The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
1 Sattva, Atisattva, Paramasattva, Shuddhasattva, and Vishuddhasattva, are five different forms of Chaitanya.
Jnāna-shakti which She is, for She is all Shaktis. The Layayoga is therefore a combination of Karma and Jnāna. The former mediately and the latter directly achieves Moksha. In the Ājnā is Manas and Om, and on this the Sādhaka meditates (v. 33). The Sādhaka’s Ātmā must be transformed into a meditation on this lotus (v. 34). His Ātmā is the Dhyāna of Om, which is the inner Ātmā of those whose Buddhi is pure. He realises that he and the Brahman are one, and that Brahman is alone real (Sat) and all else unreal (Asat). He thus becomes an Advaitavādī, or one who realises the identity of the individual and universal Self (ib.). The mind (Chetas) by repeated practice (Abhyāsa) is here dissolved, and such practice is mental operation itself (v. 36). For the Yogī meditating on the Mantra whereby he realises the unity of Prāna and Manas closes the “house which hangs without support”. That is, he disengages the Manas from all contact with the objective world (v. 36), in order to attain the Unmanī Avasthā. Here is Paramashiva. The Tantrik does not suppose that there are several Shivas in the sense of several distinct Deities. The Brahman is one. Rudra, Shiva, Paramashiva, and so forth, are but names for different manifestations of the One. When it is said that any Devatā is in any Chakra, it is meant that that is the seat of the operation of the Brahman, which operation in its Daiva aspect is known as Devatā. As these operations vary, so do the Devatās. The Hangsah of the Sahasrāra contains in Himself all Devatās (v. 44). It is here in the Ājnā that the Yogī places at the time of death his Prāna and enters the supreme Purusha, “who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the Vedānta” (v. 38). It is true that this action, like others, is accompanied by Hatha processes. But these are associated with meditation. This meditation unites Kundalī and Jīvātmā with the Bindu which is Shiva and Shakti (Shivashaktimaya), and the Yogī after such union, piercing the Brahmarandhra, is freed from the body at death and becomes one with Brahman (ib.). The secondary causal body (Kāranāvāntara Sharīra) above Ājnā and below Sahasrāra is to be seen only through meditation (v. 39), when perfection has been obtained in Yoga practice. V. 40 refers to Samādhi Yoga.
Passing to the Sahasrāra, it is said, “well concealed and attainable only by great effort, is that subtle ‘Void’ (Shūnya) which is the chief root of liberation” (v. 42). In Paramashiva are united two forms of Bliss (v. 42)—namely, Rasa or Paramānanda Rasa (that is, the bliss of Moksha) and Virasa (or the bliss which is the product of the union of Shiva and Shakti). It is from the latter union that there arise the universe and the nectar which floods the lesser world (Kshudrabrahmānda), or the body. The ascetic (Yati) of pure mind is instructed in the knowledge by which he realises the unity of the Jīvtāmā and Paramātmā (v. 43). It is “that most excellent of men who has controlled his mind (Niyata-nīja-chitta)—that is, concentrated the inner faculties (Antahkarana) on the Sahasrāra, and has known it—who is freed from rebirth,” and thus attains Moksha (v. 45). He becomes Jīvanmukta, remaining only so long in the body as is necessary to work out the Karma, the activity of which has already commenced—just as a revolving wheel will yet run a little time after the cause of its revolving has ceased. It is the Bhagavatī Nirvāna-Kalā which grants divine liberating knowledge—that is, Tattvajnāna, or knowledge of the Brahman (v. 47). Within Her is Nityānanda, which is “pure Consciousness itself” (v. 49), and “is attainable only by Yogīs through pure Jnāna” (ib.) It is this Jnāna which secures liberation (ib.). The Māyā Tantra says: “Those who are learned in Yoga say that it
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is the unity of Jīva and Ātmā (in Samādhi). According to the experience of others, it is the knowledge (Jnāna) of the identity of Shiva and Ātmā. The Āgamavādīs say that knowledge (Jnāna) of Shakti is Yoga. Other wise men say that the knowledge (Jnāna) of the Purāna Purusha is Yoga; and others again, the Prakritivādīs, declare that the knowledge of the union of Shiva and Shakti is Yoga” (v. 57). “The Devī, by dissolving Kundalinī in the Parabindu, effects the liberation of some Sādhakas through their meditation upon the identity of Shiva and Ātmā in the Bindu. She does so in the case of others by a similiar process and by meditation (Chintana) on Shakti. In other cases this is done by concentration of thought on the Paramapurusha, and in other cases by the meditation of the Sādhaka on the union of Shiva and Shakti” (ib.). In fact, the worshipper of any particular Devatā should realise that he is one with the object of his worship. In Pranava worship, for instance, the worshipper realises his identity with the Ongkāra. In other forms of worship he realises his identity with Kundalinī, who is embodied by the different Mantras worshipped by different worshippers. In short, Jnāna is Kriyājnāna and Svarūpajnāna. The latter is direct spiritual experience. The former are the meditative processes leading to it. There is here Kriyājnāna, and when Kundalinī unites with Shiva She gives Jnāna (Svarūpa), for Her nature (Svarūpa), as also His, is that.
