OM! The Divine Mother -Shakti and the awakening of kundalini

The Divine Mother -Shakti  \ The active aspect of Brahman

and the awakening of kundalini

Brahman (Shiva or Atman or God, or Spirit etc.) and Shakti are not two. They are the static and the dynamic aspects of one and the same principle.

"The power or active aspect of the immanent God is Shakti. Shiva (Brahman, God etc.) is the unchanging consciousness. Shakti is His changing Power which appears as mind and matter. She runs this world-show. She maintains the sportive play or Lila of the Lord. She is the supporter of the vast universe. She is the supreme Power by which the world is upheld. She is the Universal Mother (the Divine Mother)."

~ Swami Sivananda

"It is this cosmic energy, this Para Shakti, that manifests as the incredible energy of the sun, the energy of the planets and, the incredible speed at which they whirl in their own orbits. It is this cosmic energy which manifests as the power of gravity, as the power of the sun’s radiance, as the power of all these great planets and heavenly bodies, as the power of the wind and other elements. Shakti controls the entire manifestation, just as electricity allows all appliances to work."

~ Swami Chitananda

"The Divine Mother is everywhere triple. She is endowed with the three Gunas, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. She manifests Herself as Will (Ichha Shakti), Action (Kriya Shakti) and Knowledge (Jnana Sakti). She is Brahma-Shakti (Sarasvati) in conjunction with Brahma, Vishnu-Shakti (Lakshmi) in conjunction with Vishnu and Shhiva-Sakti (Gauri) in conjunction with Shiva. Hence She is called Tripurasundari. The Chaitanya (consciousness) that is associated with the Sattva Guna is Vishnu. The Chaitanya that is associated with Rajoguna is Brahma and the Chaitanya associated with Tamoguna is Siva. 

The one Ishvara (Chaitanya associated with Shakti or Maya; the reflection of Brahman in Maya is Ishvara.) has become three according to the functions of creations, preservation and destruction. The Chaitanya (consciousness) is the same."

~ Swami Sivananda

The Shakti is neither female nor male. She is everything, male, female and neutral and beyond these aspects also. Shakti is considered as female in relation with Brahman which of course is not neither male nor female; Brahman or the absolute Truth is beyond any description.

"Any power that we see in this universe is the power of this great cosmic force and it is this same power that animates all living beings, trees, plants, insects, birds, bees, reptiles, fish and animals. It is the power of the lion, it is the power of the elephant and it is the power of the brilliant intellect or genius of a Faraday, a Raman or an Einstein.

"This self-same power abides in us and animates our entire body mechanism. Our lives depend entirely upon Shakti, which grants us vitality, feeling and consciousness or awareness, through which we operate on all levels and can set in motion both our outer actions and inner sadhana (spiritual practice). 

"The body is Shakti. The mind is Shakti. The needs of the body are the needs of Shakti. The shakti is the power that digests our food, that makes our heart pump blood, that makes our lungs breathe, that makes our muscles and joints work, that makes our tongue talk and ear hear. 

~ Swami Chitananda

"The Shakti rules over the processes of birth and death and the unfoldment karma. She provides our souls with the bodies and minds and the worlds in which to experience life. All that we eat, breathe, perceive, feel or know consists of some portion of her energy and an aspect of Her dynamic processes that surround us on every side. All that we seek to acquire for sustenance, happiness, knowledge or growth is part of Her and comes from Her."

 ~ David Frawley

The sexual aspect of Shakti

The sexual energy is the most fundamental expression of cosmic energy, because through it the entire universe is born and exists.

In our bodies its main functions is the reproduction of the species and the experience of pleasure, but it is even more important in spiritual development.

Sexual energy is the deepest reservoir of our energy. In the sexual fluids (semen and vaginal fluids) are stored the more subtle and fine energies (Tejas and Ojas) which are very important for maintaining good health, mental and emotional balance and harmony and achieve a high level of consiousness .

Sexual energy has also a higher potential which causes the awakening of Shakti-kundalini which in its turn awake the superior capabilities of the seven chakras and mind (clairvoyance, clairaudience, cosmic consciousness etc.).

