Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (56 page)

‘Supreme Kundali is splendorous like lightning and in three and a half coils, situated in the sushumna-path’ (—Shiwasanghita, 2.23). ‘Kundali who is Brahman is like a flame’ (—Rudrayamala, Part 2, 27.55). ‘Kundali is para (that is, the source of para sound) and shines like a flame, and black (or dark-green) in colour, and is in the nature of Krishna (God)’ (—Goutamiyatantra, 34. 41–2). ‘Kundalini who is Supreme Power and is in the nature of Brahman shines like ten million suns and is bright and cool like ten million moons and splendorous like lightning; she is not steady and, like a serpent, she is in three and a half coils around the great liṅga ‘(Swayambhu-liṅga)’ (—Tararahasya, ch. 4, p. 22). ‘Kundali-power in whom is embedded (the matrika-letters) a to kisha shines like lightning and is subtle like the lotus-filament, and is sleeping like a serpent, and is in eight coils—Koulawalitantra, ch. 22, p. 80). ‘Dew; (Divine Kundalini) is Shiwa-Shakti (that is, Kundalini is Supreme Power being one and the same with Parama Shiwa—Supreme Being) and in the nature of only consciousness; she is the power and is supremely subtle; she is splendorous like ten million lightnings and in three coils’ (—Sharadatilakatantra, 5. 128–9). ‘Divine Kundali who shines like a streak of lightning is, as a sleeping serpent, unroused, and in three and a half coils from right to left around Shiwa (Swayambhu-liṅga), and is supremely subtle like a lotus filament’ (—Shaktanandataraṅgini, 4.10).

In the Waidika accounts, we find that Shakti (Kundali-power) is like fire (—Soubhagyalakshmyupanishad, 3.1). Kundali who is unroused and in coils (—Yogakundalyupanishad, 1.65). Kundali-shakti (-Power) is in eight coils (—Yogachudamanyupanishad, 36; Shandilyopnishad, 1.8; Trishikhibrahmanopanishad, Mantra Section, 63). Kundalini is the divine light and living power (—Yogarajopanishad, 7).

From the above statements emerges the following.

Divine Kundalini is in the nature of consciousness. She is the living power and is supremely subtle. She is like fire. She is splendorous like the lustre of strong lightnings, bright like many suns and cool like the moon. She is in three and a half coils around Swayambhu-liṅga, encircling him from right to left. She has also been described as being in three and eight coils. She is like a flame, not steady, and remains unroused in the muladhara. She is of shining red colour. She is also said to be white and black (or dark-green) in colour. She is Parama Kala (Supreme Kundalini) and also Supreme Power. She is Brahman. She is Shiwa-Shakti.

There are two forms of concentration on Kundalini—subtle and gross.

Concentration on subtleness

Kundalini is the living power and is consciousness, supremely subtle, lightning-like splendorous, moon-like cool, and in three and a half coils around Swayambhu-liṅga, from right to left.

Concentration on form

1 Kundalini who is Supreme Brahman shines like many million moons. She is seated on a lion, and has three eyes and four arms. She holds a book and a wina (Indian lute), and makes the gestures of granting boons (wara mudra) and dispelling fear (abhaya mudra) (—Kaṅkalamalinitantra, ch. 2, p. 4).

Note : She should be thought of as red in colour.

2 Kundalini is red in colour, perpetually youthful with fully developed breasts and attractive eyes, and adorned with jewelled bracelets, small bells around the hip, anklets on the feet, and all kinds of ornaments and gems; she is charming like the full moon and very beautiful (—Shaktanandataraṅgini, 4.34).

3 In the morning: in the muladhara. Kundalini is red like the rising sun in the morning; she has three eyes like the sun, fire and moon, and holds (in her four hands a noose, a goad, a bow and a arrow.

At noon: in the hrit lotus. She is in early youth.

In the evening: in the ajña. She is splendorous, youthful and beautiful, and is Parama Kala (Supreme Kundalini) (—Shaktanandataraṅgini, 4.54).

4 Kundalini as Ishtadewata.

Note. The form of Ishadewata is the form of Kundalini.

5 Special concentration on Kundalini, in the form of Goddess Dakshinakalika, in the muladhara. Goddess Dakshinakalika is four-armed, making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear with her right hands, and holding a sword and a human head with her left hands; she is possessed of three eyes which are like the moon, sun and fire; she is black in colour, perpetually death-less, youthful and naked, with a girdle made of hands of dead persons; she has dishevelled hair, a smiling face, long teeth and wears a necklace of skulls; her right foot is on the heart of Shiwa and stands on a great lotus; and she is in deep love-desire for union with the Supreme Being (—Kubjikatantra, ch. 6, p. 7).

