The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
As regards practice, I am told that Kundalinī cannot be roused except in the Mūlādhāra and by the means here indicated, though this may take place by accident when by chance a person has hit upon the necessary positions and conditions, but not otherwise. Thus the story is told of a man being found whose body was as cold as a corpse, though the top of the head was slightly warm. (This is the state in Kundalī Yoga Samādhi.) He was massaged with ghee (clarified butter), when the head got gradually warmer. The warmth descended to the neck, when the whole body regained its heat with a rush. The man came to consciousness, and then told the story of his condition. He said he had been going through some antics, imitating the posture of a Yogī, when suddenly “sleep” had come over him. It was surmised that his breath must have stopped, and that, being in the right position and conditions, he had unwittingly roused Kundalī, who had ascended to Her cerebral centre. Not, however, being a Yogī, he could not bring her down again. This, further, can only be done when the Ṇādīs (v. post) are pure. I told the Pandit (who gave me this story, who was learned in this Yoga, and whose brother practised it,) of the case of a European friend of mine who was not acquainted with the Yoga processes here described, though he had read something about Kundalī in translations of Sanskrit works, and who, nevertheless, believed he had roused Kundalī by meditative processes alone. In fact, as he wrote me, it was useless for him as a European to go into the minutiæ of Eastern Yoga. He, however, saw the “nerves” Idā and Pingalā (v. post), and the “central fire” with a trembling aura of rosy light, and blue or azure light, and a white fire which rose up into the brain and flamed out in a winged radiance on either side of the head. Fire was seen flashing from centre to centre with such rapidity that he could see little of the vision, and movements of forces were seen in the bodies of others. The radiance or aura round Idā was seen as moonlike—that is, palest azure—and Pingalā red or rather pale rosy opalescence. Kundalī appeared in vision as of intense golden-like white fire rather curled spirally. Taking the centres, Sushumnā, Idā, and Pingalā, to be symbolised by the Caduceus of Mercury,¹ the little ball at the top of the rod was identified with the Sahasrāra or pineal gland,² and the wings as the flaming of auras on each side of the centre when the fire strikes it. One night, being abnormally free from the infection of bodily desires, he felt the serpent uncoil, and it ran up, and he was “in a fountain of fire,” and felt, as he said, “the flames spreading wingwise about my head, and there was a musical clashing as of cymbals, whilst some of these flames, like emanations, seemed to expand and meet like gathered wings over my head. I felt a rocking motion. I really felt frightened, as the Power seemed something which could consume me.” My friend wrote me that in his agitation he forgot to fix his mind on the Supreme, and so missed a divine adventure. Perhaps it was on this account that he said he did not regard the awakening of this power as a very high spiritual experience or on a level with other states of consciousness he experienced. The experience, however, convinced him that there was a real science and magic in the Indian books which treat of occult physiology.
The Pandit’s observations on this experience were as follows: If the breath is stopped and the mind is carried downwards heat is felt. It is possible to “see” Kundalinī with the mental eye, and in this way to experience Her without actually arousing Her and bringing Her up, which can only be effected by the Yoga methods prescribed. Kundalinī may have thus been seen as Light in the basal centre (Mūlādhāra). It was the mind (Buddhi) (v. post) which perceived Her, but as the experiencer had not been taught the practice he got confused. There is one simple test whether the Shakti is actually aroused. When she is aroused intense heat is felt at that spot, but when she leaves a particular centre the part so left becomes as cold and apparently lifeless as a corpse. The progress upwards may thus be externally verified by others. When the Shakti (Power) has reached the upper brain (Sahasrāra) the whole body is cold and corpse-like; except the top of the skull, where some warmth is felt, this being the place where the static and kinetic aspects of Consciousness unite.
1 In which the rod is the central channel (Sushumnā), which is interlaced by the Idā and Pingalā sympathetics, the points of section being at the centres. The two wings at the top are the two lobes or petals of the Ājnā Chakra.
2 Here I differ. The Sahasrāra is at the top of the skull or upper brain. The pineal gland is much lower in the region of the Ājnā Chakra.
The present work is issued, not with the object of establishing the truth or expediency of the principles and methods of this form of Yoga (as yet indeed I have no decided opinion upon a matter which each will determine for himself), but as a first endeavour to supply, more particularly for those interested in occultism and mysticism, a fuller, more accurate, and rational presentation of the subject.
