Ajna Chakra

Rishi Nityabodhananda

Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India

 - -

Dedication
In humility we offer this dedication to
Swami Sivananda Saraswati, who initiated
Swami Satyananda Saraswati into the secrets of yoga.
 Contents

Prologue ix
Introduction 1
1. Science is Catching Up 5
2. Science and Religion 18
3. Philosophical Background 27
4. The Guru Chakra 39
5. Kundalini Yoga in Brief 47
6. Ajna Chakra in the Tantras 58
7. Psycho-Physiological Aspects 63
8. Psychic and Mystic Concepts 76
9. Yoga Practices for Awakening Ajna Chakra 89
Appendix
Sat Chakra Nirupanam 108
Bibliography 134
Glossary 136

v ii
 Prologue

Karmas are what we have done, do and will do, and life is
an endless series of karmas. We move through life acting out
our karmas in the hope that life will improve. Life is never
perfect and our hopes are for the future. We collect ideas to
relieve our plight and embark on a path in the hope that we
can either solve our problems or escape into a new domain
free from the trammels of present day life. Just look at what
we are doing, endlessly making more and more plans for the
future to relieve our plight. Even when we have the best
available of everything, still we make plans to escape from
the agony of life. The agony is within and there is a root
cause. The great thirteenth century Sufi poet, Rumi, calls it
the lament: the lament of the reed flute plucked from the
riverbed of reeds; it laments with the agony of being separated
from its source, and the player of this reed flute also laments
with his separation from his source.
And what is this source from which we come? Well it
seems we don’t know, or rather we have forgotten. According
to our great traditions and teachings, we were once part of
that source and it was a perfect seamless consciousness.
According to Sufi traditions it is pure love. The love that is so
pure that there are no barriers or distinctions between the
lover and the beloved. It is all one; and just as the drop in the
ocean is a part of the ocean and at the same time is the whole
ocean, in the same way our origins are that drop, a part of

IX
the whole, and this is the ecstatic state of being. It is pure, it
is boundless, it is unchanging and it is beyond description,
yet its expression is an inspiration to ecstasy, a transport to
transcendental bliss.
We know that the path is from the particular to the
general, from worldly actions to inner truth, but where is this
path? Is it just in the mantra and the meditation? Is it just in
the karma yoga and the kirtan? After these things don’t we
remain with the same understandings and identifications as
before? We read and we know everything, yet we have learnt
that hope in external efforts is bound to end with dis­
appointment. The successful man flying first class to Los
Angeles is driven by the will to escape his longing to reunite
and the subsistence farmer is driven by the same longing.
We suppress our original lament. The lament is the sorrowful
tune doled out in our hearts, for we have separated from our
source just like the reed flute that plays its mournful tune.
Every church, synagogue, mosque, gurudwara and temple
has but one altar, an altar to that one perfection, and everyone
bom into this world of hope takes a position or stand either
acknowledging or denying its validity. Yet who has come
close to it through an intellectual analysis? This draws us
into a debate on faith and conviction. Faith surely holds the
upper hand, the hand of experienced knowledge, knowledge
gained not by intellectual conclusion but by a truth, a vision
or an experience. Then we, the knower of that experience,
know what is true. When a truth is so obviously definite, then
faith is bom and a conviction is also. Seeing the truth, or
seeing the dawning of an idea which is so obviously and
definitely true because it has been seen in the form of spiritual
experience, is seeing through the eye of intuition, ajna chakra.

x
 Introduction

remember an old man from Austria who lost his father

I during early childhood. He attended the funeral ceremony
which was a most solemn occasion, and he was so pained by the
sadness of the occasion that he never visited his father’s grave
again. The old man had fought in the Austrian army in the
First World War and stayed in his mother country undl Hitler’s
army forced him out in 1939, when he went to England. He
fought with the British army and at the end of the Second
World War migrated to Australia where he finally settled
down to become firmly established in that country. In 1965,
sixty years after the death of his father, he made the pilgrimage
back to his motherland. The pangs of his conscience were
strongly telling him to visit his father’s grave so that he could
pay his respects to the memory of his dead father.
After some enquiries with relatives he found the cemetery,
but alas, the records were incomplete and no trace of the
whereabouts of his father’s grave could be found in the files.
His country had been ravaged by two world wars and little
indeed was left from the pre-First World War era. So he set
out with strong determination to systematically examine each
gravestone of the huge cemetery. He started his quest in the
morning and by late afternoon, in spite of his persistent
efforts, he had no success. Dejected, fatigued and exhausted
he sat down, and his body fell so that it was supported by his
arms with his hands covering his face.

1
 In a flash he was not an old man any more, but a young
boy walking behind his father’s coffin. He could see his
brothers, the inscription on the coffin, the coffin bearers and
all the other mourners which m ade up the procession. This
young boy followed in the procession until it came to a hole
in the ground. Then, as if coming out of a dream, he returned
to waking consciousness and there he was, looking down at
the gravestone which bore the inscription of his father. We
can understand that this experience had exploded from the
unconscious mind, but the eye which had witnessed the
experience and coordinated all the movements in the physical
body was his third eye or ajna chakra.
I take up this task of rewritingy4/na Chakra (first published
in 1973) as an offering to my guru, Swami Satyananda
Saraswati. Originally, around 1972, he told me to write an
article and arm ed with some one-sided paper, a pencil and
some books on kundalini yoga I just wrote down whatever I
could and gave him the result. At the time he said, “I asked
you to write an article and you have written a book!” At a first
reading of my old work I am quite astounded at the quality
of my effort then and I can only attribute this to the high
level of enthusiasm I carried in my early years as a swami, the
result of living with the greatest man I have ever met.
Ajna chakra is most significant amongst the whole gamut
of chakras and nadis for those taking to the path o f kundalini
yoga. Kundalini shakti rises and energizes those parts of the
personality we develop, and it is through this intuitive third
eye that we can perceive the wisdom of renouncing fame, name,
wealth and other worldly and passionate pursuits. Knowledge
of the external world is gained through the senses; however,
it is through our sixth sense, namely ajna chakra, that other
knowledge is gained. T here are so many things we know to be
true, yet there is no evidence for it, we just know it.
We take to the path of yoga without much knowledge
and in search of this knowledge we come across many
traditions of spirituality, which are in essence yoga. Yoga
may mean union: a unification of the individual with the

2
superconsciousness. Some traditions are self-reliant and do
not seek help from a saviour. These paths, such as Buddhism
and Jainism, are paths o f rigorous inner cleansing, processes
of replacement of all selfish drives, ambitions and desires for
selfless ones. Only by getting out of our limited selves can we
expand through caring for others. It is not desire that binds
us, but desire for our own limited self that leads to the things
that bind us to worldly life. T he process of expansion leads
to enlightenment, free from any limitation.
Any discussion on ajna chakra lies within the realm of
tantra, and kundalini yoga is a tantra. T antra is dependent
upon the female aspect of consciousness; she is the divine
m other and it is to h er that we turn to propitiate our link
with divinity and to pray for progress in any tantric pursuit.
We pray that we may make progress in our endeavours to
awaken the shakti within and walk towards the ultimate goal.
Kundalini shakti, the primal dorm ant potential energy
which can be awakened, resides in m ooladhara chakra, the
base of the subtle system of chakras. Shiva, consciousness,
resides in sahasrara chakra. In the tantric macrocosmic model
every part of Shiva is imbued with Shakti and every part of
Shakti is imbued with Shiva. T he definable phenom enal
universe is Shakti and she has many energy states. H er
higher energies are most subtle and her lower energy states
are physical. O ur state o f devolution has rested in such a low
state that we identify with the gross material and physical
m atter and have separated from the ethereal and divine.
Now we see the divine as something far off to reach for and
we struggle to understand it. T he physical reality comes and
goes, takes birth and dies, yet we look at it as if it is the reality.
Kundalini shakti sleeps in the form of a coiled serpent
wound around the Shiva lingam three and a half times. We
have m anaged to differentiate m atter from consciousness,
we have taken the spirit out of physical life and so the spirit
has become dorm ant and an awakened shakti becomes our
potential. O ur consciousness has become unconscious; it is
sleeping and this is our predicament.

3
 With awakening o f kundalini comes the dawn of our
hidden powers, abilities and inner knowledge, and without
some training we become lost in a sea of doubts and confusions.
O ur own unconscious haunts us with new images and drives;
guilt, fear and violence have forced us to suppress so much
and with the awakening of kundalini shakti these experiences
are revived. How do we face our own internal horrors? Such
awakenings are accompanied by guilt, fear and anger, and
this is hard to manage in a timid and polite society.
It is for this reason that many teachers in the kundalini
tradition lead their students to first take up the practices for
awakening ajna chakra, the third eye, the eye o f intuition.
T hen we can see through the confusion to the way ahead.

4
 1
Science is Catching Up

ncient knowledge of the laws of the universe, movement

A .a n d position of stars and planets, of the macrocosmic
process of creation and its correlation with the early science
o f creation, has been clouded by doubt. Religions and
philosophers have had much to say on these subjects and
their explanations have been varied, leaving the common
enquirer at a loss. Meditation throws light on the problem
and we can come to an u n d e rstan d in g th at a p p are n t
anomalies are nothing but stages in understanding or in
development of the truth.
T he nature of ultimate reality may be described as the
original source from which everything, including ourselves,
is created. This reality is both indescribable and the essence
of everything that is manifest and knowable. Logic demands
a manifest creative energy, taking its forms of creation from
an unmanifest cosmic energy. Yet many over the ages have
reported an unm anifest ultimate experience of just con­
sciousness alone being the only reality. This is known as a
non-dual experience in the Adwaita school o f philosophy.
N on-dualism em phasizes the unreality o f anything but
absolute consciousness, whereas monism can and does accept
the existence of this manifest dimension as well as holding
that there is only one absolute unmanifest dimension of
consciousness out of which the universe and life has sprung.
Monism has led to problems, where those fiercely holding

5
on to their belief look at others of varying faiths and begin to
fight for the validity o f their faith and the falsity of others.
Non-dualism cannot lead to faith in a false God or false
consciousness because there is only one consciousness, and
faith in anything must be in that only reality simply because
it cannot be anything else.
For the o rd in ary person this is all intellectual; if
confronted with the proposal that life and this universe are
an effect without a cause, then he throws his hands up in
despair. Only materialists have no problem in accepting the
creation of a universe without a cause. So we have a minefield
of introspection and speculation without any real evidence,
barring individual experiences.
Rumi summed up this apparent anomaly with his poem,
saying that the evidence is within us - it is that void within
aching to reunite with our real selves. T he mournful lament
of the reed flute after it has been plucked from its source, the
reed bed, is a symbol o f the soul’s sorrow at being parted
from the beloved Divine.
Just as Adi Shankaracharya said that there is only one
reality and different ways of describing it, in the same way
Rumi also understood the apparent anomalies poetically:

T he Elephant in the Dark,

On the R econciliation o f Contrarieties
Not far from Ghur once stood a city tall
Whose denizens were sightless one and all.
A certain Sultan once, when passing nigh,
Had pitched his camp upon the plain hard by,
Wherein, to prove his splendour, rank, and state,
Was kept an elephant most huge and great.
Then in the townsmen's minds arose desire
To know the nature of this creature dire.
Blind delegates by blind electorate
Were therefore chosen to investigate
The beast, and each, by feeling trunk or limb,

6
 Strove to acquire an image clear of him.
Thus each conceived a visionary whole,
And to the phantom clung with heart and soul.
When to the city they were come again,
The eager townsmen flocked to them amain.
Each one of them —wrong and misguided all —
Was eager his impressions to recall.
Asked to describe the creature's size and shape,
They spoke, while round about them, all agape,
Stamping impatiently, their comrades swarm
To hear about the monster’s shape and form.
Now, for his knowledge each inquiring wight
Must trust to touch, being devoid of sight,
So he who’d only felt the creature’s ear,
On being asked: ‘How doth its heart appear?’
‘Mighty and terrible, ’ at once replied,
‘Like to a carpet, hard and flat and wide!’
Then he who on its trunk had laid his hand
Broke in: ‘Nay, nay! I better understand!
’Tis like a water-pipe, I tell you true,
Hollow, yet deadly and destructive too.’
While he who’d had but leisure to explore
The sturdy limbs which the great beast upbore,
Exclaimed: ‘No, no! To all men be it known
’Tis like a column tapered to a cone!’
Each had but known one part, and no man all;
Hence into deadly error each did fall.
No way to know the Al man’s heart can find:
Can knowledge e’er accompany the blind?

Science and creation

In the face of confusion in truths couched in poetic forms
and with the evolution of logical and rational minds, scientific
knowledge has now become respected because it has either
been proved or is presented as a theory o r hypothesis.
Einstein’s relativity is a theory not a law, until now unproved,
yet it is commonly accepted as fact. This theory is the product

7
of intuition. Albert Einstein had given priority to his curiosity
and imagination, and out of that came his famous theories,
later validated by rational processes of mathematical logic.
T he first clues to a scientific understanding of creation came
with the work of Roger Penrose, mathemadcian, University
of Oxford, and Stephen Hawking, who researched black
holes and pulsars. They found that m atter was disappearing
into nothing and inadvertently stumbled into the back door
of creation. They proposed that if m atter can disappear into
nothing, then by the reverse process, creation, m atter can
appear out of nothing.
Penrose was sp eak in g on ‘C om pass’, a religious and
spiritual production shown on ABC television in Australia. On
this program, dtled ‘Testing God’, Penrose said that there are
conditions in the universe where Einstein’s theories no longer
hold true. In black holes and in other mysterious phenom ena
where the threshold limits of time and space are reached, we
come to a state where time and space are extinguished, and
physicists are now coming to the conclusion that it is from this
point of nothing that creation emerged. Science is proposing
and is in the throes of proving that creation em erged from a
‘n othin g ’ and it describes ‘n othin g ’ as p ure cosmic energy
in d e p e n d e n t o f any creato r. Scientists say th a t creatio n
occurred out of a collision of the waveforms of this energy, and
the first definable elem ent created is described as a big bubble
o f nothing (in yoga called akasha tattwa or space). C u rrent
findings by scientists correlate with ancient sam khya and
tantric philosophies of creation of the elements or tattwas.
How did Einstein come to his famous theory? T hrough
a flash of information coming to his m ind that he intuitively
knew was correct: Subsequently he validated this intuitive
knowledge with mathematics, a labour which took him ten
years before he could present his theory to fellow scientists.
How did Mahatma Gandhi know how to oppose British rule
in India? Through ideas coming to his mind that he intuitively
knew were the way, and history has validated the correctness
of his intuitive knowledge.

8
 When an idea flashes into the m ind and we know it is
right, it comes as intuition. When the idea is to do with the
nature of the superconscious, it is called intuitive wisdom or
revelation, and is the result of an intense search into the
nature of God. T he deep inner certainty it conveys is absolute.
It comes not as a ‘conclusion’ to some process o f thinking or
reasoning, but fully developed, like the goddess Athena from
the brow of Zeus. Being completely absorbed in a search for
meaning, a quest for knowledge, or a sustained continuous
effort to complete a task, opens the channels for intuitional
knowledge to flow. When the energy level is raised through
total absorption, the rational and logical m ind tires o f
understanding and its influence recedes.
As the com m entator from ‘Testing G od’ said, “Now
scientists have been looking to the heavens with the pointed
stick of empirical knowledge, and God, or transcendental
consciousness if you prefer, is under attack and as a result of
th eir sustained efforts they are com ing u p with some
rem arkable findings.” Not surprisingly, they have found
that God does not exist within the realms of empirical
knowledge and creation is the product o f cosmic wave
collisions. They have also come to the conclusion that this
universe would not be here but for us who witness it.
Ancient seers using the eye of intuition have seen the
answer, th at the m acrocosm ic picture is twofold: one
consciousness, which is all pervasive, all knowing and inactive,
and one cosmic energy, which is all pervasive, all-powerful
and active; or one consciousness as the only reality, and the
universe and manifestations as the product o f an illusory
force. Neither view is arguing with the other and saying,
“Mine is the way.” No, this is what they saw and what they
experienced and their reports have come to us, and now
physicists are busy validating these intuited experiences.
Awakening of ajna chakra is opening the channel to
experience the answers to those questions haunting every
seeker. When the query is in the realm of the superconscious
or spiritual matters, the experience of this knowledge is not

9
only enlightening, it is memorable, it is ecstatic, blissful, and
rewards the seeker with elements of wisdom.
T he wisdom of the ancient sages has been passed to us
through written records. These records are testaments to
their spiritual experience related to us through dramatization,
a conversation between student and teacher, o r as an epic
dram a where experienced truths are related through the
minds of characters within these dramas and sometimes as a
straightforward, powerful description in poetic rhyme. These
eloquent masterpieces, often voluminous, give evidence that
ancient sages had a gift of language and a wealth of spiritual
experience far in advance of any m odem day sage.
T ruth is in the dom ain of a higher m ind beyond the
scope of intellect, which only gives order and classification to
the experienced truths. T he place of the mind in the scheme
of creation was clearly understood and by definition was a
collection of knowledge gained by the senses and memorized.
This lower mind and ordinary intellect was clearly understood
to have nothing to do with experienced truth channelled
through an awakened ajna chakra. Rather the norm was the
opposite of today’s emphasis on the intellect in the search
for truth. Ancient literature is clear that the barriers to truth
are created in the ordinary mind. Overcoming barriers was
the path and the goal was not understanding but experience
of the truth.

Big bang theory

What Penrose first calculated by reversing the equations of
black hole frequency were the ‘big bang’ equations of the
beginning of creation. Stephen Hawking subsequently verified
these equations, and then in 1965 the sound of the roar of the
big bang was heard. Immediately the question arose - what
was God’s role in all this? Physicists had shown and observed
that just as m atter can collapse in on itself and disappear into
nothing, so also can m atter spring out of nothing.
But scientists were imm ediately pressed by ano th er
problem: why had the big bang happened at all?

10
 Creation has always been a m atter for speculation. T he
Indian philosophies of T antra and Samkhya are quite definite
about creation. These philosophies state that there are two
apparent realities: the manifest reality, which is subject to
time and space, and the unmanifest reality, which is not.
Time and space have been created out of the unmanifest,
known as the transcendental or cosmic reality. Cosmic reality
is indescribable and is composed of pure cosmic energy and
cosmic consciousness in harmony and balance. Cosmic energy
has three potentials: dynamism, balance and stagnadon.
These are known as the gunas.
Physicists have recently calculated the existence of a
m ultitude o f universes, calling them parallel universes.
Universes are created by the collision of cosmic energy
vibrations, and scientists are now involved in creating
universes in laboratories. Two or more waveforms collide,
creating an explosion of energy and a universe is created,
and that universe will operate under its own unique laws.
T he unanswered question is how our universe with its laws of
time and motion and gyavity was formed out of all the
billions of possibilities as if is to support life as we know it.
Physicists have calculated the series of events culminating
in the creation of our universe and they agree that the
universe was started by a big bang. They also theorize that
before the big bang there was nothing except pure cosmic
energy. T here was no ‘before the big bang’ as neither time
nor space existed. We can glimpse into the instant of big
bang events in black holes and other astronomical phenom ­
ena, but scientists have not been able to calculate the exact
nature of the big bang event. They have, however, deter­
m ined that it was an instantaneous event and that four
picoseconds (four millionths of a millionth of a second or 4
x 10'12 seconds) later the first quality of nature evolved. It
was space, akasha tattwa.
T h e findings o f these scientists stim ulates acknowl­
edgem ent of the yogic knowledge we have studied from our
ancient m asters. Scientists have shaken the beliefs of

11
Christian teachings, particularly in the last fifty years, yet
the teachings of yoga, both ancient and m odem , have not
been affected.
God’s role as creator has been under question ever since
science has wondered about the source of the universe, and
G od’s firm position as the foundation and source of all
things has been eroding ever since. Since the beginning of
thought and the quest for understanding, natural events
have been attributed to God. T hunder was God’s anger until
we understood the nature of static electricity; pestilence was
God’s punishm ent until we understood the cause of disease.
Ultimately the last rem aining gap in knowledge was creation.
T he breakthroughs m ade by scientists and physicists began
to make it seem that scientific enquiry, not the word of God,
gave a true explanation of the creation of the universe.
In the 1960s and 70s astronomy m ade great advances in
discovering pulsars and black holes. When pulsars were
discovered, the signal was nothing like anything that had
been heard before and deeper investigation provided the
first clue as to where our universe had come from. Pulsars
were stars with more mass than the sun, but smaller in size
than the moon. Every second or so they gave a precise light
pulse. What was amazing was their fantastic density: one
teaspoon of m atter on one of these stars was calculated to be
one billion tons in weight and the gravity force involved
opened up a whole new world of physics.
It seem ed the universe was capable o f things even
Einstein had not suspected. Roger Penrose was convinced
that pulsars were only the beginning, that there were things
in the universe that the known laws of physics could not
explain. He found singularities of infinite density known
today as black holes. Black holes have enough gravity to
draw in light, space and time.
In a black hole Einstein’s equations run out and one
reaches a singularity, the end of physics. Physicists have
shown that on the way back to the beginning of time there is
this singular state, and that is the Big Bang singularity.

12
 Penrose and Hawkins’ work was a revolution; they had
proved that theory could explain even the beginning of the
universe. So science had calculated the beginning of time and
space and creation; the next task was to find the physical proof.
Scientists at Bell Laboratories, USA, were the first to
hear the frequency, a lost whisper in the roar o f the universe,
a whisper of the m om ent of creation. They found that their
microwave antennae had a persistent hiss. At first they thought
it was pigeons living in the antennae; however, when they
saw the frequency of the sound, they realized that this hiss
was exactly the frequency predicted for the big bang.
Finding the microwave cosmic background, or the heat
or hiss left over, certainly made astronomers much more
confident that they understood the big bang and a fifteen
billion year swathe of universal history. For some, this sound
of the background radiation was the sound of G od’s absence.
Science had produced a vision of a creation without a creator
- scientifically there is no need to have a creator to start the
creation off.
As the commentator in ‘Testing God’ says, “In this m odem
age, physics has become the satanic tempter, prom ising to
rid us of God and answer all our questions, asking us - why
prefer superstition over knowledge? Why blind faith over
enquiry?”