"It is this very power that is also present as the sex energy in us. Therefore, the sex energy is nothing but the presence of the Divine Mother in all human beings."

"So, the sexual energy is part of the one indivisible great cosmic power present in the human individual. In its gross biological aspect, it is called the sexual energy. In its subtler aspect, it is the energy of discrimination, the power of the intellect to analyze and enquire and ratiocinate. In a still subtler aspect, in its psychic aspect, it is the power of the Shakti Kundalini. And in its supreme aspect, it is nothing but Atma-Shakti. Because Brahman and Shakti are not two. They are the static and the dynamic aspects of one and the same principle."

~ Swami Chitananda

Shakti and spirituality

"Even to seek Brahman, to seek what is beyond Shakti (Shiva, Brahman etc.), we must work with Shakti. Shakti provides us the power of meditation and the discriminating insight through which we can transcend time and space. This means that the best means for both spiritual realization and for gaining all the other goals of life is to worship Shakti, to work with and for the Goddess (Divine Mother). There is no other way as effective, if there is any other way at all. If the Brahman is the goal, the Shakti is both the path and the power to traverse it. We can awaken and follow her current to Brahman, or remain asleep and get caught in her outside streams that move in different directions."

 ~ David Frawley

The worship and devotion of Divine Mother can be included in all spiritual paths and can be a part of the sadhana of everyone who wants to realize the Truth.  But there are paths like Shaktaism that are dedicated in the worship of the Divine Mother and have spesific practices for the awakening of Shakti-kundalini.  

Worship and devotion can be done by rituals, prayers, singing praises and kirtan, reading sacred texts about the Divine mother, repetion of mantras, by the sexual Maithuna and finally by recognising every person and action as a manifestation of the Shakti, by seeing  the Divine Mother in everything.

Shakti-Kundalini yoga sadhana

Shaktaism is an ancient path of India in which the devotees adore the Divine Mother and with specific practices aim to the unfolding and awakening of Shakti-Kundalini. 

"Shaktaism helps the aspirant to arouse the Kundalini and unite Her with Lord Shiva (pure Consciousness) and to enjoy the supreme bliss or Nirvikalpa Samadhi. A Shakta (devotee of Shakti) does Sadhana which helps the union of Shiva and Shakti through the awakening of the forces within the body. He becomes a Siddha (perfect) in the Sadhana when he is able to awaken Kundalini and pierce the six Chakras. The mode of Sadhana depends upon the tendencies and capacities of the Sadhaka. One should become perfectly desireless and should be full of Vairagya before he attempts to awaken Kundalini.

"In this path the aspirant adores the Shakti and practices, Dhyana, Bhava, Japa, pranayamas and Shakti-Mantra in order to awaken the Shakti-kundalini. Devotion, celibacy, renunciation, dispassion and purity of mind are necessary for the awakening of kundalini."

~ Swami Sivananda

There are other paths like the Tao and the Gnosis movement of Samael Aun Weor which although they give practices for celibates  for the transformation of sexual energy they suggest the sexual Maithuna as the main practice for the awakening of kundalini. However, in these paths are also essential the purity of mind, the dispassion, concentration and meditation for the awakening of kundalini. 

Sexual Maithuna is the adoration of Shakti through the sexual union of male and female without orgasm in order to transform the sexual energy and awaken the Kundalini. Shakti kundalini is the serpent power, that has 3 coils with face downwards, in the Muladhara Chakra, at the base of the spine.  By concentration, imagination, pranayama, bandhas and mantras the aspirants lead the sexual energy through the spine (the subtle nadis of ida, pigala and susumna). When kundalini awakens, awaken also the latent superior powers of the six chakras and the yogi aquires siddhis (clairvoyance, clairaudience, cosmic consciousness etc.).

However  Maithuna is not easy to practice in this age and paths like Advaita suggest celibacy. 

Swami Sivananda used to say: “Brahmacharya is the basis of immortality.”

Sri Swami Sivananda

Sri Swami Sivananda who himself followed celibacy, suggests celibacy, and considers as more important requisites or qualifications for the awakening of Kundalini, as well as for self-realization, the purity of mind (a mind free from desire, anger, greed, fear, jealousy and rajas and tamas gunas), the devotion, the discrimination, the dispassion, the absence of Iness and mineness, the faith and concentration. He claims that Kundalini can be awakened by various ways :

 "Kundalini can be awakened by various methods such as Japa, devotion, Vichara (enquiry of “Who am I”), Asana, Kumbhaka, Bandhas, Mudras, and above all by the Grace of the Guru."