Explanation

The chakras are the different levels of superconsciousness, so they are not reflected in senseconsciousness, because of its oscillatory character. It indicates that superconsciousness is not undulatory and is in a state of concentratedness. Therefore, the chakras are also the different levels of concentration. When concentration is very deep, the chakras appear in concentrated consciousness and are ‘seen’. When concentration is practically a thought-form, it can be made deeper and transformed into real concentration ccmparatively easier when the thoughts are of the images of the chakras as seen in concentration. So the description of the chakras is vitally important for those students of concentration who are at the thought level.

The petals of the muladhara are the energy-radiations from the continuous circular energy-motions which maintains the prithiwi mahabhuta organization. The petals are deep red in colour. It indicates that there is the concentration of apana-energy which radiates red-rays. Each petal has its own specific concentration which is marked by a special matrika-letter. This mark is not artificial but occurs as an intrinsic aspect of the concentration. In the first petal is wang, in the second shang, in the third shang and in the fourth sang. The original colour-radiation of wang is yellow lightning-like, of shang golden, shang rose (red mixed with white) and sang lightning-like. In the muladhara petals, all the matrika-letters are of golden colour. So wang and shang retain their original colours, but the other two change their colours. The golden colour indicates that the mahabhuta-tanmatra-forces are concentrated in the petal-letters. When the petal-letters are blood-red (due to different mode of concentration), it indicates the apana-concentration.

From the viewpoint of concentration, the petalletters form the mantra wang-shang-sang-sang which are utilized for japa for developing thought-concentration. At first, there is a petalgap between the letters, and by the practice of japa the gaps become less and less and finally disappear and become conjoint with nada-bindu (‘
ng
’ factor). At this stage the four-lettered mantra becomes a four-matrika-concentration-unit. This is the unit for the muladhara. Now, the petal-concentration is reduced to circular concentration. At this stage, the four radiations (designated by the four-matrika-letters) cease and the circular energy-motion becomes more concentrated. The four-matrika-concentration-unit is that in which the four letters are seen simultaneously and as a whole in thought-form.

Thereafter, concentration is done on two main lines: mahabhuta-tanmatra concentration and concentration within the triangle. In mahabhuta-tanmatra concentration, the following forms are practised stage by stage: (a) meta-earth (prithiwi mahabhuta) concentration, (b) supra-smell (gandha tanmatra); (c) concentration-on-divine-form (-dewata).

In very deep concentration, meta-earth is ‘seen’ as a yellow square. When concentration deepens more and more, the square is reduced to an infinitesimal point which is the smell tanmatra, from which emerges the germ-mantra Lang of shining yellow colour. The original colour of the matrika-letter is yellow-lightning-like and the colour remains unchanged when it becomes the germ-mantra of supra-smell. When concentration becomes still deeper the bija aspect (that is, la) is transformed into Deity Indra. It is the beginning of concentration-on-divine-form. The Indra-form represents a higher order of powers to the point of most effectiveness and under the control of higher intelligence. The yellow colour of the form indicates that meta-earth and suprasmell (prithiwi mahabhata and gandha tanmatra) is the predominating factor in the form. This is indicative of power.

Indra’s great power is represented in the wajra (a thunderbolt) which he holds in his hand. The great control power has been concentrated in the wajra. Desire in its specific form is the creative desire which culminates in love-desire in which the senses function in relation to pleasurable objects and conative organs cause to heighten the pleasure-feeling and effect the union which is associated with the highest enjoyment. This longing for conjugal pleasure in which the strongest feeling is excited and the full organic cooperation becomes a fact, is an expression of strongest natural energy having a definite mental form and it becomes involved in organic activities at a certain point which is an elaboration of the original desire. From wajra comes the highest control power termed wajroli—the adamantine control, by which sexual energy in its mental and organic forms is fully controlled and transformed into a divine energy which increases the strength of concentration. The adamantine control consists of two main processes: development of reverse organic control and utilization of mental sexual energy in concentration. The apana-control plays an essential role in wajroli.

The fittest persons for the practice of this control are those who are endowed with great sexual vigour which is supported by general physical development. But usually these persons go in for sexual excesses, especially, when their spiritual qualities are in a rudimentary state. The wajra excites fear in them by causing disease and other sufferings. For all unspiritual persons, the wajra is the cause of fear. The sexually weak and physically undeveloped persons are unfit for the practice of adamantine control.