As regards practice, I am told that Kundalinī cannot be roused except in the Mūlādhāra and by the means here indicated, though this may take place by accident when by chance a person has hit upon the necessary positions and conditions, but not otherwise. Thus the story is told of a man being found whose body was as cold as a corpse, though the top of the head was slightly warm. (This is the state in Kundalī Yoga Samādhi.) He was massaged with ghee (clarified butter), when the head got gradually warmer. The warmth descended to the neck, when the whole body regained its heat with a rush. The man came to consciousness, and then told the story of his condition. He said he had been going through some antics, imitating the posture of a Yogī, when suddenly “sleep” had come over him. It was surmised that his breath must have stopped, and that, being in the right position and conditions, he had unwittingly roused Kundalī, who had ascended to Her cerebral centre. Not, however, being a Yogī, he could not bring her down again. This, further, can only be done when the Ṇādīs (v. post) are pure. I told the Pandit (who gave me this story, who was learned in this Yoga, and whose brother practised it,) of the case of a European friend of mine who was not acquainted with the Yoga processes here described, though he had read something about Kundalī in translations of Sanskrit works, and who, nevertheless, believed he had roused Kundalī by meditative processes alone. In fact, as he wrote me, it was useless for him as a European to go into the minutiæ of Eastern Yoga. He, however, saw the “nerves” Idā and Pingalā (v. post), and the “central fire” with a trembling aura of rosy light, and blue or azure light, and a white fire which rose up into the brain and flamed out in a winged radiance on either side of the head. Fire was seen flashing from centre to centre with such rapidity that he could see little of the vision, and movements of forces were seen in the bodies of others. The radiance or aura round Idā was seen as moonlike—that is, palest azure—and Pingalā red or rather pale rosy opalescence. Kundalī appeared in vision as of intense golden-like white fire rather curled spirally. Taking the centres, Sushumnā, Idā, and Pingalā, to be symbolised by the Caduceus of Mercury,¹ the little ball at the top of the rod was identified with the Sahasrāra or pineal gland,² and the wings as the flaming of auras on each side of the centre when the fire strikes it. One night, being abnormally free from the infection of bodily desires, he felt the serpent uncoil, and it ran up, and he was “in a fountain of fire,” and felt, as he said, “the flames spreading wingwise about my head, and there was a musical clashing as of cymbals, whilst some of these flames, like emanations, seemed to expand and meet like gathered wings over my head. I felt a rocking motion. I really felt frightened, as the Power seemed something which could consume me.” My friend wrote me that in his agitation he forgot to fix his mind on the Supreme, and so missed a divine adventure. Perhaps it was on this account that he said he did not regard the awakening of this power as a very high spiritual experience or on a level with other states of consciousness he experienced. The experience, however, convinced him that there was a real science and magic in the Indian books which treat of occult physiology.
The Pandit’s observations on this experience were as follows: If the breath is stopped and the mind is carried downwards heat is felt. It is possible to “see” Kundalinī with the mental eye, and in this way to experience Her without actually arousing Her and bringing Her up, which can only be effected by the Yoga methods prescribed. Kundalinī may have thus been seen as Light in the basal centre (Mūlādhāra). It was the mind (Buddhi) (v. post) which perceived Her, but as the experiencer had not been taught the practice he got confused. There is one simple test whether the Shakti is actually aroused. When she is aroused intense heat is felt at that spot, but when she leaves a particular centre the part so left becomes as cold and apparently lifeless as a corpse. The progress upwards may thus be externally verified by others. When the Shakti (Power) has reached the upper brain (Sahasrāra) the whole body is cold and corpse-like; except the top of the skull, where some warmth is felt, this being the place where the static and kinetic aspects of Consciousness unite.
1 In which the rod is the central channel (Sushumnā), which is interlaced by the Idā and Pingalā sympathetics, the points of section being at the centres. The two wings at the top are the two lobes or petals of the Ājnā Chakra.
2 Here I differ. The Sahasrāra is at the top of the skull or upper brain. The pineal gland is much lower in the region of the Ājnā Chakra.
The present work is issued, not with the object of establishing the truth or expediency of the principles and methods of this form of Yoga (as yet indeed I have no decided opinion upon a matter which each will determine for himself), but as a first endeavour to supply, more particularly for those interested in occultism and mysticism, a fuller, more accurate, and rational presentation of the subject.
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