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Chapter 17
Kundalini and Its Purpose
Kundalini shakti is the revealing and the concealing energy
of Lord Shiva. On the one hand, it is the revealing energy and on
the other hand, it is the concealing energy. It reveals and it conceals.
This kundalini shakti is not different from the existence of Lord
Shiva, just as the energy of light and the energy of heat are not
separate from the fire itself. Kundalini, therefore, in the true
sense, is the existence of Shiva. It is the life and glory of Shiva.
It is Shiva Himself.
Para Kundalini
In our Trika Shaivism, kundalini, which is that internal serpent
power existing in the shape of a coil, is divided in three ways.
The supreme kundalini is called para kundalini.
"This kundalini is not known or
experienced by yogins. It is so vast and universal that the body
cannot exist in its presence. It is only experienced at the time
of death."
It is the heart of Shiva. This whole universe is created by para
kundalini, exists in para kundalini, gets its life from para kundalini,
and is consumed in para kundalini.
When this kundalini creates the universe, Shiva conceals His real
nature and is thrown into the universe. When the universe is created,
He becomes the universe. There is no Shiva left that is separate
from the universe. This is His creative energy. And when kundalini
destroys the universe, Shiva’s nature is revealed. So, the
creative energy for the universe is the destructive energy for Shiva,
i.e., it is the revealing energy for the universe and the concealing
energy for Lord Shiva. And the destructive energy for the universe
is the creative energy for Shiva, i.e., it is the concealing energy
for the universe and the revealing energy for Lord Shiva.
Para kundalini is the supreme visarga of Shiva. As you know from
studying the theory of matrika cakra, visarga [ : ] comprises two
points. These points are said to be Shiva and Shakti. In the real
sense, however, these points are not Shiva and Shakti; they are
the revealing point and the concealing point.
Cit Kundalini
Cit kundalini is experienced by yogins by means of concentrating
on the center between any two breaths, thoughts, or actions, between
the destruction and creation of any two things. As you have learned
in your study of the seven states of turya, when the yogin maintains
his awareness continually in concentrating on the center, he enters
the junction which exists between any two states of the individual
subjective body, waking, dreaming, or deep sleep. His breathing
becomes coagulated, then stops and whirls about one point. It then
moves on the right side of the passage of the breath. If this yogin’s
awareness continues to be maintained with continuity, his breath
is transformed from prana (breath) into pranana (life) and it rushes
down through the central vein, which is on the right side of the
passage of the breath. It rushes down to the bottom, to the spot
known as muladhara, which is near the rectum. Then in muladhara,
you briefly experience a crawling sensation. It is like the experience
when a man and a woman are having intercourse and sexual climax
is just about to take place. Here, the beginning of intense pleasure
occurs. After the momentary experience of this crawling sensation,
it rises again in one flash, and when it rises, you become filled
with absolutely blissful existence.
The happiness and bliss that you experience here cannot be described.
It is ecstasy beyond ecstasy, just like sexual bliss.
"In comparing sexual happiness
with the happiness experienced in cit kundalini, however, you
will find that sexual happiness is one millionth part of the happiness
experienced in cit kundalini."
In addition, simultaneously with the experience of ecstasy, you
also realize the reality of Self. You recognize your real nature
and you know, “I am only bliss (ananda) and consciousness (cit).”
And when you maintain that bliss through the grace of your master,
then the force of cit kundalini pierces bhrumadhya, which is found
between the eyebrows. At that point at once and abruptly you breathe
out. Here, you breathe out and not in, and you do so only once.
Once you breathe out, your breathing is once again stopped. Then
cit kundalini rises from bhrumadhya to brahmarandhra, which is found
at the top of the skull. You experience the rising flow of cit kundalini
as filling the whole channel from muladhara to brahmarandhra. Here
again you abruptly breathe out and your eyes are open. This lasts
for only a moment and then you are again inside, without breathing,
experiencing the rise of kundalini. Then again you breathe out and
again your eyes are open and for a moment you feel that the outside
world is full of ecstasy and bliss. This happens again and again.
One moment you are inside experiencing the bliss of the rise of
cit kundalini, and the next moment you breathe out and your eyes
are open and you are experiencing the world filled with ecstasy.
This process of coming out and remaining in continues, and each
time it occurs it is filled with more and more ecstasy. This process
is called krama mudra.
When you are established in the process of krama mudra, then you
experience that ecstasy in action. When you eat, you are in that
bliss. When you talk, you are in that bliss. When you walk, you
are in that bliss. Whatever you do, you remain in that Universal
state. This is the state of jivanmukti, liberated in life. This
state is experienced not by ordinary yogins, but only by great yogins.
This is the real state of cit kundalini.
In the actual rise of cit kundalini, you will only get a glimpse
of it and then come out.
"The full rise of cit kundalini
takes place only by the grace of your master and by the grace
of your own strength of awareness."
The experience of establishing the full rise of cit kundalini through
the process of krama mudra can take place in one day, one life,
or one hundred lifetimes.
Prana Kundalini
Prana kundalini also comes about through the process of centering.
Prana kundalini, however, is only experienced by those yogins who,
along with attachment to spirituality also have attachment to worldly
pleasures. If your desire and attachment is only for spirituality,
then cit kundalini takes place.
