Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (90 page)

Before starting the practice, the room should be thoroughly ventilated by opening the doors and windows. Thereafter they should be closed. The atmosphere in the room must be calm. There must be no smell—good or otherwise—in the room. The practitioner’s mouth should be completely tasteless and odourless, and his breath odourless. To keep them in that state, overeating should be strictly avoided, and odoriferous foods, viz., onions, garlics, etc. should be omitted. By making the room dark and by closing the eyes during the practice, sight impressions are eliminated. The room should be neither warm nor cold. This means that the practitioner should feel neither warm nor cold sensation. The neutralization of temperature is very important. There should be no air currents in the room, and the practitioner should not feel any air flow on his body. And above all, there should be no sound heard in the room. This is very difficult. But still an attempt should be made to get the room free from sounds as much as possible.

The Practice

Sit on your seat. Assume accomplished posture (siddhasana). Technique: sit with the left heel against the perineum; place the right leg on the left leg, the right heel pressing the abdomen. Care should be taken not to press the genitals. Place the hands with palms upward, the right on the left, in the lap, above the right foot. Keep the trunk straight. Assuming this posture, say the mantra Ong for a few minutes. Then be silent and calm.

Now, relax the whole body consciously. Any physical effort, or any tendency to make an effort should be abandoned by mental effortlessness—a definite mental passivity. It is difficult, but not impossible. It requires patience and time. ‘Hurrying’ should be strictly abandoned. To make yourself passive, you should not be active. Passivity should be developed in a strictly passive way. Otherwise, it will defeat its Posture, Breath-control and Sense-withdrawal purpose. Try to feel that you are fully passive and in complete silence.

Then make your body as still as a mountain by deep thought. Your whole thought-consciousness will be wholly of ‘mountain-like still body’. Continue this thinking sufficiently long. The secret of success lies here; being completely passive and perfectly motionless, think very deeply that your body is becoming as still as a mountain. This thought should go on continuously, without any interruption by any other thoughts even for a moment.

By continual practice, a stage will be reached when, automatically, the normal resting breath rate will begin to decrease to under 10 a minute, and gradually to 5, 4, 3, 2 a minute. After that, and by continued practice, the breath rate may be 1 a minute, or even less. However, somewhere, at the 3–2–1 level, an automatic sense-withdrawal may take place. In this state no sensory impressions are registered in consciousness. If there is difficulty in getting automatic sense-withdrawal even when the breathing goes down to 1 a minute, then practise the special thought-form, sense-withdrawal process which is as follows.

Assume accomplished posture (siddhasana). Now inspire slowly through both nostrils, and at the same time think deeply that extremely subtle lightning-like Kundalini has been roused, in the red triangle of the muladhara. At the end of inspiration, suspend breath with chinlock, and think that the sense of smell has been absorbed completely into Kundalini; finally, expire slowly through both nostrils and think that you are now without the sense of smell. There is no measure for the breathing. Inspiration and expiration should be done slowly and carried out to the full extent, and suspension should be discontinued when there is a definite feeling of difficulty.

In this manner, the absorption by Kundalini of the sense of taste in swadhishthana, the sense of sight in the manipura, the sense of touch in the anahata, and the sense of hearing in the wishuddha should be made by deep thinking in combination with breathing. An inspiration, suspension and expiration make one round. There will be five rounds in this process. This practice will gradually develop the power of sense-withdrawal.

CHAPTER
16

Practice of Dharana

After automatic sense-withdrawal is established, dharana (holding-concentration) develops by itself in consciousness. When the principles of mahabhutas and tanmatras along with the sensory principles are controlled, a dewata (divine form) appears automatically in consciousness and is held there. But this automatic dharana is extremely difficult to achieve. Therefore, more simple thought-form dharana should first be practised.