Sivananda, Paramahansa Ramakrishna and Amritanadamayi (Amma) are great sages that demostrate that Kundalini can be awakened by celibacy despite the fact that devotees of Tantra and Samael Aun Weor (the founder of Gnosis) insist that the sexual Maithuna is necessary for the awakening of kundalini.

"When Kundalini is awakened, reaches the top of the head after piercing one Chakra after another and finally unites with Lord Shiva and enjoys the Highest Bliss. Now the Yogi attains super conscious state and becomes a full-blown Jnani. He drinks the Nectar of Immortality. Illustration shows the ascent of the Kundalini to the top of the head and its union with Lord Siva.

"When Kundalini sleeps, man is awake to the world. He has objective consciousness. When She awakes, he sleeps. He loses all consciousness of the world and becomes one with the Lord. In Samadhi, the body is maintained by the nectar which flows from the union of Shiva and Shakti in the Sahasrara. 

"Mother Kundalini-Shakti unites with Lord Shiva in the Sahasrara during Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This is real Maithuna or blissful union. This is due to Divya-Bhava (divine disposition).ª

"No one can free himself from the thralldom of mind and matter without Mother’s grace. The fetters of Maya are too hard to break. If you worship Her as the great Mother, you can very easily go beyond Prakriti through Her benign grace and blessings. She will remove all obstacles in the path, lead you safely into the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, and make you absolutely free."
~ Swami Sivananda

SEXUALITY AND SPIRITUALITY / Part I ~ Atman NItyananda

SEXUALITY AND SPIRITUALITY / Part I 

Ignorance, blindness, dullness and fanaticism are the worst enemies of human beings. They keep humanity in a state a little above of the animal kingdom and in many cases humans behave worse than animals. One of the most important aspects of human life is sexuality. Unfortunately because of the above mentioned reasons humans misuse the sexual energy by various ways and means and thus cause numerous of physical and psychological disorders.

The sexual behavior affects tremendously all other aspects of our life in many ways. Great spiritual teachers since thousands of years spoke about the importance of chastity and the necessity of a pious sexual life. Unfortunately the ignorant and undeveloped minds see their advices and suggestions as moral dogmas or canons which limit their freedom to live as they like and enjoy the life fully, while in reality the wrong use of sexual energy is a fundamental factor of a limited, problematic, unhappy life.

Humans nowadays have developed so many sexual perversions which due to their ignorance and dullness consider as a natural way of living. They cannot understand that a ´free´ sexual behavior is the basis of an unhappy, limited, miserable life. Nowadays thanks to the media and fast communication we have the opportunity to see that the media stars which live a ´free´ sexual life are of the most miserable humans on earth.

Since the human mind is undeveloped and clouded by low energies we see on the other hand some to adopt an antisexual fanatic behavior, a superficial morality based on fear and guilty. They may condemn sexual energy and consider it as something negative or even demonic which of course is a superstitious belief.

Neither a ´free´ uncontrolled sexual behavior nor a rigid pseudo-moral, antisexual behavior can bring health, balance and harmony in our life and in our society. Both are causing unbalances and disequilibrium.

Certainly the majority of humanity is not prepared enough to change radically the sexual behavior and adopt a higher way to express it. Yet it seems that nowadays there is an increasing number of humans that seek something superior than the animalist or hedonistic satisfaction of their sexuality.

In reality the only way for a normal sexual life is the tantric way which doesn’t seek the gradual increasing of pleasure and the peak experience of the orgasmic pleasure in the genitals or in the whole body but through love and intimacy of the partners an expansion of the sexual energy in the whole system (nadis, chakras, brain, heart and mind) which has as a result the transformation of sexual energy in love, light, and wisdom and the ecstatic experience of the union with God consciousness.

Only a good knowledge and a clear understanding of the sexual energy, its role in our physical and psychological functions and its role in our social life as well as of the powers and energies that are related with it can really be of a great help to use it properly and for our own benefit and advance.

