The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)

six Chakras in the Sushumnā becomes Laya or absorbed in the Sahasrāra. The means to this end, when operating from the Mūlādhāra, seem to vary in detail, but embody a common principle—namely, the forcing of Prāna downward and Apāna upwards¹ (that is, the reverse of their natural directions) by the Jālandhara and Mūla Banda, or otherwise, when by their union the internal fire is increased. The position is thus similar to a hollow tube in which a piston is working at both ends without escape of the central air, which thus becomes heated. Then the Serpent Force Kundalinī, aroused by the heat thus generated, is aroused from Her potential state called “sleep,” in which She lies curled up; She then hisses and straightens Herself, and enters the Brahmadvāra, or enters into the Sushumnā, when by further repeated efforts the Chakras in the Sushumnā are pierced. This is a gradual process which is accompanied by special difficulties at the three knots (Granthis) where Māyāshakti is powerful, particularly the abdominal knot, the piercing of which may, it is admitted, involve considerable pain, physical disorder, and even disease. As already explained, these “knots” are the points at which converge the Chakras of each of the three groups. Some of the above-mentioned processes are described in the present work, to which we now proceed, and which on this matter may be summarised as follows:

The preliminary verse (and in the reference to the verses I include the Commentary) says that only those who are acquainted with the Six Lotuses can deal with them; and the first verse says that Yoga by means of the method here described cannot be achieved without knowledge of the Chakras and Nādīs. The first verse says that the Brahman will be realised. The next question

1 See Varāha Upanishad, Ch. III.

is, How is this effected? The Commentator in the preliminary verse says that the very merciful Pūrnānanda Svāmī, being wishful to rescue the world sunk in the mire of misery, has undertaken the task firstly of instructing it as regards the union of the Shakti Kundalinī with the vital centres, or Chakras, and secondly of imparting that knowledge of Brahman (Tattvajnāna) which leads to Liberation. The former—that is, knowledge concerning the Chakras, and so forth—is the “first shoot” of the Yoga plant. Brahman, as the Commentator says, is the Supreme Consciousness which arises upon the acquisition of knowledge. The first cause of such knowledge is an acquaintance with and practice of the Tantrik Yoga Sādhanā, which is concerned with the Chakras, Nādis, and Kundalinī; the next cause is the realisation of that Sādhanā by the rousing of Kundalinī; and the final result is the experiential realisation of the Brahman, which is the effect of the action of Kundalinī, who is the Shakti or power of Will (Ichchhā), Action (Kriyā), and Knowledge (Jnāna), and exists in forms both subtle and gross. Mind is as much one of the forms of Kundalī as is that which is called “matter”. Both are equally products of Prakritishakti, which is a grosser form of the Nādamayī Shakti. Kundalī takes the form of the eight Prakritis.¹ It is necessary to bear this well in mind, or there is likely to be uninstructed criticism of the system on the ground of its supposed “materialism,” and so forth. The Power which is aroused is in itself (Svarūpa) Consciousness, and when aroused and taken to the upper cerebral centre is the giver of true knowledge (Svarūpa Jnāna), which is the Supreme Consciousness.