nn,1,2

1.5.3. biops.&kundalinii, 1.1.2 devotional

The kula-kun'd'alinii* resides in the muladara cakra (at the base of the spine). It is the storage place of the unit mind, of the individuality which is expressed in this created universe. Now, the kula-kun'd'alinii must rise upward through the chakras, through the energy centers within the body, if the consciousness of a person is to change from the small consciousness contained within the activities in the mundane world to the pure self awareness of the Infinite Purus'a (God consciousness). For this transformation, the kula-kun'd'alinii must be awakened. When the kun'd'alinii becomes awakened, it begins to traverse the journey upwards through the spinal column toward the apex of consciousness.

You know, this journey can have some hazards if it is not properly guided. There are those for whom, by dint of sadhana (meditation) or perhaps by the reactive momenta of past sanskaras (actions), the kun'd'alinii will awaken somewhat spontaneously. It may be in any circumstance. It may be while walking down the street. It may be while in a particularly intimate context or it may be in deep meditation. When this happens, an individual might experience some rushing of energies up the spine. They may feel the waves of energy moving upward through the spinal column, they may experience some waves of bliss accompanying this.

Now, when the kun'd'alinii rises spontaneously it may be somewhat of a shocking experience for the body and for the mind of the individual. They may or may not have some acquaintance with these characteristic experiences, so it may take them by surprise. If they are unprepared, if they have no guidance what so ever, no one to say eat this food, eat that food, do not do this activity, do this and that, keep a moral life, do the yoga postures." If they have no one to guide them like this, then it may be that they may experience some unusual sensations, some difficulties as the kula-kun'd'alinii opens and rises. There may be some mental block, some physical blockage, some psychic blockage. There may be some impediments and so some unusual experiences, not always pleasant, may occur.

Now, it has been said "Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshvara": the Guru is the creator, the Guru is the preserver, the Guru is the destroyer of all that exists. If a person would engage in this action of raising the kula-kun'd'alinii, then it is very wise for that person to have some guidance. And who should guide that person? Should it be anyone whatsoever? I do not think so. Should it be anyone who has studied and who considers themselves an expert? I do not think so. Who should guide the person having this experience? It should be one who has, first of all, knowledge of the path, and who has raised the kun'd'alinii force within themselves to its apex. First, the one who guides, should have this quality of practical experience as well as knowledge that comes from the teachings and the texts. They must have the practical experience as well. So that is the first qualification that must be there for the one who would guide.

The second qualification is that the person guiding this realm, this movement of the kula-kun'd'alinii, must not be expressing themselves in limited consciousness. They must be expressing the Brahmic flow only. You see, there is only one Guru. Is it not? There is one Guru, one Supreme, Infinite Consciousness which is quiescent in this entire manifest universe. Now, that consciousness which lays quiescent in all existence, that consciousness is the Guru. It is the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer. That consciousness underlies all manifest expression. So, who may guide the upward movement of the kula-kun'd'alinii? Only that consciousness, that infinite, omnipresent, omniscient consciousness may guide. So, the one who would speak the words of guidance, those words must come from that omniscient entity, and through the five fundamental factors that omniscient entity may give the guidance in the physical world. The guidance for this process cannot come from any lower source, otherwise it is the blind man leading the blind man, is it not? The blind cannot lead the blind. Only one whose eyes are open may lead the blind. So, the guidance must come from the Guru when it comes to the upward movement of the kula-kun'd'alinii.

Now, if a person should experience this movement without a Guru, it may be somewhat difficult, it may be somewhat hazardous even. There must be, at some point, the contact with Guru. Guru may come in physical form, Guru may come in internal form within the mind, but Guru must be contacted or else there is bound to be serious difficulty over time.

Now, how may a person contact Guru? How may a person come in the proximity of that omnipresent, omnipotent entity who is manifest in the sahasva'ra chakra and who is the controller of this entire manifest universe? How may a person come in the contact of that entity? You know, when an individual becomes one pointed in their ideation, when, through whatever circumstance, they come to desire the Infinite, that desire alone is a potent force. The desire may carry a person beyond the limitations of their ordinary mind. Due to this desire to know the Infinite, they say "Oh Lord, I must know you. I must have you as my own." Through this desire, a person may come to the place where they come in contact with the Guru, where Guru's grace may come to them.

Now, Guru may appear in the subtle form to them or Guru may take the form of a spiritual guide, a physical person to show them the way home to their own self. When the mind becomes concentrated, it comes within the sphere of the Divine Entity. The desire draws one to that Divine Being. Now, there are certain practices which may be beneficial: the practice of meditation upon the Great, the practice of following an ethical code, the Yama and Niyama, the practice of purification of the body through the Asanas, the yoga postures, the proper care of the physical structure, the pursuit of knowledge of the Great. All of these things are beneficial and assist one to come in contact with the Guru and to raise the kula-kun'd'alinii in a balanced fashion.

