Kundalini  Shakti

There are various ways by which a Yogi attains Gyan [self-realization] , one such method is by awakening Kundalini power. It is important here to know what this power [Shakti] is.

At the base of spine, subtler than physical body, lies Kundalini energy [Spiritual energy], in latent form. Its power flows through Sushumana. As energy rises, its energy is transferred into vibrations, corresponding to each Chakra. Flow of Prana [energy] on left side of spine is called Ida , flow on right side of spine  is called Pingala. Prana [energy] flows in all nadis [channels]. There are 72,000 nadis coursing through subtle body that supports the physical body. Intersections of nadis are called Chakras. The flow of Prana[energy] in central nadi[ Sushmuna] is one of the first goals of meditation. The Chakras are spinning vortices of subtle energy that absorb life force [prana] from universe and have profound effect on our daily lives—physical, metaphysical, mental and spiritual. The chakras work with nadis [energy channels] that carry encoded information to nervous system. Chakras are part of subtle body and as such are meeting points of the subtle energy channels [Nadis]. Through nadis life force [prana] moves. The chakras are thought to vitalize the physical body and to be associated with interactions of a physical, emotional and mental nature. .The function of chakras is to spin and draw in this energy to keep the Spiritual mental, emotional and physical health of body in balance. There are 7 major Chakras and 7 lower chakras. Major chakras are as follows:--

1.       Muladhara:--

It is related to instinct, survival. It governs mental stability, spiritual [sense of security]. This chakra is where three main Nadis separate and begin upward movement. Seed symbol is Lum , deity is Ganesha and Shakti is Dakini. Associated animal is Elephant. The corresponding deity for material element of this chakra is Prithivi. This centre is at base of spine [coccyx]. Symbol of this chakra is Lotus with 4 petals, red in color.

2.       Swadhisthana:-

It is located at Sacrum, symbolized by white Lotus with 6 orange petals and crescent moon. Seed mantra is vam , deity Brahma ,Shakti is Rakini , animal associated is Crocodile. Chakra governs reproduction, mental creativity and spiritual enthusiasm.Indra deity for material element

3.Manipura:--

       This chakra has down ward pointing triangle with 10  yellow petals. Location is upper abdomen. Seed mantra is Ram , presiding deity Braddha Rudra , Lakini as Shakti. Agni deity for material element. It is involved with metabolic and digestive systems. It governs power, fear, opinion , transition from base emotions to complex. Physically it governs digestion, mentally personal power, emotionally expansiveness and spiritually all matters of growth.

4.Anahata:--

Symbolized by circular flower with 12 green petals, within it is yantra of two intersecting triangles forming hexagram. It symbolizes union of male and female. Seed mantra is Yam ,presiding deity is Ishana Rudra Shiva and Shakti is Kakini. Location is chest. Vayu deity for material element.  Physically it governs circulation, Emotionally it governs unconditional love for self and others , spiritually it governs devotion ,mentally governs Passion. It is at Heart level. There is compassion, love , responsibility , Self-realization.

5. Vishuddhi:--

 The seed mantra for this  is Ham. Symbolized by silver crescent within  white circle ,with 16 light blue petals , residing deity is Panchavaktra Shiva with 5 heads , 4 arms , Shakti is Shakini. SEED mantra is Ham. Dyaus deity for material element. It is related to communication, growth. Spiritually it governs sense of security. It is at throat level.This  is centre for pure relationships and Oneness.

6.Ajna:--

 It  is symbolized by Lotus with two petals [indigo,violet]. It is at this point that two nadis , Ida and Pingala are said to terminate and merge with central canal[Sushumana]. This signifies end of duality. Seed symbol is OM, presiding deity Ardanarishvara [half male/half female]. Hakini is Shakti.. Soma is deity for material element. Ajna’s inner self aspect relates to the access of intuition. Mentally it deals with visual Consciousness. It is also called 3^rd eye chakra. It involves balancing higher and lower selves, intuition, and wisdom, decision making and trusting inner guidance. Location is Centre of forehead. Ego is gone at this level.

7. Sahasrara:--

It is a state of pure Consciousness and is located at crown of head. Symbolized by 1000 petals [multicolored]. In this state there is no object and subject. Here female kundalini energy unites with male Shiva energy and a state of liberating Samadhi is attained. Sahasrara’s inner aspect deals with release of Karma, physical action with meditation, mental action with universal consciousness and unity and emotional action with beingness.Deity for material element Dhruva.