Whether you experience the rise of kundalini as cit kundalini or
as prana kundalini depends on your attachments.
"If you have attachment for spirituality
and also for worldly pleasures, then the rise of kundalini takes
place in the form of prana kundalini."
If you do not have attachments for worldly pleasures and are only
attached to spirituality, then the rise of kundalini takes place
in the form of cit kundalini. There is nothing you can do to determine
how the rise of kundalini will take place. It rises in its own way
depending on your attachments.
Up to the point where your breath is sipped down in the central
vein rushing to muladhara cakra, and through the momentary experience
of the crawling sensation, the rise of cit kundalini and the rise
of prana kundalini are the same. In the rise of prana kundalini,
however, when the crawling sensation is finished, then, in the state
of muladhara, there is a cakra (wheel) and this cakra begins moving
forcefully with great speed in a clockwise direction. At the same
time, the yogin will also hear the sound of its movement.
After some time, that force rises twelve finger-spaces from muladhara
cakra to nabhi cakra, which is the cakra of the navel. When it reaches
the navel, then the cakra of the navel also begins to move and you
feel that simultaneously two wheels are in motion and you feel the
sound of that movement. Here, as in cit kundalini, the intensity
of real love blooms forth. It is so full of love and ecstasy that
the experience of sexual bliss at the height of intercourse completely
pales in comparison.
It is important for you to know that in the process of prana kundalini,
you may not go beyond muladhara cakra or beyond nabhi cakra. You
may only experience muladhara cakra and then come out into ordinary
life. Then again you will have to begin with your practice of centering.
"For the full experience of prana
kundalini, whether you are a householder, married or unmarried,
you have to give your full life to it."
From nabhi cakra, the force rises to hrit cakra, which is the cakra
of the heart, and which is experienced as being right in the center
between the two breasts. When the force reaches hrit cakra, it also
begins to move and you feel all three wheels spinning with great
velocity, you hear their sound, and you even experience the spokes
that comprise their wheels. From hrit cakra, the force of breath
rises up to kantha cakra, the cakra of the pit of the throat, and
this cakra also begins to rotate at a very high speed. From kantha
cakra, the force of breath reaches to bhrumadhya cakra, the cakra
found between the two eyebrows, and it also begins to rotate. With
the movement of bhrumadhya cakra, we have come to the end of the
process of movement.
When the force of breath moves from bhrumadhya cakra, rising to
sahasrara cakra, sahasrara cakra does not begin rotating. It does
not move; rather, it is pierced by great yogins. And this piercing
does not always take place. Sometimes it is pierced and sometimes
it is not, depending on whether or not you have attachment to universal
pleasures. This piercing will only take place when you have no attachment
at all for universal pleasures. And when you do pierce this cakra
you become completely filled with bliss and enter into the process
of cit kundalini.
"If you do not pierce this cakra
then, you will only travel up to bhrumadhya cakra and from bhrumadhya
cakra, you will come out and achieve ashta-siddhih, the eight
great yogic powers."
These powers are anima, laghima, mahima, garima, ishitvam, vashitvam,
prakamyam, and kamavasayitvam-vyapti.
Anima is the power of becoming invisible. Laghima is the power to
become so light that you can move through the air. Mahima is the
power to create and maintain, as Hanuman did, an enormous body.
Garima is the power to add weight to your body so that you become
immovable. Ishitvam is the power to have control over the cosmos,
e.g., you have the power to make it rain or to make the sun shine.
Vashitvam is the power to make yourself attractive so that everyone
wants to be with you. Prakamyam is the power to have control over
your own bodily system. Prakamyam enables you to create hunger where
there is none, or if you are hungry, to eliminate your feelings
of hunger. The eighth power is vyapti, which is the power to pervade
the whole universe. This power enables you to know what is occurring
anywhere in the universe.
The danger inherent in these powers lies in the fact that when you
have and use them then by and by you will be deprived of some portion
of your spirituality. This occurs because, due to the charm of these
powers, you become ever more devoted to worldly pleasures.
Reverse Rise of Kundalini
In Kashmir Shaivism, there is a second way that prana kundalini
may rise. Just through bad luck, it sometimes rises in reverse.
In the reverse rise of prana kundalini, when the breath is sipped
down in the central vein and reaches muladhara cakra, you will find
that muladhara cakra is not moving. Instead, bhrumadhya cakra is
moving. In fact, what has happened is that the breath has crossed
all of the cakras, beginning with muladhara cakra and has reached
and penetrated bhrumadhya cakra, which then begins to move. Then
the force of breath penetrates kantha cakra and it begins to move.
Then the force of breath moves to the heart, then to the navel,
and finally reaches muladhara cakra. And when all these cakras are
in movement then you come out, and the process of the reverse rise
of kundalini is completed.
This is the incorrect process of prana kundalini. It is called
pishacaveshah, which means “trance of ghosts.” It is a
fruitless and valueless process. It only happens when your master
is not on good terms with you or is angry with you. He puts you
in this process. In this reverse process, you do not go anywhere
or achieve anything. In fact, it leads you from right to wrong.
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Copyright © 2012 Universal
Shaiva Fellowship (USF), John Hughes
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Secret Supreme
contents
chapter 01
chapter 04
chapter 05
chapter 10
chapter 14
chapter 16
chapter 17
chapter 19
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