Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (38 page)

Affectivity is an avenue through which concentration can be developed. This is possible through love (anuraga). What is love? It is an intense pleasurable feeling aroused in relation to a person for whom there is liking and who appears extremely attractive to that person, and for whom there is a strong attachment. Union with such a person gives highest pleasure and satisfaction. Separation causes sorrow, disturbances, anxiety and restlessness. When there is real and intense love, consciousness is saturated with love and in it the image of the object of love is held. In union, deep thought with deep feeling is evoked through pleasure and satisfaction, and, in separation, deep thoughts flow in sorrow. Qualities associated with real love are self-dedication and self-sacrifice, admiration and respect for each other, and a sort of deep intimacy, and a strong desire for union in which man or woman becomes fully absorbed in the object of love. Such an intense love is often associated with sexual desire which is fully aroused in contact. Sexual desire may also go so far as to cause intense sexuality. At this point love becomes lust. However, love has other forms. Love in the form of affection is naturally expressed towards one’s own children. It is very strong in mothers. There is also love for brothers and sisters, and for friends.

Is it possible to develop concentration in the centre of such emotionalized thoughts? First of all, concentration is based on a state of single-pointedness of consciousness. According to bhaktiyoga, love can be spiritualized to that degree when it assumes exclusively the form of only that object and nothing else. It is called ananyabhakti—single-pointed concentrated flow of love for God. This one object cannot be a material object. Because, material objects are seen in the diversified consciousness. Through the process of concentration, diversity is transformed into uniformity. The likeness of a material object in thought-form can be under-taken at the beginning as an object of concentration. As concentration develops, the thought-form changes and finally is reduced to what is an unknown phenomenon, never experienced in the material world. This is the experience of subtle elements—mahabhutas which can be farther reduced to tanmatras. These experiences occur when consciousness is in a state of concentratedness. Superconcentration is attained on mahabhutas and tanmatras. But when love is fully spiritualized, even mahabhutas and tanmatras are not registered in consciousness which is flooded by bhakti (divine love). In the most intensified love in concentration, only God in the form of Ishtadewata is held in consciousness. Love-concentration at its highest degree becomes ananda samadhi—superlove-concentration.

So, when bhakti flows, consciousness only receives and holds divine forms, and nothing else. Bhakti develops non-attachment to worldly objects, stage by stage. There are, of course, preliminary practices which help to arouse bhakti. First of all, thoughts should be purified and spiritualized by yama and niyama, especially, by ritualistic worship, japa (mantra-practice) and thinking of Ishtadewata. All these belong to waidhi-bhakti (ritualistic or devotional divine love) which ultimately leads to ragatmika-bhakti (all-love). This is the path of bhaktiyoga.

Those who are able to raise their intelligence and thoughts to a spiritual level, and whose thoughts are purified by yama and niyama, are fit for the practice of jñanayoga. By spiritual deliberation and reflection, they become unattached to mundane objects and are able to make consciousness free from worldly thoughts. By applying ‘neti neti’ (not this, not this) deliberation, they go beyond the world, and finally become established in Brahman (Supreme God) in asamprajñata samadhi. This is the state of rajayoga.

In layayoga, Kundalini is aroused by concentration in combination with mantra, pranayama and certain control processes of hathayoga. The aroused Kundalini exhibits absorptive power to the highest degree, by which she absorbs all the creative principles located in the chakras (subtle centres) when piercing through them. Absorption occurs in a certain order, and, finally, when all creative principles except superconsciousness are withdrawn, samprajñata samadhi is attained in sahasrara. This is the limit of Amakala. Thereafter, the stage of Nirwanakala is reached. Now Kundalini becomes Nirwanashakti. After that Kundalini herself becomes united with and is absorbed into Parama Shiwa. This is the final stage of asamprajñata samadhi. This is kundaliniyoga.

In bhutashuddhi, the entire process of kundaliniyoga, in exact order, is rendered in thought-forms. What actually happens in Kundaliniyoga is imitated in thoughts. In fact, Kundaliniyoga in thought-form is bhutashuddhi. The Kundali-rousing which is the first part of the process of Kundaliniyoga is done in thought, that is, thinking deeply of the rousing of Kundalini. The absorption of various creative principles in the same order as actually takes place in Kundaliniyoga is also done in thoughts in the same order.