Lower Chakras:--

These Chakras work from Muladhara down to legs.

1.       Atala------------Location Hip, governs fear and lust.

2.       Vitala-----------Location thigh, governs anger/resentment.

3.       Sutala-------------Location Knee, governs jealousy.

4.       Talata------------Location calves, governs prolonged confusion.

5.       Rastala----------Location ankles, Selfishness, animal nature.

6.       Mahatala-------Location feet, dark realm without conscience.

7.       Patala-----------Location Sole ,realm of malice

It is interesting to note that some western writers instead of valuing this Kundalini power [Serpent power] attribute Kundalini Shakti to endocrine glands. Power of Sahasrara chakra is given to Pituitary gland. Chakras are subtle energy and do not belong to physical body. On the contrary endocrine glands [pituitary] belong to physical body. This is total distortion of Kundalini Shakti. Like this these writers link Ajna chakra to Pineal gland, Vishuddhi chakra to Thyroid, Anahata chakra to Thymus gland, Manipura chakra to Pancreas and Adrenal gland. No gland is linked to chakra Swadhisthana and Muladhara as there are no endocrine glands left in human body. Endocrine glands in human body secrete various hormones needed to conduct various functions of human body. These endocrine glands have nothing to do with Kundalini power yet we see western writers explaining subtle philosophy through gross materialistic medium. What a distortion of facts?

           

West and Hinduism

  West and Hinduism

After pursuing bluff of Aryan invasion of India in 1500BC, a theory now totally discarded both historically and scientifically west has now come with new idea that Sanskrit is European language and Vedas are what India got from West. In history books of world, India’s position is in foot notes, what a tragedy? Western scholars have even come up with idea that Swami Vivekananda took western ideas and came up with neohinduism.

West wants us to believe that they are real Aryans and Sanskrit is their mother tongue. They migrated to India and are precursors to present day Hinduism. Why they do this is simply to tell us that they gave us civilization. It is interesting here to note that West borrowed ideas from Greece and Greece was highly influenced by Vedic civilization. This fact is totally ignored by western scholars.

In their mission to denigrate India they were highly influenced by Christian missionary spirit. They tried to explain pantheism of Vedas by telling, this is due to pollution done by Brahmins. Pantheism of Vedas was contradicting Monistic Christianity. These so called indologists even said Samkhya was a original system of foreign Aryans. They liked Advaita to some extent as it did not threaten Christianity. Different philosophical schools were labelled divisive. West attacked by saying Hinduism is divisive. West attacked Hinduism not being cohesive and without social consciousness. Hinduism they labelled other worldly. Maya concept is treated as nondevolpmental, noncompassionate. West is explaining new religious movements of nonwestern world as reactions to deprivation and helplessness. Christian charity is praised. Church in fact use charity as a tool of proselytizing. That is their social ethic and interpretation of charity. On contrary Mahabharata and Smriti’s we see are full of social ethics which west is ignoring? Indians believe man is microcosm of GOD hence service to humans is service to God. Seva, Karma and Bhakti are variants of social action. God in the form of poor is meant to serve poor which in turn serves one spiritually. Should n”t this answer critics who say Hindus lack social ethics. Western scholars bracketed “ Asat”,[unreal] and” Mithya” together when in Sanskrit both words are different . In fact there is no proper word for “Mithya” in English dictionary. Mithya really means Existence-nonexistence [dependent existence].

 Christian salvation means freedom in heavens after death. Christianity believes GOD and humans are separated by Sin hence separated from one another, Universe is nothing but congregation of Atoms. Prophetic utterances tie humans to past, dogmas are there. There is a biblical belief that creation is just 4004BC old. On the contrary Vedic cosmology is close to scientific version.  Hinduism is not only nondogmatic but wants each individual to know Truth by self-experience. Hindus believe Karma binds man hence sufferings. To get away from this Moksha is goal of life. Salvation to a Hindu means to have knowledge of God [Brahman]. Shruti’s serve source of knowledge but one has to experience Truth thyself so say Vedas. Bhagvad Gita by itself suffices as a valid means of knowledge about Brahman [God]. Hindus believe in one real self,” Brahman” and this world is just projection of that reality. This existence is dependent on” Brahman” , has no separate identity hence labelled  Mithya which west calls illusion. So Maya [Mithya] is false perception, not false world.