Indra is seated on an elephant. The elephant represents an excellence of physical development and strength. But Indra’s elephant is not an ordinary one, it is a white elephant. It indicates that physical development need not impede spiritual growth but harmonizes with spiritual qualities. Indra’s white elephant shows the spiritualized physical development. The Kuñjara (elephant)-process has been developed in relation to the white elephant of Indra. It is the process of purification and vitalization of the body. A person with such a development is the fittest person for the practice of adamantine control.

The wajra has other characteristic features. The sound associated with the wajra arises from the transformation of the madhyama sound (suprasound) into the waikhari (audible) sound. This means that the mantra is transformed into the waikhari form by the wajra-power, which is necessary for the practice of mantra. The wajra itself is the manifestation of the bija Lang or Mang. The Lang (or Mang) power is metamorphosed into the form of wajra in the muladhara. The wajra-power has also been manifested by Kundalini, by which she keeps concealed the great fire-energy lying within Swayambhu-liṅga. The light aspect of the wajra is the spiritual light by which consciousness is illumined. This consciousness becomes so purified and concentrated that the Deity Brahma appears in it and the whole consciousness is brightened by the lustre of Brahma. The Indra-form is derived from the bija Lang in the muladhara. The form can be reduced to Lang. The white elephant of Indra is from the bija Kang or Khang.

Concentration on Brahma

Brahma is one of the six Shiwas (Supreme Being in forms). It has been stated that Brahma, Wishnu, Rudra, Ishwara, Sadashiwa and Parashiwa are the six Shiwas (—Rudrayamala, Part 2, 25. 53–4; also in the Shadamnayatantra, 5. 283–4 and the Gayatritantra, 3.146–7). Beyond the six Shiwas is Parama Shiwa (Supreme Brahman). It has been stated: ‘Brahman has three aspects-gross, subtle and Supreme. The five forms (belonging to the five mahabhuta-tanmatras) of Brahman (that is, five Brahmas which are the five Shiwas of the Tantras) are gross and termed wairaja (belonging to Brahman forms). The subtle form is Hiranyagarbha characterized by the primary three bijas with nada (that is, the first mantra Ong). The Supreme Brahman is the ultimate truth, in the nature of consciousness, being and love, immeasurable, undefinable, beyond mind and senses, in itself, attributeless, without form, immutable, untinged, eternal, whole, incomparable and perfect’ (—Yogashikhopanishad, 2. 14–17). The Waidika Supreme Brahman is the Tantrika Parama (Supreme) Shiwa. The five forms of Brahmans are the first five Shiwas. Hiranyagarbha is the sixth Shiwa named Parashiwa. The five Brahmans have been named Hiranmaya (Brahma) in the ‘earth’-region (in the muladhara), Narayana (Wishnu) in the ‘water’-region (in the swadhishthana), Rudra in the ‘fire’-region (in the manipura), Ishwara in the ‘air’-region (in the anahata), and Sadashiwa in the ‘void’-region (in the wishuddha) (—Yogatattwopanishad, 8499). So the Waidika terms and the Tantrika terms are identical.

All the Shiwas or Brahmas are the six forms which arise, stage by stage, in concentration. They are the divine forms of Supreme Shiwa, also called Narayana. So it has been stated that Brahma and Shiwa are Narayana (—Tripadwibhutimahanarayanopanishad, 2.16). It has also been stated that Brahma is Narayana (—Kurmapurana, 1.6.3). Narayana is the Supreme Being, and Wishnu, Brahma and Maheswara are the same (—Warahapurana, 70.26). That the (Supreme) Brahman is Brahma, Shiwa and Wishnu has been stated in the Kaiwalyopanishad, Mantra 8. He who is Shiwa is also Hari (Wishnu) and Brahma—Brahman in three forms (—Garudapurana, 1.23.34). This means that Supreme Brahman assumes the forms of Brahma, Wishnu and Rudra.

According to the predominating primary attributes (gunas), the divine forms vary. Sattwa predominates in the Wishnu-form, rajas in the Brahma-form and tamas in the Rudra-form (—Shiwapurana, 1.6.20). Powers associated with Wishnu, Brahma and Rudra are of the same character. Lakshmi, the power of Wishnu, is in the nature of sattwa; Brahmi, the power of Brahma, in that of rajas; and Sati, the power of Rudra, in that of tamas (—
ibid
, 1.6.21). The rajas, sattwa and tamas attributes influence the mind and its concentration power. In the first stage of concentration rajas, which functions on the sattwa basis, develops the power which makes concentration deep, and consciousness is in the Brahma-form.