In bhutashuddhi, thought is not mixed with intellectuality. Here, thought is merely a mental image of a certain form or action which requires no intellection, but is associated with attention and a certain degree of concentration. Concentrative-mind is brought into play for making thought forceful. When the thought is a conscious form of an image of an object, and the whole thought is of that image, and there is no interruption in the flow of that thought and there is no penetration of something else in it, it is called thought-form. A thought-form is to be maintained for a certain time without allowing it to slip, or mix with, or be replaced by, other thoughts. The minimum time a particular thought-form is to be maintained is the lowest kumbhaka-unit which is a four-matrika-unit (4-m-u). During kumbhaka (breath-suspension), an internal calmness develops. The calmness is frequently interrupted by organic and muscular disturbances. Organic harmony should be established by exercise, diet and internal cleanliness. Muscular relaxation and motionlessness should be developed by the practice of asana (static posture exercise).

Thought-form should be practised while assuming a concentration posture in which the body is fully relaxed and without any motion. Sit calm for some minutes. Then practise 4-m-u kumbhaka. It is done in this way: inspire in an effortless manner and suspend for four matrika-units, then expire slowly in an effortless manner without measure. When the 4-m-u kumbhaka becomes easy, and inner calmness remains undisturbed, and it can be repeated according to certain rules, then this kumbhaka should be considered as accomplished. Thereafter, higher-unit kumbhakas should be practised stage by stage.

The following are the stages of kumbhaka:

1  4-matrika-unit kumbhaka

2  6-m-u

3  10-m-u

4  12-m-u

5  16-m-u

Thought-form should be practised during kumbhaka. It is done in this manner: think of one object only, and nothing else. The depth of thinking will be such that the whole thought will be of that object only, and nothing else; and that thought will not be dim, but vivid and clear, nonundulatory, and unpenetrable and unreplaceable by other thoughts. That non-moving steady single thought is mono-thought. The duration of mono-thought is the duration of kumbhaka. The practice is done stage by stage:

1  4-m-u kumbhaka together with monothought

2  6-m-u      —ditto—

3  10-m-u    —ditto—

4  12-m-u    —ditto—

5  16-m-u    —ditto—

This is the general limit of kumbhaka and mono-thought practice. When mono-thought with kumbhaka is practised in this way, thought becomes deeper and deeper, and, at a certain point, it is transformed into real concentration. At this stage, the power of control to hold an object in consciousness is so developed that that object becomes the whole of consciousness; consciousness, now, is of one form and single-pointed ; the object held in consciousness becomes steady; and consciousness is now impenetrable by other objects, and does not change its form. Such holding-power of control is termed dharana -holding-concentration. As concentration goes deeper, it becomes uninterrupted normally, and continues for a longer period. This is dhyana—deep concentration. Finally, concentration becomes so deep that I-ness feeling disappears and only an object in its subtle form remains. This is samadhi—superconcentration. The first form of samadhi is samprajñata samadhi—superconscious concentration. It is also divided into four stages:

1  In which appropriate material forms are the objects.

2  In which mahabhutas-tanmatras are the objects.

3  In which God in form, or Ishtadewata is the object.

4  In which subtle Kundalini is the object.

Finally, samprajñata samadhi is transformed into asamprajñata samadhi after the absorption into Kundalini of samadhi-consciousness and primus. Now only Kundalini remains. Ultimately, Kundalini is absorbed into infinite Supreme Consciousness and remains as the being of Shiwa. This is the final stage of asamprajñata samadhi. This is the goal of Kundaliniyoga, and bhuthashuddhi is the means to it.

In bhutashuddhi, the mono-thought formation is done in the chakras (subtle centres), starting from the muladhara and working up to the sahasrara. The chakras are the seats of creative principles. The lower five chakras, in addition, are the seats of sensory principles, principles of conative actions, bio-energies and deities. The yoga-processes practised in the chakras are summarized here.

1  In the muladhara:

(a)  Conative control—sexual control.

(b)  Sensory control—smell control.

(c)  Bio-energy control—apanayama to control apana-energy.