The essential point in thought-form dharana is to hold a dewata in his (or her) own form in consciousness by deep thought. The dewata will occupy the whole consciousness, that is, the practitioner’s whole consciousness is dewata, and nothing else. The holding power should be so strong that the dewata does not slip from consciousness at any time. The firm holding will make the dewata appear clear, shining, and lively. This stage should be maintained for approximately the same time as breath-suspension. Breath-suspension is the time when on prolongation difficulty is experienced in holding the breath any longer. By practice, the sense of breath-suspension time, without actually doing breath-suspension, is acquired. The breath-suspension time is equal to holding time in dharana. This is one unit of holding.

The Practice

Assume accomplished posture. First come to low breathing points: 4–3–2–1. At this stage, consciousness is usually almost without sensory impressions. However, at this point commence the practice of dharana. Dharana comprises three forms and each form has several stages.

Dharana, First Form

Stage 1

Hold the deity Brahma in consciousness by deep thought. Think that Brahma is shining deep red in colour, preadolescent in appearance, seated in the lotus posture, having four faces, each with three eyes; four arms, holding a staff with his upper left hand, a sacred waterpot with his lower left hand and a rosary of rudraksha with his lower right hand; and making the gesture of dispelling fear with his upper right hand; he is clothed in the skin of a black antelope, and seated on a white swan. (See
Plate 2
, left top figure.) Make the picture vivid in consciousness and hold it for one unit of holding time, and then go to stage 2.

Stage 2

Hold the deity Wishnu in consciousness by deep thoughts. Wishnu is shining dark blue in colour, graceful and youthful, and clad in yellow raiment; he has four arms, and holds in his hands a conch, wheel, mace and lotus (flower); he is seated on garuda. (See
Plate 5
, left top figure.)

Stage 3

Hold the deity Rudra in consciousness by deep thought. Rudra is vermilion-red in colour, three-eyed, two-armed, and the hands are in the attitudes of granting boons and dispelling fear; he is dressed in a tiger’s skin and seated on a bull. (See
Plate 8
, left top figure.)

Stage 4

Hold the Deity Isha in consciousness by deep thought. Isha is shining white in colour, three-eyed, two-armed, making the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons; he is in the lotus posture and clad in silken raiment. (See
Plate 12
, left top figure.)

Stage 5

Hold the Deity Sadashiwa as Ardhanarishwara(right half male and left half female form) in consciousness by deep thought. The right half of the body is male, white in colour, clad in tiger’s skin, having five faces, with three eyes in each face; he has ten arms, holding a trident, a chisel, a sword, the thunderbolt, fire, the great snake, a bell, a goad and a noose, and making the gesture of dispelling fear. The left half of the body is female, golden in colour, clad in a beautiful dress. He is seated on the bull-lion. (See
Plate 15
, left top figure.)

To summarize

First, think deeply of the Deity Brahma (holding time = breath-suspension time).

Then, without thinking of anything else, pass directly from Brahma-thought to thinking about the Deity Wishnu; then the Deity Rudra; then the Deity Isha; and finally, the Deity Sadashiwa.

When the first form of dharana is well-established in thought, commence with the second form.

Dharana, Second Form

Stage 1

First think that the Deity Indra is seated on a white elephant. Indra is shining yellow in colour, four-armed, holding a thunderbolt in his upper right hand and making the gesture of dispelling fear with his upper left hand; his lower two hands are in the concentration attitude. When the Indra-form is vivid in consciousness, hold it during the breath-suspension time.

Then think that young Brahma is seated in the lap of Indra. When the Brahma-form is vivid, hold it in consciousness during the breathsuspension time.

Then think of both Indra and Brahma (seated in Indra’s lap) together, and hold them in consciousness during the breath-suspension time.

Next think that Power Dakini is seated in the lap of Brahma. Dakini is in the lotus posture, shining red in colour, three-eyed, four-armed, holding a trident, a sword, a skulled staff, and a drinking vessel; clad in black antelope’s skin. Make the Dakini-form vivid and hold it in consciousness during the breath-suspension time.

Finally, all the three forms together should be thought of deeply and held in consciousness during the breath-suspension time. (See
Plate 3
.)

After this is done, start with stage 2.

Stage 2

Practise the three-levelled thought exactly as in the stage 1. First, think of the Deity Waruna in the lotus posture on a makara; he is shining white in colour, four-armed, holding the noose in one of his hands.