However, there is one other force which is far and above superior to any of these practices when it comes to propelling the mind forwards to the Divine and that practice, that path, is the path of love and devotion. When one begins to love the Divine, when the heart, soul, and feelings are opened to the great and infinite expression of Divinity, then true progress will be made. You know, this love for God is not easily acquired. It is not automatic. Through the good works, through the ideation upon the Great, through the studies of the qualities and characteristics of the Great, one may come in some contact with the Infinite and in that contact one may experience the blessedness of the Divine Entity.

In that experience, there comes the awakening of the heart and the soul and the individual says "Oh Lord, I had no idea what I was missing, I did not know how beautiful you were, I did not know how exquisite it is to experience you. I was thinking that pleasure was from the objects that surround me. I did not know what pleasure truly is. I did not know what joy truly is but now that I have touched you, I see the world is bland by comparison to you my Lord." When this experience comes in one form or another to a living being they will begin to develop devotion. They will put their foot on the path of devotion, of Bhakti, of love for the Infinite.

Now, when this happens, they find they are in a relationship to the Great. You know, you have one relationship to your husband, to your wife, to your son, your daughter, you have a relationship, do you not? But those relationships are somewhat limited. You may love the person, they may love you, but there are certain boundaries that must be adhered to because you are both temporal entities and the passage of time will change the relationship. But that Great Entity, the Parama Purus'a is not a temporal entity. That Entity is an infinite entity. He is beyond the scope of time. So, when you have a relationship with that Entity, that relationship transcends the scope of time, transcends all the finite boundaries of this manifest universe.

So, when an individual enters into a relationship with the Infinite, they begin a divine dance, a divine drama which is ever unfolding and which will ultimately lead to the most sweet and sublime contact with the Infinite Expression. So, when the foot is placed on the path of devotion, the being thinks "Oh Lord, you are exquisite beyond belief. My heart is enraptured. I can think of nothing but you. I have wanted many things in my life, but now I see they were small and irrelevant compared to you. My Lord, all my passion is to know you, to love you, to be very close to You." When this happens, you know, what is He to do? What can He do when this impassioned plea is made by the devotee? The Lord is not heartless. When such attraction is there, likewise, that Infinite Entity must come in further contact with that individual. So, the Infinite will find one form or another to express in the world, for the grace, for the pleasure of the individual entity. The Infinite will come and show grace, show His multifaceted Supreme Expression to the person who has this enchantment and thus the enchantment will grow, the devotion will grow, and the purer the devotion, the more the Divine Entity will reveal Himself and the kun'd'alinii will naturally rise in the proper channel and there will be no difficulty, none at all. All of these problems, all of these difficulties, they will get resolved. They are due to the lack of contact with that Supreme Guru.

Once that Guru is there, that Guru will take the loving devotee in His arms and He will carry him or her forward, carry him/her through, so there need be no further concern. In the path of love, in the sentiment of devotion, there comes to the person, the feeling "I will give everything," because the vision is there in the mind of the greatness, of the quality of that Infinite Entity. The feeling comes in the mind of the person "I will give everything. I will surrender my all to the Infinite Guru who has come in my vision." So, in the path of devotion, the individual surrenders their preconceptions, their passions and desires, their mental function, their life itself at the feet, at the altar of the Infinite. And having given all to that Entity, what do they have? That Entity, that Infinite Consciousness will accept the gift and in return, that person will find they have come in the closest contact with the Infinite Expression. They will no longer feel that they are separate. The fundamental cause of their suffering will be resolved and the Kula-kun'd'alini will have uncoiled fully and risen without any difficulty.

So for those who are serious about spiritual life or who have inadvertently experienced the awakening of the life force energy latent at the base of the spine it is wise to seek the shelter of a knowledgeable person and the guidance of the Supreme Guru. For only when contact is made with the ultimate positivity which is the Guru residing in the Sarhasvara chakra can the force of Kun'd'alini get proper direction. A journey undertaken without a clear direction can become troublesome. For a successful journey to be undertaken, for the life force to arise and go straight to its goal one must understand the goal, one must have at least a nominal perception of ones destination. Then the path will unfold. In tantra there must be a Guru, a knowledgeable guide, and proper practices to ensure that the path of blessedness will not be accidentally missed.

(*Kula means coiled ar latient, Kun'd'alini means serpant power or Universal energy. When at the Muladara Chakra or base of the spine kundalini is said to be is said to lay in potential like a coiled serpant and is thus called Kula-Kundalini in that state.)