Dictionary:
kun·da·li·ni (kʊn'də-lē'nē) 
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[Sanskrit kuṇḍalinī, from feminine of kuṇḍalin-, coiled, spiral, from kuṇḍalam, ring, coil, perhaps of Dravidian origin.]
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| Philosophy Dictionary: Kundalini |
In Hindu thought, the coiled and dormant ‘feminine’ energy, or psychic energy contained within us all. It is normally symbolized as a serpent coiled into three and a half circles, with its tail in its mouth, and spiralling around the the base of the spine. The awakening of this serpent and the manifestation of its powers is a primary aim of the practice of Kundalini Yoga.
| Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia: Kundalini |
According to ancient Hindu religious teachings and yoga science, a latent force in the human organism responsible for sexual activity and (in a sublimated form) higher consciousness. In Hindu mythology kundalini—from the root word kundala meaning coiled—is personified as a goddess, sometimes with the aspect of Durga (a creator) and sometimes Kali (the destroyer) or Bhujangi (the serpent). Kundalini is often described as a serpent that sleeps at the base of the spine and, when aroused, darts upward, bringing enlightenment or pain. According to classical literature, signs of awakened kundalini are grouped into three categories: vocal, physical and mental signs. Kundalini is also believed to be connected with certain psychic powers, known to yogis as siddhis.
The traditional Hindu yoga texts state that kundalini can be aroused by a combination of hatha yoga positions, pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, and spiritual practices. It is said much of the yogic practice is designed to release knots or blockages in the body which prevent the flow of kundalini energy. However, kundalini may emerge within one who has never performed traditional kundalini rising practices. Often it is not a matter of the seeker grasping Enlightenment, but Enlightenment snaring the seeker.
Some claim when kundalini is incorrectly aroused, physical disability or even death can result. Students are often frightened when they experience signs of kundalini if they have not been properly instructed because the characteristics of the kundalini episode can be frightening. The signs are similar to a manic or psychotic episode: spontaneous vocal expression, trembling, shaking, spontaneous postures, periods of elation or fear, visionary or hallucinatory episodes, and feelings of bliss or anxiety.
The Panchastavi is an esoteric Hindu scripture in which kundalini is addressed as the mother of all beings. The arousal of kundalini for mystical enlightenment is described in ecstatic terms: "Flawless, exceedingly sweet and beautiful, soul-enchanting, fluent speech manifests in all ways in those [devotees] blessed with genius who keep Thee, O Shakti [power] of Shiva, the destroyer of Kamadeva [god of love] constantly in mind, as shining with the stainless luster of the moon in the head…" (3-12).
"O Goddess, rising from the cavity of Muladhara [ chakra or center at the base of the spine], piercing the six lotuses [ chakras ] like a flash of lightning, and then flowing from the moon into the immovable sky-like center [in the head] as a stream of Supreme nectar, Thou then returnest [to Thy abode]" (4-6).
These descriptions, in context, indicate that kundalini is considered to be the creative force expressed in procreation. It is also responsible for mystical enlightenment when sublimated by rising up the spine through the chakras, or psychic centers, to the highest center in the head. These centers are located in the physical vicinity of primary nerve and glandular centers which govern actions and responses of the body. From bottom to top, the chakras are commonly identified as:
Muladhara-The earth or root chakra is located at the base of the spine. It is said to be the chakra most connected with the earth, mother nature, the human animal, and the base self.
Svadhisthana-Also known as the sexual chakra, svadhisthana is found in the area of the reproductive organs. It is concerned with sexual energy, procreation, erotic feelings, and interactions.
Manipura-The third chakra is the power chakra, identified with action, will, anger, laughter, and courage. It is said to be located in the naval and the solar plexus. It is said to be "the energy of the solar system radiating in our personal lives."
Anahata-The heart chakra is located in the center of the chest and is associated with compassion, acceptance, and unconditional love. As it is located equidistant between the highest and lowest chakras, it acts as the mediator among the chakras.
Visuddha-The throat chakra, is situated in and around the larynx and therefore is known as the communication chakra. It is associated with the powers of speech, communication, and expression and is the center for mantras and other vocalizations associated with kundalini.
