Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (3 page)

Kundali-power operates in the chakra-system. There is no possibility of tracing the chakras in the nervous system or any other part of the body. They are not material but dynamic graphs of power operations. This does not mean that they are fictitious. There is a definite relation between the chakras and certain vertebro-cranial points. These points in the medulla spinalis and the brain are also related to certain points on the surface of the body. The nervous points can be determined approximately through the surface points. The nervous points are closely related to certain positions where the replicas of the chakras appear in deep thought-concentration and certain physical effects are also produced. This is the first time that an interrelation between the chakra-system and the cerebrospinal system has been demonstrated on a scientific basis.

Owing to the failure in understanding the principles of yoga, there have been many misconceptions and illusions about the chakras, and especially about Kundalini. As for example, the theosophical interpretation of them. To start with, the theosophists acquired their knowledge of Kundalini, and the chakras from the Sanskrit works dealing with the subject. But then the original accounts were distorted, either on purpose or due to a lack of understanding, which needs, first, the technical knowledge, and second, the guru’s direct instructions. Here is an example: C.W. Leadbeater (Leadbeater, C.W.,
The Chakras,
The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras 20, India, 1952, p. 20) says that the crown chakra (that is, the sahasrara), described in Indian books as thousand-petalled, which is really not very far from the truth, has 960 radiations (i.e., petals) of its primary force in the outer circle. This means that the sahasrara has only 960 petals instead of 1,000. This indicates a complete lack of understanding of the organization of the sahasrara. The sahasrara is the expansion of the pranic bindu which is in a supremely concentrated state when prana becomes patent and causes an emission of 50 power-units, and each of these units becomes potentized 20 times to manifest its full creativity. This means 50 × 20 = 1,000, and so, the sahasrara has exactly 1,000 petals, neither less nor more.

One cannot have anything against a personal or a group experience, but when such recently acquired experiences are presented to challenge the age-old yogic experiences, which have been verified by the yogis from time immemorial, it becomes like a ‘frog in a well challenging a frog of the ocean’.

There is another important point which I want to make clear. It has been stated (Arundale, G.S.,
Kundalini
, The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, India, 1947, p. 17) that there is a danger of sexual stimulation in relation to the rousing of Kundalini. The yogic experiences are quite the contrary. The rousing is indispensably associated with the fully controlled sex urge. It has also been stated (Lead-beater, C.W.,
The Chakras,
The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, India, 1952, p. 64) that there are dangers in rousing Kundalini prematurely. Under certain conditions, Kundalini may be roused automatically, without the knowledge of the person concerned. But this does no harm. A practitioner cannot rouse Kundalini if he is not prepared for it. In fact, there is no such thing as prematurely rousing Kundalini, and there is no danger when Kundalini is roused.

It has also been supposed that Kundaliniyoga is materialistic yoga. Is there any such thing as materialistic yoga? Ramakrishna says that real spiritual knowledge cannot arise if Kundalini is not roused. Is he mistaken? Wama says that without the awakening of Kundalini, liberation is not possible. Is he wrong? Tailanga has stated that the rousing of Kundalini leads to yoga. Shankaracharya himself was an accomplished yogi in Kundaliniyoga. Arawinda has called Kundalini the divine force. Did all these spiritual leaders and yoga masters follow materialistic yoga? We understand that Kundalini is the spiritual dynamism which remains latent when coiled, but becomes real in life when it is roused. The real spiritualization of human life occurs through dynamic Kundalini.

The author does not claim that this work is a complete exposition of layayoga. It cannot be so, because many layayoga manuscripts appear to have been lost during the course of time. It may be that there are manuscripts dealing with layayoga lying in the private libraries of yogic scholars in India, and one day they may become generally accessible.

The author is also quite conscious of the limitations of his knowledge, capacity and time. The only remedy is if an advanced layayogi, who possesses more extensive material, undertakes to make a complete work on layayoga.

Last, the author hopes that the present work may inspire women and men all over the world to introduce concentration, as an indispensable practice, into their lives.

