Kuṇḍalinī

“This power is called supreme, sotle, it transcends all norms of behavior. Wrapped around the luminous point (bindu) of the heart, inside it lies in sleep, O Blessed, in the form of a sleeping serpent and has no consciousness of anything, O Umā. This Goddess, after having placed in her womb the fourteen worlds together with the moon, the sun and the planets, falls into a state of clouding as of one who is clouded by poison. She is awakened by the supreme natural resonance of knowledge, the moment she is shaken, O Excellent, by that bindu which is in her womb. In fact, a shaking occurs in the body of the Power with an impetuous spiral motion. From penetration, the shining points of energy are born first. Once He and the Force (kalā) sotle, Kuṇḍalinī is raised. " Tantrasadbhāva

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Kuṇḍalinī कुण्डलिनी is a Sanskrit language term originally used in some texts of Tantric traditions to indicate that aspect of Shakti present in the human body, the divine energy that is believed to reside in a quiescent form in each individual.
From the Tantric point of view Kuṇḍalinī Devi is one of the names of the śakt, of the Goddess.

The Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta (10th-11th century), settler of these traditions, addresses the Goddess Kuṇḍalinī:

«O vision of immortal and supreme ambrosia that shines with conscious light flowing from the absolute Reality, be my refuge. Thanks to it, those who know the arcane mystery adore you. " Tantraloka.

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The name would therefore derive from the state in which this energy is normally found; "dormant", "asleep", "quiescent", "inactive", "dormant", "unconscious": these are the terms that are generally found in literature to refer to the kuṇḍalinī of which one has not yet become aware through one of the practices canonical. The reference to the snake as a symbolic image of the kuṇḍalinī gives a good idea of something that is normally in a state of rest, rolled up on itself as often the snake lies so long as it is not stimulated or does not move in search of food.

The goddess Kubjikā is depicted in the guise of an old woman bent over the years (kubjika means "bend"); this Goddess is in fact associated with Kuṇḍalinī. The tradition in question is the so-called Kaula tradition originating in the western Himalayas, and attested with certainty in the twelfth century where it still survives. The Kubjikamata Tantra is the most ancient text in which there is mention of the system of the six cakras, the one currently best known and most widespread: previous texts mention a different number of cakras variously placed in the subtle body.

"To live, to exist consciously as a tāntrika, and to live in a universe that feels penetrated by divine energy, an energy complex in which the body is immersed, making it part of it and offering a reflection in its own structure: a body in which the forces are present supernatural, the deities, who animate him and bind him to the cosmos, a body that has a divine-human structure and life, and which is, moreover, a yogic body. " (Padoux 2011).

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“The great goddess Kundalini, the primordial energy of the Self, sleeps in the sexual region of the body. She has the shape of a snake, coiled three and a half times. As long as he remains asleep, the individual soul (jiva) is limited and cannot come to true knowledge. But as only the right key opens a particular door, so Tantra yoga opens the door of Kundalini, leading the Self towards the experience of Brahma (creation) and obtaining liberation ”.

-Gheranda Samhita-

Kundalini: The secret energy of Tantrism

Since the dawn of the creation of the world, Tantrics have realized that a potential and dynamic force called KUNDALINI resides in the human body. In Sanskrit kundal means spiral, kunda means "deep place or cavity" and is often represented as a sleeping snake coiled at the base of our coccyx.

Kundalini is the Shakti, the primordial energy in its latent potential state and when it manifests it is called by one of the names of the Devi: Kali, Durga, Bhairavi and with many other names according to the form in which it manifests itself.

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With the awakening of KUNDALINI, the higher intelligence is awakened from lethargy and a new sphere of creativity is created. When this energy is awakened it is possible to have visions, psychic and extrasensory experiences, to become poets, writers, dancers, prophets because its powerful force opens the doors to consciousness and knowledge.

Tantrics claim that the authentic awakening of Kundalini does not take place in the base Chakra (Muladhara) but in the Heart Chakra (Anahata) only when all the darkness within us has been dispelled.

To do this we invoke Mother Kali: the guardian of a fiery territory, the great dispeller of darkness, the one who destroys fear, the bonds to the ego, who gives the strength to perform sadhana (spiritual practice). It is space, and for its worshipers it is, first of all, a love that knows no bounds, as the tantrika gets rid of all boundaries. Tantra uses a complex yet fascinating symbolism to represent human anatomy. The spinal column is seen as the tree of life with roots in the underworld and branches stretched towards the sky. At the roots of the tree is the coiled serpent goddess (Kundalini), a symbolic image of divine power manifesting in nature. Tantric practices awaken the snake by going up from the roots of the tree to the branches. This process leads to spiritual enlightenment and final liberation from all that is material. When the snake is at the base it manifests itself as sexual energy; when it begins to rise it is called "Kundalini energy"; when it reaches the top it becomes Spirit.

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Article written by Maya Swati Devi-Prohibits dissemination without permission of the author and without citing the source.