(d)  Anal control.

(e)  Concentration on Deity Brahma.

2  In the swadhishthana:

(a)  Conative control—organic control.

(b)  Sensory control—taste control.

(c)  Bio-energy control—apanayama.

(d)  Yonimudra and perineal control.

(e)  Concentration on Deity Wishnu.

3  In the manipuraka:

(a)  Conative control—locomotor muscular control.

(b)  Sensory control—sight control.

(c)  Bio-energy control—samanayama to control samana-energy.

(d)  Uddiyana process (abdominal retraction control).

(e)  Concentration on Deity Rudra.

4  In the anahata:

(a)  Conative control—prehensile control.

(b)  Sensory control—touch control.

(c)  Bio-energy control—pranayama to control prana-energy.

(d)  Concentration on Deity Isha.

5  In the wishuddha:

(a)  Conative control—speech control.

(b)  Sensory control—sound control.

(c)  Bio-energy control—udanayama to control udana-energy.

(d)  Jalandharabandha mudra.

(e)  Concentration on Deity Sadashiwa.

6  In the ajña:

(a)  Sense-mind control.

(b)  Will-mind control.

(c)  Concentration on the Goddess Hakini.

7  In the manas:
Control of sense-consciousness.

8  In the indu:

(a)  Thought control.

(b)  Concentration on the God Parashiwa.

9  In the guru:
Concentration on Guru—God in form.

10  In the sahasrara:
Samprajñata samadhi.

In bhutashuddhi, all these different forms of control are not practised as specific exercises in different chakras. But the concentration on gods and goddesses situated in the chakras is a part of bhutashuddhi. A specific system, based entirely on what actually happens in Kundaliniyoga, of mono-thought formation has been adopted in bhutashuddhi. At the beginning, the process is only of thought. Thought is of a non-intellective and non-deliberative character, of one image, non-undulatory, and impenetrable by other thoughts. The duration of each thought-form is willed and is immediately replaced by another specific thought-form. In this manner, a specific thought-chain is made. Thought gradually becomes deeper by practice, and finally is transformed into concentration in which holding-power is manifested. This is holding-concentration.

A thought, when composed of only one image without any intellective oscillations and remaining steady and deep, is able to express its hidden power by which it becomes a living phenomenon—a fact. So, deep thinking of arousing Kundalini and of absorption of different creative principles in different chakras becomes facts, when thought is transformed into holding-concentration, and that into deep concentration. In this way, bhutashuddhi becomes ultimately Kundaliniyoga.

CHAPTER
6

Bhutashuddhi Pranayama—Purificatory Breathing

Bhutashuddhi pranayama is a special form of sahita breathing which forms an important part of bhutashuddhi. This breathing effects deep internal purification by the mantra power. The purificatory effects of bhutashuddhi are enhanced by this breathing in which mantra and concentration are intrinsic parts. Mantra causes deep internal purification and its power is increased by breath-suspension and concentration. This is why Shiwa has said that bhutashuddhi should be done with pranayama (—Brihannilatantra, ch. 2, p. 5).

About the technique of bhutashuddhi pranayama, it is stated: ‘Inhale air through the left nostril, 16 measures; then suspend breath, 64 measures; and finally expire through the right nostril, 32 measures; with smoke-coloured wayu-bija, that is, the mantra “Yang”, situated in a hexagram. Then breathe in through the right nostril, 16 measures; suspend, 64 measures; with red-coloured wahni-bija, that is, the mantra “Rang”, in a triangle with swastika sign. Now think of black-coloured “Personified Impurity” (papapurusha) lying in the left side of the practitioner . . . and then think that it is burned by the fire arising from muladhara, and its ashes are then expelled from the body with expiration through the right nostril, 32 measures. Now, with the white-coloured chandra-bija, that is, the mantra “
Thang
” which is in the forehead (that is, indu centre), inspire through the left nostril, 16 measures, then suspend, 64 measures, and at the same time think that by the showers of deathless substance in the form of 50 matrika-letters a new body has been created. Then, make the body firm by the mantra “Lang” while expiring (through the right nostril) with 32 measures’ (—Goutamiyatantra, ch. 9, p. 27).