An Outline of Kundalini Energy
Kundalini is an energy located at the base of our spine. It is also know as the “Serpent fire” and often symbolized by the Caduceus or the Staff of Heremes. In Hinduism is a form of divine feminine energy (or shakti). According the the Theosophical Glossary,
“Kundalini Sakti (Sk.). The power of life; one of the Forces of Nature; that power that generates a certain light in those who sit for spiritual and clairvoyant development. It is a power known only to those who practise concentration and Yoga.”
This power of kundalini is latent in every human being. In an enlightened man this power is fully awakened and brought up from it’s sleeping chamber in the muladhara (Basic energy centre) to the Crown energy centre. Just like there is Soul energy that comes from our Soul and God, there is Kundalini energy that comes from the Divine Mother. For creation both energies are important. Creation is possible only through union of matter and spirit. The soul energy represents the spirit aspect and the Kundalini energy which comes from the Divine Mother represents the matter aspect.
“Kundalini is called the “Serpentine” or the annular power on account on its spiral-like working or progress in the body of the ascetic developing the power in himself. It is an electric fiery occult or Fohatic power, the great pristine force, which underlies all organic and inorganic matter.” – Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Voice of the Silence
This energy or Kundalini as stated before is latent or minimally awakened in ordinary human beings and it is fully or partially awakened in Yogis. This energy when awakened is brought up through the three channels “IDA, PINGALA & SUSHUMNA” of the human energy system.
The awakening process of Kundalini is initiated through the practice of Yoga. But, every reader must be warned, before making any attempt at awakening this Kundalini Shakti, proper study and understanding is absolutely pivotal. Premature awakening of Kundalini can cause serious problems and permanently damage one’s spiritual mechanism. The practice of Kundalini Yoga should therefore be always commenced under the guidance of an enlightened Guru or a Illumined spiritual teacher. As J Krishnamurti has said,
“So long as self-centred activity exists, you cannot touch it. That is why I object to any discussion on kundalini or whatever that energy is, because we have not done the spade work. We don’t lead a life of correctness and we want to add something new to it and so carry on our mischief.”
According to the teachings of Maha Atma Choa Kok Sui, the purpose of Kundalini energy is to upgrade our body so that it can register the spiritual experiences we have during our meditation. It is obvious, if spiritual development means spiritualizing matter, then that matter must be absolutely refined and purified so that it can reflect the eternity of spirit in it! Most of the times the opposite happens. The spirit gets trapped in matter. We get identified with our body, our emotions, thoughts, we become selfish, materialistic. This happens because the spirit gets trapped in matter which is impure and can not express itself properly. However, when Kundalini energy is properly awakened, the matter/ our body becomes highly refined and attuned to the frequency of the soul. When our physical, emotional and mental body is purified, refined and attuned with the frequency of the soul, union or “YOGA” takes place. And, that is the function of Kundalini. To upgrade Matter so that it can vibrate at the same frequency of the spirit. This is akin to the analogy of a radio station. To tap into a particular radio station our radio must be in the same frequency. Only then can we hear the radio broadcast.
Many of us have seen the symbol of the Caduceus. It is widely used in the medical profession. This symbol represents the awakening of the kundalini through the “IDA, PINGALA & SUSHUMNA” channels. The Divine Mother, Durga, Mother Mary are also symbols of the universal Kundalini force. As long as the Kundalini energy is dormant, a person is under the influence of maya, illusions and glamour. When that kundalini truly awakens and opens or blooms the Sahasrara (Crown energy centre) the person experiences illumination. In that Illumination all maya, all illusion, all ego, jealousy or anger is dissolved. That is why in most paintings Ma Durga is slaying a demon. That demon represents our ego which is slain by the kundalini energy when it awakens. That being said, it is therefore very important for a practitioner to live a pure and virtuous life for the commencement of the awakening of the Kundalini energy.
The Kundalini awakens based on the merit of our heart. If we are living in an impure way, hurting others, stealing, lying, gossiping, being selfish and always self- seeking, the Kundalini cannot awaken then.
Therefor, we must live a pure life before we can awaken the kundalini energy. Purification of the jivatma is a must!
