquakes, seasonal changes, ether based activities etc. is concerned. If even for a micro-second Kundalini energy stops functioning, the entire cosmos will get destroyed. Everything will turn into lifelessness, darkness and gloom. All visible / invisible names and forms will get destroyed and thus nothing worth experiencing will remain behind.

Suppose a piece of wood wishes to become a ball of fire, it will then have to give up its very existence. If a seed says I will not give up my name and form and yet desires to become a gigantic tree, it is totally impossible. Narrow mindedness has no place in the area of soul advancement. The more one is selfish and egoistic, the more hardships he faces as far as material and soul progress is concerned. Soul power does not exist but if one is selfish one fails to benefit from them. Life’s fulfillment lies in renouncing this limited ego. Without imbibing a traditional viewpoint, one can neither attain the goal of life nor can one succeed in activating one’s Divine Serpent Power.

Augmentation in the realm of spiritual consciousness means intensifying the bond between the individual (micro) and the cosmos (macro) to such an extent, that they ultimately merge into one another. A living being is in essence a part of God. A “part” always wishes to merge into the “whole”. As long as this goal is not fulfilled the “part” experiences turmoil. The storehouse of water is the ocean. Clouds emanate from this ocean so as to give us rain. This rainwater collects as ponds, streams, rivers etc. and they in turn yearn to merge into the ocean. Whenever there is a slope, water tends to move in that direction. The goal of this slope and flow is to gather scattered water and transport it to the ocean. The aim of soul evolution is to speed up a living being’s desire to merge itself into God. Thus instead of being a limited, unfulfilled individual, it attains fulfillment by merging into the cosmic soul i.e. God.

But the fact remains that majority of human beings lead lowly lives. In Indian Mythology they are called sinners or the downfallen ones. They say that evolution travels upwards and demotion leads us downwards. When bodily consciousness dwelling in the Mooladhar Chakra wishes to move upwards, it leads towards the Sahasrar Chakra. Soul advancement is nothing but the transformation of the seed of sexual passion into the seed of wisdom.

Soul advancement encompasses many paths. Every effort that renounces individual selfishness is of this high stature. Soul progress means imbibing high ideals in one’s thinking, scheme of things and daily activities. Kundalini or Divine Serpent Power activation is a very scientific spiritual practice. It has its basis in science of the body and mind. Both the material and spiritual elements have an equal position in it.

Ordinarily a living being is immersed in body consciousness i.e. it intensely identifies with its body. This has been depicted as Kundalini coiled around a Linga like a great serpentess with 3 ½ rounds. Its mouth faces downwards and emits venom. This Linga is attracted to the material world. A living being is this great serpentess. As far as soul wisdom is concerned, it has no clue about it. It neither is aware of its true nature nor the goal of life. Having drunk the wine of delusion, it lies latent under the influence of spiritual ignorance. The 3 rounds represent desires, yearnings and ego. In between occasionally the thought of soul advancement too manifests. None can totally ignore the innermost voice of the soul. It will always demand attention despite the fact that at every step it is unheard. This is the ½ round that is added to the 3 rounds of Kundalini or great serpentess coiled around the Linga. The mouth of Kundalini faces downwards which means it is in a fallen state. Our lowly desires and activities never allow our spiritual advancement. Our powers get demeaned and hence we remain fallen. Sperm ejaculation and other activities always create our downfall. Their dire results are like poison. It is apt that the fallen state of a creature is depicted as a sleeping serpentess. Our existence in this world is as fallen as a sleeping serpentess. Our creation is like poison. Our activities are like sowing seeds of venom that manifest more venom. Our state is that of a fallen man who has drunk the wine of delusion.

When Kundalini awakens it leaves its latent state. It starts uncoiling / unwinding. It stands upright. It starts moving upwards along the Merudand (subtle spine). Instead of foul venom, its mouth now emits fragrance of nectar. This depicts our soul progress. Kundalini which rises up the Merudand ultimately unites with the great serpent in the Sahasrar. This has been depicted as the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Sati went to her father’s place without Shiva’s consent and then she angrily gave up her body in the fire of Yoga. This is akin to a living being ignoring God and leading a downfallen life. Later the situation, changes. Sati is re-born as Parvati. Parvati performs austerities and then marries Lord Shiva. This is akin to a living being performing penance to purify his mind and thus ultimately unites with God.

AUTHOR: Shriram Sharma Acharya, founder of the International Gayatri Family, was a great Yogi, seer and incarnation of God who wrote volumes of scientific literature mainly on spiritual subjects for world welfare and peace.

For more scientific e-books visit: http://www.shriramsharma.com/

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