Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (59 page)

Rakini

Rakini, who is always in the swadhishthana, is of the colour of a blue lotus (that is, dark blue) and holds various instruments in her four hands; she is dressed in splendid raiment and adorned with ornaments, beautiful and delightful (—Shatchakranirupana, Verse 17).

The presence of Rakini in the swadhishthana has been mentioned in the Kaṅkalamalinitantra, ch. 2, p. 5; Shiwasanghita, 5.106; Rudrayamala, Part 2, 22.4; Mantramahodadhi, 4.20; and Todalatantra, ch. 7, p. 14. Rakini is Kundali (—Rudrayamala, Part 2, 42.1). This means that Rakini is one of the forms of Kundali, and consequently, other Powers, situated in different chakras, are also forms of Kundalini. It has also been stated that Power Rakini is the door-keeper of the Swadhishthana (—Sammohanatantra, Part 2, ch. 2, p. 2).

Other concentration-forms of Rakini are as follows.

Rakini who is red in colour, two-armed and fawn-eyed is shining with the vermilion-red-mark on her forehead, her eyes are gracefully painted with collyrium, she is dressed in white raiment and adorned with various ornaments, and her face is as beautiful as the moon (—Kaṅkalamalinitantra, ch. 5, p. 23).

Divine Rakini is dark-blue (or black) in colour and adorned with various ornaments, and holds a sword and a shield (—Kularnawa, ch. 10, p. 53).

Rakini is dark-blue (or black) in colour, and holds in her hands a spear (or trident), the wajra (thunderbolt), a lotus and a drum (—Koulawalitantra, ch. 22, p. 80).

Rakini is dark-blue (or black) in colour, holds in her hands a spear (or trident), a lotus, a drum and a sharp chisel (or axe); she is powerful and has three red eyes and prominent teeth; the great, lustrous, divine Rakini is seated on a double lotus (—the verse quoted by Kalicharana).

Kalicharana says that it is to be understood, by seeing Rakini seated on a lotus here, that all six Powers everywhere are seated on red lotuses. (For concentration-form of Rakini, see
Plate 5
, right top figure.)

Explanation

The petaline processes of the swadhishthana are the processes of the radiations of energies from the central aspect of the chakra into the ida-piṅgala power-flows. The colour of the swadhishthana-petals is generally vermilion-red. This indicates that there is a mixture of red-radiations of apana with the golden-radiations of wyana. It also indicates that apana radiates in a more concentrated form, while wyana-radiations are less concentrative and slower in character. When the petals become red and deep red, it indicates greater concentration of apana-radiations. The wyana-radiations predominate when the petals are of a golden colour. The whitish-red colour of the petals indicates the white-radiations of samana in combination with the red-radiations of apana.

The matrika-letters are the measures of the power-concentration in the petals. There are six petals as there are six main radiations from the central aspect of the swadhishthana. The matrika-letters are bang, bhang, mang, yang, rang and lang. Their colour is white. They are indicators of the basic ap-mahabhuta power lying within the swadhishthana. The original colour-radiation of bang is moon-white, of bhang and mang shining red, of yang smoke colour, of rang red-lightning colour, and of lang yellow-lightning colour. The original colours of the matrika-letters, except bang, have been changed into white in the swadhishthana-petals. They are influenced by the ap-mahabhuta power.

Petaline Concentration

The six-lettered mantra bang-bhang-mang-yang-rang-lang, with gaps between, will be transformed by japa in combination with thought-concentration into a gapless conjoint mantra which is a swadhishthana-concentration-unit. At this stage the petaline concentration is in the form of a circular ring of vermilion-red colour with the diamond-white conjoint matrika-mantra. When this is successfully done, the power-radiation outwards ceases in concentration.

Mahabhuta-concentration

The first stage is the thought-concentration on ap-mahabhuta in the form of the half-moonshaped region of white colour. When concentration is very deep this ‘water’-region is ‘seen’ as a white half-moon.

Tanmatra-concentration

When concentration becomes still deeper the white half-moon is reduced to an infinitesimal point which is rasa-tanmatra and is represented by the germ-mantra Wang of white colour.

Dewata-concentration

When concentration on Wang is very deep, Deity Waruna emerges from the bija aspect. Waruna is ‘seen’ seated on a makara, white in colour, and is holding the pasha (noose). Makara represents immense power operable in the watery medium. In the body, the makara-power operates to maintain circulation at the action and inaction levels in a most efficient manner. Therefore, it plays a most important role in circulatory development and maintains general health and efficiency of the body in action, relaxation and mental concentration.