The sexual energy and fluids are related to the three subtle energies (Ojas/tejas/prana) which play a fundamental and great importance role to our physical, emotional, mental health, a balanced and harmonious living and even more important to our spiritual transformation and development.

The conservation and transformation of sexual energy for spiritual development and enlightenment it is not a matter of morality or of a rigid religious dogma but is a necessity based on the physiology and psychology of human existence. In the sexual energy are stored these most precious energies which maintain our physical and psychological health and activate the higher capacities of the mind and enable us access the higher states of consciousness.

By studying these three subtle forces of nature we can understand why the conservation (not wasting it through orgasm) of sexual fluids and the transformation of them through spiritual practices are necessary for spiritual development and enlightenment.

Of course the knowledge and the understanding must be applied in our daily life otherwise we cannot experience any real change in us.

Read more about Ojas, Tejas and Prana here:

PRANA,TEJAS AND OJAS by David Frawley 

Read more essays about sexuality:
Love and sexuality Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov
Espanol
AMOR Y SEXUALIDAD - II por Omraam Aivanhov
AMOR Y SEXUALIDAD - PARTE I por Omraam Aivanhov

PRANA,TEJAS AND OJAS by David Frawley

  PRANA,TEJAS AND OJAS 

These three subtle energies which are related with the sexual energy and fluids are of great importance for our spiritual transformation.

Basic expressions of  Prana,Tejas and Ojas

OJAS, or Primal Vigor expressed as physical and mental endurance, strength, insulation, immunity, fertility, patience, and equilibrium. 

TEJAS, or Inner Radiance expressed as conviction, courage, intellect, creative vision, and a melting tenderness that draws all hearts. It is an internal fire fueled by Ojas.

PRANA, or Intuitive Energy expressed as spontaneous right action, presence, lightness of body, enthusiam, creative action, and ascension.

Prana,Tejas and Ojas 

by David Frawley 

extract from his book Yoga and Ayurveda

Yoga is an alchemical process of balancing and transforming the energies of the psyche. To approach it we must understand how to work with these energies in a practical way. In this chapter we will introduce a deeper level of the doshas that is important relative to yogic practice. Vata, pitta and kapha have subtle counterparts called prana, tejas and ojas, which could be called "the three vital essences." These are the root or master forms of vata, pitta and kapha that control ordinary psychophysical functioning and, if reoriented properly, energize higher spiritual potentials as well. They are not simply forces of the physical body but of the subtle and causal bodies as well.

Prana, tejas and ojas are the essential or beneficial forms of  vata, pitta and kapha that sustain positive vitality. Unlike the doshas, which are factors of disease, they promote health, creativity and well-being and provide the support for deeper yogic and meditational practices.

Prana — primal life-force: the subtle energy of air as the master force and guiding intelligence behind all psychophysical functions, responsible for coordination of breath, senses and mind. On an inner level, it governs the unfoldment and harmonization of all higher states of consciousness.
Tejas — inner radiance: the subtle energy of fire as the radiance of vitality through which we digest air, impressions and thoughts. On an inner level, it governs the unfoldment of all higher perceptual capacities.
Ojas — primal vigor:, the subtle energy of water as the stored up vital reserve, the basis for physical and mental endurance; the internalized essence of digested food, water, air, impressions and thought. On an inner level, it is responsible for nourishing and grounding the development of all higher faculties. 

These three forces are interrelated. Prana and tejas are rooted  in ojas and can be regarded as aspects of ojas. Tejas is the heat and light energy of ojas that has an oily quality and, like ghee, can sustain a flame. Prana is the energy and strength that comes from ojas after it has been kindled into tejas. Ojas proper is the potential, the stamina of the mind and nervous system for holding tejas and prana. Ojas has the capacity to turn into tejas (heat), which has the capacity to turn into prana (electricity).

Prana, tejas and ojas resemble the concepts of chi, the Yang and Yin of Chinese medicine. Prana, as the life-force and cosmic breath, is like the primordial chi, which also relates to wind and spirit. Tejas as the power of will and vigor resembles original Yang, which is the primal fire. Ojas, as endurance and stamina, resembles primordial Yin, which is the essence of water. 