Why but to awe, why but to keep you low and ignorant, his
worshippers. Your eyes see so clear and yet are dim, perfectly
be opened and cleared and you shall be as gods.
(Satan’s tempting verse from John Milton’s
Paradise Lost, Book IX)
But has the very certainty of science robbed us of what
we most desire, a purpose for our lives and a reason for the
universe?
It was believed that just 6,000 years ago God created the
universe and put us on this planet Earth in the middle of it
and everything rotated around us. Physics leaves us on the

13
fringes of creation. We are not at the centre o f our solar
system and our galaxy is not at the centre of the universe. If
the universe exists on the basis of the laws of nature and we
are here riding along in the expansion of the universe for a
few billion years until the sun bum s out, there does not seem
to be any special m eaning to that.
But do we really have to accept this godless universe? O r
is science’s claim to victory over God prem ature?
Originally the big bang was considered simply an event
without a cause. One could say nothing at all about what had
set the event off in the first place. In order to discount God
entirely scientists needed to investigate what the universe
was like when it began. As the universe was very hot and
opaque for the first 300,000 years it was not possible to see
with a large telescope back to the instant of creation. To do
that, scientists had to create the conditions at the time of the
big bang.
Scientists resorted to the use of sub-atomic particle
accelerators in the laboratory. Both m atter and anti-matter
were equally present at the time of the big bang, and there
is such an accelerator at Fermilab in America where super
cooled magnets are used to accelerate m atter and anti­
m atter to the speed o f light. Particles are collided in this
vast particle-detecting machine. When collisions occur in
the detector, it is n o t fragm ents o f particles th at are
produced, it is pure energy.
T he machine at Fermilab produces energies that were
present four picoseconds after the big bang, where the
tem perature was millions of degrees. T h e num bers are
beyond everyday experience. At such extreme temperatures,
in line with the strange laws of quantum mechanics, the
energy takes on the form of the primordial particle of the
big bang. In effect the scientists are forcing into existence
the very first elements o f time, space and object which existed
in our universe. If the scientists can create conditions like the
big bang in which m atter appeared out of nothing, God the
creator is not needed for the explanation o f the random

14
nature of quantum physics. T he particle accelerator experi­
m ent effectively replaces the role of God as the creator and
the initiator of the big bang.

Quantum physics
Science realized that the void from which creation sprang is
itself governed by the same principles as quantum physics.
T he picture of nothing is very different in the twenty-first
century from the picture of nothing before the advent of
quantum physics. O ne of the basic principles of quantum
physics is the principal of uncertainty. Heisenberg’s uncer­
tainty principle says that it is impossible to measure both the
position and the m om entum or speed of a particle at a given
m om ent because the ‘particle’ is both a wave and a particle.
Because of the uncertainty principle, energy can be violated
for a brief instant of time: it is possible for a particle and
anti-particle to manifest out of the nothing, exist for a brief
instant, violating the law of conservation of energy, then
annihilating, return back into the nothing.
Scientists explain this by saying that if you could see
nature on a microscopic scale, you would not see a quiescent
space but quantum foam, a frothing of particles and anti­
particles popping up and then annihilating again. So nothing
really exists as a manifest element; creation is a series of
momentary manifestations separated by a series of absences,
and it is only a sh ort and logical step to the Adwaita
philosophy of Sri Adi Shankaracharya that nothing really
exists and we believe in a non-existent material reality.
Physicists working at laboratories like Fermilab conclude
that before the big bang there was nothing, no space, no
time and no universe. T hen because of quantum uncertainty,
an expanding bubble o f vacuum grew to enorm ous size, and
that is the entire universe that we see. T he expanding bubble
of nothing is the creation of space out of nothing but cosmic
energy (shakti).
What particle accelerators did dem onstrate is that the
big bang did not need a supernatural cause. T he void from

15
which our universe sprang is in fact m ade of energy, positive
and negative, in perfect balance, and why the big bang
would have violated this balance is because nature at the
quantum level can and does suffer the uncertainty of random
events. More starding is that the scientists said that nothing
could precede that moment. So the big bang, the m oment
of creation, was one random event in a timeless nothing.
Stephen Hawking says, “What lies north o f the North
Pole?” T here is nothing, not because there is some mysterious
land of nothing there, but because there is no such place as
north of the North Pole, and in the same way there is no
such time as before the big bang.
T he big bang was the emergence of time itself. Scientists
are now saying that we have the picture in the back of our
mind of time smoothly flowing, but if the big bang was really
the emergence of the universe, it is also the very beginning
of time itself. We could also ask ourselves - where were we
before we were bom ? Well, the body bit we can understand
in a physical sense, but what about us, the indweller of
the body?
Both scientists and yogis hold that the origins of the
universe are explainable and observable. In the case of yogis
such observations are not only possible but capable of being
experienced by everyone. Resordng to the supernatural to
explain a gap in knowledge is invalid and indefensible. As
strange as quantum physics seems, scientists have been able
to check everything with practical observations and nothing
was needed to set the universe going, no ignition switch for
God to press.

H um an con sciousn ess

Quantum physics replaces the God who rested on the seventh
day, but science asks how a random universe could deliver
everything with just the right conditions to produce hum an
consciousness.
Intricate and am azing mathematical laws govern the
universe and we do not know why the laws are as they are.

16
Were they there by chance or by design? So the problem of
God as the creator has now been replaced with a deeper
problem: namely, why do we exist and ponder on the nature
of consciousness and why it is so?
T he standard model of particle physics has been used for
almost forty years for calculations in particle accelerators.
This describes how quarks and leptons - a class of particles
that includes electrons, muons and neutrinos - interact
through three of the four fundam ental forces: namely,
electromagnetism plus the strong and weak nuclear forces.
However, the model contains seventeen param eters that
must be inserted ‘by h an d ’, and physicists believe that it is
only an approxim ation to a m ore fundam ental theory.
Moreover, the fourth fundamental force, gravity, has not yet
been incorporated into the model. Models are now being
proposed to replace the standard model with nineteen
parameters, in continued efforts to understand the basic
calculations on which the universe is governed.
For many scientists, what these param eters were was all
that mattered. What they might have been is irrelevant. This is
really metaphysics because the whole area is a little bit
dubious. But a few realized that these are the questions
physics had to answer.
Frank Tippler, a professor in mathematical physics, has
written several scientifically controversial books on the
existence of consciousness and spirit. He said that an answer
had to be found an d physics had to discover how the
fundamentals of the universe were so finely tuned.
When such things as the proton mass are varied by a
factor of two, the universe is not as we know it. T h e structure
of long burning stars, such as the sun, cannot exist if the
basics are changed very much. So the question arises - why
do the constants have the values they do? This deceptively
simple question rocked physics. It m eant that science had
to explain why the universe was the way it was.

17
 2
Science and Religion

ll people, physicists included, ponder upon the miracle

A l. of life and the wonder of the universe with conditions
just right to support hum an and all other life forms. Physicists
have been looking at why the laws are as they are and whether
there is a possibility o f other laws and of other universes.
They have found rather a long list of special things.
For example, if gravity was just a litde bit stronger, or
electromagnetism a little bit weaker, or the mass of the
electron just a tiny bit more, or the mass of the proton a little
bit less, the universe we would see would be dramatically
transformed. T here probably would not be complex struc­
tures, there would not be life and we would not be sitting
around pondering on the significance of it all. Only in a
universe in which the values are very finely tuned can
intelligent life arise.
In explaining the fine-tuning of an apparently designed
universe without invoking a designer, scientists realized two
other possible explanations. First of all, the overriding law of
physics which is not yet discovered, called the ‘theory of
everything’, would say there is only one logically possible
universe. When this is understood, this theory o f everything,
then it would be understood that these fundamental constants
are not fundamental at all, but that they have specific values
coming from the logical structure of the theory, and there is
no other possible physical theory. T he theory o f everything

18
would not need arbitrary constants and functions; everything
would flow logically and simply from a mathematical principle.
In the last few years physicists have discovered the
cosmological constant: a num ber at the heart o f the universe
that is so strange, so ridiculously tiny, that even the most
hard-core theorists fear it will never be explained. And without
an explanation they will never have a theory o f everything.
Instead of a theory o f everything, physicists then came up
with a new idea to explain why this universe was created as it
is. The theory put forward was that it wasn’t the only universe,
there were trillions of them called parallel universes. This
theory says there are universes that have all sorts of values,
but we have only one universe that has just the right mix of
values that allows beings like ourselves to evolve. If we could
step back, we could see many universes of enormous size, many
bubbles of enormous size that are universes in their own right.
So it would be a multiverse. T here would be as many universes
as there are mixes of constants, and then it is not so remarkable
that there is a universe to support hum an life.
This is the theory that physics currently puts up as the
explanation of the designer-free universe. Another expla­
nation is that there is only one universe and God fixed these
particular constants for a purpose.
Jo h n Polkinghom was for twenty-five years professor of
mathematical physics at Cambridge University before he
was ordained as a minister of the church. He found theology
m ore interesting because potentially it is asking deeper and
m ore interesting questions than science addresses. T he
fundamental difference between theology and physics is that
theology answers the questions, “where do the laws of
quantum mechanics come from?” and “where do all the
other laws come from?” He thinks that looking at the world
as a creation is a much m ore economic and satisfactory
argum ent than simply supposing there are lots and lots of
different universes.
Theoretical physics looks to see whether it is possible
not to invoke a creator to set off creation. To an extent it has

19
succeeded; all the technology around us is the result of
physics, and this dem onstrates that physicists can make
progress without thinking about a divine creator deciding
on a creation.
So despite agreeing that this universe is special, science
and religion still stand apart. N either can produce the
ultimate proof and each sees the other explanation as more
irrational than their own. T he whole effort of the investigation
is to get an agreem ent on the explanation of everything.
B ertran d Russell, renow ned British p h ilo so p h er, is
credited with the following story. A lecturer is recounting
how the world came about and a woman interrupts him and
says, “You might be very clever, but I know how the world was
put together.” T he lecturer asks, “Well, how?” She answers,
“T he world is sitting on an elephant and the elephant is
standing on a turtle,” and the lecturer replies, “What is the
turtle standing on?” And the woman replies, “Oh, you can’t
trick me, it’s turdes all the way down.”

T he dilem m a
This explains the dilemma that we are up against. Creation
depends on something, or creation is an effect which has a
cause and that cause is an effect of a previous cause, and
finally we have to come up with a basic something, a basic
cause on which everything finally rests. Either we have an
infinite regression, or otherwise we have a sort o f levitating
super-turtle on which everything rests. However, until
science has found a complete explanation it will not rest,
and to have some unexplained starting point for the creation
of the universe is a religious belief and not science.
Science has to have a sort of starting point; either it is a
creator, or it is a set of facts that are there because they are
there, and if this universe that we know came into existence,
why not other universes as well?
Proposing an infinite num ber of universes had a starding
consequence: it meant inescapably that our universe had a
chance set of laws. T he only reason scientists were studying

20
them was that our universe had by chance created them. If
God had not defined our universe, what those scientists are
saying is that the universe is defined by our presence in it.
T he implications of this are profound. For this is a scientific
retreat from a theory that explains everything, to a position
where the starting point for creation or the levitating super­
turtle is us: I am the creator of this universe. How does this
sit with our ancient knowledge?
Samkhya is a philosophy based on experience. Its original
author, Rishi Kapila, gave us an explanation for the creation
and evolution of the elements of the universe based on cause
and effect. Subsequent commentators such as Gaudapada
and Vachaspati Mishra have given reason to this philosophy,
which can withstand sharp intellectual analysis.
Samkhya is a dualistic philosophy, and it holds that the
foundation of creation lies in two primary elements: purusha,
the all-knowing, unchanging soul m ade up of all individual
souls, which is powerless to act; and prakriti, the pure cosmic
energy in an eternal state of flux or change.
Purusha and prakriti are the cause for all subsequent
events. Purusha is infinite and unchanging, whilst prakriti is
infinite yet constantly changing. Purusha has the capacity to
see whilst prakriti has the capacity to act, and creation has
been described in Samkhya as the lame purusha helping the
blind prakriti. In their primal form both purusha and prakriti
are unm anifest, beyond tim e and space, an d the p re ­
dominance of rajas, or the dynamic aspect of energy, flowing
in prakriti causes the process of creation. T h e essence of
our existence is the expression of our individual purusha
and the sum total of creation is the expression of the sum
total of all individual purushas. T he starting point of creation
is the individual soul.
Science gives up the chance of explaining why everything
exists by just assuming it. Physics killed the old creator by
revealing how creatio n occurred w ithout him , but in
attem pting to explain away the coincidence of the fine-tuned
design the old physics killed itself too, and in doing so it

21
opened the door to a new more subde understanding of
physics and of God.
Physicists now say that the important thing is not distance
and it is not mass; it is consciousness that seems to have
evolved on this planet. Science has put us back to the point
that religion has always said we were, at the centre of the
universe. T he miracle of creation is not that the universe
exists, but that we are in it to witness it.

T he study o f personal experiences

To come to an understanding of the universe and its laws,
and creation is the pursuit and domain of physicists. Biologists,
psychologists and psychiatrists also pursue the validity of
consciousness th ro u g h the study o f the m icrocosm ic
perspective within our own being. C urrent biological science
now ponders on the reality of ancient revelations.
According to the scriptures, Christ’s followers asked for
a sign of God’s existence to which Christ said, “An evil and
adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be
given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as
Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so
shall the son of m an be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.” {Holy Bible, Matthew 12:40)
T he people wanted proof, or at least a sign showing
God’s existence. Just as Jonah was resurrected out of the
belly of a whale after three days, Christ was resurrected after
crucifixion after three days in the tomb. But ju st as scepdcs
boldly pronounce this story as a fable due to lack of proof,
are they capable of disproving it?
Ajna is the telescope capable of viewing future and past
events. Time itself is a creation, and a personality of the
stature o f Christ surely had the capacity to view future
events.
Andy Clark is a cognitive scientist trying to understand
the nature of intelligence. He has a different certainty; that
God is a by-product of activity in the hum an brain and that
we carry in our brain an established pattern, which answers

22
the inexplicable wonders of the hum an being and life itself
by attributing the answers to these questions that do not
make sense as being, “It was done by God.”
For most of our lives the answer to whether God exists
can be deferred, but as we grow older, the question becomes
m ore pressing. According to Andy Clark there is nothing
m ore horrific than knowing we are going to die, for when we
die, we fall into a black hole and cease to be. This takes the
m eaning out of life, and for science death is certainly the
end and anything that argues against it can be nothing more
than a comforting story.
T here are people whose faith in something beyond death
is based not on religious teachings but on something which
they feel is an undeniable experience. Over the years there
have been countless num bers of people who have been
reported as clinically dead and after some minutes they have
re tu rn e d to life. Science prefers the term ‘near-death
experience’ and countless ‘out of body after death’ exper­
iences have been reported where people have experienced
beings both seen and the presence of a being yet unseen,
and fiirther report experiences of overwhelming compassion,
light and knowledge.
They witness souls hanging on to their earthly existence,
continuing in their thought patterns of old. Stockbrokers
still full of tension continue to play a stock m arket that only
exists in the realm of their own minds. Drinkers, gamblers
and fighters continue with their habits, not realizing that
they have lost the physical body. They report higher realms
of study, of literature and poetry, and the highest realms of
light, beauty, clarity and love for all mankind.
Often these experiences are in hospital, and during these
experiences the person is seen to have died and after three
minutes or ten minutes they return and make ‘miraculous’
recoveries. Further, they report that the experiences of
overwhelming compassion and love stay with them for the
rest of their lives, changing them forever. Reported so-called
near-death experiences cover the whole gamut of experience

23
from the most base earthly to the most heavenly and divine.
By far the most common experience reported is that of the
bright white light, a constant reassuring secure companion;
the white light of ajna.
Some researchers have concluded that these experiences
are illusions and must occur either when the person is losing
consciousness or regaining it, but definitely not when clinically
dead. However, many researchers are of the opinion that
domains of consciousness, other than those perceivable by
the ordinary senses, are a possible reality and near-death
experiences are not ju st illusions.
Peter Fenwick is one such person. He is a n e u ro ­
psychiatrist at the Institute o f Psychiatry who has been
studying near-death experiences for over twenty years. He
thinks there are problems with the conventional explanation.
He reports that EEG measurements of the brain activity
during stages of losing consciousness shows that this decay
of consciousness is very rapid and could not have sufficient
time for such experiences, and when the EEG is flat, none of
the cortical structures o f the brain function and, according
to o u r science, this precludes the possibility o f such
experiences. T herefore, mainstream medicine thinks the
experiences must be during recovery. However, Fenwick
disagrees. He says that during arousal, while the brain is
receiving oxygen, there is very confused thinking and such
a brain would not be able to experience the clarity of such
experiences reported.
Peter Fenwick knows that it would be unscientific to ignore
the fact that thousands o f unconnected people from different
cultures right through the ages have had the same exper­
iences, and he concludes that it is a fact that these are the
range of phenom ena that you can experience, and you have
to look at these experiences and see what value you are
going to put on them. Fenwick concludes that these values
could be of two types: either they are cultural, o r they define
other dimensions of reality, and science will have to accept
the validity of other dimensions of reality.

24
 It is not just near-death experiences which persuade
Fenwick that so-called subjective experiences might have
more reality than science recognizes. T here is also what he
considers to be tantalizing evidence coming from prayer
studies as well. He says that he is now finding that subjective
experience can directly affect the world. If one looks at a
person praying for something to happen, direct mental intent
at a distance, this type o f prayer does have an effect.
In the Vatican City such reports of healing through prayer
do not come as a surprise. In a centuries old vault are kept
the records of what they call miracles, astonishing cures that
have no scientific explanation and which they attribute to
the power of prayer. In order to arrive at the decision that a
case is indeed a miracle, one must totally exclude any
possibility of hum an intervention or hum an explanation of
the case. Therefore, these cases of miracles have to be studied
by scientists involved in that particular specialization of
medicine. T he cure, beyond any shadow of a doubt, has to be
perm anent and scientifically inexplicable.
Anybody who has practised pranic healing techniques
will know the importance of ajna in transferring and supplying
healing prana to others. This may be initiated through prayer
or by m antra or through direct manipulation o f prana.
Fenwick is not trying to validate the role o f God in the
same sense as the Vatican, but he has m onitored several
clinical studies in America, which appear to show that hospital
patients being prayed for recover more quickly than those
not being prayed for, regardless of their beliefs. Fenwick
points out that the evidence for hastened healing through
prayer is undeniable, yet science is making no progress
because the fundamental science is flawed when it comes to
research into subtle out-of-body experiences.

Subjective ex p erien ce
Yogis have disciplined an d con cen trated th e ir m inds to
experience intuitive subtle states, and in these states they have
experienced five dimensions of consciousness called koshas.

25
They have experienced, recorded and categorized all the
elements of creation from the unmanifest indefinable cosmic
consciousness and the unmanifest indefinable cosmic energy
to gross solid matter, beyond which there is no further creation.
T he experiences have been subjectively recorded and in
turn, over the ages, thousands have discovered the ancient
knowledge for themselves. This metaphysical data need not
be ignored on the grounds that it cannot be verified by the
science of today. Science cannot accept the immeasurable
and indefinable, yet scientists see the clear evidence of
particles em erging from nothing; they see a reality that
transcends hum an existence, and this reality exists when the
brain is clinically dead.
It is time for science to change its approach to gaining
knowledge. So far, disproving hypotheses has m ade great
gains. Newton, Galileo and many others disproved earlier
hypotheses to establish their own laws, which resisted further
attempts to disprove them.
However, when researching into the source o f everything,
the subtlest of the subtle, the unmanifest and indefinable,
which is immortal consciousness beyond time and beyond
space, the basic attitude must be of acceptance, and when
this acceptance takes place, the scientist becomes a yogi. By
accepting the validity o f other dimensions of consciousness
beyond objective ex tern al reality, we can witness and
experience such dimensions. T hen the scientist makes his
body a laboratory, his m ind the instrum ent of research and
his experience the result and conclusion. T he conclusion is
that there is a theory o f everything, the macroscopic creation
is a reflection of that dom ain called superconsciousness in
which we know everything, and all this is known through
the quality of our subde eye, otherwise known as ajna. Only
then can the experience stand the test of intellectual analysis.

26
 3
Philosophical Background

jn a chakra is part o f the psychic physiology described in

A l. kundalini tantra, amongst the teachings o f tantra, an
integral division of Indian philosophy. Indian philosophies
in general and tantra in particular have not been authored
by thinkers, but by those who have transcended the con­
straints of the ordinary mind and experienced higher levels
of consciousness and energy.
The books on those experiences tell us that beyond the
ordinary intellect there is another source of knowledge. They
call it a higher state o f consciousness. This consciousness
transcends the ordinary conscious mind and is term ed cosmic
or superconsciousness.
Original texts emphasize that the ordinary state of mind
or waking consciousness is pale in comparison. Since ancient
times highly evolved souls have experienced the awakening
of kundalini. Seekers have followed the paths laid down and
have seen and experienced subtle aspects of the body, mind,
chakras and universe, and then subsequently reported them
to us. These reported experiences give us a clear vision of
our psychic physiology and internal symbols associated with
each level of consciousness.
The reports are in the form of manuscripts called tantras
and in total make up the tantra shastras. Descriptions are
lucid and there is a concordance amongst the vast array of
tantras on any one subject by different authors. For example,

27
there are num erous descriptions of ajna chakra and the
symbols seen within it. Most of the kundalini tantras agree
that in ajna or bhru chakra resides a goddess nam ed Hakini
who has four arms and drinks ambrosia. Experiences of
higher consciousness and kundalini descriptions have been
written down in a variety of texts spanning thousands of
years, yet they are basically the same with varying terminology.
Therefore, we can rely on the instructions, methods and
mantras written down by those who have walked the path
before us. No doubt the experiences they report are spiritual
and beyond the realm o f the senses. T he validity of spiritual
experiences cannot be measured by the logic of worldly,
material or sensorial experiences because they are of different
realms. Material experiences are dependent on an object
perceived by the senses whereas spiritual experiences are
beyond the senses. It is pointless to argue the validity of
spiritual experiences from a materialistic point of view.
In space things are not what they appear to be: straight
lines become curved, space is curved, and mass and time are
a function of the speed in relation to the speed of light. In
the same way, we have to accept the validity of spiritual
experiences. Because everyone does not encounter spiritual
reality does not m ean that it is not there; it ju st means the
few who have broken the bonds with worldly existence have
experienced the spiritual reality, in the same way that the
few who have broken away from the pull of earth’s gravity
know what it is like to be in space.
Mandukya Upanishad tells us that objective reality, the
reality that we know in our ordinary waking state, has
manifested from a higher energy state, an unmanifest reality.
Just as the apple tree is the manifestation of the essence of
the apple seed, this creation is a manifestation of higher
reality. All these things have been seen and experienced in
lucid encounters with higher reality. Higher reality is often
described in poetic and often dramatized passages. These
passages are ultimately written and subsequendy categorized
in volumes that make u p the Indian philosophical systems.

28
 Mandukya Upanishad describes the experience from the
microcosm o f individual consciousness, yet it describes the
whole creation m anifesting from the macrocosmic su per­
conscious state. It is here that we come to understand that the
universal macrocosm is the same as the individual microcosm,
and that individual consciousness is not an ultim ate reality.
T he ultimate consciousness, called turiya, is not that which
is conscious of the inner (subjective) world, nor that which is
conscious of the outer (objective) world, nor that which is
conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of consciousness.
It is unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, uninferable,
unthinkable and indescribable. T h e essence o f the con­
sciousness manifesting as the self (in the three states), it is the
cessation of all phenom ena; it is all peace, all bliss and non­
dual. This is what is known as the fourth; this is atman (self),
and this has to be realized.
We must note at this point that the word philosophy is
English for the Sanskrit word darshan. Darshan means that
which is revealed or seen; a vision of the divine o r sacred or
truth. Often darshan is the vision of a manifest divine. T he
vision of Christ three days after his crucifixion is called
darshan, and the sacred texts are considered as darshan
because their content has been seen.
Adepts sitting steady for long periods using m antras and
concentration techniques, transcend body and m ind to access
the turiya state and then darshan or revelations of that state
are experienced. T he revelations outlined the path and gave
aspirants purpose and inspiration. In turn others have
experienced these revealed truths.
Kundalini tantra is the truth about the complex psychic
hum an physiology, about its dorm ant potential as well as the
means to awaken kundalini shakti, the store of energy, and
the levels of awakening according to the chakras. Descriptions
of the chakras detail multi-petalled flowers with yantras,
mantras, colours and deities, and these descriptions have
made an indelible m ark in the psyche of all those who have
come across such information.

