The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Prāna, understanding this term to mean vitality or the lifeprinciple, which on entrance into the body shows itself in various manifestations of life which are the minor Prānas, of which inspiration is called by the general name of the force itself (Prāna). Verses 10 and 11 say of Kundalinī: “It is She who maintains all the beings (that is, jīva, jīvātmā) of the world by means of inspiration and expiration.” She is thus the Prāna Devatā, but, as She is (Comm., vv. 10 and 11) Srishti-sthitilayātmikā, all forces therefore are in Her. She is, in fact, the Shabdabrahman or “Word” in bodies. The theory discussed appears to diverge from that of the Yogīs when we consider the nature of the Chakras and the question of their vivification. According to Mr. Leadbeater’s account, the Chakras are all vortices of “etheric matter,” apparently of the same kind and subject to the same external influence of the inrushing sevenfold force of the “Logos” but differing in this, that in each of the Chakras one or other of their sevenfold forces is predominant. Again, if, as has been stated, the astral body corresponds with the Manomayakosha, then the vivification of the Chakras appears to be, according to Mr. Leadbeater, a rousing of the Kāmik side of the mental sheath. According to the Hindu doctrine, these Chakras are differing centres of consciousness, vitality, and Tāttvik energy. Each of the five lower Chakras is the centre of energy of a gross Tattva—that is, of that form of Tāttvik activity or Tanmātra which manifests the Mahābhūta or sensible matter. The sixth is the centre of the subtle mental Tattva, and the Sahasrāra is not called a Chakra at all. Nor, as stated, is the splenic centre included among the six Chakras which are dealt with in this account.
In the Indian system the total number of the petals corresponds with the number of the letters of the Sanskrit
Alphabet,¹ and the number of the petals of any specific lotus is determined by the disposition of the subtile “nerves” Nādīs around it. These petals, further, bear subtile sound-powers, and are fifty¹ in number, as are the letters of the Sanskrit Alphabet.
This work also describes certain things which are gained by contemplation on each of the Chakras. Some of them are of a general character, such as long life, freedom from desire and sin, control of the senses, knowledge, power of speech, and fame. Some of these and other qualities are results common to concentration on more than one Chakra. Others are stated in connection with the contemplation upon one centre only. Such statements seem to be made, not necessarily with the intention of accurately recording the specific result, if any, which follows upon concentration upon a particular centre, but by way of praise for increased self-control, or Stuti-vāda; as where it is said in v. 21 that contemplation on the Nābhi-padma gains for the Yogī power to destroy and create the world.
It is also said that mastery of the centres may produce various Siddhis or powers in respect of the predominating elements there. And this is, in fact, alleged.² Pandit Ananta Shāstrī says:³ “We can meet with several persons every day elbowing us in the streets or bazaars who in all sincerity attempted to reach the highest plane of bliss, but fell victims on the way to the illusions of the psychic world, and stopped at one or the other of the six Chakras. They are of varying degrees of attainment, and are seen to possess some power which is not found even in the best intellectuals of the ordinary run of mankind. That this school of
1 Which are sometimes given as 50 and sometimes as 51.
2 See Yogatattva Upanishad, where contemplation on the earth centre secures mastery over earth, etc. At the same time it points out that these “powers” are obstacles to liberation.
3 Ānandalaharī, p. 35.
Prāna, understanding this term to mean vitality or the lifeprinciple, which on entrance into the body shows itself in various manifestations of life which are the minor Prānas, of which inspiration is called by the general name of the force itself (Prāna). Verses 10 and 11 say of Kundalinī: “It is She who maintains all the beings (that is, jīva, jīvātmā) of the world by means of inspiration and expiration.” She is thus the Prāna Devatā, but, as She is (Comm., vv. 10 and 11) Srishti-sthitilayātmikā, all forces therefore are in Her. She is, in fact, the Shabdabrahman or “Word” in bodies. The theory discussed appears to diverge from that of the Yogīs when we consider the nature of the Chakras and the question of their vivification. According to Mr. Leadbeater’s account, the Chakras are all vortices of “etheric matter,” apparently of the same kind and subject to the same external influence of the inrushing sevenfold force of the “Logos” but differing in this, that in each of the Chakras one or other of their sevenfold forces is predominant. Again, if, as has been stated, the astral body corresponds with the Manomayakosha, then the vivification of the Chakras appears to be, according to Mr. Leadbeater, a rousing of the Kāmik side of the mental sheath. According to the Hindu doctrine, these Chakras are differing centres of consciousness, vitality, and Tāttvik energy. Each of the five lower Chakras is the centre of energy of a gross Tattva—that is, of that form of Tāttvik activity or Tanmātra which manifests the Mahābhūta or sensible matter. The sixth is the centre of the subtle mental Tattva, and the Sahasrāra is not called a Chakra at all. Nor, as stated, is the splenic centre included among the six Chakras which are dealt with in this account.
In the Indian system the total number of the petals corresponds with the number of the letters of the Sanskrit
Alphabet,¹ and the number of the petals of any specific lotus is determined by the disposition of the subtile “nerves” Nādīs around it. These petals, further, bear subtile sound-powers, and are fifty¹ in number, as are the letters of the Sanskrit Alphabet.
This work also describes certain things which are gained by contemplation on each of the Chakras. Some of them are of a general character, such as long life, freedom from desire and sin, control of the senses, knowledge, power of speech, and fame. Some of these and other qualities are results common to concentration on more than one Chakra. Others are stated in connection with the contemplation upon one centre only. Such statements seem to be made, not necessarily with the intention of accurately recording the specific result, if any, which follows upon concentration upon a particular centre, but by way of praise for increased self-control, or Stuti-vāda; as where it is said in v. 21 that contemplation on the Nābhi-padma gains for the Yogī power to destroy and create the world.
It is also said that mastery of the centres may produce various Siddhis or powers in respect of the predominating elements there. And this is, in fact, alleged.² Pandit Ananta Shāstrī says:³ “We can meet with several persons every day elbowing us in the streets or bazaars who in all sincerity attempted to reach the highest plane of bliss, but fell victims on the way to the illusions of the psychic world, and stopped at one or the other of the six Chakras. They are of varying degrees of attainment, and are seen to possess some power which is not found even in the best intellectuals of the ordinary run of mankind. That this school of
1 Which are sometimes given as 50 and sometimes as 51.
2 See Yogatattva Upanishad, where contemplation on the earth centre secures mastery over earth, etc. At the same time it points out that these “powers” are obstacles to liberation.
3 Ānandalaharī, p. 35.
No commentary for this page.