The main rule of ayurvedic treatment is to prevent any of the doshas from becoming too high because in excess they cause disease. The dosha predominant in our constitution tends toward excess and must be restrained through the appropriate lifestyle regimen. This is achieved through following the right diet, herbs, exercise, and meditation that counter doshic proclivities.

In the practice of yoga a new rule comes into play. The yogi seeks to increase all three forces of prana, tejas and ojas. As these are the purified forms of the doshas, they do not have the same disease-causing power. These three vital essences only cause problems if one is increased at the expense of the others. They are basically wholesome energies that aid in renewal and transformation. The question is how to keep them growing at a similar rate so that their imbalance does not cause problems.

Increased prana is necessary to provide the enthusiasm, creativity and adaptability necessary for the spiritual path, without which we lack the energy and motivation to do our practices. 

Increased tejas provides the courage, fearlessness, and insight to take us along the path, without which we make wrong choices and judgments or fail to be decisive in what we do. 

Increased ojas is necessary for the peace, confidence and patience to keep our development consistent, without which we lack steadiness and calm.

 Should any of these factors be insufficient, our spiritual growth will be limited. These same factors increase positive health in both body and mind, and are helpful in treating all diseases, particularly of a chronic nature, including promoting rejuvenation.

FUNCTIONS OF PRANA, TEJAS AND OJAS 

     To understand these three forces let us examine how they function in the different aspects of our nature.

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Prana, tejas and ojas are nourished by the reproductive fluid which functions as their support in the physical body. They are three aspects of the transformed reproductive fluid (shukra). Ojas is the latent state of the reproductive fluid that provides not only reproductive power but strength in general and nourishes all the bodily tissues from within, particularly the nerve tissue. Ojas is our power of endurance and ability to sustain us, not only sexually but through all forms of exertion, physical and mental.

Tejas is the activated state of the reproductive fluid when it is transformed into heat, passion and will power. This occurs not only in sexual activity but whenever we are challenged or need to exert ourselves. Tejas gives us valor, courage and daring. In yoga this force is necessary to enable us to perform tapas or transformative spiritual practices.

Prana is the life-creating capacity inherent in the reproductive fluid. This aids in longevity and rejuvenation and stimulates the flow of prana through the nadis, giving a deeper energy to the mind. Without the proper reserve of reproductive fluid, we will become deficient in prana, tejas and ojas. Wrong or excessive sexual activity depletes all three forces.


IMMUNE SYSTEM

Prana, tejas and ojas give energy to the immune system. Ojas is the basic capacity of the immune system, our potential to defend ourselves against external pathogens. It provides endurance, resistance and strength to ward off diseases. Tejas is the immune system which is able to burn and destroy toxins when activated. It generates the fever that the body produces to destroy the pathogens which attack it. Tejas is our ability to overcome acute diseases, which are generally infectious in nature. Tejas is ojas converted into heat, warmth and vitality. It is our ability to mobilize our immune systems forces.
Prana is the long-term activation of the immune function to project and develop life-energy which manifests when we are dealing with a chronic disease. It is the adaptability of the immune system and sustains all long-term healing processes. With sufficient prana, tejas and ojas, no disease can approach us. Increasing prana, tejas and ojas helps all low immune conditions.

NERVOUS SYSTEM AND NADIS

The nervous system is the master system governing all bodily systems. The three vital essences are responsible for its proper function. Prana governs the discharge and coordination of nerve impulses, which are pranic and vata forces. When deranged, it
causes hypersensitivity, tremors and imbalances in the nervous system. Tejas provides acuity of perception and feeling. Deranged tejas burns out the nervous system, causing inflammation and scarring of the nerve tissue. Ojas gives endurance and stability through the nervous system. It is responsible for the lubrication of the nerve channels. Nervous breakdown or nervous exhaustion occurs through low ojas. Prana, tejas and ojas govern the movement of impulses through the nadis as well. Ojas is the fluid that lines the nadis,
cushioning the flow of energy through them. Tejas is the heat moving through them. Prana is the energy moving produced by the heat of tejas. To safeguard the nadis we must protect prana, tejas and ojas.