Stockholm             Shyam Sundar Goswami

My Initiation into Layayoga

‘Layayoga has assumed an intermediate position between hathayoga and rajayoga. The most complicated processes of hathayogic pranayama and the very advanced and difficult rajayogic processes of concentration have been simplified in layayoga. The essence of mantrayoga has also been introduced in layayoga. So it is a most practical form of yoga suited to nearly all persons desiring to develop concentration’—said my Master after my initiation.

It had not been an easy matter for me to penetrate deeply into the subject of layayoga and understand its fundamental principles. Even prolonged study was not enough. I felt the necessity of having instructions directly from a master of layayoga. It seemed absolutely imperative to learn many unknown aspects of this yoga and its various hidden practices from a guru.

The first meeting with my Master occurred in this way. One day a friend of mine came and asked me whether I would be interested in seeing a great yogi who happened to be in Calcutta. I was rather surprised—such a yogi in such a noisy city! When I expressed my thoughts to my friend, he said: ‘A yogi can be in the forests of the Himalaya or in a big city; a real yogi is as unconcerned with his own environment as he is with himself.’ I realized that what he had said was true. I accepted his invitation and accompanied him.

We entered a spacious clean room. A dignified middle-aged man was sitting on a couch and a number of men—I presumed them to be his disciples—sat on a carpet on the floor. My friend immediately bowed his head to the yogi’s feet and received his blessing. I followed my friend’s example, who then introduced me to the yogi. He received me in a very kindly manner. He asked us to sit down. This was in the evening. However, I did not ask about anything. I only looked at him continuously. I sensed in him a very serene, internally joyous, and kindly person, and also that his inner being was all purity and full of power. I had never had such an experience before in connection with anyone.

The thought came to me: What makes a man like this. Was it a sign of awakened spirituality? What mode of life does he lead? I resolved to investigate all these things. The first meeting ended in this way. I spent some hours there. My friend and I bowed to his feet and said good-bye to him. The Master left Calcutta after some days.

When he returned to Calcutta next year I visited him more often, almost every day. I wanted to know more about him in my own way. So one day I asked: ‘Is it necessary to accept God as the ultimate reality?’ Other disciples who were there appeared to be amazed at my question. Perhaps they thought that the question indicated atheistic tendencies. Smiling, the Master replied: ‘It is not a question of necessity; you can neither accept nor reject it. This is the position.’

His statement was not clear to me. I pondered over it again and again. Many thoughts came into my mind: Does the Master want to avoid the subject? If so, why? My thoughts were continuing in this way when the Master suddenly interrupted them by saying: ‘It is not that the subject needs to be avoided.’ I stared at him. Did he read my thoughts? The Master continued : ‘It is avoided in a life that is not spiritually illuminated. Mere intellection is inadequate for the purpose.’

I said: ‘If our intelligence and our thoughts and our reason are unable to find God, then He cannot be found, and, consequently, there will always be speculation.’

Master: ‘For you, the senses and intelligence are the only criterions—the only instruments for acquiring knowledge. You are normally endowed with them and have learnt how to use them. You have no other means. But the Supreme God is beyond intelligence, and the senses cannot reach Him. This is why the senso-intellectual means are inadequate.’

I said: ‘When we have no other means than the senses and intelligence for the acquisition of knowledge, how can we know God?’

Master: ‘The senses and intelligence are only partially suited even for knowing the external world, and that is their limit.’

I said: ‘Partially suited?’

Master: ‘Yes. The senses have limitations. First of all, the power of the senses varies in different species and also in different individuals of the same species. The differences in power may also be due to age, the state of health, heredity and other factors. Even supposing that a normal, healthy young person has very good sensory powers, they are still limited. There are three fundamental limits in relation to sensory objects—minute objects, concealed objects, and far distant objects. If the normal senses are unable to overcome these barriers, then it is quite possible that they do not perceive certain objects at all.’