Judeo Christian religions unlike Hinduism are close ended. They do not stress for knowing the Truth but rely on historical revelations through Prophets. In Hinduism on contrary there is total openness and stress for knowing Truth by self-introspection.Christainity discouraged mystics who were seen as threats and even persecuted. There are no Commandments in Hinduism, instead there is flexibility to allow different answers to same metaphysical questions. Hinduism does not demand blind faith but pursuit of Truth through dharmic traditions. Meditation is used as a tool for exploration. Hinduism believes reality has two faces, one which is manifest can be perceived by senses and other is unmanifest which is beyond senses, needs exploration through Yoga and meditation. Holy Gita says that there are four major paths to Truth---- Janana, Karma, Dhyana and Bhakti yoga.

Heisenberg and Schrodinger acknowledged Upanishad wisdom and its closeness to Quantum mechanics. Quantum physics says matter exists only if observed, when not observed it is in Quantum soup. This impression is akin to Upanishad thought when it says this world we see is Mithya [Hologram].There is increased recognition in west to see Reality through Vedic knowledge. In Christianity Prophets hear from external God but in Hinduism there is no external voice but internal voice [Iam Brahman] .Rishi’s did not compose Vedas but experienced them, hence called Shruti. Upanishads demonstrate diversity and evolution of Hinduism.

West has already copied some Hindu ideas. They now talk of Christian yoga but at the same do not acknowledge its source. West projects India fragmented and incoherent yet absorbs its ideas. On one hand they reject Indian thought but at the same time espouse same ideas clothed in western vocabulary. While taking ideas from India they dilute source so that in time to come original source is lost and what remains repacked idea with western implication. This negligence of Indian history is going to stop advancement of ideas to the detriment of mankind. Hinduism not only is diverse but evolving too. West projects Hinduism in vague fashion, labels it incoherent. Plagiarism of west needs to be stopped and world given true picture of India.

We Hindus need to assert and stop compromising on everything. Let us be more vocal.   We should tell world that Karma and Incarnation are not negotiable and church needs to be decentralized. There should be interfaith debates to decrease tensions created by religious peers. BY relying on books and Prophets individual spiritual exploration gets marginalized. Christianity believes in divine profoundly separate from world. To Christian doctrine, Jesus has come to save from Sin, Hindus say all are divine and there is no original Sin. Christianity is closed, centralized, history centric and Dualistic. Hinduism is open, not centralized and nondualistic.

If we have to save Hinduism from western plagiarism we have to teach core principles of Hinduism:

[Karma, Incarnation, rebirth and law of cycles [evolution/devolution of Universe] without compromise to world. Moksha of Hinduism is based on notion that essential nature of all humans is— Divine, while salvation of Christianity is based on original Sin. West is trying to defeat Hinduism by propaganda coupling it with so called charity, Jobs, human rights and so on. It is true that Hinduism has no single founder, no linear history and no one canon to follow but at the same time its freedom of thought and expression , its metaphysical wisdom and its solutions to earthly problems and pluralism is far superior to Abrahamic thoughts on  creation and Creator.

A question comes to mind, “How does person evaluate benefits offered by religions that await one after death”? Does Christianity have answer?

“-We were never a nation until British invented India”------This image needs to be challenged forcibly

Indian nationalists suffered an inferiority complex, hence copied western formulations of Hinduism. Hindu scholars should shrug off this complex, peruse original Vedic literature and convey to world wisdom of Vedas.

                                         CONCLUSION

West invented imaginary Aryan invasion theory to discredit India and its civilization. This theory now stands totally discredited. In fact India is seen now as cradle of human civilization. Hinduism is oldest religion of world. Its philosophy is not other worldly as projected by West but a philosophy telling mankind that man is microcosm of God. There is no role of proselytization as everyone is divine. Goal of life is Moksha. It is birth right of every one to know inner self. This right is not exclusive to a few only as claimed by other religions. Service to man in fact is service to God.

 Hindu cosmology is more closer to science than Christian theology. Science and math originated in India.

Some quotes will substantiate above statements:-

Grant Duff [British historian], “Many of the advances in science that we consider today to have been made in Europe were in fact made in India centuries ago.”

Mark Twain:--“India is cradle of the human race, birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only”.