Kundalini
Evolutionary Power of Love
Shri Mataji's innate spiritual experience of Kundalini awakening and its intricate workings in our subtle system became the foundation of Sahaja Yoga meditation, which she spread to the world. As an absolute master and authority in this field she describes in detail how the Kundalini enters at a very early stage of fetal formation, its divine nature and the reasons why this powerful divine force of love respects our freedom and does not interfere with our free will.
Only our pure desire to experience the absolute truth triggers the awakening of this spiritual power in our awareness and leads to our self-realization.
In every human being there is this subtle, feminine archetypical form of spiritual energy located in the sacrum bone, the large, triangular bone at the base of the spine. This feminine energy is known in Sanskrit as Kundalini, meaning coiled as it is curled up in three and a half spirals. When the Kundalini is awakened it rises through the spine and passes through our energy centers - Chakras, emerging out of the fontanel area, the part of the head that is soft in babies. When the Kundalini passes through this area we experience it as a gentle cool breeze, as if it were pouring out of a fountain. Interestingly, the name fontanel is derived from the old French word fontanelle, which means "little fountain".
Kundalini is a reflection of the eternal power of God's love, the source of all creation. It is the universal force that thinks, understands, coordinates, works together and develops everything in a harmonious pattern, from the smallest atomic particles to unicellular life forms.
Shri Mataji pointed out that although the knowledge of Kundalini has been kept secret in certain sects of yoga traditions, such as the Natha Panthis, there are abundant references to the aspect of Kundalini in many ancient cultures and traditions. These include ancient references to the triangular bone at the end of the spine where Kundalini resides, called "Os Sacrum", which means sacred and was derived as a direct translation from the older Greek "Hieron osteon". There are also references to ancient Egyptian culture, which considered this bone sacred to Osiris, the god of resurrection and agriculture. One also finds a reference to this sacred bone in the Bible in Psalms 34:20 “He protects all his bones, not one of them is broken.” The Caduceus which became a symbol of alchemy and pharmacy in medieval Europe shows two serpents spiraling seven times up a pole. Many ancient artworks depict the three and half spiral form of Kundalini. All this indicates that throughout history people have been unconsciously guided by this subtle power.
Shri Mataji clarified many false concepts about the awakening of Kundalini being dangerous or harmful. She gave a clear analogy to Kundalini as our own innate spiritual mother who accompanies the journey of our life, across many births and patiently waits till we desire to have our self-realization. Not even in any natural species on earth does it happen that a mother harms her own child. Rather, it is the mother who protects, nurtures and supports the child so that it can reach its full evolutionary potential.
"Formless yet complete, existing before heaven and earth. Silent and limitless, alone and unchanging. Pervading everywhere, yet untiring. It is the Mother of all things under heaven. I do not know its name so I call it Tao."
Lao Tzu – Tao Te King
This mystical experience of Kundalini was described by many Indian saints like Adi Shankaracharya (700 AD), Kabir (1400 AD) and Jnanadeva (1200 AD) amongst others.
The Kundalini energy is generally dormant. The aim of self-realization is to awaken this energy so that its qualities manifest. It can be awakened through our power of pure desire – the desire to know our true self, our Spirit. Our true self is often hidden from us by our own thoughts and emotions, but when the Kundalini rises it spontaneously brings us into a state of meditation allowing our pure spirit to manifest in our silent attention. Thus, we can detach from these thoughts and emotions to experience the pure joy and peace that exists eternally within all of us.
"Turning away from materialism... I have entered into the sky of the mind, and opened the tenth gate. The chakras of the coiled Kundalini energy have been opened, and I have met my Sovereign Lord King without fear"
Sant Kabir
The effects of the Kundalini can be felt on the subtle system, represented at the physical level as the central nervous system. When the Kundalini rises, it passes through the Chakras corresponding to the main nerve plexuses along our spine. Shri Mataji explained that our Kundalini can be imagined as a rope with millions of strands. When we first receive our self- realization only one or two strands find their way through the Chakras to reach the Sahasrara at the crown of the head. With daily meditation, more and more strands of the Kundalini rise, strengthening our connection to the experience of meditation, which deepens, becoming more profound and blissful.