[Advaita-l] cakra-s in patanjali yoga

[V Subrahmanian]

On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 11:23 AM, Shrinivas Gadkari
<sgadkari2001 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Namaste.
>

The concept of kundalini is not alien to Advaita sadhana.  In the book
'Yoga, Enlightenment and Perfection' there is a very detailed description of
the Kundalini experience that happened to Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha
SwaminaH of Sringeri even as a boy.

Kundalini is the shakti that is initially concentrated at the mUlAdhaara,
the base of sensual experience/enjoyment.  The purpose of the sadhana is to
gradually cause this concentration to shift locus from the lowest centre to
the the highest.  This is said to 'free' the shakti from associating with
unwanted, harmful and binding tendencies and consciously associating it with
the Pure Consciousness and thereby free that shakti from samsara.  This
association is what is called 'uniting' of the shakti with Shiva.
'Shiva-shaktyaikya rUpiNi' is the penultimate nAma in the
srilalitAsahasranAma. Looked at in this angle, there will be nothing wrong
in having the concept of 'prakRti uniting with PuruSha'.  After all, in
Advaita, the jiva is mithyA as a separate entity.  It is prakRti that reigns
supreme in the samsara dashaa of the jiva.  Hence the sadhana to free the
shakti, prakRti, from samsara-orientation to liberation by uniting with
Shiva.  This happens at the culmination of the sadhana. In the ashTottara
shata nAma of srI lalitaa there is this name:
bhUteshAlinganodbhUta-pulakAngyai namo namaH which means 'the Mother
experiences utmost bliss when embraced by Shiva'.

It is also said that even without a person being aware of it the kundalini
could have risen to the highest abode.  The vichArtmaka jnAna sadhaka does
not/may not consciously engage in kundalini sadhana.  Yet even for such a
sadhaka the kundalini is what gets freed from the lowest centre to find
culmination at brahmAtmaikyam.

The Book 'Exalting Elucidations' [of the Sringeri Acharya referred to above]
also contains a chapter on 'Kundalini'.  At the end of this small chapter
here is this question and answer:

Disciple: Will one who has attained samadhi be aware that his kundalini has
ascended to his head?

AcharyaL :  Not necessarily.  The awareness may not be present in those who
have attained samadhi through the path of Vedanta.  However, they can, if
they want, become aware of the ascent of the Kundalini.


Regards,
subrahmanian.v

>
> Namaste,
>
> I personally do not have any experience of kuNDalinI
> rising and reaching sahasAra, hence cannot comment on
> how accurate such type of descriptions are.
>
> What seems certain is:
> 1. cakra-s exit in our prANamaya body.
> 2. Normally, one is unaware of their existence and
>   functioning. May be, this absence of awareness
>   of the cakra system, itself, is referred to
>   as "kuNDalinI is sleeping".
> 3. Some specific citta vRtti-s activate specific
>   cakra-s. In these instants, one may become
>   aware of the cakra system. It is likely that,
>   this stirring of our awareness about the cakra
>   system, itself, is referred to as "kuNDalinI
>   waking up".
> 4. Once we become aware of mapping between cakra-s
>   and citta vRtti-s, cakra system can become a
>   very valuable tool for "citta vRtti nirodha".
>
> This limited application of kuNDalinI yoga, if at
> all we can call the description above kuNDalinI
> yoga, in my opinion, is not against the spirit of
> yoga sUtra-s.
>
> hari om.
>
> Comments/ corrections from people with more experience
> of cakra-s are most welcome. If some advanced shrIvidyA
> upAsaka-s could also comment on this topic, it will be
> most helpful.
>
> Regards,
> Shrinivas
>