29
Sanatana dharma
In ancient times, before the idea of categorizing people into
different religious groups, communities around the Indus
River were organized in such a way as to guide people towards
in n er spiritual ex p erience. W ealth an d greatn ess were
measured in terms of spiritual attainm ent and materialistic
goals were understood to support materialistic needs. Spiritual
life was balanced with worldly life, and life was divided into
four stages. T he first stage was childhood and youth dedicated
to education and learning, known as brahmacharya.
Education was broad; it included language, mathematics
and social sciences, as well as spiritual lore. Very litde was
written; however, the Rig Veda, one of the oldest records of
those times, sings praises of the mighty river Indus that
watered fertile flood plains, providing food for so many.
Records o f Indus script found on thousands of tablets
rem ain a mystery. However, archaeological excavations have
u n e a rth e d a clear p ictu re o f o rg anized com m unities
systematically housed according to precise planning, com­
plete with streets and roads, drainage, bathing and common
facilities. With the passing of time the Indus dried up and
the communities m igrated to the Ganges and other plains;
however, their traditions were etched into society.
Memory was the basis of learning: thousands of books
were rem em bered so well that when writing came into vogue
some thousands of years later, the same recitations from
different parts of India varied in just one or two lines over
some hundreds of thousands of verses. Writing vedas and
upanishads and other great texts were scribed when it was
foreseen that subsequent civilizations would forget the
teachings and memory would become dim.
The second stage in life was for m arriage and family.
This division, term ed grihastha or householder, was society’s
provider. From the age of twenty-five to fifty years people
p u rsu ed this window o f o p p o rtu n ity to ex p lo re th eir
ambitions and desires, knowing it would soon end and that
all would be passed on to the next generation. However, the

30
education gave adherents the stability to know that the
highest goal, pursuit o f inner experience, rem ained a part
of their existence, and emphasis on this goal was to grow in
subsequent stages.
T he third stage o f twenty-five years, vanaprastha, was
training for renunciation of all worldly desires and external
pursuits. Husband and wife would move to a hut in the forest
and perform devotions and meditations away from emotional
and material support o f friends and family.
T he fourth and final stage of life, term ed sannyasa, was
taken from the age of seventy-five years. This stage was a life
of simplicity, austerity and contemplation combined with
total renunciation of all family and friends so that all bonds
could be broken.
Society was structured to turn its members away from the
comforts o f wealth and worldly achievem ent and toward
spiritual perfection . T h is lifestyle, which en co u rag ed
evolution, was nam ed sanatoria dharma, m eaning eternal cul­
ture. Sanatana dharm a was the basic philosophy of life and
now it is incorrectly described as the Hindu religion.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica the British intro­
duced the term ‘H induism ’ during the 1800s in order to
separate Buddhists and Sikhs from Hindus as all three faiths
are based on sanatana dharm a. T he term Hindu originated
from the Indus river and Hindus were those people whose
lifestyle had originated around the Indus valley, even though
the river had disappeared many thousands of years before
and all that rem ained were the archaeological digs in the
deserts of India and Pakistan, somewhat north o f what is now
known as Mumbai.
This sanatana culture produced a plethora of ascetic
seers, as well as rishis who had families and renunciate
saints. These great souls (mahatmas) were given the highest
status; often they were advisers to kings and their influence
on society was enormous. T he work of saints was funded
with the patronage of kings and thus the messages of these
great souls are still available today.

31
 Just as a flower has attractiveness and scent, in the same
way saints have that quality of the divine, which is beautiful
and attractive. It is to these advanced souls that the highest
respect was given. T heir advice was sought in all matters of
state as well as in personal problems. They bequeathed
m ankind a large wealth of records for our guidance. Literally
thousands of texts on every facet of sacred lore are available.
These records were in the form of poetic verse, illustrating
the experience of the absolute through dram a and question
and answer. T he richness of language and beauty of de­
scription composed in rhym ing verse is evidence o f the
supreme level of mental evolution that these masters of the
past had reached. This is why we hear the ring of truth in their
writings; this is why we reach sublime depths of peaceful
contemplation after we chant their mantras and this is why we
aspire for their experience, knowing their truth to be the
truth just by a whisper o f acknowledgement from within us,
a vibration nodding in agreem ent with what they have
presented to us.
Thus the sanatana dharm a tradition was born: teachings
in the form of vedas, upanishads, epics such as the Maha-
bharata and the Ramayana, philosophies such as T antra,
Vedanta and Samkhya, and practical instructions in the
form of kundalini yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga,
m antra yoga and laya yoga.
This system for society was based on one principle: hum an
spirit is who we are in reality. This was the experience of
sages throughout history and in identifying with the body,
senses, possessions and materialistic gains, we forget who we
are - the spirit.

Search for truth

Loss of memory of who we really are is illustrated beautifully
in chapter four of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Narada relates
this story to the sorrowful King Prachinabarhis, who is in
search of the way to truth. “I will tell you a story,” began
Narada, “which illustrates in allegory what I wish to teach.

32
 “T here lived a well-known king, named Puranjana. He
had an intimate friend, but none knew his nam e or his
occupation. Puranjana roamed all over the earth, hoping to
find a suitable place to live in. But he m et only with
disappointment. He thought to himself, I have seen many
cities, but none appears good to me. I want to live in a city
where all my desires may be satisfied, but none of these
would be sufficient for the purpose.
“At last he came to a city in Bharatavarsha, south of the
Himalayas. This magnificent city, with its nine gates, its
stately palaces, its beautiful gardens and crystal lakes,
appeared to have all the advantages he had been seeking.
He felt that his wanderings were over, for here all his desires
could be gratified.
“Then, one day soon after, Puranjana saw a beautiful
young girl with her attendants, walking in a garden. T heir
paths met, they fell in love and within a short time they were
married. They continued to live in the city of nine gates, and
it was by passing through these gates that Puranjana found
he could indulge his many desires, although, strange to say,
he never found any real sausfaction in so doing. H e loved his
wife deeply and was happy only in her presence. He made
her wishes his, and when she wept he wept, when she smiled
he smiled. Thus slavishly responsive to her every whim and
mood, he was on the way to losing the last vestige of his
independence.
“For many years he stayed on in that beautiful city,
gratifying his every desire but never obtaining any lasting
pleasure or comfort from his way of life.
“Now it happened that while King Puranjana, immersed
in pleasures, was forgetful of everything else, a mighty general
attacked the city where he dwelt. This general possessed a
certain magical charm by means of which he had the power
to work great havoc. So it was that he demolished the beautiful
city of nine gates. Puranjana himself could not escape. He
found himself bereft of everything, even of that last stronghold
of consciousness, his memory. He forgot well nigh all his

33
past, his kingship and his magnificent city. O ne memory
alone was left: the thought of his beautiful wife. This thought
possessed his m ind with such intensity that he did not
notice his loss of memory for the rest of the world. His
whole nature became obsessed by her image, and like a
madman, who losing his own identity becomes the being
whose im age possesses him, P uranjana found him self
transformed into a lovely young girl like his wife.
“The young girl he had now become forgot her previous
identity to such an extent that when she m et with King
Malayadhvaja, she fell in love with him and m arried him.
When in the course of time the king passed away and she was
left alone, lamenting his death and her bereavement, an
unknown brahm in came to her and said:
“O my beloved friend, why are you grieving? Do you not
know me, your dear friend? Try to rem em ber who and what
you are. I have been your friend always, but you neglected
me and forgetting me entirely went away in search of pleasure
and enjoyment. You and I are friends, united in eternal
bonds. Though you forgot me, I have been with you all the
time. You entered into a city of nine gates and became so
deeply attached to a woman that you forgot your real self.
T hen later you became forgetful of your past and believed
yourself to be the wife of this man. You are neither the
husband nor the wife. T here is no sex in you. You and I are
not separate. Know yourself as me. Just as one sees oneself as
two when reflected in a mirror, so do you appear as you and
me, but in reality we are one.”
Prachinabarhis requested Narada to explain the allegory,
and Narada, assenting, thus spoke on: “O King, Puranjana
in the story stands for the purusha, the divine self. He is
called Puranjana because the divine self is the manifestor of
pura, or the body. T he unknown friend that I have mentioned
is Brahman, or God. None knows Him, for no deeds or
attributes can express o r reveal Him.
“The puras, or bodies, are of various kinds. O f these the
hum an body is a suitable instrument for the enjoyment of all

34
desires. This hum an body is the city with nine gates, such as
eyes, ears, nose etc., through which the divine self or
Puranjana goes out, as it were, to enjoy the objects of the
senses. T he wife is the intellect, united with whom man
enjoys the world and worldly goods. In thus identifying itself
with the intellect or ego, the divine self forgets its true nature
and becomes immersed in ignorance and vanity. T he great
general is all-destructive time whose charms are disease and
death; disease and death ultimately destroy this body.
“Man is divine and free and blissful. Being deluded, he
superimposes the attributes of the non-self upon the self.
H unger and thirst belong to the prana, lust or desire belongs
to the senses and the mind; but all these are attributed to the
self in man, who is by nature free.
“Forgetful of his true divine nature, identifying himself
with the false ego, m an becomes attached to the world and
the pleasures of the world. He then is bound by his deeds. As
are his deeds, so is his birth.”
This is the story of King Prachinabarhis and it is everyone’s
story. Spiritual aspirants are by definition dissatisfied with
pleasures and worldly objectives. Thus they search for truth,
a meaningful, satisfying, non-decaying truth, a truth we feel
is there, yet we have lost our memory of it. Even if God
comes to us in the form of experience, we will not recognize
Him because our memory is dim.

Kundalini yoga
T he Srimad Bhagavatam tells us in chapter two of the yogi
who aspires to return to the memory of purusha by kundalini
yoga. “A true yogi, realizing the approach o f death, sits
calmly in a yoga posture, and with his heart purified and
m ind u n d e r perfect control, becomes absorbed in the
consciousness of Brahman. Thus he lives in a state of perfect
tranquillity.
“Time, the great destroyer, which lords it over everything
in the universe, is annihilated. T he universe itself melts into
nothingness. T he yogi is no longer aware of his physical self.

35
T he worshipful Lord Vishnu alone is in his heart. All to him
is God. Such is his blissful state.
“Desiring to give up the body, he allows the vital energy
to pass through the different centres of consciousness. First,
the energy is concentrated in the solar plexus, called manipura.
From there the energy rises to anahata, the heart. It then
passes to the centre near the throat, called vishuddhi. From
there it ascends to ajnar the centre between the eyebrows.
“At this point one o f two things may come to pass. If the
yogi has reached the state of desirelessness, he realizes the
absolute Brahman and the vital energy ascends to sahasrara,
the thousand-petalled lotus centre in the brain, called the
doorway to Brahman. T hen the yogi, realizing his unity with
Brahman, completes the separation of him self from the
senses, the sense organs, the mind and the body and passes
away. He attains what is known as absolute freedom. This is
called immediate liberation.
“If, on the other hand, having raised his vital energy to
the centre between the eyebrows, the yogi still has some
desires left in him, he does not realize the absolute unity,
but passes away still associating himself with the m ind and
the senses. He then ascends to higher and higher lokas and
ultimately reaches the brahm a loka. T here he becomes freed
from all desires and realizes his unity with Brahman; and
thus, having attained absolute freedom, there is for him no
more return. This is called the gradual liberation.
“Be ye therefore, O King, a yogi, for by worshipping the
lord of love one has all desires fulfilled and in the end attains
freedom. Even hearing of God stimulates the higher con­
sciousness and brings about detachm ent from the fleeting
world. So should a m an follow the path of freedom, the path
of love.”

Ajna chakra
Ajna is the fulcrum about which our spiritual and material
lives are balanced. By identification with external values,
our vision is blind to the greater truths within and this

36
process continues until we have seen through the host of
beliefs we have adopted in our hope for enjoyment and
satisfaction in our materialistic lifestyle.
According to the vedantic theory of yoga and the
experience of people who have perfected it, ajna chakra is
the place where the greater mind manifests in the form of a
desire. T hat desire, which is the first manifestation of the
greater mind, is known as ichcha shakti. The greater m ind
next manifests in the form of willpower known as sankalpa
shakti. Then it manifests as a creative process known as kriya
shakti. T hat creative process of the supreme intelligence is
later on perceived at the level of the different chakras.
Ajna chakra is a point where the higher intelligence, the
unmanifest and the manifest intelligence, are both experi­
enced. Therefore, the yogic traditions have called ajna chakra
the seat of intuition, the seat of the guru or the seat of the
sixth sense. T he five senses belong to the manifest dimension,
the manifest experience. T he sixth sense, or the intuitive
experience, is the transcendental m anifestation of the
supreme intelligence. It is here that we have to focus our
creativity, willpower and desire to either be a receiver of, or a
receptacle for, the manifest or unmanifest experiences.
Ajna works like a radar; what is received depends on the
direction of focus. If you focus downwards, you will receive
the experiences contained in vishuddhi, anahata, manipura,
swadhisthana and mooladhara. T he purpose o f awakening
ajna is to become aware of these different levels in ajna when
it is focused downwards.
When you reverse the focus of ajna, then it becomes the
practice of ajna dharana, which is a re-focusing o f the antenna
which receives information and vibrations from above. There
has to be a focus for that antenna in order to channel the
supreme consciousness in the form of a beam and direct it
to ajna, so that the information can be received as a tran­
scendental input into the hum an frame.
We have the choice either to direct our focus toward
inner or transcendental knowledge, or to increase our

37
knowledge of the aspects attributed to the qualities of the
lower chakras. Once ajna is awake, we can clearly see, but
without this clear sight there is no choice and we are driven
by the force of our minds and our karmas. O ur vision is so
limited and our memory of the truth is so rem ote that we
resort to books and other indirect sources to search for
higher knowledge that we somehow know is there, but cannot
see that it is there.
Today’s mind is basically rational and dem ands proof.
Knowledge based on experience is not demonstrable nor is
it repeatable, and therefore science has searched the universe
for the knowledge of creation. Surprisingly enough scientists
have come up with correlations between what has been written
in ancient texts and what is understood to be the forefront of
metaphysics. T he ancient knowledge was perceived through
the intuitive eye of ajna, whilst the current run of science is
perceived in huge laboratories.

38
 4
The Guru Chakra

I nBhagavatam
the previous chapter the story from the epic Srimad
was told. T he great sage King Puranjana was
dissatisfied, yet he was united with the absolute consciousness.
He sought identification with the body and its senses as a
source of pleasure. He was deluded by an idea, an idea bom
on the urging of tamas to seek out a pleasant life. T he sway
of tamas was so great that in identifying with the body and its
endless wishes, he obliterated the memory of being one with
the nameless universal consciousness.
From the viewpoint of an ordinary seeker in the twenty-
first century, on first examination this story is a contradiction
in terms. It flies in the face of reason for pursuit of spiritual
life. T he very reason we pursue a spiritual path is to reach
the ultimate state of bliss and contentment, a state where
there is no dissatisfaction. King Puranjana was at one with
absolute consciousness, he was one with everything; he would
have realized the illusory nature of the lower self and he
would have seen illusion shrouding the truth. H e would have
had the innate quality that comes with a fully awakened ajna
chakra. He would have seen the mind, and the ramifications
of such an action as identification with the body would have
been plainly obvious.
Just as we would say no to an ordinary sweet from the
local com er shop when we could have a box of the finest
Belgian chocolate, we would expect King Puranjana to say

39
no to lower forms of identification, yet he went ahead and
ignored his identification with the ultimate, and instead
identified with the body.
It is from this story that we can get an idea of why
creation happened at all. This logical argum ent falls down
only because we are missing vital information. T he fact is
that creation did occur, and according to science it occurred
four billion years ago. It is just that together with this creation
the unmanifest transformed, becoming both manifest and
unmanifest. This has been spelt out in the first verse of the
Ishavasya Upanishad. This creation manifested and its source
was the unmanifest, just as rain is sourced from the ocean
but the ocean does not diminish. T he unmanifest remains
unchanged and we have both manifest and unmanifest.
From the revelations of ancient rishis who have accessed
the source of all knowledge, we know that in the ultimate
unmanifest reality time stands still and there is 110 creation.
Shiva, the absolute almighty om nipresent consciousness, is
in perfect harmony with Shakti, the cosmic energy; both are
unmanifest, in perfect balance and equipoise. Shakti is not a
placid cosmic high energy state described by physicists as
The Nothing.

Tantra - consciousness and energy

Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, in her book Sri Vijnana
Bhairava Tantra (SVBT), writes: “Tantric philosophy postu­
lates that the universe o f matter and energy has evolved out
of primordial nature, o r Shakti, who represents pure energy.
H er cosmic counterpart and co-creator is Shiva, or pure
consciousness, who exists as conscious intelligence distinct
from her and her derivatives. In the original state Shiva is
forever immanent and eternal but inactive as opposed to
Shakti, who is forever im m anent and eternal but active.
“Although Shiva and Shakti separate momentarily, giving
rise to the individual consciousness, in th e ir cosmic
manifestation they forever exist side by side. So there are
both cosmic and individual aspects of Shiva and Shakti.”

40
 Now this begs the question: why did the momentary
separation happen or why did creation and the fate of King
Puranjana eventuate? C ontinuing with Swami Satsangi’s
passage on creation:
“Shiva and Shakti together give rise to the avyakta or
unmanifest cosmos, as well as the vyakta or manifest creation.
T he first manifestations of creation are known as nada, bindu
and kalaa. Nada literally means ‘vibration’. As a part of the
unmanifest creation, it exists as the cosmic vibration or
spandan. In the vyakta o r manifest creation, it exists as sound
of varying frequencies. Bindu represents a point or nucleus,
and kalaa is a ray or force which emanates from the nucleus,
or bindu, due to the vibrations created by nada.”
So here we have the seed of the answer to the whole
creation question. Why do we identify with external values,
knowing that truth is within? Just as water always runs
downhill, our consciousness, if left to the forces of nature,
moves away from ultimate wisdom towards ignorance. To
move towards tru th , we need a rep resen tativ e o f the
unmanifest reality pointing the way and this representative
communicates with us through the guru chakra, ajna.
Out of the interplay of these qualities the limited dim en­
sion manifests, and this limited manifest dimension inherits
the qualities of which it came from, namely nada, bindu,
and kalaa. Atomic physics partly concurs. H eisenberg’s
uncertainty principle states that a subatomic particle behaves
both as a particle and a wave because the energy from
which subatomic particles manifested had those potentials.
T he energy of such particles is measured as discrete packets
called quanta. Why does this manifestation always move
from an undefinable subtle state to a limited dimension
and why has it been happening for millions o f years? This
is one of the great mysteries that continue to baffle our
reasonable minds because the answer is unreasonable, yet
we dem and an answer for such a haunting question as to
why creation and us, both you and me, came into existence
at all.

41
 Just as my body is the manifest expression of my parents’
desire, my being is the manifest expression of my desire, and
creation is the manifest expression of a universal desire. T he
unmanifest is not at equipoise; it is energy having different
qualities and at any one time one quality predominates, then
at other times another o f the three predominates.
Yogis following the path of tantra raised the energy within
the framework of their individual awareness and uniting
with universal consciousness brought enlightenm ent within.
This was their experience and they had direct knowledge of
the nature of cosmic energy. Yogis experience pure cosmic
energy and have reported their experiences to us. In SVBT
Swami Satsangi translates the original sloka (verse four) telling
us of the nada, bindu and anahata nada, the sound that is
experienced out of an invisible source, the unstruck sound.
SVBT tells us that energy is the face of consciousness.
God is faceless, invisible and unm anifest, yet we can
experience or reach the experience of consciousness by
relating with the forms of energy, be they gross material
forms (apara shakti), m ental or visualized form (parapara
shakti) or supreme primal transcendent energy (para shakti).
SVBT tells us that kalaa, bindu and nada are the first evolutes
of primal energy (spandan) in the process of creation and
since nothing comes from nothing, the potential for these
evolutes must be inherent in the nature of pure energy itself.
T antra postulates that Shakti and Shiva are one. Every
p art of consciousness is replete with energy and the highest
state of consciousness is a very high state of energy. At the
m om ent of creation, or four picoseconds after the instant of
creation, space was created and began to expand (described
as an expanding bubble o f vacuum). Now scientists have further
calculated that this expanding bubble of universal proportion
is still expanding, yet the rate of expansion is decreasing and
is coming to a halt. T hen it will begin to turn in on itself and
shrink to an incredibly dense ball, tend in g toward zero
dimension. This is the course of nature, indicating that the
pursuit of the manifest dimension brings no ultimate reward.

42
M anifest dim ension
Thinking humans know that worldly pursuits can only bring
ongoing duties and responsibilities, and ultimately there is
no joy in material gain, yet the attraction is irresistible.
Maya is the illusory force of nature that makes us find worldly
objects and attainments so attractive. Ajna is the eye that
can reveal the way to a lasting satisfied bliss free from the
need of objects.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati tells the story of Maya,
the goddess of illusion, and Bhakti, the goddess of devotion,
leading us to the ultimate truth. He tells us that originally
Maya was dressed in un attractiv e rags and Bhakti was
resplendent in fine clothes and jewels. One day Maya and
Bhakti were at the pond and while Bhakti was busy bathing,
Maya crept ashore and stole Bhakti’s clothes, leaving her own
rags behind for Bhakti to wear. Since then Maya’s attraction
is unparalleled, whilst Bhakti’s beauty is concealed in rags.
So nature, the female aspect, manifests and after a time
this manifestation shrinks to non-existence in the manifest
dimension, yet the unmanifest dimension remains unaffected,
unchanged throughout the process of creation and destruction.
In the unmanifest dimension we have cosmic energy with the
potential to vibrate, to behave like a point and to act like a
wave, and it is a very high energy state. Just as high voltage
electrical energy in clouds is naturally released as lightning,
creation of the manifest dimension is a natural event.
T he manifest quality o f Shakti is nature, everything
around us, and it is constandy changing: air, trees, rivers,
earth, rocks, mountains and the absorbing blue of the sky.
We are also that nature and we are also ever changing.
Tantra, Samkhya and Vedanta philosophies tell us that the
change in nature is due to the gunas, or three qualities of
nature, namely, sattwa, rajas and tamas. Sattwa is bom of the
equipoise of rajas and tamas and is our highest and purest
state. Just as pure unmanifest cosmic energy has its three
qualities of nada, kala and bindu, manifest energy has these
three qualities of the gunas.

