The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
correlation is maintained: in the former case between Shakti at Mūlādhāra and the diffused Prāna; in the latter case between Shakti at Mūla and the converged Prāna along the axis. This will perhaps adequately explain coldness, increased inertia, insensibility, etc., of the rest of the body in Kundalī Yoga of which you write. Commonly in Yoga this withdrawal and convergence of Prāna is incomplete; the residual Prāna, together with the lives of the cells, keeps the body alive, though inert or corpselike. In the case of complete withdrawal and focussing, the cells will die and the body disintegrate.
“On the other hand, if the coiled power were simply and wholly uncoiled (i.e., dynamised) in Kundalī Yoga, then there should be an excess rather than a defect of vitality all over the body; nothing would be subtracted from the already available dynamic energy of the body, but something would be added to it on account of the static power at the Mūla being rendered kinetic, and going up the axis and influencing neighbouring tissues.
“Hence I should venture to conclude that the static power at the base of the axis, without itself being depleted or rendered other than static, induces or produces a dynamic equivalent which is the diffused Prāna of the body gathered and converged along the axis. The states in the process may thus be summarily indicated:
“1. To begin with, there is coiled power at the base of the axis and its necessary correlate, the dynamic Prāna, diffused all over the body in the five forms.
“2. In Kundalī Yoga some part of the already available dynamic Prāna is made to act at the base of the axis in a suitable manner, by which means the base—or particularly the four-petalled Padma (lotus) which represents this centre—becomes over-saturated, and reacts on the whole diffused dynamic power (or Prāna) of the body by withdrawing it from the tissues and converging it along the line of the axis. In this way the diffused dynamic equivalent becomes the converged dynamic equivalent along the axis. This is what the rising of the serpent perhaps means.
“(a) In thus reacting, the coiled power has not lost its general equilibrium or static condition.
“(b) The modus operandi of this reaction is difficult to indicate, but it is probably (as suggested in my previous communications) either (i) a partial conversion of the infinite coiled power into the sort of influence that can thus gather the diffused Prāna, and converge it in its own resultant line along the axis, or (ii) an inductive action, analogous to electro-magnetic action, by which the Prānas are collected and converged. In this latter case there is no need for conversion of the static energy. We shall have perhaps to choose between, or rather coordinate, these two explanations in understanding the modus operandi. In mathematical language, the diffused Prāna is a scalar quantity (having magnitude, but no direction), while the converged Prāna is a vector quantity (having both magnitude and definite direction).
“Suppose, lastly, we are witnessing with a Divyachakshu (inner eye) the progress of Kundalī Yoga. There something like condensed lightning (Taḍit) is rising from the Mūlādhāra, and gathering momentum in going up from Chakra to Chakra, till the consummation is reached at the Paramshivasthāna (abode of the Supreme Shiva).
But look back, and behold the Kulakundalinī is also there at the Mūla coiled three times and a half round the Svayambhu Linga. She has left and yet remained or stayed, and is again coming back to Herself. Is not this vision supported by scriptural authority and the experience of the Yogī?”
Putting aside detail, the main principle appears to be that, when “wakened,” Kundalī Shakti either Herself (or as my friend suggests in Her eject) ceases to be a static power which sustains the world-consciousness, the content of which is held only so long as She “sleeps,” and, when once set in movement, is drawn to that other static centre in the thousand-petalled lotus (Sahasrāra), which is Herself in union with the Shiva-consciousness, or the consciousness of ecstasy beyond the world of forms. When Kundalī “sleeps” man is awake to this world. When She “awakes” he sleeps—that is, loses all consciousness of the world and enters his causal body. In Yoga he passes beyond to formless Consciousness.
correlation is maintained: in the former case between Shakti at Mūlādhāra and the diffused Prāna; in the latter case between Shakti at Mūla and the converged Prāna along the axis. This will perhaps adequately explain coldness, increased inertia, insensibility, etc., of the rest of the body in Kundalī Yoga of which you write. Commonly in Yoga this withdrawal and convergence of Prāna is incomplete; the residual Prāna, together with the lives of the cells, keeps the body alive, though inert or corpselike. In the case of complete withdrawal and focussing, the cells will die and the body disintegrate.
“On the other hand, if the coiled power were simply and wholly uncoiled (i.e., dynamised) in Kundalī Yoga, then there should be an excess rather than a defect of vitality all over the body; nothing would be subtracted from the already available dynamic energy of the body, but something would be added to it on account of the static power at the Mūla being rendered kinetic, and going up the axis and influencing neighbouring tissues.
“Hence I should venture to conclude that the static power at the base of the axis, without itself being depleted or rendered other than static, induces or produces a dynamic equivalent which is the diffused Prāna of the body gathered and converged along the axis. The states in the process may thus be summarily indicated:
“1. To begin with, there is coiled power at the base of the axis and its necessary correlate, the dynamic Prāna, diffused all over the body in the five forms.
“2. In Kundalī Yoga some part of the already available dynamic Prāna is made to act at the base of the axis in a suitable manner, by which means the base—or particularly the four-petalled Padma (lotus) which represents this centre—becomes over-saturated, and reacts on the whole diffused dynamic power (or Prāna) of the body by withdrawing it from the tissues and converging it along the line of the axis. In this way the diffused dynamic equivalent becomes the converged dynamic equivalent along the axis. This is what the rising of the serpent perhaps means.
“(a) In thus reacting, the coiled power has not lost its general equilibrium or static condition.
“(b) The modus operandi of this reaction is difficult to indicate, but it is probably (as suggested in my previous communications) either (i) a partial conversion of the infinite coiled power into the sort of influence that can thus gather the diffused Prāna, and converge it in its own resultant line along the axis, or (ii) an inductive action, analogous to electro-magnetic action, by which the Prānas are collected and converged. In this latter case there is no need for conversion of the static energy. We shall have perhaps to choose between, or rather coordinate, these two explanations in understanding the modus operandi. In mathematical language, the diffused Prāna is a scalar quantity (having magnitude, but no direction), while the converged Prāna is a vector quantity (having both magnitude and definite direction).
“Suppose, lastly, we are witnessing with a Divyachakshu (inner eye) the progress of Kundalī Yoga. There something like condensed lightning (Taḍit) is rising from the Mūlādhāra, and gathering momentum in going up from Chakra to Chakra, till the consummation is reached at the Paramshivasthāna (abode of the Supreme Shiva).
But look back, and behold the Kulakundalinī is also there at the Mūla coiled three times and a half round the Svayambhu Linga. She has left and yet remained or stayed, and is again coming back to Herself. Is not this vision supported by scriptural authority and the experience of the Yogī?”
Putting aside detail, the main principle appears to be that, when “wakened,” Kundalī Shakti either Herself (or as my friend suggests in Her eject) ceases to be a static power which sustains the world-consciousness, the content of which is held only so long as She “sleeps,” and, when once set in movement, is drawn to that other static centre in the thousand-petalled lotus (Sahasrāra), which is Herself in union with the Shiva-consciousness, or the consciousness of ecstasy beyond the world of forms. When Kundalī “sleeps” man is awake to this world. When She “awakes” he sleeps—that is, loses all consciousness of the world and enters his causal body. In Yoga he passes beyond to formless Consciousness.
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