The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
3 That is, the Mother of all appearing in the form of Her worshipper.
4 By Sj. Arobindo Ghose in the Ārya.
greater life of which it is a part, and to falsify the great doctrine of the unity of all and of the ultimate identity of Matter and Spirit. Governed by such a concept, even the lowliest physical needs take on a cosmic significance. The body is Shakti. Its needs are Shakti’s needs; when man enjoys, it is Shakti who enjoys through him. In all he sees and does it is the Mother who looks and acts. His eyes and hands are Hers. The whole body and all its functions are Her manifestation. To fully realise Her as such is to perfect this particular manifestation of Hers which is himself. Man, when seeking to be the master of himself, so seeks on all the planes, physical, mental, and spiritual; nor can they be severed, for they are all related, being but differing aspects of the one all-pervading Consciousness. Who is the more divine, he who neglects and spurns the body or mind that he may attain some fancied spiritual superiority, or he who rightly cherishes both as forms of the one Spirit which they clothe? Realisation is more speedily and truly attained by discerning Spirit in, and as, all being and its activities, than by fleeing from and casting these aside as being either unspiritual or illusory and impediments in the path.¹ If not rightly conceived, they may be impediments and the cause of fall, otherwise they become instruments of attainments; and what others are there to hand? And so the Kulārnava Tantra says: “By what men fall, by that they rise.” When acts are done in the right feeling and frame of mind (Bhāva), those acts give enjoyment (Bhukti); and the repeated and prolonged Bhāva produces at length that divine experience (Tattvajnāna) which is liberation. When the Mother is seen in all things, She is at length realised as She is when beyond them all.
1 The first is the Tantrik method of applying Vedāntic truth; the second, the ascetic or Māyāvādin method, with a greatness of its own, but less conforming, I think, to the needs of the mass of men,
These general principles have their more frequent application in the life of the world before entrance on the path of Yoga proper. The Yoga here described is, however, also an application of these same principles in so far as it is claimed that thereby both Bhukti and Mukti are attained. Ordinarily it is said that where there is Yoga there is no Bhoga (enjoyment), but in Kaula teaching Yoga is Bhoga and Bhoga is Yoga, and the world itself becomes the seat of liberation (“Yogo bhogāyate, mokshāyate sangsārah”).¹
In Kundalī Yoga enjoyment (Bhoga), and powers (Siddhi) may be had at each of the centres to which the Central Power is brought and by continuance of the practice upward the enjoyment which is Liberation may be had.
By the lower processes of Hathayoga it is sought to attain a perfect physical body which will also be a wholly fit instrument by which the mind may function. A perfect mind again approaches, and in Samādhi passes into, pure Consciousness itself. The Hathayogī thus seeks a body which shall be as strong as steel, healthy, free from suffering, and therefore long-lived. Master of the body, he is master of both life and death. His lustrous form enjoys the vitality of youth. He lives as long as he has the will to live and enjoy in the world of forms. His death is the “death at will,” when making the great and wonderfully expressive gesture of dissolution² he grandly departs. But it may be said the Hathayogis do get sick
3 That is, the Mother of all appearing in the form of Her worshipper.
4 By Sj. Arobindo Ghose in the Ārya.
greater life of which it is a part, and to falsify the great doctrine of the unity of all and of the ultimate identity of Matter and Spirit. Governed by such a concept, even the lowliest physical needs take on a cosmic significance. The body is Shakti. Its needs are Shakti’s needs; when man enjoys, it is Shakti who enjoys through him. In all he sees and does it is the Mother who looks and acts. His eyes and hands are Hers. The whole body and all its functions are Her manifestation. To fully realise Her as such is to perfect this particular manifestation of Hers which is himself. Man, when seeking to be the master of himself, so seeks on all the planes, physical, mental, and spiritual; nor can they be severed, for they are all related, being but differing aspects of the one all-pervading Consciousness. Who is the more divine, he who neglects and spurns the body or mind that he may attain some fancied spiritual superiority, or he who rightly cherishes both as forms of the one Spirit which they clothe? Realisation is more speedily and truly attained by discerning Spirit in, and as, all being and its activities, than by fleeing from and casting these aside as being either unspiritual or illusory and impediments in the path.¹ If not rightly conceived, they may be impediments and the cause of fall, otherwise they become instruments of attainments; and what others are there to hand? And so the Kulārnava Tantra says: “By what men fall, by that they rise.” When acts are done in the right feeling and frame of mind (Bhāva), those acts give enjoyment (Bhukti); and the repeated and prolonged Bhāva produces at length that divine experience (Tattvajnāna) which is liberation. When the Mother is seen in all things, She is at length realised as She is when beyond them all.
1 The first is the Tantrik method of applying Vedāntic truth; the second, the ascetic or Māyāvādin method, with a greatness of its own, but less conforming, I think, to the needs of the mass of men,
These general principles have their more frequent application in the life of the world before entrance on the path of Yoga proper. The Yoga here described is, however, also an application of these same principles in so far as it is claimed that thereby both Bhukti and Mukti are attained. Ordinarily it is said that where there is Yoga there is no Bhoga (enjoyment), but in Kaula teaching Yoga is Bhoga and Bhoga is Yoga, and the world itself becomes the seat of liberation (“Yogo bhogāyate, mokshāyate sangsārah”).¹
In Kundalī Yoga enjoyment (Bhoga), and powers (Siddhi) may be had at each of the centres to which the Central Power is brought and by continuance of the practice upward the enjoyment which is Liberation may be had.
By the lower processes of Hathayoga it is sought to attain a perfect physical body which will also be a wholly fit instrument by which the mind may function. A perfect mind again approaches, and in Samādhi passes into, pure Consciousness itself. The Hathayogī thus seeks a body which shall be as strong as steel, healthy, free from suffering, and therefore long-lived. Master of the body, he is master of both life and death. His lustrous form enjoys the vitality of youth. He lives as long as he has the will to live and enjoy in the world of forms. His death is the “death at will,” when making the great and wonderfully expressive gesture of dissolution² he grandly departs. But it may be said the Hathayogis do get sick
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