43
 Dominance of sattwa over the other two is our refuge from
a life overwhelmed by events. Sattwa is the poetry of truth, of
beauty, a love o f purity, free from the trammels o f worldly
responsibilities and the travails of the ordinary day. Sattwa can
be achieved through fasting, pilgrimages to sacred sites and
th ro u g h ex ten d ed a n d continual yoga practices such as
pranayama and meditation. These are well known techniques,
yet the technique we use most often, but remain ignorant of,
is plain hard work. Lifting rocks and stones, carrying them
some distance and then digging them in to make a wall requires
determination and muscles. This kind of work leads quickly
to exhaustion, especially if the loads are heavy, and so we stop
to rest. T hen we see a bird, a leaf, an ant, or the sky and at this
m om ent we need nothing; the blueness of the sky or the
m ovem ent o f the ant occupies our total attention and we
become momentarily enraptured in the beauty of the moment.
This is the experience of sattwic energy, a momentary equanim­
ity or enrapture in the beauty of the moment.
Dominance of rajas manifests as our will and dynamism,
as our ambition to succeed, achieve and acquire. T he very
core of our being, the essential consciousness, may be
indefinable, all knowing, yet the energy of our being is the
knowable aspect and this has the nature of the macrocosmic
energy of creation from which we are manifest. Thus the
dynamism of our being is a mark of our personality.
Tamas is the quality of nature that, predominating, leads
to nature’s own destruction. Within our own individual
microcosm we have preferred solid objects to mental ideas.
Prior to the creation o f the body and senses we possessed,
and still possess, the same faculties in the subtle dimension.
In place of sight we preferred to have eyes that have the
sight and then we could say, ‘these are my eyes and I see’,
and the same goes for all the sense organs and all the organs
of action. W hen we exam ine the com plete process of
m anifestation o f creation from both m acrocosmic and
microcosmic points of view, we come to understand that
each manifestation is a process of tamas predom inating.

44
 It is little wonder that we are helplessly dragged along in
the current of natural energy flow and the helpless dragging
is not done by an external force. It is our own belief that pursuit
of worldly actions will bring relief to the anguish of life. From
birth we have been trained for worldly pursuit by our parents
and peers, but this does not validate it as a spiritual path.
We took birth for a purpose: we came because we wanted
to and our individual set of desires will never be exhausted
until we act. According to the law of karma such unfulfilled
desires can never be eliminated through superimposition of
higher spiritual values and actions, and in fact pursuit of
higher spiritual actions, denying the demands o f our worldly
ambitions and hopes, will lead to frustration on both paths,
worldly and spiritual.

Role of guru
Gurus make great strides towards evolving their personality;
they have disciplined minds that do not dwell on worldly
directions and achievements; they have m ade the leap to
spiritual directions and are firmly established on that path.
We strive to evolve toward perfecting all our faculties and to
exclude identification with our worldliness.
It is only through the continued influence of the guru for
many years that we rem ain on our spiritual path whilst
attending to our residual worldly needs. It is partly through
the senses that we absorb guru’s guidance and this sensory
information is m ade up o f the whole gam ut of worldly
influences as well. This influence comes through external
means and through influence in conscious thought as well as
dream, and it is these subtle communications that come to us
via ajna. Inform ation received through the five sensory
channels has to compete with all worldly trends. The sacrifice
of selfish and worldly gain is a part of spiritual life and the
guru’s influence is necessary to sustain selfless pursuit.
Guru communicates through ajna to mind, to manas.
Guru communicates directly with m ind itself and we receive
this guidance as if we are thinking it ourselves, as if we are

45
having the idea. Just as the nose is the channel through
which a particular p art of the mind receives smell, in the
same way manas receives super sensory information from
the mind itself. The part of the m ind that receives information
is connected to ajna and the capacity to receive super sensory
information depends on the awakening of ajna or the faculties
associated with ajna.
There are no psychic or personal barriers between humans
when there is love between them . Such super sensory
communication is an everyday occurrence with mothers and
their babies and with guru and disciple. This is why there is
such high praise for guru. Aspirants for spiritual life take
initiation from a guru and establish a relation with that guru
that is second to none. T h e guru’s attitude toward the disciple
can be rem ote, dismissive or autocratic; however, this
behaviour is effected only after guru and disciple both have
achieved such a connection that the disciple adores the guru
no m atter how he appears. No m atter if the guru appears
angry, unjust, biased, or mistaken, the disciple accepts his
guru as he is. We chant Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru
Maheshwara (guru is the God of creation, guru is the God of
preservation and guru is the God of destruction) and for the
disciple if the guru appears unjust, then so be it; God is
unjust also. To not accept behavioural anomalies in the guru
is a separation from him and a separation from his teachings
and a separation from the guru within.
The m other who finds fault in her baby distances herself
from her baby at the cost of psychic communication. T he
husband who finds fault with his wife suffers the same distance,
losing psychic com m unication. T h e same relationship
capabilities are available to all hum anity an d it is this
relationship between guru and disciple that opens the path.
A disciple accepts everything in the guru’s personality to
keep the communication of the intuitive psychic centre.

46
 5
Kundalini Yoga in Brief

antra describes the awakening of kundalini as the

T awakening of our dorm ant potential, the enorm ous
potential within us that has not been developed. Psychologists
would say that these potentials lie within the unconscious
mind and can be developed. In our daily life we cultivate
external skills in dealing with others, through the develop­
ment of internal potentials, by means of intuition and being
motivated through compassion: recognition o f the need of
others as if it were our need. This psychological approach to
awakening kundalini is pursued in karm a yoga and is
recognized as an essential part of every sadhaka’s life.
As the awakening takes place there is a parallel process
occurring in the psychic dimension of the personality. T he
description of this psychic process and the pursuit of the
awakening of dorm ant energy is kundalini yoga; and this is
described throughout the sacred Indian texts.
Ancient seers first reported their experiences in verse
form, known as darshan, revelations. Kundalini yoga is
described in many of these darshans, including the tantras,
puranas, upanishads and classic texts such as Devi Bhagavatam.
Whilst the general principles of kundalini are common to all
texts, m inor points do vary since darshan is a subjective
experience observed within each seer’s personality.
T he religiously devout, the Vedantins, Buddhists and the
monotheists have all described the awakening of kundalini

47
in their own terms. Adi Shankaracharya himself has stated
that in order to realize the highest consciousness we must
first awaken kundalini shakti. In Saundarya Lahari he
poetically described this awakening:
Thou art diverting thyself in secrecy
with thy Lord in the thousand-petalled lotus.
Having pierced through the earth, situated in the mooladhara,
the water in swadhisthana, the fire abiding in the manipura,
the air in the heart (anahata), the ether above (vishuddhi),
and manas between the eyebrows (ajna),
and thus broken through the entire kula path (sushumna).
Adi Shankaracharya was an ardent and fundam ental
seer of Adwaita philosophy and whilst he was known for
upholding that the only truth was the one fundam ental
consciousness, that anything else was false and illusory, he
yet worshipped the m other as nature in all h er infinite
forms as the great consort of Shiva himself. From our point
of view kundalini is in conflict with Adwaita Vedanta; that is
to say that if there is only one truth and that is formless
consciousness, then to worship anything else with form or
name is false. Buddha held a similar vision of the truth, yet
in his tradition the m other is worshipped and kundalini
yoga has been practised extensively. Indeed, at a recent
Goddess Exhibition in Sydney of the female divine art forms,
Buddhist and Hindu representations stood side by side and
were almost indistinguishable. So we, the seekers, are left
with the problem of reconciliation of the truth as formless
or with form.
Fortunately we are helped by way o f a few quotes.
Shankaracharya says, “T here is only one truth and many
ways of seeing it,” and in the opening verses o f the twelfth
chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains that
both paths are valid and that the path of the formless is
difficult. R am akrishna Param aham sa was a renow ned
worshipper of the female goddess Kali and he also gave
testimony to the need o f kundalini yoga.

48
 We can conclude that kundalini is not an exclusive
spiritual path and the practitioners of kundalini yoga do not
exclude other practices, nor do they cling to the belief that
their practice is superior to other spiritual pursuits.
Kundalini yoga states that as we evolve we do more than
awaken unconscious thoughts and understanding of our
situation in the world; we also awaken a power that brings
abilities and capacities to the personality. A student may
study m edicine for m any years and achieve very high
qualifications, yet if he has not awakened feelings for the
sufferings of those who come before him, he will be incapable
of feeling any more than a technical relationship for the
problems of his patients, and so he will be ineffective as a
doctor; he will have no genuine driving force to become a
doctor. Maybe there are more personal needs to provide for
his family, needs that are the basic driving forces, which are
not highly evolved and are common to all but the most
primitive of our species.

Awakening o f shakti
The awakening of shakti brings power to the personality in
various ways according to the traits developing. This shakti
has to travel on certain paths around the body. It is said
there are 76,000 paths or nadis in the body, yet these are
subtle and not physical. Fourteen are principal nadis, of
which the three most im portant are ida,pingala and sushumna.
These nadis extend from the area of the female cervix or the
male perineum up to the top of the spine at the back of the
head behind the eyebrow centre.
Ida nadi flows from the left of the base of the body, swings
in again to cross over the base of the spine at the coccyx, then
continues to flow over to the right and come in again to the
spine behind the navel, continues on the left side up to the
centre of the chest, then flows on the right side to the base of
the neck and then on the left and into the top o f the spine at
the level of the eyebrow centre. Pingala nadi is the m irror image
of ida, and sushumna flows in the centre of the spinal column.

49
 Ida, Píngala, Sushumna and the Chakras

T h e chakras manifest from the flow of pran a in the nadis

and form at each o f the points of confluence o f the three
main nadis (as well as the flows o f thousands of others).
T hese intricate m anifold flow paths are said to awaken when
the blockages are first rem oved and the flow is then activated.
O ne way this can be do ne is through repeated perform ance
of the approp riate capacity until it is perfected an d is said to
be a talent. T h ro u g h lifetimes of practice o f skills such as
music, dancing, writing, communicating, healing and m anag­
ing, we develop these skills. Actually we are developing the
m ental capacity so that we become talented an d kundalini

50
shakti flows to that region of the mind, and the appropriate
chakra. Another way is by direcdy concentrating on sushumna
nadi and drawing prana up from the base chakra. This is the
process of awakening shakti: first the path must be purified
and awakened and then shakti is free to ascend and supply
the personality with energy to perform superhum an deeds.
Throughout the body these subtle chakras and nadis are
described as having various colours, as seen by clairvoyants.
These psychic systems have their physical manifestations in
the body: ida functions through the parasympathetic nervous
system and pingala through the sympathetic nervous system.
T he three im portant nadis are linked with the breath in the
nostrils. W hen the left nostril is flowing freely, ida is
functioning. In this state we are ready for m ental and
imaginary work - this is the moon or female aspect in us.
When the right nostril is flowing pingala is functioning and
we are charged with vitality and ready for action and physical
work - this is the sun o r male aspect in us. Ida has a cooling
effect, whereas pingala has a heating effect.
Kundalini tantra explains that in the unevolved person­
ality, shakti, the divine energy, sleeps and this dorm ant
energy has the psychic form of a coiled serpent lying in the
base chakra, mooladhara.
The chakras are connected to aspects of the personality
as well as to regions of the brain. Together with the awakening
of unconscious potential, prana flows along nadis to the
appropriate chakra and in turn the chakra expands, giving
its characteristic light and colour. Life’s lessons are a gradual
process of awakening kundalini in the chakras. By learning
to live life simply and happily without the need for luxuries,
we can overcome fear of poverty and gain security thus
initiating an increased flow of prana to m ooladhara chakra
and the characteristic four-petalled red lotus expands. We
can also use the techniques of meditation, m antra and kriya
to awaken mooladhara. This will awaken the unconscious
fears and insecurities, which must be dealt with so that they
are expressed without judgm ent. This requires training,

51
 Arousal o f D ifferent Brain Centres

preparation an d guidance from an experienced guide or

guru. Similarly, for the awakening of swadhisthana we must
live a life o f selflessness an d celibacy to awaken a whole
gam ut o f unconscious impressions to do with o u r emotional
needs. For m anipura we must live a life of striving to develop
our will; for anahata we must expand ou r circle of care from
the im m ediate family to all those in need; and for vishuddhi
we must develop our capacity for beautiful artistic expression
through speech, word an d form.
Ajna is the chakra o f the m ind whereas the lower chakras
are the chakras of the five elements or panchabhootas. T hese
elements are earth for m ooladhara, water for swadhisthana,
fire for m anipura, air for anahata an d ether for vishuddhi.
Each o f the chakras is a m anifestation o f o u r psychic
personality. T h e physical body with its organs, flesh, blood,

52
motor nerves and sensory nerves is composed of, and is the
subsequent m anifestations of, these elem ents. Between
mooladhara and vishuddhi the whole gamut o f individual
experiences are stored in the mind in the form of samskaras
or latent impressions. Through awakening o f any of the
lower chakras we awaken individual experiences with which
we identify.
Unconscious insecurities an d fears awaken th ro u g h
concentration on m ooladhara and these are basic to the
preservation of life. These fears are a driving unconscious
force in life and are responsible for our extreme efforts to
preserve our individual status quo, be it wealth, material
standing in society, insurance for the present and plans for
preservation into the future. These qualities o f m ind that
manifest in m ooladhara are basic qualities to do with material
gain and consequently come under the classification of the
earth element or prithvi tattwa.
T he water element o r apas tattwa is the classification of that
area of the personality represented by swadhisthana and is
the emotional aspect o f mind. Purification of this portion of
the personality will release unconscious traumatic or shocking
experiences of the past. Concentration on manipura, anahata
and vishuddhi also releases unconscious experiences that we
identify with. T he experiences released in each o f the chakras
are discussed in depth in Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda
Saraswati an d in Practical Yoga Psychology by Dr Rishi
Vivekananda. According to these authors the experiences are
pleasant or unpleasant or a mixture of both.
The experiences in the lower chakras between mooladhara
and vishuddhi are something that we observe happening to
us. In other words they include an aspect of the experiencer;
they are dualistic or include the ego and are difficult to
traverse. Most unconscious experiences are unconscious
because we prefer not to experience them; the pain, horror,
fear, guilt or other form of rejection that we associate with
those experiences m eans that we have suppressed the
experience from coming into the light of the mind.

53
Awakening ajna
Awakening ajna is a mental experience beyond the ego. Swami
Satyananda writes in Kundalini Tantra, “When the mind is
concentrated at this conjunction (where ida, pingala and
sushumna merge at the eyebrow centre and flow as one stream
to sahasrara) transformation of individual consciousness is
brought about by the m erging of the three great forces.
Individual consciousness is mainly comprised of ego, and it is
on account of ego that we are aware of dualities. As long as
there is duality there cannot be samadhi; as long as you
rem em ber yourself you cannot get out of yourself.
“Although there are experiences of trance in the other
chakras, there is no m erger of the individual ego with the
cosmic ego. All throughout you are trying to assert yourself
behind all the experiences you are having, but when ida and
pingala unite with sushumna in ajna chakra, you lose yourself
completely. By this I do not mean that you become uncon­
scious; your awareness expands and becomes homogeneous.
T he individual awareness falls flat and you completely
transcend the realm of duality. Therefore, ajna chakra is a
very important centre which you must experience in order
to bring about purification of the mind. Once the m ind is
purified, the experience and awakening of other chakras
can proceed.”
Manas (mind) is purified by tapas (austerity) and tapas is
the plane or loka of ajna. When we reach the point in our life
where there is nothing m ore to achieve on this worldly plane,
yet we desire higher o r transcendental experience, we find
the highest bliss in exploring new experiences within the
mind. Knowledge, ideas and visions unsupported by any
external stimulus are sufficient for contentm ent and the
preservation of this ecstatic state. Progress in opening up yet
further unexplored regions of the m ind is achieved by
continued sadhana, practice, and tapasya, otherwise known
as austerities or extending the limitations of hum an existence.
Through tapasya we raise the energetic vibration of the
m ind and purify the m ind, igniting the fire o f m ental

54
purification. T he right tapasya at the right time for each
individual must be carefully performed. The first rule of
tapasya is that it should be joyful and not a torture, and it
should bring a sense of achievement in conquering the habits
and customs of ordinary human behaviour. Overcoming
cold, heat, hunger and thirst are common austerities. It is
difficult for the ordinary person to appreciate that suffering
these can be a joy, yet there comes a time in life when it is
right to perform such tapasya. The high energy state of bliss
associated with this and the level of happiness and content­
m ent is rem embered long after performance o f tapasya has
been completed.
By perform ing tapas this chakra can be awakened so that
the new planes and dimensions of consciousness are opened
up. Ajna is spiritually, psychically and practically the most
important chakra because of its overall effects on the psychic
hum an personality. Ajna is the place where divine knowledge,
knowledge of the universe, becomes known.
Psychic vision begins with a tiny internal spark or a tiny
star. By holding the hands over the eyes or by simply closing
the eyes and by becoming aware of the area around the
eyebrow centre, sparks of light like the twinkling of stars, a
large pulsating white light or a circle of coloured light can be
seen. In sleep we see dreams; in meditation we see visions.
Sometimes the most wonderful poetry seems to pour through
the mind. When we have been working and working on a
problem until completely fatigued and resigned to failure,
with a flash, and with the power of the sun, the solution
strikes. All these phenom ena involve the function of subtle
states o f m ind beyond the level o f everyday waking
consciousness. T he link between our conscious self and these
types of phenom ena is through awakening ajna chakra.
The physical aspects of ajna chakra are the pharyngeal
plexus and the pineal gland. Ajna means command. It is
variously named trikuti,jnana netra, bhrumadhya, triveni, mukta
triveni, shiva netra and brahmara guha. It is through this centre
that the guru may be communicated with, and is hence often

55
called the guru chakra; however, this is a misnomer as guru
chakra is beyond ajna and will be discussed later.
Extra sensory perception phenom ena are also perceived
th ro u g h ajna chakra. As soon as we becom e a d e p t at
communicating through an awakened ajna we gain the ability
to influence others by our thoughts and this is where ethics
and personal discipline become paramount. It is egotistically
very appealing to be able to direct your own thoughts and
wishes into the personality of others without their being
conscious of it. We can send a wish to som eone’s eyebrow
centre or into their drink or food without their knowledge.
However, these actions do have their consequences and when
someone else fulfils your wish, you are also a partner to this
and you in fact become their possession to the detrim ent of
your liberty and independence. Therefore, the intent must
be beneficial, harmless and selfless to all concerned.
W hen the power of m ind is expressed through an
awakened ajna, thoughts initiate a process culminating in
appropriate results, such is the power o f an awakened
kundalini and mind. T he sankalpa in yoga nidra is just one
exam ple of this manifestation, where a thought can be
translated into one’s life purpose or direction, and when we
are convinced something will happen, it can and does. Many
have stumbled onto this fact and begin to teach others about
such things as wealth creation, success and happiness through
the security of knowing you can have whatever you want.
Students often use affirmations or positive statements, and
absorb the ideas without developing the power of mind to
fulfil them. They become slaves to the techniques and to the
ideals of such success.
As students of yoga we know that these efforts are not at all
liberating and in fact transform life into a struggle for
achievement. T he outcomes for students of these harbingers
of success and good fortune are tensions and worries com­
pounded by a newly ignited hope and greed. Therefore, the
wise choose to udlise their powers of m ind selflessly or for the
guru’s mission, as the guru ensures there is no selfish reward.

56
 It is during deep meditation on this chakra that it can be
perceived in a form that various yogis have described
similarly. During the practice of kundalini yoga the awakening
of latent psychic energy occurs and the full glory of the
colours, forms, structures and functions of the chakras is
experienced together with the associated states o f m ind and
levels of energy and perceptive abilities.

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 6
Ajna Chakra in the Tantras

zcording to the tantras, ajna is the sixth chakra o f the

six-chakra system; however, there are m ore than six
chakras. By includinghrit chakra as an individual eight-petalled
chakra not separate from anahata, as well as talu chakra above
vishuddhi in the throat, ajna becomes the eighth chakra.
Tantric terms for ajna include: ajnapatra (ajna with petals),
ajna-pura (ajna centre), ajna-puri (ajna centre), ajnambuja
(ajna lotus), ajna-parikaja (-lotus), jnana-padma (the lotus that
gives knowledge), dwidala (the two-petalled), dwidalambhuja
(the two-petalled lotus), dwidala kamala (the two-petalled
lotus), dwipatra (the two-petalled), bhrusaroruha (lotus in the
eyebrow centre), triveni kamala (lotus at the confluence of the
three nadis), netra padma (two-petalled lotus), netra patra
(two-petalled), bhru-mandala (eyebrow abode), bhrumadhya
(eyebrow centre), bhrumadhyaga-padma (chakra in the eyebrow
centre), bhrumadhya chakra (chakra in the eyebrow centre)
and bhrumoola (the basis of the eyebrows).
The attainm ent of the union called yoga by the awakening
of nadis, chakras and shakti using the techniques of kundalini
yoga has its most ancient origins in tantra. Many tantras
reveal descriptions of the kundalini experiences of their
authors. Pursuit in other paths of yoga does not preclude
kundalini type experiences, rather the opposite is true.
Upanishadic seers have reported and emphasized the
necessity of withdrawing the prana from the nadis of worldly

58
existence and centralizing the flow in sushumna in order to
transcend the m undane empirical experience o f time and
space. Various upanishads also reveal elements o f the chakra
system; however, the pursuit of kundalini yoga within the
tantric system must have proved more efficacious as the
tantras are more complete in their descriptions.
It is from these upanishadic seers that we can deduce
that the pursuit of classic yoga paths such as raja yoga is also
a process of kundalini yoga. Raja yoga teaches the sadhaka
to sit and withdraw from the senses (pratyahara), thus
introverting the awareness and pursuing an internal object
or process of concentration. During this process there is a
simultaneous change in the flows of prana. Most noticeably,
the equalization of breath flowing in both nostrils indicates
that the pranic flow is centralized in sushumna.
Kundalini yoga had remained relatively unknown other
than to some Sanskrit scholars and pandits until Sir Jo h n
Woodroffe, a former chief justice of Calcutta High Court,
published his translation and commentary of Acharya Swami
Poom ananda’s Sat Chakra Nirupana. Using the nom de plume
Arthur Avalon, he published The Serpent Power in 1919 and
today this text still stands out as a landmark volume, turning
the tide of interest toward the relatively easier paths for
evolution of the hum an personality.
Tantra had for many years suffered bad press. It had
been exploited for worldly selfish gain to m eet a need or
hunger for greed, success, fame and lust, until Arthur Avalon’s
books threw light on the subjects of tantra and kundalini.
T antra was regarded as a refuge for the immoral. Publication
of The Serpent Power brought respect, decency and repute,
making the subject available to the West.
Today in the West, tantra and kundalini yoga are in their
ascendancy. Acceptance that the Divine can have a multitude
of faces and forms, including that of an increasingly popular
goddess of varying forms, can be attributed to our opening
new horizons in a search for divine relations with the female
personification of God. This goddess is an appealing and

59
fascinating m ixture o f power and knowledge capable of
perform ing the most sublime as well as the most terrifying
deeds, necessary for the growth of her followers. She is well
known as Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali, and in the
context of kundalini yoga she comes in a host of names
and forms.
The awakening of kundalini shakti is experienced in the
form o f an aw akening serpen t o r lightning flashes in
mooladhara, and this marks the beginning of the journey to
limitless existence unconstrained by the dom inant fears,
desires and unconscious forces of the ordinary person.
Ajna is usually considered to be a single chakra; however,
there are numerous references to a series of chakras, consisting
o f ajna, manas, indu an d nirvana chakras, an d then the
awakening continues on tosahasrara. Initially it is very difficult
to become aware of ajna chakra and so we concentrate on ajna
kshetram (the eyebrow centre), which is directly connected to
ajna chakra. T hat is why it has always been an Indian custom
to place a coloured paste or powder there. This paste is made
of varying substances, including sandalwood, chalk and one
of particular interest, sindoor, which contains mercury. By
applying sindoor to the eyebrow centre a constant pressure is
exerted on the nerve that runs from the eyebrow centre
(bhrumadhya) to the medulla oblongata at the top of the spine.
It should also be m entioned here that the pineal gland is
the physical adjunct to ajna chakra, just as the pituitary
gland is the physical adjunct to sahasrara chakra. Until ajna
is awakened the qualities of sahasrara are dorm ant, and in
the same way the circadian rhythms and adult sensual and
sexual secretions of the pituitary gland are not secreted until
the degeneration of the pineal gland in pre-pubescent years.
According to Sat Chakra Nirupana, ajna is symbolized by a
two-petalled lotus which is white like the m oon. Swami
Satyananda in his book Kundalini Tantra adds to this by
saying “according to scriptures it is a pale colour, light grey
like a rainy day. Some say it is white like the moon, or silver,
but actually it is an intangible colour.”