This matter has been beautifully explained by Master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov:
‘Kundalini power is coiled like a serpent asleep at the base of the spinal cord. This is the power that has been called Mother of the Universe, and that Hermes Trismegistus calls the ‘strong fortitude of all strength’. Once awakened it may flow either up or down. If it moves upwards, it is very beneficial, and favours great spiritual development; if, on the contrary, it rushes downwards, it can have disastrous results. He who awakens the power of Kundalini without being absolutely pure and wholly in control of himself becomes a prey to uncontrollable sexual passions which plunge him at lightning speed into the deepest abyss, and to an inordinate, overweening ambition which leads him to defy the whole world.
This is why disciples are strongly advised not to attempt to arouse the Kundalini force before they have cultivated great purity and humility, for this most powerful of all forces is just as liable to destroy as to create. In point of fact Kundalini can be aroused on different levels: it can be aroused seven times, for it sleeps with seven sleeps and is hidden by seven veils of matter. In one way it is quite easy to awaken Kundalini, but what is important, indeed essential, is to know what orientation to give to its energies and how to guide them, and this is much more difficult.
The forces of Kundalini are not subject to man’s will and cannot be driven in whatever direction he chooses; they will follow the direction determined by his qualities and virtues. When the fiery Serpent awakes it rushes headlong towards the nearest source of nourishment, and if this happens to be in a man’s lower nature, then that is where the Serpent goes, and the man is doomed and dragged down into the pit. Whereas, if he can offer the Serpent nourishment on a higher plane, then it will rise into the higher levels of his being.”
– Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov
Izvor book 219, Man’s Subtle Bodies and Centres,
Another warning given in the book The Astral body by A E Powell says,
“One very common effect of rousing it prematurely is that it rushes downwards in the body instead of upwards, and thus excites the most undersirable passions – excites them and intensifies their effects to such a degree that it becomes quite impossible for the man to resist them, because a force has been brought into play in whose presence he is quite helpless. Such men becomes satyrs, monsters of depravity, the force being beyond the normal human power of resistance. They may probably gain certain supernormal powers, but these will be such as will bring them into touch with a lower order of evolution, with which humanity is intended to hold no commerce, and to escape from its thralldom may take more than one incarnation.
There is a school of black magic which purposely uses this power in this way, in order that through it may be vivified those lower Chakrams which are never used by followers of the Good Law.
The premature unfoldment of Kundalini has other unpleasant possibilities. It
intensifies everything in the man’s nature, and it reaches the lower and evil
qualities more readily than the good. In the mental body, ambition is very readily aroused, and soon swells to an incredibly inordinate degree.”
So what can a lay spiritual practitioner do to SAFELY awaken the Kundalini Shakti? These are some of the suggestions:
1. Live an absolutely pure life. Practice harmlessness, be pure in all aspects of your life. Purify the jivatma using esoteric practices like the “Blue Tetrahedron” and the Blue Light purification technique.
2. Study Esoteric books like those by Alice Bailey, Maha Atma Choa Kok Sui, Torkom Saraydarian and others. These books contain a lot of information about Kundalini energy. Before actual practice one must have accurate theoritical knowledge. And these books provide just that! They also provide many techniques using which one can prepare oneself for the safe awakening of Kundalini.
3. Live a selfless life dedicated to the service of others. As J Krishnamurti said, “as long as self-centred activity exists, you cannot touch it.” So we must dedicate our life to Karma yoga or a life of selfless service.
4. Practice Guru Yoga, have Devotion. According to Dr Rudolf Steiner, devotion towards spiritual principles and a life lived according to the spritual principles is the fundamental of all spiritual disciplines.
5. Pray daily using the Great Invocation, prayer of St Franicis of Assisi. The Swami Sivananda gives us a useful prayer for meditation on our Divine Mother. This prayer is as follows:
“Oh Divine Mother I am all yours, you are my only refuge and support. Protect me, guide me, have pity on me”
6. Meditate everyday, especially the Mediation on Twin Hearts and other Esoteric Meditations.
"At the command of the yogi in deep meditation, this creative force turns inward and flows back to its source in the thousand-petaled lotus, revealing the resplendent inner world of the divine forces and consciousness of the soul and spirit. Yoga refers to this power flowing from the coccyx to spirit as the awakened kundalini."