Ajna-The sixth center, located at the base of the nose between the eyebrows, is also known as "The Third Eye." It governs the principles of wisdom, knowing, intuition, and psychic abilities. It is where God speaks to one directly during meditation.
Sahasrara-Sahasrara, the mystic chakra, is located in the crown of the head, in the cerebrum. The mystic chakra is said to control the brain's pineal gland, unrecognized in modern medicine, but known by yogis for thousands of years. The mystic chakra is the spirit, the higher self, the connection with the Brahman. It is said to be beyond human comprehension and gurus warn again attempting to attain seventh-chakra consciousness until the nervous system is fully prepared.
There are foreshadowings of the biblical story of the Garden of Eden in the poetic myth of the serpent and the tree with the fruit of knowledge or of sexual force, and there are similar myths in many ancient religions, suggesting a lost secret of the relationship between sex and mysticism. Esoteric groups in many countries have guarded this secret. There is evidence of meditation systems in ancient Egypt, China, and Tibet that, under one name or another, taught the arousal of the serpent like force for higher consciousness instead of procreation. Many other religions have emphasized a relationship between sex and mysticism by enjoining celibacy for priests and monks.
In the nineteenth century B. D. Basu of the Indian Medical Service, in a essay entitled "The Hindu System of Medicine" (Guy's Hospital Gazette, London, 1889), identified kundalini and the chakras with nervous energy and the main plexi of the human body. This theory was elaborated by Dr. Vasant G. Rele in his book The Mysterious Kundalini (1927).
The controversial psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, originally a pupil of Freud's, developed a theory of orgone energy expressed in different segments of the human body, closely paralleling the course of kundalini through the chakras. Reich also associated this energy with sexual activity. However, he was strongly opposed to yoga, which he mistakenly considered merely a system of fixed physical positions with rigid musculature.
In the twentieth century the ancient concept of kundalini has been revived and spread in the West by several Indian teachers, such as Pandit Gopi Krishna of Srinagar, India. Gop Krishna aroused this legendary force and claimed to experience a continuing state of higher consciousness. He describes his experience in Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man (1970) and a number of other books. Among other modern Hindus who claimed to have aroused kundalini is Swami Muktanada, who was said to have the power to communicate this arousal by touch, a technique traditionally known in India as shaktipat.
Pandit Gopi Krishna believed that kundalini is an evolutionary force that will play an increasingly important part in the development of the human race and its goals, indicating new directions for both science and religion. Unfortunately, his followers have not been able to see his goal realized. Following up on the writings of Gopi Krishna, Karan Singh, union minister of health in India, announced in 1974 an ambitious kundalini research project, to be sponsored by the All-India Institute of Medical Science, to research the "Kundalini concept and its relevance to the development of higher nervous functions." The project failed, however, to secure official funding following a general election and change of government. Meanwhile, sympathizers with the work of Gopi Krishna founded the Central Institute for Kundalini Research at Srinagar, Kashmir, India, but it too became inactive following the death of Gopi Krishna in 1984.
There are now several organizations concerned with kundalini. The Kundalini Research Association International is located at Gemsenstrasse 7, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland. In the United States the Kundalini Research Foundation 's address is P.O. Box 2248, Darien, CT 06820. In Canada the FIND (Friends in New Directions) research trust publishes books and audio tapes on the work and thought of Gopi Krishna. It may be reached at R.R. 5, Flesherton, Ontario, Canada, NOC IEO. Through the Dhyanyoga Centers, located in California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine, Shri Ananda Ma directs yogis who direct students in the awakening of kundalini. The Dhyanyoga Centers can be contacted through their website at http://www.dyc.org/.
Sources:
Avalon, Arthur [Sir John Woodroffe]. The Serpent Power. Madras, India, 1922.
Condron, Barbara. Kundalini Rising: Mastering Creative Energies. Windyville, Mo.: SOM, 1992.
Gopi Krishna. The Awakening of Kundalini. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1975.
Greenwell, Ph.D, Bonnie Energies of Tranformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process Saratoga, Calif.: Shakti River Press, 1995 ——. The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
——. Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man. Boulder, Colo.: Shambhala, 1970.
Keutzer, Kurt, "Kundalini: Frequently Asked Questions and Selected References." http://hmt.com/kundalini. May 8, 2000.