60
 T he position of ajna is in sushumna at the level of the
eyebrow centre. T he two-petalled lotus has the Shakti Hakini
in the pericarp of ajna and above Hakini is the Itara lingam,
the shining black symbol of Shiva.

Sat Chakra Nirupanam

In the tantric texts much has been written about the chakras,
th e ir descriptions a n d the techniques used for th eir
awakening. The following seven verses taken from the Sat
Chakra Nirupanam. (description of six chakras) give a most
beautiful description o f ajna chakra. Sat Chakra Nirupanam
describes ajna as being white like the moon with even whiter
letters on the petals.
In order to facilitate an initial appreciation o f these seven
verses, only a simple and direct translation is given here only.
Please refer to the Appendix for transliteration o f each verse,
a m ore detailed tran slatio n as well as com m entaries on
each verse.

Verses 32-38
T he ajna lotus emits a cool white light. T he letters Ham (5 )
and Ksham (fti) radiate from the two petals. It shines with
the glory resultant of deepest meditation. Within is Shakti
Hakini with faces like six moons. She has six arms; two
portraying the freeing of fear and giving of boons, one
holding a book, one a skull, one a damaru and one a japa
mala. Her mind is pure. (32)
Within the lotus is the chitta. In the central triangle are the
shiva lingam and the yoni, formed by lines o f flashing
light. Here Om ($0 ) can be known, illuminating the
chitrini nadi. T he sadhaka should meditate on these with
a steady heart. (33)
The best sadhaka, who continuously meditates on this
lotus, can quickly enter another’s body, think perfectly
and attain omniscience. He becomes an expert on the

61
scriptures and a benefactor to all. He sees the oneness of
Brahman and acquires many siddhis. He can become the
master of creation, preservation and destruction. (34)
T h e triangle in the m iddle o f the chakra holds the
combination of letters forming the pranava. This atman,
which is buddhi, radiates like a flame. Above is the crescent
moon, above this is ma-kara and above this is nada which
is whiter than the moon. (35)
Within the lotus the m editator dwells detached, as in a
house hanging without support. T he m ethod is learned
through service to a param guru. When the m editation on
Om ($o) is dissolved, he sees fiery sparks above the
triangle. (36)
T hen he sees the light like a flaming lamp. It has lustre like
the m orning sun, shining between m ooladhara and
sahasrara and throughout the whole universe. H ere
Bhagavan manifests all His might. He is the perm anent
and omniscient witness, residing here in the region of fire,
moon and sun. (37)
This is the blissful abode of Vishnu. At the time of death
the perfect yogi places his prana here. After death he
enters the blissful, eternal primeval deva, the purusha,
who is known in the vedas. (38)

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 7
Psycho-Physiological Aspects

he pineal gland is the physical concomitant of ajna

T chakra. With ajna awakening comes the dawning of
control over the effects of the lower chakras on the mind
T here is a parallel here with the function of the pineal gland
- the pineal acts to limit the stimulating effect of other
horm ones (including those related to all other chakras,
including sahasrara), thus m irroring ajna’s impact on the
mind.
For more than 2,000 years the pineal gland has been the
subject of intense philosophical speculation. It has often been
described as the receiver of subtle vibrations and telepathic
phenomena. Now, however, in the light of the most recent
medical discoveries, there is little doubt about the role the
pineal gland plays in the psychic faculties of man.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, as the sub­
continent of Australia and its surrounding territory came to
be explored, there was a flurry of interest centred upon a
lizard native to the area, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatum).
This animal is related to the extinct dinosaurs that once
roam ed the ancient continent of Gondawana when Australia,
New Zealand, the Indonesian archipelago and Tasmania
were all one land, and has survived on a few rem ote islands
near New Zealand.
T he tuatara is known for a perfectly formed third eye in
the middle of its head. In addition to two ordinary eyes

63
located on either side o f its head, the third eye buried in the
skull was revealed through an aperture in the bone, covered
by a transparent membrane, and surrounded by a rosette of
scales. It was unmistakeably a third eye, and upon dissection
contained all the anatomical parts of an eye, including the
lens and retina, yet did not fiinction as an organ of sight.
Another remarkable fact is that this lizard did not reproduce
before twenty years of age and the male of the species did
not have a penis.
Contemporary students, keen for mainstream science to
verify their spiritual convictions, may leap at the speculation
that this unusually developed ancient pineal is a feature of
ancient civilizations based on wisdom and inner knowledge.
They may also note the coincidence of total control over
sexual drives being a characteristic of high levels o f melatonin
production, the horm one produced by the pineal. However,
this has not been verified at present.
T he presence of this eye in the tuatara still poses a
puzzle to present-day evolutionists; almost all vertebrates
possess a similar structure in the centre of their skull. It is
present in many fish, all reptiles, birds and mammals,
including man. O f all the organs in the body, no other
organ has been subject to as many changes and develop­
ments in the course of evolution as the pineal gland.
Research on fossils reveals that it acted as a third physical
eye, which was sensitive to light and dark. This is evident in
extinct species such as the brontosaurus and other ancient
amphibian vertebrates.
Even in animals today, such as the frog, the pineal gland
senses light. In the course of evolution from reptiles to birds
to animals and finally to man, the eight sensory cells of the
pineal have been replaced by a much more functionally
intricate cell (parenchyma cell). In the highest vertebrates,
such as man, no light receptive cells remain in the pineal
gland, yet the function of the pineal is sensitive to the rising
and setting of the sun.

64
Pineal gland and horm one production
For some time it has been known that the production of
pineal hormones, such as melatonin, increases after dark and
production peaks between m idnight and brahm am uhurta
(two hours before sunrise). T he daily commencement and
cessation o f horm one production at times linked to the
movement of the sun is term ed circadian rhythm. Amongst
yogis and meditation practitioners, brahm am uhurta has long
been recognized as the preferred time for meditation, and so
the concurrence of peak flows of melatonin at the preferred
time of meditation is not a surprise.
The pineal is situated in the epithalamus at the centre of
the brain and receives sympathetic enervation from the
superior cervical ganglia via the conarian nerves. Simply
put, the pineal gland is found buried nearly in the centre of
the brain of any mammal. It is a white structure shaped like
a pine cone. In man it is roughly a quarter of an inch long
and weights about 100 milligrams. It is the only unpaired
organ in the brain. After puberty this gland hardens by a
process of calcification, which does not affect its fimcdoning.
Early scientists found that young boys with tumours
around the pineal gland exhibited precocious growth of
the genital organs, whereas boys with pineal tumours showed
delayed developm ent of puberty characteristics. This is
because the pineal gland’s function is inhibited by tumours
around it, but when the gland itself is tumoral, it is overactive
and thus delays pubic growth. Julius Axelrod, a world-
renowned biochemist, has shown in the laboratory that the
pineal gland is a sensidve biological clock, which uses daily
rhythms of nervous energy to stimulate endocrinal secre-
dons. This pineal stimulating nervous activity is generated
by light.
Additionally, he has discovered that the pineal gland
produces the horm one melatonin, which is not produced by
any other physical organ. He notes that melatonin decreases
the size of the ovaries in women and increases the length of
the menstrual cycle. Generally speaking, it depresses the

65
sexual function in man. It is not connected to the brain but
to the sympathetic nervous system.
In darkness, the pineal gland produces melatonin only.
After six hours of darkness the size of the pineal gland increases
and it is activated into the production of melatonin. When
light returns, the melatonin production falls off. This is similar
to the function of the pituitary gland which produces ACTH
(adrenocorticotrophic hormone), a supra-renal gland activa­
tor, between the hours of 3.00 am and 6.00 am. T he pineal
gland, which in m odern times has ceased functioning as a
light-sensing organ, is now controlled by light and darkness
through the eyes, which affect the sympathetic nervous system,
which in turn activates or deactivates the pineal gland.
In addition the pineal gland has been found to synthesize
another hormone called serotonin. This horm one is produced
during conditions of light. U nder conditions of constant
light the pineal gland ceases to produce m elatonin and
consistently produces large quantities o f serotonin. In
constant darkness, such as a darkened room , serotonin
production continues at its maximum in the daytime and its
minimum in the night, even though for the whole time it is
dark. Furthermore, it has been found that removing the eyes
of rats or severing the sympathetic nervous system has the
same effect as plunging the rat into constant darkness. T he
daily rhythm of serotonin production continues normally
under these conditions.
T he daily light cycle also plays an im portant part in the
glandular cycles of many lower animals. T he increase of
sunlight during springtime triggers the gonadal growth and
breeding cycles of many birds and mammals which breed
yearly. T he daily cycle of light and darkness synchronizes a
variety of daily rhythms in mammals such as the cycle of
adrenal sex steroid secretions. This correlates with the sun-
moon theory in yoga philosophy: the centre of the moon is
ajna and the centre o f the sun is manipura. These chakras
correspond to the physical pineal and adrenal glands
respectively.

66
Effects o f m editation
It is believed by many experienced practitioners of medita­
tion that the pineal gland and the higher nervous system
with which it is intimately connected go through a functional
change after long-term practice of meditation. This has been
recently borne out by scientific investigators doing research
on the electrical impulses of the brain. They have found that
when a person is in an ordinary waking conscious state, the
electrical waves, known as beta waves, produced by the
cerebral cortex of the brain are characteristically small and
rapid. When he closes his eyes, however, and maintains a
relaxed but aware state of mind as is done through the yoga
practices of jap a and antar mouna, there is an immediate
change in these wave formations, which become larger and
slower. These waves are known as alpha waves and their
presence has been noted in both beginners and advanced
practitioners of meditation.
Yogis, Zen B uddhist monks and o th er experienced
meditators have been found to experience an even larger,
slower type of wave which is called the theta wave. It is
interesting to note that these theta waves are normally found
only in epileptics at the time when they are having grande
mal seizures. One possible explanation for this is that when
there are epileptic fits, the lower nervous system takes over
complete control of the body, and the higher m ind remains
completely relaxed, as it is during states of deep meditation.
T he state of meditation also brings about many other
physiological changes which are measured side by side with
the EEG brain wave measurements. The influence of a state
of meditational consciousness emitting alpha waves is to lower
the heartbeat, decrease oxygen consumption by the body
cells, reduce carbon dioxide elimination, slow down metabo­
lism and relax the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
T h e blood lactate falls m ost dram atically, and this is
characteristically high in people suffering from nervous tension
and neurosis. In meditation, that is, in the state during which
the m ind emits alpha waves, a process which opposes the

67
mechanisms of the adrenaline secretory system comes about.
This enables the body to operate in a less tense manner.
A nother group of researchers have been investigating
psychic ph enom ena in m an, particularly the relationship
between extra sensory perception and alpha wave activity. An
experim ent was run where many people had to guess which
card was inside a closed box. Psychologists found, using
statistical tests, that when a person closes his eyes and con­
centrates on any object his alpha waves increase, and those
people who emit more alpha waves were able to recognize, more
often, the cards inside the box. When alpha wave emission was
low, however, as it is normally with many people or when the
eyes are opened, the card guessing was just chance.
T he subjects of the experiment described their state of
mind when alpha activity was predom inant. They all agreed
that it was a rather pleasant feeling with the m ind vacant and
they e x p erien ced an a ttitu d e o f se p ara tio n from the
surroundings. When the subjects happened to open their
eyes under these conditions they could see that environmental
objects were disconnected from themselves. This describes
the yogic meditational state oipratyahara or sense withdrawal,
and the increase in the psychic capacities shown under these
conditions correlates with the capacities of a person who has
awakened ajna, who has the capacity to see distant objects
with his divine third eye.
The panacea for most m odern diseases is the alpha brain
wave, which restores the body and m ind to a peaceful
condition and opposes the anachronistic emergency reactions
which are still going on in our bodies. In the m odem society,
life is no more subjected to attack by wild animals or by
savage tribes; however, the ancient adrenaline secretory
mechanism which guards the body against such emergencies
reacts to m odem dangers in the same old way.
Today, m an’s dangers are usually in the form of fear of
financial crisis, fear o f loss of position and family troubles
etc. Though these tensions of m odem society are unreal
dangers to life, to the tense mind they appear to be real. As

68
these m odem day dangers are limidess and never ending
many people’s bodies react continuously, and in so doing
drain energy, pipe up tensions and cause physiological and
mental diseases. In addition, through over use, m an’s greatest
defence mechanism is becoming worn out, and many people
find themselves unable to cope when a really dangerous
situation occurs. This fact is evident from the rising num ber
of victims of shock brought about by having to suddenly face
truly dangerous, unaccustomed situations. What the doctors
and scientists are now saying is that meditation is the only
cure for these conditions.
From ancient times, rishis, munis and yogis have been
saying that meditation leads to peace of mind, and it has
always been associated with the spiritual quest. Yogis, who
are scientists of the subtle mind, have always spoken of
telepathy as a siddhi, a psychic power for thought com­
munication and clairaudience. T he medium of such siddhis
is ajna, and its physical terminus is the pineal gland, which is
connected to the brain.
It has been stated by great yogis such as Swami Sivananda
that the pineal gland is the receptor and sender of the subtle
vibrations which carry thoughts and psychic phenom ena
throughout the cosmos. T he pineal gland converts brain
waves into subtle electrical signals travelling faster than the
speed of light, which are stored in the individual brain.
Persons who have developed such faculties as subtle hearing
and sight have done so by virtue of ajna’s transmutation of
their increased alpha wave activity.
M odem man is intellectual and prefers to base his life on
scientific facts rather than beliefs in ancient culture, ancient
scriptures and teachings by pandits, monks, rabbis and priests
of religions. Today, the only accepted fact is a scientific fact,
and the scientific experim ent described earlier proves that it
is not coincidence but actual fact that some people, who have
a meditative mind, whose brain waves are predominantly
alpha, can predict and have knowledge of outer and inner
events which are beyond the reach of the senses.

69
 T he psychic powers which so many people strive to attain
through the various practices of meditation such as m antra
repetition and other types of sadhana are the very first
signs of a spiritual aspirant moving on the path. Although
the pure spiritual aspirant denies himself the use of these
powers, lest they lead to his downfall, these inner faculties
are in each and every one of us. We only have to do the
practices for awakening the higher centres in the brain which
are associated with ajna in order to open these doorways to
new experiences.
Thus, ajna and the pineal gland act as the channels
through which the subtle vibrations are sent out into the
cosmos, or are received. Ajna is the best known and most
respected chakra; it has always been held in high esteem and
probably the best known practices of meditation are designed
to awaken ajna and increase the activity of the pineal gland.
Persons who enjoy excessive sexual stimulation will have
more difficulty in attaining siddhis and may have trouble in
maintaining the siddhis they have attained. This fact is well
known amongst all spiritual aspirants and is in harmony
with the effect of the pineal gland regulating the activity of
the sexual function.
However, nothing in life is absolute and sexual abstinence
for those idealists who are not sufficiendy pure may actually
be more harmful than helpful in their progress in meditation.
Often such aspirants find the effort required to halt sexual
activity to be so difficult or indeed impossible that under­
standable lapses occur yet are fraught with tensions and
guilt. Therefore, one should abstain when abstinence would
not be a struggle.

Research on the pineal gland

Serena Roney-Dougal is a parapsychologist who has written
many papers on the function of the pineal gland in the
chakra system. A three part series, ‘On a Possible Psycho­
physiology of the Yogic Chakra System’ was republished in
the Sivananda Math journal, YOGA (May, July, September

70
2000). H er work validates the role of m elatonin during
meditative states.
Roney-Dougal writes that the main function of the pineal
gland is to make neuro-hormones, which affect both the brain
and the body. T he pineal works with the pituitary through
the hypothalamus, controlling the endocrine system. It is one
of the regulators of our circadian rhythm, is implicated in our
emotional state, reproductive function, possibly dream sleep
and in certain psychoses. Melatonin is the best studied of the
pineal neuro-hormones and was first isolated from cattle in
1963. Before this the pineal was generally considered in the
West to be vestigial: Amphibians and reptiles have light
sensitive cells in the pineal gland, which for them is literally
a light sensitive third eye at the top of the brain. In humans,
fibres from the inferior accessory optic tract go to the pineal;
these are separate from the main optic tract bundle, which
suggests that the light sensitivity of the pineal is not necessarily
related to sight (Eichler, 1985).
T he pineal gland is shaped like a tiny pinecone and is
thus aptly named. O lder texts describe this vestigial organ as
a relic from our reptilian past. Serena Roney-Dougal is unique
in her description of the physical aspects of ajna as a bilobed
(two lobes or two petals) and a joining of the two glands,
pituitary and pineal; the established system is to ascribe the
physical concomitant o f sahasrara to the pituitary and that of
ajna to the pineal.
Most people have heard of the pituitary gland, often
known as the ‘master gland’ in that the hormones it makes
exert a controlling effect on the endocrine organs. We can
think of the pituitary as being an ‘on switch’ and the pineal
as being an ‘off switch’ (the mistress gland) in that it works
with the pituitary by switching off the endocrine organs.
The form of ajna is traditionally depicted as bilobed and
we can understand this to be the joining of the two glands,
pituitary and pineal, which makes very good sense from a
neuro-endocrinological point of view. This makes much better
sense than assigning the pituitary to sahasrara, the crown

71
chakra, as some systems do, since sahasrara is better under­
stood as the culminadon of everything, the whole rather
than any of the parts. Just as mooladhara is considered to be
the top chakra of animals and the bottom of humans, so
sahasrara can be understood as the top chakra of humanity
and the bottom chakra of the divine order of being.
T here is a large body of scientific evidence suggesting that
the pineal gland produces a chemical in the brain that enhances
psychic paranorm al or meditative states. Roney-Dougal says,
“Neurochemical and anthropological evidence suggests that
the pineal gland may produce a n e u ro -m o d u lato r that
enhances a psi-conducive state of consciousness.” An abstract
o f this research was presented at the Parapsychological
Association Convention in 1985 (Roney-Dougal, 1986). For
full details of this research see Roney-Dougal (1988, 1989,
1990, 1991, 1993). In brief, the pineal gland has been found
to synthesize various beta-carbolines and peptides, and to
contain enzymes that produce psycho-active compounds such
as 5-methoxy dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT). “T he two
precursors that are most likely to be involved in the synthesis
of such compounds are serotonin (5-hydroxy tryptamine, 5HT)
and tryptamine. These have wide-ranging effects throughout
our brain and body, affecting the gonads, adrenals, pancreas,
thyroid, and o th er em otional and endocrine activities.”
(Strassman, 1990)
At this stage of the discussion it is appropriate to view a
historical perspective on the developm ent o f scientific
knowledge of the functioning of the pineal gland. It was first
found that melatonin was a horm one manufactured by the
pineal gland in 1959 by Dr Aaron Lerner at Yale University.
He concluded that melatonin must have been the result of
the reaction of certain enzymes upon serotonin, which must
have pre-existed in the pineal gland. Serotonin is not an
unusual chemical in nature; it is found in many places,
including plants such as bananas, figs and plums.
Professor E.J. Gaddum at the University of Edinburgh was
the first to note a connection between serotonin and mental

72
states of being. In a paper published in 1953 he pointed out
that LSD-25 was a potent antagonist to serotonin. LSD-25 was
said to be the drug for altering the mind and inducing mental
states free from the mentally limiting encumbrance of social
and environmental patterns. T he experience was term ed
transcendental and likened to the death of the ego as portrayed
by Dr Timothy Leary and others who were the leaders of the
‘hippy culture’ of the 1970s.
Subsequently, it was found that LSD occupies serotonin
receptor sites, for a brief time suppressing the action of
serotonin. This is followed by a surge in serotonin concen­
trations, giving rise to the so-called LSD experience, which is
the psi experience. This is in agreem ent with the reported
experience some 20-30 minutes after ingesting LSD. T he
initial ‘high’ is reported to be peaceful, totally relaxed as if
bathed in golden light and certainly out of this world, and is
followed by a trip through the unconscious with a myriad of
patterns and images. T h e LSD practitioner is likely to experi­
ence the ordinary m ind of everyday hum drum conditioned
existence as something shallow, unreal and separate from
them, and with this there is the realization that within lies a
glorious and deep existence, which is the truth. From this the
alternative hippy culture sprang and many am ong their ranks
took to spiritual disciplines so that the experience of the truth
could live with them.
Julius Axelrod has studied the roles of melatonin and its
precursor serotonin, and found that melatonin suppresses
physiological sexuality in mammals. Test animals were stimu­
lated to manufacture excessive amounts of melatonin, which
resulted in their gonads and ovaries shrinking, atrophying.
The oestrous or fertility cycle in females could likewise be
altered experimentally by doses of melatonin.
Axelrod also discovered that the pineal gland produces
chemicals to a circadian rhythm; by altering light conditions
he could extend, contract, or even stabilize the chemical
production rhythms o f the pineal. So the pineal gland
research to date has uncovered three basic points:

73
1. The pineal produces melatonin, which is associated with
the internal unconscious and subconscious experiences
similar to the experiences of meditation.
2. Melatonin suppresses sexuality and the functionality of
the sexual organs, creating a balance with the sexually
stimulating effect o f other horm ones and o f external
conscious or worldly life. T h e literature o f religious
mysticism in all ages and all societies has viewed carnal
passion as the antagonist of the ecstasy o f spiritual
experience.
3. The production of melatonin is regulated by light; in the
absence of light at night production is at its highest.
T he fact that the pineal responds to light, even if this
response is indirect via the central nervous system, has some
fascinating and far-reaching conceptual applications. There
are many behavioural changes which overtake animals as the
seasons change, and which can be produced out of season in
the laboratory by simulating the appropriate span of artificial
daylight. This poses the question, “Do such seasonal changes
in mood and behaviour persist in humans?”
Greg Tooley is a researcher on the effects o f meditation
on melatonin levels in the blood. He works at the School of
Psychology, La T ro b e University, B undoora, Victoria,
Australia. During the proceedings of the 1996 World Yoga
Convention held in Sydney, he reported that his research
showed that:
• Melatonin production peaked at around midnight.
• T he production level of m elatonin increases with the
num ber of years of meditation practice of each subject.
In a subsequent research paper (G.A. Tooley et al, 2000,
Biological Psychology, 53, 69-78, 71), Tooley describes some of
the health benefits o f m elatonin and reports on previous
research (Panzer and Viljoen, 1997), on immunoaugmentation
(Maestronietal, 1986), and anti-ageing (Maestronietal, 1989):
“Although these properties have not yet been clearly
established in humans, the fact that m elatonin has been
found to be an extremely potent antioxidant and free-radical

74
scavenger (Reiter et al, 1997) suggests that it may have an
important role in reducing the cellular damage associated
with the wear and tear of normal day to day life. In this
context it is interesting to note that anti-cancer (Solberg et
al, 1995; Meares, 1979), immunoaugmenting (Wallace, 1989),
anti-ageing (Wallace et al,1982) and anti-stress (Jevning et
al, 1978a,b; MacLean et al, 1997) properties have also been
claimed in relation to meditation. While the validity of the
anti-cancer and anti-ageing claims in particular are debatable,
the parallels with those made for melatonin are intriguing,
and invite speculation that one of the mechanisms by which
meditation might achieve some of its health benefits may be
through an effect on circulating melatonin levels. With the
above in mind, the following investigations were undertaken
in order to test whether a period of meditation could acutely
affect plasma melatonin levels.”
In simple language this means that melatonin has the
effect of anti-ageing, anti-stress, boosting the immune system
and can be helpful in the treatm ent of cancer as well as
repairing the cellular dam age caused by the stresses and
strains of worldly life. These benefits run parallel to the benefits
of meditation and replicate the conclusions drawn in a much
earlier book by H erbert Benson titled Relaxation Response. In
this book the effects of meditation were measured by fourteen
physiological functions such as heart rate, blood pressure,
lactic acid content, electrical conductivity of the skin, etc. At
the time of the book (1976) the benefits of melatonin were
not known; however, the benefits of m editation were just
starting to come into the view of medical research.