Makara also represents sexual vigour, essentially based on endocrine development. The gonadal development is brought about by general and local blood-movements induced by the makara-process. The process comprises general muscular movements, pelvic muscular movements, voluntary muscular relaxation and inactivity, blood purification and mental control of the sex urge. The purificatory and control aspects are indicated by the white colour of the makara.

From the spiritual viewpoint the makara is reducible to the matrika-unit tang. The five prana-powers are aroused and controlled to effect better functioning of the various organs of the body which are controlled by these powers. The circulatory function is improved by wyana-control and the sexual function is developed by apana-control. The dewata aspect of the matrika-unit is aroused in the form of Deity Waruna in yellow-lightning-like radiation.

Waruna, Consciousness-Power in a divine form (dewata), has full control over the ‘water’-principle (ap-mahabhuta and rasa-tanmatra), the medium through which the five prana-forces exhibit their functional activities. This subtle ‘water’ in its essence is amrita—the deathless substance, and in its gross form is blood and various external and internal secretions. So, it is the life-substance, and its controlling power is Waruna. The full creative energy of the life-substance has been imparted to gonadal secretions. The sex impulse and gonadal activities are intertwined with the affective impulse. The uncontrolled expression of sex and associated affective impulses is due to the functioning of the life-force when it is without the spiritual basis. Under this condition, the spiritual nature of a living being remains unroused and Waruna’s pasha (noose) becomes operative. The pasha is the primary bondage causing the mind to be fettered by unspiritual pasha-qualities—disgust, bashfulness, fear, sleepiness (or sorrow, or anger), slander, certain family characteristics and the notion and distinction of the race and class. The release from the bondage is only possible by concentration on Waruna, which finally transmutes the pasha into the form of matrika-unit ang.

Ang is white in colour. By concentration, the control over the five prana-forces is increased through the release of Kundali-power, and consequently pranayama develops. Then Deity Wishnu, associated with this bija, begins to be awakened. However, at this stage, concentration is directed to Wang, and when it becomes very deep, Wishnu is roused from the bindu aspect of Wang.

In deep concentration Wishnu is ‘seen’ as the shining dark blue (or black) divine form with four arms, holding a conch, wheel, mace and lotus, and seated on the garuda. Wishnu is the Supreme Being into whom all dewas (divine beings in form) enter (—Atharwashikhopanishad, 2.2). This means all divine beings and everything else are absorbed into Wishnu, and only he remains, and nothing else. When the universe and all beings are not absorbed, all are pervaded by Wishnu (—Nrisinghatapanyupanishad, 2.5.2). The word Wishnu is derived from wisha, and which means pervasion (—Wachaspatyam). Wishnu is endowed with the essence of all powers (wlirya) (—Nrisinghatapanyupanishad, 2.5.9). By his power, the universe is maintained. He is also the source of the highest spiritual power.

The dark blue (or black) colour of Wishnu indicates that in concentration all forms are absorbed into Wishnu and only he remains, and he appears vast. When Wishnu is ‘seen’ through the original colour of Wang, he is shining like lightning in yellow colour; his white colour is from Wang as the bija of the ‘water’-principle in the swadhishthana. When wyana-force predominates, he is of golden colour and when samana-force and sattwa-quality predominates he is of white colour. In the specific Tantrika forms of concentration, Wishnu’s colour has been described as of molten gold, and also of many suns rising at the same time, that is, shining red (—Tantrasara, ch. 2, p. 155). Apana-force and rajas-quality predominate in Wishnu when he is red in colour. When Wishnu is seen as crystal white, he is in the form of purest sattwa, and from this state he becomes formless.