Kieffer, Gene, ed. Kundalini for the New Age: Selected Writings of Gopi Krishna. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
Madhusudaandasji, Shri Dhyanyogi. "The Path of Kundalini Maha Yoga." http://www.dyc.org/. May 8, 2000.
Narayananda, Swami. The Primal Power in Man of the Kundalini Shakti. Risikesh, India: N. K. Prasad, 1950.
Radha, Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga for the West Spokane, Wash.: Timeless Books, 1978
Rele, Vasant G. The Mysterious Kundalini. Bombay: Taraporevala, 1927.
Savola, Marja, "Kundalini-Network in Denmark." http://home5swipnet.se. May 8, 2000.
Selby, John Kundalini Awakening: A Gentle Guide to Chakra Activation and Spiritual Growth New York: Bantam Books, 1992
Vyasdev, Brahmachari Swami. Science of Soul (Atma Vijnana). Gangotri, India: Yoga Niketan Trust, 1964.
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Kundalini (kuṇḍalinī कुण्डलिनी) Sanskrit, literally "coiled". In Indian yoga, a "corporeal energy"[1] - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent coiled at the base of the spine,[2][3][4] hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent power'.
Yoga and Tantra propose that this energy can be "awakened" by Guru, but body and spirit must be prepared by yogic austerities such as pranayama, or breath control, physical exercises, visualization, and chanting. It rises from muladhara chakra up a subtle channel at the base of the spine (called Sushumna), and from there to top of the head merging with the sahasrara, or crown chakra. The awakening is not a physical occurrence. It consists exclusively of development in consciousness. With awakening of the Kundalini our consciousness expands and we become more aware of the truth.[5] When Kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva). Then aspirant becomes engrossed in deep meditation and infinite bliss.[6][7] The arousing of kundalini is said to be the one and only way of attaining Divine Wisdom. Self-Realization is said to be equivalent to Divine Wisdom or Gnosis or what amounts to the same thing: Self-Knowledge.[8] The awakening of the Kundalini shows itself as "awakening of inner knowledge" and brings with itself pure joy, pure knowledge and pure love.[5]
However, like every form of energy one must also learn to understand spiritual energy. In order to be able to integrate this spiritual energy, careful purification and strengthening of the body and nervous system are required beforehand. By trying to force results, considerable psychic disturbances and at times even permanent mental damage can occur. A spiritual master who walked this path before is required to guide the aspirant. Often will be found that negative experiences occurred only when acting without appropriate guidance or ignoring advice.[5]
Kundalini can only be awakened through the grace of a Siddha-Guru who awakens the kundalini shakti of his discipline through shaktipat, or blessing [9]. A Siddha Guru is a spiritual teacher, a master, whose identification with the supreme Self is uninterrupted.[10]
The most famous of the Yoga Upanishads, the Yogatattva, mentions four kinds of yoga, one of which, laya-yoga, involves Kundalini.[11]
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Swami Vivekananda described briefly about kundalini in London during his lectures on Raj Yoga as follows:[12]
"According to the Yogis, there are two nerve currents in the spinal column, called Pingala and Ida, and a hollow canal called Sushumna running through the spinal cord. At the lower end of the hollow canal is what the Yogis call the "Lotus of the Kundalini". They describe it as triangular in form in which, in the symbolical language of the Yogis, there is a power called the Kundalini, coiled up. When that Kundalini awakes, it tries to force a passage through this hollow canal, and as it rises step by step, as it were, layer after layer of the mind becomes open and all the different visions and wonderful powers come to the Yogi. When it reaches the brain, the Yogi is perfectly detached from the body and mind; the soul finds itself free. We know that the spinal cord is composed in a peculiar manner. If we take the figure eight horizontally (∞) there are two parts which are connected in the middle. Suppose you add eight after eight, piled one on top of the other, that will represent the spinal cord. The left is the Ida, the right Pingala, and that hollow canal which runs through the centre of the spinal cord is the Sushumna. Where the spinal cord ends in some of the lumbar vertebrae, a fine fibre issues downwards, and the canal runs up even within that fibre, only much finer. The canal is closed at the lower end, which is situated near what is called the sacral plexus, which, according to modern physiology, is triangular in form. The different plexuses that have their centres in the spinal canal can very well stand for the different "lotuses" of the Yogi."