75
 8
Psychic and Mystic Concepts

n recent years it has come to light that about one person

Iclothes,
in fifty cannot recall faces. Often if a person changes
pulls their hair back or puts a hat on, they become
unrecognizable to those who suffer from this problem .
Research has revealed that such people do not look at the
eyebrow centre when trying to recognize people. Further it
has been found that by training people to concentrate on
the eyebrow centre, the incapacity diminishes remarkably.
O ne can now speculate w hether it is the features we
recognize or w hether we connect m ore subtle features
through ajna.
Ajna is the comm and centre of the psychic body and it
lies in the exact centre o f the brain. It is most readily perceived
directly behind the eyebrow centre in the region of the
frontal sinuses, and its second centre of perception is in the
medulla oblongata at the top of the spinal column. Sahasrara
lies in the metacortex, or higher brain. Connecting these
two centres is the mahanada, which arises out of the dissolution
of the three nadis: ida, pingala and sushumna, through which
subtle currents flow. When a sadhaka enters into meditation,
the force of willpower brings the subtle energies into motion
and when contacted with the m ind’s awareness, they appear
in the form of light.
This light in m editation is first seen in a circular form
and sometimes like the flame of a candle and is a sign of the

76
aspirant advancing on the path. Often people interpret the
vision of light in ajna as a very significant sign, bestowing
wisdom, knowledge, bliss and greatness; but this interpre­
tation is incorrect. The true light of knowledge, called samadhi,
is beyond all experience. It is of the highest spiritual order
and is the aim of all true yogis. In this state there is no
beginning or end, just infinite truth, consciousness and bliss.
T he light of ajna, however, is an experience that marks the
beginning of psychic life, and the light of knowledge, once
dawned, is an experience from which there is no return.
When it comes about, the sadhaka is advised to practise
meditation, with awareness on this point, until his con­
sciousness merges with the light.
T he m ore accomplished sadhaka often sees the two
charged particles of ajna as two petals of the ajna padma
(lotus). T he reason for the appearance of the two petals
surrounding a circular form is that this chakra is the meeting
point of the three principal nadis: ida, pingala and sushumna.
These three nadis terminate near the brahmarandhra at the
top of the skull, a little above ajna.

N adis and prana

These nadis are the psychic equivalents of the sympathetic
(SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous systems, which
control all the involuntary functions such as heartbeat,
digestion, glandular secretion and peristalsis. In general the
PNS is the inhibitor of these functions, slowing down
metabolism, and the SNS is the sdmulator, speeding these
functions up. When a greater amount of air flows through
the right nostril, pingala tends to be stimulated. This has a
heating effect on the body, with the SNS speeding up
metabolism. When m ore air flows through the left nostril,
ida tends to be stimulated with a resultant cooling effect and
metabolic slowdown.
Pingala is related to the physical aspect of existence and
ida to the mental aspect. In most people there is a daily cycle
of alternate stimulation of ida and pingala, with each cycle

77
lasting anywhere between one and four hours. In well-
balanced individuals there is an equal flow in both during a
day and the changes correspond to daily cycles of moods
and activities. Sick or mentally disturbed persons generally
have this system out of balance, as can be noted in the case of
high-strung neurotics whose right nostrils are always more
open, or of severely depressed persons whose left nostrils
tend to flow.
T he connecting link between the breath, the mind and
the psychic body is the olfactory bulb and the limbic formation
of the brain, which is connected to the pineal gland. This
olfactory bulb, which is also the organ of smell, senses which
nostril is flowing and relays this information to the rest of
the brain. It is a very complex organ, with thousands of
nerve connections leading to all parts of the nervous system,
for which neurologists cannot find any functional purpose.
It has two lobes, one directly over each nostril.
The science of swarayoga deals direcdy with this alternating
flow of forces. In its practice the flow is noted by the aspirant,
who is able to balance it o r change it from ida to pi ngala or vice
versa, often by exerting physical pressure at a point directly
below the arm pit. T his is often done in conjunction with
pranayama practices in which the breath alternates between
the two nostrils in certain prescribed ratios based on the time
unit (matra) of approxim ately one second. An advanced
example of a pranayama ratio is given in chapter 9.
It is through these nadis that the prana can be drawn up
from m anipura to ajna and then distributed to any part of
the body or to other bodies. It is through them that the vital
energy flows, which is so necessary for mental and physical
work. Through the practices of pranayama and ajapa japa
these nadis are purified and prana flows easily. By virtue of
special sadhanas, spiritual aspirants can awaken prana shakti
in the body and it is on this energy alone that they can find
strength to combat disease, to live on poor diets, to maintain
long hours of sadhana and to work hard for years and years
without a rest.

78
 Yogis who have tapped this source of energy never suffer
from a lack of it and perform miraculous feats of healing.
T heir work and efforts are selfless; it is all for others. T heir
tireless efforts, involving continual mental and physical selfless
work for the whole of their very long lives, ensure expansion
in every aspect of their being. Sadhana and service is the way
to expand out of the limited self to the unlimited selfless self.
T he energy that lifts the jum bo je t into the air, the
energy we use to carry loads, the energy to move stool through
the intesunes, to inhale and exhale, or to pum p blood around
the body is all the same energy. This energy is prana. Mind
is the controller of prana, body is the motor and prana is its
driving force.
The prana in the body is stored in m anipura and the seat
of the cosmic mind is ajna. In psychic healing processes, prana
is drawn up from m anipura to ajna and then directed to the
required point. It is through the power of will that the mind
has the capacity to direct the prana. T he prana store is always
replenished by an involuntary and spontaneous process. As
prana is connected with the sun and mind with the moon,
action on the physical plane which fimcdons under volition is
lunar and action which functions reflexively is solar.

Nectar o f im mortality
Sun is said to be in the navel region, with face downwards,
emitting poisons leading to mortality. By yoga practices we
come to discover a flower in the throat (vishuddhi) and this
flower can be turned upward to emit soma, the nectar of
immortality. Soma rises up to ajna, the seat o f the moon,
where it is converted into astral fluid.
This is described in the Yoga Shikha Upanishad (5:32-33):
“The potential energy of the universe is the energy which
has its aspect in man. T he fire in the sky, which is the sun,
corresponds to the fire in the navel region of man. In the
navel the sun is poison, but when it is directed upwards, it
begins to produce nectar. The moon is at the root of the
palate, which drops nectar downwards.”

79
 Further, in Gheranda Samhita (3:28-31) it is said: “Sun is
located in the root of the navel and moon is located in the
root of the palate. T he nectar coming out of the moon is
absorbed by the sun and so do men die. Direct the sun
upwards and bring the moon downwards. This is vipareeta
karani mudra, the secret of all tantras. Place the head on the
ground along with both the arms. Direct the legs upward
keeping the head fixed on the floor. It is vipareeta karani
m udra as opined by the yogins. Daily practice of vipareeta
karani m udra keeps death and old age away, and even
disturbances of nature never affect him. He becomes a siddha
of all worlds.”
T he physical secretions of the thyroid, pituitary, pineal
and adrenal glands are controlled through this practice.
Soma is the most precious bodily product and yogis practise
khechari m udra as well as vipareeta karani m udra in order
to preserve the secretion. Yogis, who make the fluid drop
down the nasal roof by raising the tongue in the palatal
cavity above the soft palate, thus tasting it, are immune to
poisons and snake bites. Soma is usually referred to as amrit
and amrit is translated as nectar of immortality. A direct
translation is ‘not m ortal’, meaning immortal.
Actually the m oon centre is above the palate, which
corresponds to the physiological site of the glands. T he
secretion coming out o f the palatal gland is absorbed and
dried by the heat of the glands in the lower region. If the
secretion coming out o f the palate is preserved somehow,
the tissues of the body will not undergo a speedy decay.
Mind, soma and astral fluid are all associated with the
moon centre of ajna. Soma and astral fluid give strength to
the mind; this strength is required for bearing the austerities
of spiritual life. By conversion of the precious fluids from
m anipura into soma, the nectar can be tasted in the back of
the mouth from the root of the palate. This effect changes
the entire structure o f the body. Many yogis who have
perfected this practice reach very high levels of consciousness,
attain many siddhis and live very long. They enjoy perfect

80
health and great strength to bear and enjoy the severe
austerities of ascetic life. These yogis often live high in the
mountains, under severe conditions of cold without clothing,
living quarters or fire for warmth, eating only two or three
rods (round flat bread) and some dal and water daily. Many
yogis living in isolation, under these conditions, have reached
ages of 200 and 300 years.

Power o f ajna
These practices that preserve the secretion o f soma are
difficult to perfect quickly and must be practised regularly
over a period of time in order to achieve perfection. These
practices must be done in conjunction with other kinds of
sadhana. The combined effect of these sadhanas will keep
the mind fresh and alert so that much energy can be directed
towards ajna. The awakened chakra supplements the other
sadhanas; the mental power of such a mind is great, and
progress in sadhana is fast. The light of ajna is awakened
and bum s with increasing brilliance until it acquires the
brilliance of a thousand suns.
The white light of ajna is infinitely powerful. By force of
will one can take one’s consciousness to distant places and
thus obtain knowledge of other objects. This is the divine
light through which religious seekers see visions of their
God. By awakening ajna the actual form of the astral bodies
can be perceived. Telepathy, clairvoyance, dairaudience and
intuition all function through this chakra. By meditation on
ajna one gets the siddhis to satisfy any desire and the
command made through ajna must be fulfilled. For this
reason it is called ajna, meaning command.
T he light arising from ajna during meditation, which
arises from the power of mind, is known as prana loka.
Simultaneously, will arises from chitta and enters the intellect
and' the desire for knowledge follows. Thus, from ajna, will
sends its vibrations out into the cosmos and comes into
contact with the required object, giving satisfaction to the
desire through ajna. This is the power of positive thinking

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and the postulation of a principle that ‘thoughts create things’
- the universe will surely reward you in harmony with your
own will. Those who have opened this passage by awakening
ajna and combine this with a trained mind will achieve great
deeds and are recognized as truly great people who can
build missions or even empires.
Ajna is the channel o f sankalpa shakti, power o f resolution.
Here yogis make their sankalpa and achieve their aims;
great yogis can give blessings to humanity, send out messages
for universal peace and goodwill. T heir success is not born
out of extraordinarily strong willpower, but because ajna is
awakened, offering a channel for the will to o p erate
throughout the universe.
This power can be used destructively as well as creatively.
The performance of many of the black tantric rituals can
bring sickness, death, destruction of crops due to floods or
hailstorms, financial ruin and so on. This is the same power
that operates through ajna.

Pineal gland
Early research on the pineal gland in m an showed that the
pineal cells were ocular in nature. As man evolved, the third
eye ceased to function as a physical eye and the brain
developed aro un d it. Early m an was not intellectually
developed and his livelihood depended mainly on instinct
and intuition, both o f which operate through ajna. T he
pineal gland is connected with the SNS, which controlled
most of early m an’s movements, as his central nervous system
(CNS) had not been adequately developed. Thus the SNS
and the life of early m an were largely affected by surgings of
the astral body. As m an evolved, the functions of the SNS
become subordinate and the CNS developed. In this way the
astral body became subordinate, although it still continues
to function by sending its impulses through the physical
terminal of the pineal gland into the brain.
Modern man can now, with his well-proportioned brain
and evolved state, be ready to take advantage of the astral

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knowledge. Because the intellectual processes and the CNS
became dominant, the psychic functioning of m an suffered,
or underwent a process of involution.
T he pineal gland serves as a physical organ for the
transmission of thought form from one brain to another or
from higher levels to the brain. But the awareness of this
knowledge and the awareness of its mode of communication
is often lacking, because most people are not aware of these
higher levels of consciousness and their faculties are engaged
with mental processes and emotions. Many people are sensitive
to the phenom ena of higher planes, but their lack of awareness
is due to the absence o f the connecting links with the SNS. A
person may be awake on the astral plane and functioning
actively thereon, but if the connections between the physical
and the astral systems have not been made, there is a break in
consciousness. However vivid may be the consciousness on
the astral plane it cannot, until the links are functioning,
bring through and impress on the physical brain the memory
of higher consciousness experiences.
T he evidence of the third eye used as a psychic eye is not
rare, but is universally accepted by most cultures ancient and
modern. Most prom inent significance must be attributed to
Hindus who perform a ritual, at least once a day, which includes
placing a spot of coloured powder (tilaka) at the eyebrow
centre. Many H indu wom en wear this m ark to indicate
marriage. Hindu sadhus often mark their eyebrow centre
with the trident of Lord Shiva, indicating that this is the place
of confluence of the three great energies, ida, pingala and
sushumna, and the hom e of Shiva, the symbol of cosmic
consciousness in man. Ajna is the trikuti (e.g. the meeting
point of three lines) of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, three
sacred rivers in India, symbolic of ida, pingala and sushumna.
When Roman Catholics genuflect before the cross, they
make the sign of the cross with their fingers; the top of the
cross is at ajna. Buddhists signify their reverence to ajna by
placing a precious jewel or ornam ent at the eyebrow centre
on statues of Lord Buddha. T he intricate arrangem ent of

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head-dress worn by the American Indians consists of multi­
coloured feathers attached to an ornam ented headband. T he
arrangem ent and ornam entation of the band is symmetric
above the eyebrow centre. Those members of the community
who develop greater psychic faculties are entitled to wear
larger head-dresses with more dazzling arrangements. T he
colours represent the aura that emanates from this chakra.
T he ancient Egyptian head-dress has an upraised serpent at
the site of the eyebrow centre. T he serpent itself has a spiritual
significance, which is emphasized by its position.

Correlations between psychology and yoga

According to yogis, the ability to have knowledge about
objects that cannot usually be perceived is a siddhi and
indeed, not only yogis but also many people are capable of
extra sensory perception (ESP). Many people have dreams
about future events in their life and pick up the thoughts of
those around them or, from their unconscious higher selves,
receive messages of philosophical or spiritual content which,
at the time of receiving, are pregnant with deeper meaning.
Many people are highly intuitive by way o f intuitive
flashes coming across the m ind or, without thinking, by
automatically doing the right thing at the right time. T he
yogi has not developed his science so that he can explore
and develop these psychic phenomena, but rather, so that
he can systematically and accurately gain the scientific
knowledge of body and mind, a necessary precursor for a
higher life.
Alpha wave predom inance in the brain relates to the ESP
capacity of the individual. During meditation the mind is
turned inward away from the senses and the sense objects,
and a state of tranquillity is reached where the m ind is
relaxed and its attention is fixed on an internal object. By
pursuing this practice the scope of the m ind expands beyond
the physical barriers, its power or radiations are channelled
through ajna and supersensory knowledge comes to the
mind of the practitioner.

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 Scientists have used delicate electronic instruments to
measure the conditions of meditation on ESP, whereas yogis
have developed and refined their own mental capacities,
and are thus able to experience and observe the same
conditions for m editation on ESP. T he only difference
between the scientific and yogic points o f view is the
terminology.
T he solar plexus is thus named because this centre is
responsible for heat in the body. It is through this plexus in
the autonom ic nervous system (ANS) that the digestive
process is stimulated. T he SNS (pingala) and PNS (ida) meet
in the eyebrow centre and flow out through the nostrils.
When the right nostril is flowing, pingala is flowing and the
physical or masculine aspect of m an is functioning. T he
common characteristic of the physical aspect is action. For
digestion, excretion, hard physical effort and rapid heartbeat,
pingala nadi gives best efficiency w hereas to a ttem p t
meditation under these conditions is extremely difficult. On
the other hand, when the left nostril is flowing, ida is flowing,
the female aspect of life is predom inant and meditation or
mental activities are preferred.
When we are agitated, excited or in a state of fear,
adrenaline is pum ped into the bloodstream, increasing the
heartbeat, breathing rate, and in general creating great
physical stren gth , tension and instinctive reactions to
situations. This is the ‘poison’ which many people constantly
run their lives on. Always seeking thrills and excitement,
always fearing the possible losses and defeats in life, they
have no time for a mental life or for meditational practices.
This ‘poison’, recorded in scriptures 5,000 years ago, is
m odern m an’s num ber one killer and is the root cause of
heart attack.
T he adrenaline system functioned in early man on an
instinctive level so that when his life was being threatened,
he had this speedy secretion of adrenaline horm one to give
him the necessary strength to fight or flee. In m odem society,
such threats are an anachronism. However, m an is so attached

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to the symbols of his status within society that any threat to
his position can set the adrenaline pum ping into his blood
stream for weeks and months at a time. On the short term
basis, this state of tension produces toxins in the body, and
the need for frequent release of tension and removal of
toxins is marked by the necessity of m odem m an to have
frequent sexual intercourse.
T he characteristics of soma are the exact opposite to that
of adrenaline; it has the characteristic of the moon, the
mental or cooling aspect. It has been described how, through
the practices of yoga, the poisons going into the body may be
averted and the astral fluid may be converted into mind-
stuff. Actually there is no scientific evidence for the presence
of soma; however, the carefully m easured physiological
changes brought about by meditation and certain asanas
that have been studied in detail show that the bodily changes
tend toward moon characteristics in humans and exactly
counter the effects of the adrenaline system. In yoga, this
cooling condition is created by moving the prana from its
central storehouse at m anipura to ajna, where it is turned
into mental energy. T he techniques will be described in
chapter 9.
This is why millions of people all around the world are
finding a new pleasure in freedom from disease and
relaxation of mental and physical tensions by the practice of
yoga. In order to ensure good health m odem m an does not
have to give up his work, his business and seek a peaceful life
in health resorts, forests and lovely places. With this latest
knowledge of yoga he can confidendy, with a few simple
daily practices, offset the tension of apparent threats which
buffet him every day.

Brahmamuhurta
Brahmamuhurta is that time in the early morning, which is
best for yoga practices. It is a Sanskrit word m eaning the
im portant time for Brahman. Brahman refers to the highest
cosmic consciousness, which is that all pervading awareness

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to which all beings are evolving either consciously or
unconsciously - that infinite all pervading consciousness that
is the same within and without every being and everything.
Yoga practices are designed to raise m an’s consciousness
above the world so that he can transcend this objective
universe and his mind can remain within his subtle spheres
of consciousness. Muhurta means auspicious time.
In India people say that between 4.00 am and 6.00 am is
brahm amuhurta, which is why many Hindus and all yogis
get up around 3 am, evacuate their bowels, clean their mouth,
throat, pharynx, nasal tract, tongue and then do some asanas,
pranayam a and m ed itatio n . T hese peo ple develop a
wonderful tem peram ent and their daily life is lived with
vitality and awareness. They are not bothered by ill health,
tiredness or weakness.
Previously it was mentioned that at the time of brahm a­
m uhurta the pineal gland is active. Having swelled to its
maximum size, the secretions of melatonin are taken into
the blood and absorbed by the gonads, which in turn inhibits
the sexual function, allowing the aspirant to keep his mind
in the subtle planes o f consciousness. This is a time of
tranquillity and perfect relaxation of mental and physical
tensions when g reat benefits can be gained. D uring
brahm am uhurta the pituitary gland has its daily cycle of
ACTH secretion, ACTH being one of the hormones of the
pituitary gland. This horm one passes through the blood
and stimulates the adrenal gland which, in turn, secretes
sufficient adrenaline to the body so that it becomes filled
with vital energy for the day’s work. People who sleep
through these precious hours merely bum up the valuable
secretions and eliminate the energy through the physical
body.
Arising early and practising yoga or just being awake and
singing devotional songs is sufficient to charge the mind to
the point where the excess energies, otherwise wasted through
the physical system, are sublimated. These excess energies
are evident as physical tension, very strong sexual desires,

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overheating of the body and frequent fever. It also manifests
in the personality in the form of greed, compulsive eating,
restlessness and sleeplessness.
T he East has been aware for thousands o f years of the
spiritual and psychic importance of brahm am uhurta, and now
the West has completed the picture with the discovery of the
physical importance of the time from 3.30 am to 6.00 am .T et
the people of the world arise at this magical hour, take a bath
or shake off their tiredness, then go for a brisk walk, being
constantly aware of their own movements, their breath and
the passing scenery, sounds and smells. Everyone wanting a
clear mind should get up at brahmamuhurta.