The shaṅkha (conch), chakra (wheel), gada (mace) and padma (lotus) held by Wishnu indicate that he is the supporter of the universe. The shaṅkha is the principle of ‘void’ (akasha) with which sound is intrinsically related. The chakra is the principle of ‘air’, gada is the principle of ‘fire’, padma of ‘water’, and the ‘earth’-principle is in his feet. So Wishnu maintains all the cosmic principles. From the specific viewpoint, the shaṅkha indicates the creative I-ness of five cosmic principles, and each principle is expressed by its bija-mantra—Hang (‘void’-principle), Yang (‘air’-principle), Rang (‘fire’-principle), Wang (‘water’-principle), and Lang (‘earth’-principle). The shaṅkha of Wishnu is called panchajanya, because it expresses the five cosmic principles by their appropriate mantra-sounds. Shaṅkha in a general way expresses happiness. The chakra indicates the most powerful mind which is fully controlled by Wishnu. More technically, chakra is consciousness. The immense power of consciousness, when uncontrolled, is constantly radiating like spokes which support the rim—the range of diversified consciousness. When the radiated spokes are concentrated to the nave, consciousness is single-pointed and in a state of concentration where God as Wishnu endowed with yoga-power, religion, glory, wealth, passionlessness and knowledge is held and ‘seen’. It is the ‘seeing’ of what is worthy to be seen. So, Wishnu’s chakra is called sudarshana.

Gada (mace) is the spiritual knowledge based on the matrika-sounds arising from Kundali-power. Gada is also spiritualized intelligence having immense power. Wishnu’s gada is called koumodaki, because he is the source of happiness due to his power of maintaining the world. It is also called koumodi. However, gada destroys unspirituality by spiritual knowledge. Padma (lotus) is the heart-lotus, by concentration made living and in full bloom, in which lies the Supreme Being in divine form. Padma also indicates the universe supported by Wishnu; and the practitioner acquires the true knowledge of the world through deep concentration on it. The sharṅga-dhanu (bow) of Wishnu indicates the process of concentration. The koustubha-gem of Wishnu is Atman, pure without qualities and beyond mind-matter which is the real being of Wishnu. The shriwatsa-mark indicates primus, supported by Wishnu. The wanamala (a garland of flowers of all seasons) is the mayapower which shows the diversified universe. Maya controls all beings, but it is fully controlled by Wishnu and is held round his neck as the garland. All these phenomena are experienced by a practitioner in deep concentration on Wishnu.

Garuda (name of the king of birds) is the concentrated wayu-power developed from the highest form of kumbhaka (breath-suspension) which is under full control of Wishnu. The garuda-process is the pranayamic process which develops the power of suspension to the highest point when the body levitates. So the garuda stage is the highest stage of kumbhaka. It indicates two forms of practice; one is the development of concentration through kumbhaka, adopted in hathayoga; the other is the achievement of natural kumbhaka through concentration, adopted in layayoga. Either concentration-on-Wishnu can be developed by the garuda-process; or deep concentration-on-Wishnu effects natural kumbhaka. There are also two practices which have been developed from the garuda-process: the uddiyana-control which is an important factor in pranayama, and garudasana, a posture for developing the power of maintaining physical stillness in concentration.

From the mantra viewpoint, shaṅkha (conch) is reducible to the matrika-sound shang, chakra (wheel) to ing or lang, gada (mace) to bang, padma (lotus) to ing, thang and garuda to khang or the bija kshing.

Concentration on Rakini

For spiritual purification and increased power of concentration, concentration should be done on Power Rakini. The most suitable colour for increasing internal calmness and concentration is darkblue which is the colour of Rakini. More concentration should be done on her face which is very beautiful and shining. If, in concentration, one-pointedness deviates owing to other thoughts, her three eyes become red, teeth are shown and she appears as frightful. She should be realized in her beauty and power. Her red eyes indicate the sun which is the knowledge by which the outer objects are known. Her face is like the moon. The moon is mind. When the mind is in concentration the sun is separated from the moon due to the absorption of the worldly knowledge. Her beautiful moon-like face is the expression of the highest power of concentration. If the practitioner deviates while concentrating on her face, he is spiritually not quite purified.

Her trident indicates three forms of control—control of prana-forces by pranayama, control of senses by pratyahara, and control of mind by dharana. These control exercises are absolutely necessary for deep concentration. The lotus is the hrit-lotus opened by deep concentration. The drum (damaru) signifies the nada (the silent supra-sound) through which Shabdabrahman manifests. The sound of the drum is heard in deconcentration. The chisel (tanka) removes the deeply seated unspiritual qualities. Rakini is ‘seen’ in concentration in the enlivened hrit-lotus.

Rakini is reducible to the mantra-form Eng. The bija-mantra of Rakini is Rang. The trishula (trident) can be reduced to Oung, obja (lotus) to Sang, Aing, and Drang, damaru (drum) to Khang, and taṅka (chisel) to Tang.