Then think of the Deity Wishnu in the lap of Waruna. Next think of the Power Rakini, seated in lotus posture, in the lap of Wishnu. Rakini is dark-blue in colour, three-eyed, four-armed, holding a trident, the thunderbolt, a blue lotus and a drum with her hands. Finally, think of the three forms at the same time. (See
Plate 6
.)

Stage 3

First think of the Deity Wahni, seated on a ram, fire-like red in colour, four-armed, holding a rudraksha rosary and a spear, and in the attitudes of granting boons and dispelling fear. In the lap of Wahni is seated the Deity Rudra. In the lap of Rudra the Power Lakini is seated in the lotus posture. Lakini is shining darkblue in colour, dressed in yellow raiment, three-faced with three eyes in each face, fourarmed, holding the thunderbolt and a spear, and making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. Finally, think of the three forms together. (See
Plate 9
.)

Stage 4

First think of the Deity Wayu, seated in the lotus posture on a black antelope. Wayu is smokecoloured, four-armed, holding a goad and making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. In the lap of Wayu is seated the Deity Isha. In the lap of Isha the Power Kakini is seated in the lotus posture, clad in black raiment, shining yellow in colour, three-eyed, four-armed, holding a noose and a skull, and making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. Finally, think of the three forms together. (See
Plate 13
.)

Stage 5

First think of the Deity Akasha, shining white in colour, seated in the lotus posture on a white elephant. Akasha is four-armed, holds a noose and a goad, and is making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. In the lap of Akasha is the Deity Sadashiwa as Ardhanarishwara. In the lap of Sadashiwa is the Power Shakini. Shakini is in the lotus posture, dressed in yellow raiment, shining white in colour, five-faced with three eyes in each face, four-armed, holding a bow and arrow, a noose and a goad in her hands. Finally, think of the three forms together. (See
Plate 16
.)

To summarize

First, think deeply of Indra-Brahma-Dakini; then, Waruna-Wishnu-Rakini; then, Wahni-Rudra-Lakini then, again, Wayu-Isha-Kakini; and finally, Akasha-Sadashiwa-Shakini.

Dharana, Third Form

When the second form of dharana is well-established in thought, commence the third form.

Stage 1

Think deeply of the Deity Parashiwa alone. Parashiwa is crystal-white in colour, seated in the lotus posture, three-eyed, and making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. Thinking should not be interrupted after breath-suspension time, but all efforts should be made to continue the thought-form uninterruptedly up to 2, 3, 4 or more breathsuspension times. In this way dharana is lengthened. (See
Plate 20
, male figure.)

When you are fairly established in it, proceed to the second stage.

Stage 2

Think of Power Siddha Kali alone. Siddha Kali is dark blue in colour, three-eyed, fourarmed, holding a sword and a head, and assumes the attitudes of dispelling fear and granting boons. (See
Plate 20
, female figure.)

When this thought-form is clear and prolonged, commence with the third stage.

Stage 3

Think deeply that Power Siddha Kali is being absorbed into the Deity Parashiwa, and finally, they unite in the form of Parashiwa. Think of Parashiwa and his Power as one and the same. Try to prolong this thought without any interruption. This is the process of the prolongation of dharana. When it is sufficiently prolonged, and there is adequate control of the thought, the practitioner is fit for the practice of thought-form dhyana.

CHAPTER
17

Practice of Dhyana

In the practice of thought-form dhyana, thought of Kundalini is the essential point. Kundalini in her real nature is without any form and subtle. When thought is purified and made more powerful and concentrated by the practice of thought-form dharana in which a divine form is held in consciousness, dhyana of subtle Kundalini is possible. Kundalini should be considered as supremely subtle and conscious power by which everything which is non-kundalini is absorbed into her, and in this manner Brahman in its supreme and infinite aspect as Parama Shiwa is revealed. Kundali-power does not create the world, but absorbs the world and reveals Supreme Consciousness which, otherwise, remains hidden in ‘cosmicity’. Kundalini herself is Supreme Consciousness when her power aspect is recoiled into That.