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 9
Yoga Practices for Awakening
Ajna Chakra

nong the thousands of meditation techniques in yoga

there are many practices for awakening this important
ajna chakra. In all these meditation techniques it is required
that one moves the awareness from the outer objective
environment to the inner. T he inner awareness is not different
to the outer; the mind and senses have merely been withdrawn
or partially withdrawn from the external environment. This
inner awareness is always there, but the mind does not notice
inner events when it is functioning with the outer objects.
T he complete withdrawal of the mind and the senses from
the outer objects is called pratyahara.
By simply attem pting to control the mind it is very difficult
to withdraw it from the senses, but by using some inner
form, sound or symbol, the mind will gradually turn inward
and o u ter awareness will dim inish. W hen the state o f
pratyahara is complete, when outer awareness has diminished
to a point and then disappeared, the practitioner will not
function on the external plane at all. He can be tapped with
a stick, his name can be called, a sweet can be placed on his
tongue, incense can be burnt, but he will not know about any
of these events. This is an advanced stage of pratyahara and
beginners will not be able to completely withdraw their
awareness; however, this does not prevent them from
proceeding with the meditation practices.

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 In fact, it is only by doing daily practice with strict
regularity that the m ind is trained so that, as the months
pass by, the inner awareness gradually increases as the outer
awareness diminishes. A beginner is advised to select his
practices and perform them over a length of time that can
be easily repeated day after day. Many beginners start out
adventurously by sitting for one hour every morning, but
soon the mind becomes tired and the joy of practising yoga
turns into a burden and many days are missed. It is far
better to do just a fifteen minute sitting every m orning and
night, with meticulous regularity, than a one hour sitting
four days a week.
It is written in the upanishads that the state of mind
while practising mediation is like boiling hot water; when
the fire is withdrawn for a short time, it takes much longer to
boil the water again after replacing the fire. Many gurus who
know about the path o f meditation say that to miss one
practice in the daily routine is to revert right back to the
beginning. In this way, months and years of effort can be lost
in one day.
Actually, progress in the practices is not at all regular.
Some days the mind goes very deep and some days it is so
distracted by thoughts and feelings that the aspirant feels
like stopping the practice because he thinks he is not suited.
This is a misconception, for success comes to all who persist,
but they must cling to their resolve to regularly do the
practices with tenacity and zeal. The m ind is like all other
things in man, every day a little different.
T he path of meditation practice is like the mountain
path; the peaks are dazzling and illum inating, yet the
d epressions are fogged up with the vacillations an d
vicissitudes of the mind. On some days the m ind is your
friend and on other days it will lead you astray. It will tell you
tales that will sound so convincing that definitely you will
think it right, proper and just to give up the practices. If you
are observant, you will not have to deny the m ind; just watch
it like a silent witness, silent in the knowledge that you will

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continue your practices. However, if you are not aware of the
nature of the mind, you will have to proceed by the strength
of resolve to daily continue the practice.
Note: To learn these yogic techniques correctly and in
order to actually feel the individual effect of each instruction,
it is recom m ended that the practices be learnt from an
experienced teacher.

1. Jala N eti (nasal cleansing with water)

T he first practice is a physical one, although its effects are
psychic. This isjala neti, a process of passing water from the
left nostril to the right and vice versa, using a small pot fitted
with a stem which functions like a teapot. T he end of the
stem is cone shaped for a snug fit in the nostril. The water
should be slightly salty and warm. Hold the head on the side
with the neck bent slightly forward and, with the pot in the
left hand, slowly pass water into the left nostril and let it run
up to the sinuses and down the right nostril. After about lA
litre of water has passed, repeat on the opposite side by
passing water into the right nostril and out the left. While
the water is passing, one has to be careful to keep the mouth
open and to breathe through the mouth, taking special care
not to breathe through the nose. Afterwards, the nostrils
should be dried by rapid inhalation and exhalation through
one nostril at a time, then both nostrils together, until the
last drop of water has dried up.
Ja la neti is prim arily a hatha yoga practice, which
massages the nerves around the trikuti (eyebrow centre)
and stimulates the activity of this centre, facilitating the
practices described later to awaken ajna. T he nasal tracts
are thoroughly cleaned, making it easy for the breath to
pass freely through the nostrils.
Jala neti is easily done, but to ensure success it should be
done at least once in the presence of a yoga teacher.

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 2. Asanas for M editation
By practising the following postures, you will find which
asana suits you best for meditation. The instructions and
precautions in Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha should be
carefully observed.
Padmasana (lotus pose): Padma means lotus. During deep
states of meditation the mind loses connection with the body
and on such occasions padmasana (or siddhasana) holds the
body steady, preventing it from falling. In deep meditation
the hands should be placed on the knees.
T he technique is perform ed from a sitting position. The
right foot should be placed on the left thigh and the left foot
on the right thigh. T he hands may be placed on the knees in
jnan a or chin mudra.
Ardhapadmasana (halflotuspose):Ardha means half; therefore
this asana is the half lotus pose.
Place one foot u n der or against the opposite thigh and
the other foot on top o f the opposite thigh. Keep the back,
neck and head straight.
Siddhasana (accomplished pose for men): Siddha m eans
perfection; a siddha is a sage or a seer. This is a favourite pose
of advanced yogis and adepts. It is probably the best asana for
meditation because, when done correctly, it regulates the
genito-urinary nerve flow and creates an excellent mood
for meditation.
Place the right heel against the perineum and the sole
against the left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the heel
against the pubic bone. T he ankles are situated one above
the other. Insert the toes of the left foot between the thigh
and calf of the right leg. T he toes of the right foot are pulled
up between the thigh and calf of the left leg. Place the hands
on the knees in chin o r jn an a mudra.
Siddha Yoni Asana (accomplished pose for women): Siddha
yoni asana is the female form of siddhasana. Bend the right
leg, placing the sole o f the foot flat against the inner left
thigh and the heel firmly against the groin. Bend the left leg
and place the foot on top of the right thigh, pulling the right

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toes up into the space between the left calf and thigh. T he
left heel is above the right heel.
By performing siddhasana or siddha yoni asana, moola
bandha and vajroli m udra take place automatically, for in
these poses the two heels cut off the genital nerve flow and
direct the sexual energy impulses upward.
Sukhasana (easy pose): Sukha means easy; it is the easiest
and most comfortable posture for jap a and meditation.
Place the right foot un der the left thigh, and the left foot
under the right thigh. T he hands are placed on the knees
and the head, neck and back are straight but relaxed. Those
who are extremely stiff may practise this asana by tying a
cloth around the lower back and the knees.

3. Omkara or Om Chanting
This practice prepares the mind for the more advanced and
powerful practices. Omkara is the name for the m antra Om.
Om is the universal cosmic sound often described as the sacred
trinity: creation, preservation and destruction in its three
syllables. It is the sound made by opening the mouth wide
and making the centre o f sound vibration begin at the back of
the throat and then progressing forward and simultaneously
closing the mouth until the centre reaches the closed lips at
the front with the sound ‘mmm’. It is said to represent the
fullness or completeness of universal consciousness, because
this ch an tin g from the back o f the m outh to the lips
encompasses the full gamut of all possible sound. Om is the
most powerful m antra and is suitable for all people. It renders
the m ind peaceful and tranquil.
Sit in a meditation asana and draw in the breath until the
lungs are comfortably full. Chant Om softly with full awareness
of the sound and imagine that it is emanating from the eyebrow
centre. The chanting o f each Om should be long, steady and
of even pitch. This practice can be continued for up to two
hours m orning and night. One can begin with five minutes
and gradually work up to longer times so that the daily practice
becomes powerful and effective in awakening ajna.

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 T he next technique not only makes the m ind tranquil,
but also increases the power of the m ind’s concentration on
the point of ajna. Chant Om rapidly so that each lasts for no
longer than 1V2 seconds; in one minute 40 Om mantras may
be chanted. The m antra should be directed towards the
eyebrow centre as if a spear were being directed towards this
point, repeated with regularity and an even beat with the
precise timing of a clock. T he mantras should be so continu­
ous that each m antra runs into the next, being careful not to
change the sound to ‘mo’. This practice is even m ore powerful
when done by a group of enthusiasts. T hen the chanting
should be in unison.
An alternate site for directing the force of the m antra is
the lower point of ajna at the top of the spine, near the
inferior brain. This point can be found by following the
technique for discovering ajna chakra through contraction
of mooladhara, described in Kundalini Tantra.

4. Jap a
Ja p a is a practice followed by many religions. In the science
of yoga, the guru gives the m antra to the disciple, knowing
the science of m antra an d its effect on the mind. T he function
of the m antra is to penetrate the deeper layers o f the mind.
T he different vibrations each mantra gives by its repetition
affect centres in the brain and thus bring about an awakening
of these centres.
T he immediate benefit of the m antra is to bring peace to
the mind by positively modifying the condition of the brain
through release of mental tensions. This having been effected,
the mind is sated and will not be an obstacle to further and
deeper awakening. T he ultimate aim is to bring about a
psychic and spiritual awakening.
This tantric system of awakening is so powerful that
prem ature progress can cause much damage, for when ajna
is awakened the m ind is open to great amounts of energy so
that thoughts become very powerful. To the untrained mind
a small troubling thought which cannot be controlled will

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 develop into such vast dimensions that a mental holocaust
can result. Until the guru initiates the disciple with a special
mantra, Om should be used because it is universal and suits
every temperament.
A mala of 108 beads is used with m antra repetition. Hold
the mala between the third and fourth fingers and the thumb
of the right hand and rotate the beads one by one with the
rhythm of the mantra. T he sumeru (terminal bead) should
never be crossed; when it is reached, turn the mala and
reverse the direction o f rotation. T he mala can be made
from tulsi (holy basil) wood, crystal, lotus seed o r rudraksha
nuts. T he m antra is powerful and, when used in conjunction
with a mala, the mala becomes charged with its vibradon.
For this reason it is best to keep the mala in a silk bag when
out of use and not to let other people use it because of their
different vibradons.
T he first technique, called baikhari, is to repeat the m antra
aloud. After some tim e, the second technique may be
introduced, called upanshu, where the m antra is whispered
so that only the practitioner can hear it. T he third technique,
called manasic, is to repeat the m antra mentally without
movement of the lips. Manasic jap a is more powerful than
baikhari or upanshu. T h e most powerful process o f repetition
just goes on by itself without the conscious willing of the
pracutioner; this is called ajapajapa.
First baikhari jap a should be practised by repeating the
mantra aloud continuously. When the breath is exhausted,
continue mentally together with the rotation of the mala as
the breath is being inhaled. Each m antra should move with
its own force and vibration towards bhrumadhya, the eyebrow
centre, or to the contact point at the top o f the spine.
Gradually progress to the same technique with upanshu and
finally with manasic japa.
The practice ofjapa with awareness on ajna has a purifying
effect on the chakra. This practice is called chakra shodhanam,
a tantric practice in which a certain num ber o f malas are
practised on each chakra in turn. T he experiences during

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this practice at ajna can be quite enthralling because of the
psychic nature of this chakra. Many psychic adventures can
be experienced; for example, the whole body (actually the
psychic body) can appear to hover over the asana, the weight
of the body seemingly reduced to nothing. Often lights
appear, or the characteristic white light of ajna. An eye may
be seen, maybe your own eye looking at you from the eyebrow
centre. The vibrations of the m antra pulse through the chakra
and then all over the body up and down the spine and
throughout the brain.
Needless to say, ajna shodhanam is a very im portant
practice in the awakening of this chakra. It is the precursor
to success with the tantric techniques using specialized
mantras, yantras and mandalas.

5. Kaya Sthairyam
Kaya sthairyam means body steadiness and is the First stage in
all meditation practices. In order to create a basis for con­
centration in which the faculties of the m ind can be withdrawn
from the body, it must be under perfect control. It is very
difficult for even an advanced yogi to control the mind, but it
is possible, even for a beginner, to control the body; and
through control over the steadiness of the physical body and
awareness of it, the m ind automatically becomes relaxed.
Sit in a meditation asana, with the eyes closed, spine
straight, the head erect and the hands on the knees in chin
mudra. Systematically relax the body, starting with the right
foot, ankle, calf muscle, thigh, hip, left foot, ankle, calf
muscle and so on through every part of the body. Extend the
awareness to the whole of the body so that it can be felt or
seen with the mind, be aware of every part of the body as one
object. Simultaneously mentally repeat, “the whole body, the
whole body” until the whole body is felt as one. This stage
will take about two or three minutes.
Then focus on body steadiness. First check the position,
ensuring that the spine is absolutely straight, the head is erect
and the body is relaxed. Mentally repeat, “for the next five

96
minutes, I will be steady, I will be still, I will not move a muscle
or limb.” Do not allow any unconscious movements of the
fingers or toes and, no m atter how strong the urge to move or
adjust the position, relieve a small pain or scratch an itch, do
not move. Often with beginners, the body starts to twitch,
vibrate, or shake. If this happens, apply willpower and keep
saying, “I will be steady, I will be sdll.” Sit like a statue, absolutely
calm, absolutely quiet, absolutely still like a rock. This is the
idea to imprint on the mind in order to be successful.
Having gained initial control over the body, continue the
practice until a change comes. T he body will appear to
change so that all the body seems to be within the mind. The
weight of the body apparently decreases and it may feel as if
the body is not sitting heavily on the floor as before, but
floating a few inches above it. T he body begins to get a
stiffness and stillness so that even if there is a desire to move,
the reaction is not coordinated. This is called psychic
stiffening of the body, and the stage of stiffening is necessary
for more advanced practices.
By doing this practice for half an hour, daily progress
will be very fast. In the beginning start in a very disciplined
m anner for about five minutes and gradually increase the
length of sitting. Kaya sthairyam is a sadhana in itself and if
practised for three or so hours, with perfect control over the
body, will culminate in samadhi, the goal of yoga. However,
in this context we are interested in the quick achievement of
psychic stiffening, which is the basis for the next lesson.

6. Trataka
Trataka is the first of the practices in the series that require
and develop concentration. T he power of the m ind is great
but dissipated through so many desires and energy wasting
pastimes. By consolidating the widely spread mental shakti
and applying it to one purpose, be it spiritual or worldly,
power is restored.
In order to concentrate on an object, either internal or
external, the mind must either be under control so that

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distractions are kept away, or the m ind should enjoy or get
some feeling of bliss o r comfort by concentrating on this
object. To do this the object has to be selected on an individual
basis. Some people can get bliss and good concentration by
becoming aware of the picture of their guru, the form of the
mantra Om, a flower, the rising sun, the moon in an open sky
or the flame of a candle. O f all these, the candle flame is the
most convenient and practical object to take up for beginners.
Trataka on an outer object is the best practice of concen­
tration in the beginning because it is easier for the untrained
mind. The mind has the habit of attaching itself to outside
objects, whereas when we close our eyes to concentrate on an
inner symbol or point the m ind constantly wavers. The mind,
when operating through the medium of the senses, actually
loses energy and when concentrating on an inner object,
withdrawn from the senses, gains energy. This process of
gaining energy always requires some sort of effort of will.
However, on the outer object, the mind can happily dwell on
the object, for it is as natural for the mind to do this as it is
for rivers to flow from the mountains to the sea. The candle
flame is an ideal object to begin with because of its fine shape
and colour. T here is a natural attraction for the flame, and
all enjoy its beauty, radiance and aura.
T he place to practise trataka is in •a dark room. The
doors and windows should be closed and the curtains drawn
so that the room is completely dark except for the solitary
light of the candle. T here should be no wind or draught, so
that the candle flame will be perfectly steady. Sit in a
meditation asana and place the candle directly in front of
the nose so the flame is not higher than the eyebrow centre
or lower than the chin. The candle should be about two feet
from the eyes or at a distance at which the eyes can focus on
the candle comfortably without strain. T he distance will vary
according to the individual.
Closing the eyes, practise kaya sthairyam until the whole
body has reached the point of psychic stiffening, then open
the eyes and focus on the candle flame. Concentrate on one

98
point in the flame, just above the wick, where the colour
changes, at the one point where the tinge of colour of the
flame is different, maybe red or blue or bright yellow. Gaze
at the point with full attention, ideally without blinking, for
about three minutes without straining. T he body must not
move, nor should the eyes.
Close the eyes and be aware of the inner image remaining;
it is a small seed-shaped light, maybe yellow, green or red.
Maybe, in the first practices, if there is tension, the seed of
light will not appear; however, with persistence it will come
into the inner view. Maintain constant steadiness of the body
and constant awareness of the seed. After a short time the
image may move up into chidakasha, in the region of the
forehead, or in some other direction. However it moves,
follow the movement until it disappears out of sight. Continue
internal image awareness until it ceases to reappear, at which
time open the eyes and repeat the practice. Between each
round of trataka adjust the position if needed, but stillness
and steadiness of the body must be re-established.
This practice of outer trataka is excellent for preparing
for inner trataka and meditation on ajna. T h e eyesight is
stren g th en ed , the m ind is calm ed and the faculty of
visualization is aided. Trataka brings the practitioner to a
point in sadhana where control of the psychic realm is
required, which hitherto has just been an experience.
In the next stage of trataka the internal image is observed
very carefully, and as soon as it starts to move it is brought
back to the eyebrow centre. This advanced technique requires
willpower; for it is only by willing that the image can be held
steady. In the final stage of outer trataka, visualize the whole
candle when the eyes are closed; the flame, the wick, the
candle and the stand on which the candle rests. Do not just
imagine it, but actually try to see or visualize the whole
image internally.
To be able to achieve clear visualization of an outer
object indicates an advanced ability in concentration and
this practice should be repeated without tension until success

99
is achieved. This outer trataka is called in Sanskrit bahiranga
trataka and is a necessary precursor of the next practice,
antar trataka, or inner trataka.

7. Antar Trataka
This is the first fully psychic practice, where one becomes
aware of not an outer object but an inner object o r point. This
practice requires peace of mind and steadiness o f the body.
First practise kaya sthairyam up to the point of psychic
stiffening, then become aware of the breath in the throat;
just be constantly aware of the psychic breath flowing in and
out. This psychic breathing is a powerful tool for pacifying
the mind. Each breath should be perfectly natural, sometimes
a little longer and sometimes a little shorter, but simply
observe or feel it going in and out. On inhalation the psychic
breath moves up the trunk, and on exhalation it moves
down. As tensions are relaxed the breath speed will slow
down until it is hardly moving, and all that is felt is the subtle
breath drifting through the throat area.
When the breath has been followed for about fifteen
minutes, move the awareness to the eyebrow centre and
become aware of a tiny star. Visualize the star and keep it in
constant view. Maybe, in the beginning, it will only flash for
an instant, but that is enough for the beginning and from
there the faculty of visualization will develop.

8. Shambhavi Mudra
Shambhavi is sometimes called bhrumadhya drishti. Shambhavi
was a princess who practised this m udra for Shiva, her beloved
lord, and joined with him. By the practice of shambhavi
m udra we can also join with Shiva. In the trinity Shiva is the
destroyer of created things and also the destroyer of obstacles
that prevent man from progressing mentally, morally and
spiritually.
Sit in a meditation asana with the spine and head erect.
First look at one point directly in front, then, without moving
the head and by rolling the eyes up, look up as high as

100
possible and concentrate, with eyes open, on the point
between the eyebrows. As an aid the thumb can be held in
front of the nose with the arm stretched out; the eyes are
focused on the thumb, which should be raised until the eyes
cannot follow its movement any further. It is at this point
that the eyes are focused on the eyebrow centre. This practice
can be continued for as long as possible or until strain is felt
in the muscles of the eyes. T hen the eyes are closed and
relaxed, and after a short time, keeping the body still,
shambhavi m udra is repeated up to ten times.
Shambhavi m udra is beneficial in directing the m ind to
bhrumadhya, and it awakens the m ind’s natural ability to
concentrate while directing the mental, psychic and pranic
forces to this point. Shambhavi m udra is a necessary precursor
of later practices designed to awaken ajna and should be
combined with khechari m udra for enhanced effectiveness.

9. Khechari Mudra
This practice is given because it enhances the effectiveness of
shambhavi mudra. Khe means ‘sky’ and charya means ‘one
who moves’. The nam e of this practice is such because it
produces a state of m ind in which the astral body, the body
of feelings, becomes detached from the physical body. T he
consciousness dwells in akasha, the space between the astral
and physical worlds. This practice should only be attempted
in close relationship with a guru.
Sitting in a m editation asana, roll the tongue back against
the upper palate whilst keeping the teeth closed. In full
khechari m udra the tongue is rolled back and up into the
space between the eyebrows, but for this simple practice it is
sufficient that the tongue is rolled back so that the tip is
embedded into the soft palate behind the bony structure in
the roof of the mouth. When the tongue reaches the upper
passage of the nose, sweet liquid produced by the salivary
glands is tasted.
One who masters this technique is able to practise
kumbhaka (breath retention) for as long as he wishes. Yogis

101
who have had themselves buried alive for days and even
weeks utilize khechari m udra to sustain themselves. This
m udra activates the nectar glands, which are related to ajna.
Khechari m udra awakens kundalini shakti and preserves
vital energies. In khechari m udra thejaw muscles may become
tired after some time. When this point is reached, the tongue
should be relaxed, the excess saliva swallowed, and after a
short time khechari reapplied.
These practices should be combined by first performing
khechari m udra, followed by sham bhavi m u dra, then
releasing shambhavi m udra before khechari mudra.

10. Anuloma Vilom a

T he meaning of this Sanskrit term is up-down. In this practice
the up and down movement of the breath is followed by the
awareness. Practise kaya sthairyam until psychic stiffening is
reached and then become aware of the breath in the nostrils.
Feel the breath moving in and out of the left nostril, then the
right nostril and then be aware of the breath as it flows in
and out of both nostrils together.
In this practice the flow of the breath in each nostril is
mentally controlled by consciously inhaling through the left,
exhaling through the right, inhaling through the right and
exhaling through the left. This is one round. In this way
practise four rounds and then breathe in and out of both
nostrils simultaneously. This is the fifth round. Continue in
this m an ner while counting rounds from 100 to zero.
Maintain accuracy in the counting and, if an erro r is made,
begin again.
For the awakening of ajna th ere is one im p o rtan t
additional point in the technique. On inhalation the whole
consciousness should move with the breath from the end of
the nose up to the eyebrow centre, and on exhalation the
whole consciousness should flow out from the eyebrow centre
to the end of the nose together with the breath.
It is very im portant to keep count of the breath because
anulom a viloma is so powerful that, w ithout counting,

102
awareness may be swallowed up by the unconscious sphere,
and it is the aim of this practice to stimulate ajna on the
psychic or subconscious level only. In the unconscious sphere
there is awareness only of the vast store of impressions in the
unconscious m ind and not of the practice. Awareness of the
practice is essential for the development of m ind control
and concentration on ajna.