After union with Shiva, Kundalī makes Her return journey. After She has repeatedly¹ gone to Him, She makes a journey from which, at the will of the Yogī, there is no return. Then the Sādhaka is Jīvanmukta. His body is preserved until such time as the active Karma
1 Sattva, Atisattva, Paramasattva, Shuddhasattva, and Vishuddhasattva, are five different forms of Chaitanya.
Jnāna-shakti which She is, for She is all Shaktis. The Layayoga is therefore a combination of Karma and Jnāna. The former mediately and the latter directly achieves Moksha. In the Ājnā is Manas and Om, and on this the Sādhaka meditates (v. 33). The Sādhaka’s Ātmā must be transformed into a meditation on this lotus (v. 34). His Ātmā is the Dhyāna of Om, which is the inner Ātmā of those whose Buddhi is pure. He realises that he and the Brahman are one, and that Brahman is alone real (Sat) and all else unreal (Asat). He thus becomes an Advaitavādī, or one who realises the identity of the individual and universal Self (ib.). The mind (Chetas) by repeated practice (Abhyāsa) is here dissolved, and such practice is mental operation itself (v. 36). For the Yogī meditating on the Mantra whereby he realises the unity of Prāna and Manas closes the “house which hangs without support”. That is, he disengages the Manas from all contact with the objective world (v. 36), in order to attain the Unmanī Avasthā. Here is Paramashiva. The Tantrik does not suppose that there are several Shivas in the sense of several distinct Deities. The Brahman is one. Rudra, Shiva, Paramashiva, and so forth, are but names for different manifestations of the One. When it is said that any Devatā is in any Chakra, it is meant that that is the seat of the operation of the Brahman, which operation in its Daiva aspect is known as Devatā. As these operations vary, so do the Devatās. The Hangsah of the Sahasrāra contains in Himself all Devatās (v. 44). It is here in the Ājnā that the Yogī places at the time of death his Prāna and enters the supreme Purusha, “who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the Vedānta” (v. 38). It is true that this action, like others, is accompanied by Hatha processes. But these are associated with meditation. This meditation unites Kundalī and Jīvātmā with the Bindu which is Shiva and Shakti (Shivashaktimaya), and the Yogī after such union, piercing the Brahmarandhra, is freed from the body at death and becomes one with Brahman (ib.). The secondary causal body (Kāranāvāntara Sharīra) above Ājnā and below Sahasrāra is to be seen only through meditation (v. 39), when perfection has been obtained in Yoga practice. V. 40 refers to Samādhi Yoga.
Passing to the Sahasrāra, it is said, “well concealed and attainable only by great effort, is that subtle ‘Void’ (Shūnya) which is the chief root of liberation” (v. 42). In Paramashiva are united two forms of Bliss (v. 42)—namely, Rasa or Paramānanda Rasa (that is, the bliss of Moksha) and Virasa (or the bliss which is the product of the union of Shiva and Shakti). It is from the latter union that there arise the universe and the nectar which floods the lesser world (Kshudrabrahmānda), or the body. The ascetic (Yati) of pure mind is instructed in the knowledge by which he realises the unity of the Jīvtāmā and Paramātmā (v. 43). It is “that most excellent of men who has controlled his mind (Niyata-nīja-chitta)—that is, concentrated the inner faculties (Antahkarana) on the Sahasrāra, and has known it—who is freed from rebirth,” and thus attains Moksha (v. 45). He becomes Jīvanmukta, remaining only so long in the body as is necessary to work out the Karma, the activity of which has already commenced—just as a revolving wheel will yet run a little time after the cause of its revolving has ceased. It is the Bhagavatī Nirvāna-Kalā which grants divine liberating knowledge—that is, Tattvajnāna, or knowledge of the Brahman (v. 47). Within Her is Nityānanda, which is “pure Consciousness itself” (v. 49), and “is attainable only by Yogīs through pure Jnāna” (ib.) It is this Jnāna which secures liberation (ib.). The Māyā Tantra says: “Those who are learned in Yoga say that it
p. 287
is the unity of Jīva and Ātmā (in Samādhi). According to the experience of others, it is the knowledge (Jnāna) of the identity of Shiva and Ātmā. The Āgamavādīs say that knowledge (Jnāna) of Shakti is Yoga. Other wise men say that the knowledge (Jnāna) of the Purāna Purusha is Yoga; and others again, the Prakritivādīs, declare that the knowledge of the union of Shiva and Shakti is Yoga” (v. 57). “The Devī, by dissolving Kundalinī in the Parabindu, effects the liberation of some Sādhakas through their meditation upon the identity of Shiva and Ātmā in the Bindu. She does so in the case of others by a similiar process and by meditation (Chintana) on Shakti. In other cases this is done by concentration of thought on the Paramapurusha, and in other cases by the meditation of the Sādhaka on the union of Shiva and Shakti” (ib.). In fact, the worshipper of any particular Devatā should realise that he is one with the object of his worship. In Pranava worship, for instance, the worshipper realises his identity with the Ongkāra. In other forms of worship he realises his identity with Kundalinī, who is embodied by the different Mantras worshipped by different worshippers. In short, Jnāna is Kriyājnāna and Svarūpajnāna. The latter is direct spiritual experience. The former are the meditative processes leading to it. There is here Kriyājnāna, and when Kundalinī unites with Shiva She gives Jnāna (Svarūpa), for Her nature (Svarūpa), as also His, is that.
After union with Shiva, Kundalī makes Her return journey. After She has repeatedly¹ gone to Him, She makes a journey from which, at the will of the Yogī, there is no return. Then the Sādhaka is Jīvanmukta. His body is preserved until such time as the active Karma
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