I said: ‘But the range of the senses can be enhanced by the use of sensitive instruments.’

Master: ‘That is true. But the material instruments, however refined they may be, are still material. They cannot reach what is beyond the material. There is no possibility of “seeing” the mind with the help of these instruments. Even a most sensitive instrument has its limits, which it cannot surpass. The three sensory barriers can be modified by the use of appropriate instruments, but the limitation is still there.

‘Therefore, the knowledge acquired through the normal senses is limited; and the enhanced sensory power due to the use of sensitive apparatus is also limited, and, consequently, imperfect. How can you acquire perfect knowledge of a reality which is perfect through imperfect sensory means?’

I said: ‘The imperfections of our senses are made up for, at least to a great extent, by intelligence if it is highly developed. This is the reason why it is necessary to utilize our senses together with our intelligence so as to know the world.’

Master: ‘We must not forget that our intelligence is also limited.’

I continued: ‘According to the degree of development, the power of intelligence varies. But human intelligence has reached very far. It has discovered many hidden laws of nature, and created things that are almost unbelievable. It has altered the face of our earth. It has revolutionized our thoughts and mode of living and has tremendously increased our knowledge.’

Master: ‘All this is true. But still that very highly developed intelligence of ours has failed to know God. God has not been found in the various forms of energy that are active around us; or in inert matter; or in molecules, atoms and elementary particles; or in radiation; or in the earth or in the atmosphere. Our intelligence has tried to explore matter in every possible way, and found nothing else but matter-energy and energy-matter. Are not all these indicative of its limitations? Even our intelligence in the so-called scientific field has failed to know mind, and scientific attempts are being made to demonstrate that mind is an unknown form of matter, or that it derives from matter; an attempt is being made to restrict the mind to the cranium.’

I said: ‘But the philosopher’s intelligence appears to have sensed that there is something which is beyond matter. Even the human mind is considered to be too small. There has been talk of a cosmic mind or greater intelligence, and also of God. Anyhow, everything appears to be uncertain, speculative. What can we do?

Master: ‘So long as the highest spiritual truth is left to the judgment of those who think that what is obtained through human intelligence aided by instruments is the real truth, and anything else is not truth but superstition and nonsense; so long as God is sought for in terms of philosophic thought and reasoning alone, He will appear to be far way from us.’

I said: ‘In that case, even religion does not help us very much. The priests have worshipped God ritualistically for hundreds of years in the temples, but how many of them have known God. The One-God conception has been the ideal of many who go to the churches for the absolution of their sins and to be in contact with God; but they hear only words—empty words, and come back with that. Those who join in the mass prayers in the mosques, tell us the same story . How many of them have real love for humanity? All these things show the failure of religion.’

Master: ‘We have to go deep to understand the role of religion in human life. First of all, the rishis of ancient India have declared that Dharma—you may call it religion if you like—is perpetual. It is not made by man but remains as an intrinsic part of the cosmic world and in the lives of all beings—eternally. It is the grand support of the universe and all beings. It is Brahman—God who sustains everything. Therefore, the awakening of God within us and seeing God in the universe is religion.’

I said: ‘How can religion be perpetual when a particular religion originates from a spiritual leader? And in all such religions there are great diversities. One says God is one; the other says God is many. One thinks God is without form, while the other thinks God has forms. One is of the opinion that love for God is the means, while others consider that divine wisdom leads to God. There are also prayers, ritualistic worship and many other means. Where does the solution lie?’

Master: ‘First of all, you have to understand that religion in its real spiritual form cannot be created by a man. Religion is the natural spiritual principle, divine in character, which operates along with the principle of “cosmosity” in which the original creativity is manifested. It is the spiritual aspect of the Supreme Power which is all God. Therefore, it is perpetually existing without any interruption. Consequently, it cannot be man-made. The rishis did not make any religion, but explained different aspects of religion which are always in existence. Neither did any “incarnation” found any individual religion, but expounded and strengthened religion which is eternally existing.’