BREATH

The three vital essences are present in the power of the breath. Prana is the basic energy and movement of the breath. Tejas is the heat produced by the breath. Ojas is the deeper energy that we absorb through the breath and keep as an energy reserve.

When Prana is deranged, the breath is shallow or disturbed. When Tejas is deranged, the heat content of the breath is abnormal. When Ojas is deranged, the absorbed energy of the breath is lοw or we are unable to hold and consolidate it.

SENSES

Prana allows for the equilibrium and coordination of sensory impulses and is predominant in the ears (including the inner ear) and the skin, the Vata-predominant (ether and air) senses. Tejas is responsible for acuity of sensory function and our ability to digest sensory impressions. It dominates in the eyes, the Pitta or fire-predominant sense. Ojas is responsible for stability of the senses, as well as for their lubrication. It dominates in the tongue and the nose, the Kapha-predominant (water and earth) senses.

CREATlVITY

Prana, Tejas and Ojas are measures of creativity. Ojas is latent creative capacity, our storehouse of creative energy. Tejas is creative vision, the ability to see new things and break with the past. Prana is creative action to bring new things into being and remain in the creative state. Proper Ojas is necessary to give us the proper reserve of creative energy. Proper Tejas serves to direct our creative energy toward specific goals. Proper Prana functions to keep our creativity mobile and transformative.

MΙND ΑΝD CONSCIOUSNESS

Prana, Tejas and Ojas exist on deeper leνeΙs as well. 

There is a Pranic force behind the mind that allows it to move and respond and which keeps it in balance. There is a Tejas force behind the mind that allows it to perceive and to determine, to digest impressions, ideas and emotions.

There is an Ojas force behind the mind that gives it patience and endurance, allowing it to resist disturbances.  

Similarly, there is a Prana in our deeper consciousness that sustains us through the entire process of rebirth, imparting life to all the different bodies that we incarnate in.  

There is a Tejas, the accumulated insight and vitality of our spiritual aspiration. There is an Ojas that is the power through which the SOUL produces all its various bodies. On the level of the Soul, Prana, Tejas and Ojas are the original life, Iight and love.

  THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ΑΝD PRANA, TEJAS ΑΝD OJAS  

The inner practice of Yoga is an alchemy of the three vital essences. For this, it is important that we are able to monitor the conditions of Prana, Tejas and Ojas within us. There are signs and symptoms of their excess, deficient or sufficient conditions. These can be understood by their functions relative to the different systems of the body.  

Insufficient Ojas is revealed by weak immune function, lοw sexual vitality, lack of stamina, lack of patience, difficulty sleeping, ungroundedness and anxiety.  

Insufficient Tejas is indicated by cold extremities, weak digestion, cloudy perception, indecisiveness and poor judgment.  

Insufficient Prana shows us lack of energy and motivation, attachment and unwillingness to change.  

KUNDALINI -SHAKTI ENERGY  

Kundalini is the heightened energy of Tejas, which requires the proper Ojas to sustain it and the proper Prana to move it. Kundalini is the core internal fire that brings about all inner transformations. While much has been said of it in recent years, its related forces of Ojas and Prana have seldom been explained properly.  

Kundalini or Tejas is the higher feminine energy within us that aspires to divinity. It is the Yoga Shakti, the power of Yoga, necessary to catalyze all higher evolutionary potentials within us. While it is the key to yogic alchemy, it must be understood in the context of its related forces.

AMRIT/SOMA -SHIVA ENERGY  

Opposite to Kundalini is the Amrit or nectar that descends from the crown chakra and feeds the Kundalini in her upward ascent. This is the purified Ojas energy in the subtle body, which has been extracted and distilled through spiritual practices. Ojas is the higher masculine energy which, through surrender, care and protection, brings about the descent of grace.  

HIGHEST PRANA  

The union of Tejas (Kundalini) and Ojas (Amrit) creates the highest Prana, which is the immortal life energy. This alone has the power to create the higher samadhis (spiritual absorptions) necessary to dissolve the deep-seated conditionings (samskaras) in our consciousness (Chitta) that cause ουr attachment to the cycle of birth and death. This immortal Prana is the Divine child who is the child of immortality.