Kundalini is considered a part of the subtle body along with chakras (energy centres) and nadis (channels). Each chakra is said to contain special characteristics [13].
Sir John Woodroffe (pen name Arthur Avalon) was one of the first to bring the notion of Kundalini to the West. A High Court Judge in Calcutta, he became interested in Shaktism and Hindu Tantra. His translation of and commentary on two key texts was published as The Serpent Power. Woodroffe rendered Kundalini as "Serpent Power" for lack of a better term in the English language but "kundala" in Sanskrit means "coiled".[14]
Western awareness of the idea of Kundalini was strengthened by the Theosophical Society and the interest of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1875-1961)[1]. "Jung's seminar on Kundalini yoga, presented to the Psychological Club in Zurich in 1932, has been widely regarded as a milestone in the psychological understanding of Eastern thought. Kundalini yoga presented Jung with a model for the development of higher consciousness, and he interpreted its symbols in terms of the process of individuation".[15]
In the early 1930s two Italian scholars, Tommaso Palamidessi and Julius Evola, published several books with the intent of re-interpreting alchemy with reference to yoga.[16] Those works had an impact on modern interpretations of Alchemy as a mystical science. In those works, Kundalini is called an Igneous Power or Serpentine Fire.
Another popularizer of the concept of Kundalini among Western readers was Gopi Krishna. His autobiography is entitled Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man.[17] According to June McDaniel, his writings have influenced Western interest in kundalini yoga.[18] Swami Sivananda produced an English language manual of Kundalini Yoga methods. Other well-known spiritual teachers who have made use of the idea of kundalini include Osho, George Gurdjieff, Paramahansa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda Radha, Swami Muktananda, Bhagawan Nityananda, Yogi Bhajan, Nirmala Srivastava (Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi), Samael Aun Weor and Lord Sri Akshunna.
Kundabuffer is a word first coined by G. I. Gurdjieff in his Russian version of All and Everything: Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson and rendered into the English language by his friend and disciple A. R. Orage. "Kunda" is short for the Sanskrit term "kundali" which means "coiled" so that "Kundalini" literally means "no longer coiled". Gurdjieff explained to P. D. Ouspensky that "...buffers are appliances by means of which a man can always be in the right." Kundabuffer is then an implant put into man in order to keep man asleep and unable to do anything but serve the dictates of his lower nature. However, for Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, there is no difference between "kundabuffer" and "kundalini". On this particular point, Samael Aun Weor considers that both Gurdjieff and Ouspensky are in error. Unlike Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, Samael Aun Weor interprets kundabuffer to be Satan's tail and kundalini as what helps man achieve Self-Realization. The Hindus know kundabuffer simply as "kundali" and "kundalini" as "kundalini".[19]
Kundalini references may commonly be found in a wide variety of derivative "New Age" presentations, and is a catchword that has been adopted by many new religious movements. However, some commentators, such as transpersonal psychologist Stuart Sovatsky,[20] thinks that the association of Yogic Sanskrit terminology (chakras, kundalini, mantras, etc.) with the superficiality of new-age rhetoric, has been unfortunate.[21]
Recently, there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation, and some of these studies have applied the discipline of Kundalini Yoga to their clinical settings.[22][23] Their findings are not all positive. Some modern experimental research[24] seeks to establish links between Kundalini practice and the ideas of Wilhelm Reich and his followers.
However, the intensive spiritual practices associated with some Asian traditions are not without their problems. Psychiatric literature[25] notes that "since the influx of eastern spiritual practices and the rising popularity of meditation starting in the 1960s, many people have experienced a variety of psychological difficulties, either while engaged in intensive spiritual practice or spontaneously". Among the psychological difficulties associated with intensive spiritual practice we find "kundalini awakening","a complex physio-psychospiritual transformative process described in the yogic tradition".[25] Also, researchers in the fields of Transpersonal psychology,[26] and Near-death studies[27][28] describe a complex pattern of sensory, motor, mental and affective symptoms associated with the concept of Kundalini, sometimes called the Kundalini Syndrome.
According to the psychiatrist Carl Jung, "...the concept of Kundalini has for us only one use, that is, to describe our own experiences with the unconscious..."[29]
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