11. Maha Mudra

Maha m udra is a technique described in detail in the tantric
texts. When it is practised, the energy of the breath is directed
towards the eyebrow centre. Sit in siddhasana / siddha yoni
asana or padmasana with the hands resting on the knees.
Breathe in and imagine or feel the breath filling the stomach
and chest from the navel upwards. When capacity has been
reached, perform jalandhara and moola bandha.
Jaland hara bandha is perform ed by pushing up the
shoulders with straightened arms and bending the head
forward until the chin touches the chest. Moola bandha acts
on mooladhara, located in the perineum in males and the
cervix in females, and is perform ed by contracting this area,
though actually it is a psychic contraction. To initiate this
psychic contraction, however, the physical contraction must
be performed.
Once the bandhas have been perform ed, move the
awareness to trikuti (eyebrow centre) and feel the psychic
pressure created at this point. Continue for as long as the
breath can be held comfortably. Mentally repeat, “Trikuti,
trikuti, trikuti,” until retention cannot be maintained. At this
time, release jalandhara bandha before exhaling, feeling as
if the breath was going down to the navel. People who suffer
from heart disease or epilepsy should not do this practice.

12. Trikuti Nadi Shodhanam

In trikuti there is a pulsating nadi on the rhythm of which
Om is felt pulsating. Practise kaya sthairyam until psychic
stiffness is achieved, then move the consciousness to trikuti,

103
and there try to feel the pulsating nadi. If you do not have
success, you will have to persist until you find the beating
nadi. If it cannot be found, then move the consciousness
back a little in a straight line to a point approximately
between the ears and search for it again. If still there is no
success, then use the imagination and mentally start the
pulsating of the nadi. It is like the steady simple beating of a
small drum in trikuti.
When fully established with the beating pulse, feel the
m antra Om with the rhythm of the pulsating nadi and
continue the awareness of pulsation and m antra for at least
15 minutes. Then, without moving or changing the asana,
proceed on to the next practice directly.

13. Guru Chakra Bheda

In guru chakra bheda the force of the m antra is coupled with
the force of the psychic breath, so that the m antra pierces its
way into the chakra. Continuing from the previous practice
of trikuti nadi shodhanam, with inhalation the awareness
travels from trikuti to the rear centre of ajna at the top of the
spine. With exhalation, the awareness returns to trikuti. T he
breath for this practice should be short and gentle.
Once established in the movement of the psychic breath,
backward to the spinal top and forward to the eyebrow
centre, add the m antra Om with the rhythm of the breath, so
that the outgoing forward moving breath together with the
m antra breaks into the trikuti centre.
This practice involves a psychic breathing passage, this
being different to the path of the gross breath. T he gross
breath moves through the physical respiratory system and
the psychic breath moves in harmony with the gross breath,
there being many paths for the psychic breath in the body.
In the beginning the psychic breath is moved with imagi­
nation, but as experience is gained, its natural flow is
discovered. In other words, in the beginning, the psychic
breath is just imagination, but after some practice it becomes
a real experience.

104
 T he Om m antra should be felt going backwards and
forwards and an attem pt should be made to deepen the
experience, even though this will come about by itself.

14. Ajapa Japa

Ajapa jap a is a practice that must be taught by a teacher or
guru in order to obtain good results. This subject has been
discussed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the books
Mechanics of Meditation, Dynamics of Yoga and Meditation from
the Tantras, and has been exhaustively treated by Swami
Niranjanananda Saraswati in Dharana Darshan.
T h e tongue is placed in khechari m u d ra and ujjayi
pranayama is perform ed, so that the m antra So Ham is in
harmony with the natural breath: So for the ingoing breath
and Ham for the outgoing breath. T he psychic path of the
breath is in the spinal column between m ooladhara and ajna.
So, the inhaled breath, moves from m ooladhara to ajna and
Ham, the exhaled breath, moves from ajna to mooladhara.

15. M editation on Trikuti

This is the last and most powerful practice for awakening
ajna. T hough this m ethod is simple the m ind must be
prepared for meditation.
The first step is to sit in kaya sthairyam until stiffness is
attained. T hen move the awareness to trikuti, the eyebrow
centre, and hold it there with constant awareness, without
wavering. From this point one can transcend the body and
dive deep into ajna, deep into the psychic lands of multi­
coloured, multi-variable vibrational experiences.

105
A ppendix
 Sat Chakra N irupanam

Sat Chakra Nirupanam (description of six chakras) is a text on

kundalini yoga. T his A ppendix contains the transliteration
o f verses 32-38 on ajna chakra as well as a detailed translation
and com m entary by A rthur Avalon (in The Serpent Power,
1919) on the original text by Acharya Swami Poornananda,
Bengal (circa 1500 AD) in 1919. Sat Chakra Nirupanam is not
an exhaustive treatise on kundalini and we have to reach for
oth er texts to reveal the whole gam ut o f recorded experiences
in kundalini yoga. S.S. Goswami in his book Laya Yoga (1980)
has stud ied an d analyzed h u n d re d s o f texts, including
m anuscripts from private collections, and has ad d ed many
details and created a reference for the avid student.
Verse 32
Aajnaanaamaambujam taddhimakarasadrisham dhyaanadhaama-
prakaasham; hakshaabhyaam vai kalaabhyaam parilasitava-
purnetrapatram sushubhram. Tanmadhye haakinee saa
shashisamadhavalaa vaktrashatkam dadhaanaa; vidyaam mudraam
kapaalam damarujapavateem bibhratee shuddhachittaa.

Translation
The lotus named ajna is like the moon (beautifully white).
On its two petals are the letters Ha and Ksha, which are also
white and enhance its beauty. It shines with the glory of
dhyana (the state of m ind acquired by meditation). Inside is
Shakti Hakini, whose six faces are like so many moons. She
has six arms, in one o f which she holds a book; two others
are lifted up in the gestures of dispelling fear and granting
boons, and with the rest she holds a skull, a small drum
(damaru), and a rosary. H er m ind is pure (shuddha chitta).

Commentary (Avalon)
T he author describes ajna chakra between the eyebrows in
the seven verses beginning with this:
‘The lotus nam ed ajna’ (ajna nama): “Ajna o f the guru is
communicated here, hence it is called ajna.” H ere between
the eyebrows is the ajna (command), which is communicated,
from above, hence it is called ajna. This lotus which is well
known is here. It is here that ajna of the guru is communicated
This lotus is between the eyebrows, as the following shows.
“Going upwards after entering the throat and palate, the
white and auspicious lotus between the eyebrows is reached
by kundali. It has two petals on which are the letters Ha and
Ksha, and it is the place of mind (manas)."
T he following are descriptions of the lotus:
‘Like the moon, beautifully white (hima-kara-sadrisham).'
This comparison with chandra (hima-kara) may also mean
that this lotus is cool like moonbeams (the moon being the
receptacle o f amrita, or nectar, whose characteristic is
coolness), and that it is also beautifully white.

109
 It has been said in Ishvara-Kartikeya-Samvada: “Ajna chakra
is above it; it is white and has two petals; the letters Ha and
Ksha, variegated in colour, also enhance its beauty. It is the
seat of mind (manas)."
‘Two petals’ (netra-patra): the petals of the lotus.
‘T he letters Ha and Ksha, which are also white’ (ha-
kshabhyam kalaa-bhyamparilasilavapuh su-shubhram): These two
letters are by their very nature white, and by their being on
the white petals the whiteness thereof is made m ore charming
by this very excess of whiteness. (Or the m eaning may be
that the ajna chakra has rays cool like the ambrosial rays of
the moon and like the moon beautifully white.) T he letters
are called kalaas because they are bijas of kalaas.
‘It shines with the glory of d hyana’ (dhyana-dhama-
prakasham): T hat is, its body shines like the glory of dhyana
shakti.
‘Hakini’: He next speaks of the presence of Shakti Hakini.
The force of the pronoun saa (she) in addition to her name is
that she is the well-known Hakini.
‘T he gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons’
(mudra): T here should be six weapons in her hands as she
has six hands. T here are some who read vidya and m udra as
one word, vidya-mudra, and interpret it to m ean vyakhya-
mudra - the gesture that conveys learning or knowledge -
and speak o f h er as possessed of four arm s. Different
manuscripts give different readings. T he wise reader should
judge for himself.
In a dhyana in another place she is thus described:
“Meditate upon Her, the divine Hakini. She abides in the
marrow and is white. In her hands are the damaru, the
rudraksha rosary, the skull, the vidya (the sign of the book),
the m udra (gesture of granting boons and dispelling fear).
She has six red-coloured faces with three eyes in each. She is
fond of food cooked with turmini, and is elated by drinking
ambrosia. She is well seated on a white lotus, and her mind is
exalted by the drink of the king of the devas gathered from
the ocean.”

110
Other commentary
S.S. Goswami makes reference to Kalicharana’s interpretation
of Sat Cliakra Nirupana. Here ‘like the m oon’ means ‘m oon­
like white colour’, adding that it may also mean that as the
moon has nectarous cool rays, so ajna chakra is cool rayed.
Also the commentator Ramawallabha says it is like the colour
of the moon, and Vishwanatha explains that it causes moisture
(from nectar) like the moon. In Rudrayamala we learn that in
the hollow of ajna chakra is an excellent fluid, indicating
there is nectar in ajna as there is in the moon.
Supporting the fact that ajna has two petals, Goswami
cites some 25 texts, including manuscripts, upanishads and
tantras. He also gives references to support descriptions that
the petals are white and further references to the petals
having lightning-like colour. Also, as has been m entioned in
chapter 6, Swami Satyananda has described it as an ‘intangible
colour’, meaning it cannot be easily defined, formulated or
grasped.
So we have various descriptions of the same experience.
As Shankaracharya said, “T here is only one truth and the
wise describe it in different ways.”
In Kalika Parana (55.30), as reported by S.S. Goswami, at
the point of confluence of the three nadis, ida, pingala and
sushumna, is a six-comered red hexagon magnified to four
fingers breadth, and this is what is called ajna chakra by the
yogis. Rudrayamala part 2 (20:6-7) states that within ajna is the
beautiful harm chakra (desire chakra) and inside this is the very
subtle prashna chakra and inside that the phala chakra. Goswami
suggests these are for very special concentration.
About Hakini, Goswami cites the following references. In
Kalicharana, Hakini is white with six red faces, each with
three eyes, and six items in her hands. In Kankalamalini
Tantra, Hakini’s colour is a mixture of white, black and red;
she is two-armed; her face is moonlike with beautiful rolling
eyes like a moving black bee; she shines with the vermillion
mark on her forehead; she has curled hair and is clad in red
raiment and her upper garm ent is white.

Ill
 In Kulamava Tantra, Hakini is dark blue and has one,
two, three, four, five and six faces (according to the type of
concentration) which glitter like the stars. She holds a skull
spear, shield and abhaya m udra: O ne face indicates
concentration in which 4I-ness’ has been dissolved; two faces
indicate concentration in which I-ness remains; three faces
represent the three primary attributes; four faces represent
gross sensory knowledge, super sensory knowledge, pre-
sensory knowledge and non-sensory knowledge; five faces
represent knowledge of the attributes of the five chakras
below; six faces represent perceptual knowledge, thoughts
and attention.
In Kaulavalitantra, she is white, has three eyes, holds a
rudraksha mala, drum, skull, book, bow and the m udra of
dispelling fear or granting boons.
Goswami concludes that concentration on Hakini gives
the practitioner all the powers to continue work in ajna
chakra. T he six faces representing the five principles of the
lower chakras plus manas. The third eye is concentration-
light and the other eyes indicate perceptual knowledge,
thoughts, attention and concentration-knowledge of three
forms: dharana, dhyana and samadhi. If her faces are red in
colour, it indicates kundalini knowledge and the white colour
indicates a highly rarefied form of sattwa. Dark blue indicates
sattwa ready to proceed to a formless state, red colour
indicates fully aroused kundalini in form and a mixture of
white, red and black indicates harmonious balance of the
three attributes.

Verse 33
Etatpadmaantaraale nivasati cha manah sookshmaroopam
prasiddham; yonau tatkamikaayaamitarashivapadam lingachihna-
prakaasham. Vidyunmaalaavilaasam paramakulapadam brahma-
sootraprabodham; vedaanaamaadibeejam sthiratarahridayash-
chintayettatkramena.

112
Translation
Within this lotus dwells the subtle m ind (manas). It is well-
known. Inside the yoni in the pericarp is the Shiva called
Itara in His phallic form. He here shines like a chain of
lightning flashes. T he first bija of the vedas (Om), which is
the abode of the most excellent Shakti and which by its lustre
makes visible the Brahmasutra, is also there. T he sadhaka
with steady m ind should meditate upon these according to
the order (prescribed).

Commentary (Avalon)
He speaks of the presence of manas in this lotus.
‘Subtle’ (sukshma roopa): Manas is beyond the scope of the
senses; that being so, it may be asked, what is the proof of its
existence? T he answer is it is well-known o r universally
accepted (prasiddha) and handed down from anadi-purusha,
generation after generation as a thing realized, and is hence
well-known. T he evidence of the shastras, also, is that this
manas selects and rejects. Here is the place of manas. The
presence of manas is above the first bija of the vedas as will
appear from what is about to be spoken of.
‘Phallic form’ (linga-chihna-prakasham): He next speaks of
the presence of the Shivalinga in the yoni which is within the
pericarp. The Itara-Shiva who is there is in his phallic form,
and within the yoni. Within the triangle in the pericarp
dwells Itara-Shivapada, i.e. the Shiva known by the name of
Itara. This linga is in the phallic form and white. As has been
said in the Bhuta-Shuddhi-Tantra: “Inside it is the linga Itara,
crystalline and with three eyes.” Linga resembles continuous
streaks of lightning flashes (vidyun-mala-vilasam).
‘First bija of the vedas’ (vedanam-adibeejam): He then speaks
of the presence of the Pranava (Om) in the pericarp of this
lotus. In the pericarp there is also the first bija, i.e. Pranava
( 3*»).
‘Which is the abode of the most excellent Shakti’ (parama-
kulapada)'. Kxda = Shakti, which is here of a triangular form.
Parama means most excellent, by reason of its resembling

113
lightning and like luminous substances; and pada means
place, i.e. the triangular space. Hence this bija, namely the
Pranava, we perceive is within the triangle. This is clearly
stated as follows:
“Within the pericarp and placed in the triangle is Atma
in the form of the Pranava, and above it, like the flame of a
lamp, is the charming nada and bindu, which is makara, and
above it is the abode o f manas.”
Now, if the parama-kulapada is the container (adhara) of
and therefore inseparate from the Pranava, how is it that it is
separately mentioned as one of the sixteen adharas spoken of
in the following passage? For it has been said that “the sixteen
adharas hard of attainm ent by the yogi are mooladhara,
swadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna, bindu,
kalapada, nibhodhika, arddhendu, nada, nadanta, unmani,
vishnu-vaktra, dhruvamandala and Shiva.”
The answer is that the second kulapada is not the one in
ajna chakra; it is in the vacant space above m ahanada which
is spoken of later. This will become clear when dealing with
the subject of mahanada.
‘Which makes manifest the Brahma-sutra’ (brahma-sutra-
prabodha): Brahma-sutra = chitrini-nadi. This nadi is made
visible by the lustre of the Pranava. In verse 3 this nadi has
been described as ‘lustrous with the lustre of the Pranava’.
The sadhaka should with a steady mind meditate upon all
these, viz., Hakini, Manas, Itara linga and Pranava in the order
prescribed. This is different from the order in which they are
placed in the text by the author. But the arrangement of words
according to their import is to be preferred to their positions in
the text. The order as shown here should prevail. Thus, first
Hakini in the pericarp; in the triangle above her Itara-linga; in
the triangle above him the Pranava; and last of all, above the
Pranava itself, manas should be meditated upon.

Other commentary
In verse 33 of Laya Yoga, Goswami says that subtle manas has
a centre of operation beyond the ordinary senses and antarala

114
 Sushumna

W ithin sushumna nadi are

concentric nadis

Sushumna - Tamas
Vajra - Rajas
Chitrini - Sattwa
Brahma - Consciousness

(within) indicates th ere is a sub-centre within ajna where

manas is.
Goswami further refers to the ord er as per Kalicharana’s
com m entary on Sat Chakra Nirupana, saying n o t to take the
ord er given, but the o rd e r o f im portance, i.e. 1. Hakini, 2.
Itaralingam, 3. Pranava and 4. Manas.
Brahm a sutra is B rahm a nadi according to Shankara,
V ishw anatha, B h u w a n am o h an a a n d R am avallabha, bu t
K alicharana says th a t it m eans ch itrin i n ad i, w hich is
concurred with by Avalon.
Antarala (first word o f the verse): According to Goswami
the use of this word explains that within ajna is a subsystem
of chakras leading up to sahasrara.
Goswami’s translation is: It is well known that the seat of the
subde manas is at an intermediate point of this lotus; inside the
pericarp of this is a triangle (yoni), which is the seat of Itarashiva
(Shiva endowed with the power of full control over desires) who
is revealed in his linga form (absorptive concentration form,
linga chihna prakasha). H ere is also the seat of the supreme
power of kundalini (pararnakida). Like the streaks of lightning
flashes causing the rousing of the Brahma nadi and manifesting
as the first bija of the vedas, that is the first m antra (Om) on
which a practitioner should do thought concentration according
to the order (prescribed by the guru).

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Verse 34
Dhyaanaatmaa saadhakendro bhavati parapure sheeghragaamee
muneendrah; sarvajnah sarvadarshee sakalahitakarah
sarvashaastraarthavetta. Advaitaachaaravaadee vilasati
paramaapoorvasiddhiprashiddho; deerghaayuh so’p i kartaa
tribhuvanabhavane samhritau paalane cha.

Translation
T h e excellent sadhaka, whose Atma is n o th in g but a
meditation on this lotus, is able quickly to enter another’s
body at will, and becomes the most excellent am ong munis,
and all-knowing and all-seeing. He becomes the benefactor
of all, and versed in all the shastras. He realizes his unity
with the Brahman and acquires excellent and unknown
powers (siddhis). Full of fame and long-lived, he ever becomes
the creator, destroyer and preserver of the three worlds.

Commentary (Avalon)
In this verse he speaks of the good to be gained by the dhyana
of this lotus.
‘Most excellent am ong munis’ (munindra): A muni is one
who is accomplished in dhyana and yoga and other excellent
acquirements. T he suffix ‘indra’ means king or chieftain and
is added to names to signify excellence.
‘Versed in all the shastras’ (sarva-shastrarthavetta): Such a
one becom es proficient in the shastras a n d in divine
knowledge and thus he becomes all-seeing (sarva-darshi), i.e.
able to look at things from all points by reason of his being
possessed of wisdom and knowledge which harmonizes with
shastras, manners and customs.
‘He realizes . . .’ (advaitachara-vadi): He knows that this
universe and all material existence is the Brahman, from
such sayings of Shruti as, “The worlds are its pada (that is
amshas)”; “All that exists is the Brahman”; and “I am the
deva and no one else; I am the very Brahman, and sorrow is
not my share.” He knows that the Brahman alone is the Real
(Sat) and everything else is unreal (asat), and that they all

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shine by the light of the Brahman. T he man who by such
knowledge is able to realize the identity of the individual
with the Suprem e Spirit (jivatman and paramatman) and
preaches it, is an Advaitavadi.
‘Excellent and unknown powers’ (paramapoorua-siddhi):
that is, most exalted and excellent powers.
‘Full of fame’ (prasiddha): i.e. famous by reason of his
excellence.
‘He ever becomes . . .’ (so’p i karta tribhuvana-bhavane
samhritau palane cha): This is prashamsha-vada, i.e. praise, or
it may mean that such a sadhaka becomes absorbed in the
Supreme on the dissolution of the body, and thus becomes
the source of creation, preservation and destruction.

Verse 35
Tadantashchakre 'sminnivasati satatavi shuddhabuddhyantaraatmaa;
pradeepaabhajyotihpranavavirachanaaroopavamaprakaashah.
Tadoordhve chandraardhastadupari vilasadbinduroopee makaara-
stadoordhve naado’sau baladhavalasudhaadhaarasantaanahaasee.

Translation
Within the triangle in this chakra ever dwells the combination
of letters (AUM, or Om, which form the Pranava or m antra
3S>). It is the inner Atma as pure mind (buddhi) and resembles
a flame in its radiance. Above it is the crescent moon and
above this again is ma-kara, shining in its form of bindu.
Above this is nada, whose whiteness equals that of Balarama
and diffuses the rays o f the moon.

Commentary (Avalon)
T he author desires to speak of the presence of the Pranava
in ajna and says that in this chakra, and within the triangle
which has already been spoken of, ever dwells the combination
of the letters A and U, which by the rules of sandhi (union)
make the thirteenth vowel O. This combination of letters is
shuddha-buddhyantaratma, i.e. the innermost spirit manifesting
as pure intelligence (buddhi).

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 T he question may be asked if the thirteenth vowel (O) is
that. To obviate this, the author (Poornananda) qualifies it
by saying ‘above it is the half moon etc.’ It is by adding the
half moon (nada) and bindu to O that the Pranava is formed.
He next gives its attributes: ‘Resembles a flame in its
radiance’ (pradipabliajyotih): But how can this thirteenth vowel
by itself be shuddha-buddhyantaratma? He therefore says,
“Above it is the crescent moon (tadoordhve chandrardhah).
And above this again is ma-kara, shining in its form of bindu
(tadupari vilasad-bindu-roopi makarah)." It is thus shown that
by the placing of the crescent moon and the bindu over the
thirteenth vowel the Pranava is completely formed.
‘Above this is nada’ (tadoordhve nado’sau), i.e. above the
Pranava is the avantara (final or second) nada, which
challenges as it were the whiteness of Baladeva and the
moon (bala-dhavala-sudha-dhara-santana hasee). By this he
means to say that it is extremely white, excelling in whiteness
both Baladeva and the rays of the moon.
Some read tadadye nado’sau (in the place o f tadoordhve
nado’sau) and interpret it as, “Below bindu-roopi ma-kara is
nada”, but that is incorrect. T he text says, “Above this, again,
is ma-kara, shining in its form of bindu,” and there is nada
below it; that being so, it is useless to repeat that nada
is below.
Besides, this nada is beyond the nada, which forms part
of the Pranava, and is part of the differentiating (bhidyamana)
Para-bindu placed above the Pranava. If, however, it be
urged that it is necessary to state the details in describing the
special Pranava (vishishta-pranava), and it is asked, “Why do
you say a second nada is inappropriate?” then the reading
tadadye nado’sau may be accepted.
But read thus it should be interpreted in the following
manner: “This nada shown below the bindu-roopi ma-kara is
bala-dhavala-sudha-dhara-samthana-hasee, and the nada first
spoken of is also so described. Such repetition is free from
blame on the authority of the maxim that “the great are
subject to no limitations.”

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Commentary (general)
Balarama was born as the brother of Krishna. Balarama is a
symbol of strength, an obedient son, an ideal brother and
husband, an ideal m an and god. He is a protector from
desires, the divinity of strength of the divine, symbolizing
duty, honesty and simplicity. Vishnu incarnated as Balarama
when Indra and the other gods came to Lord Vishnu and
asked for release from the dem on son Kamsa, King of
Mathura. Vishnu took one black and one white hair from
his head and promised that these two would come to fight
against the demons. This way, first Balarama (the white
hair) then Krishna (the black hair) incarnated in the womb
of Devaki.
Goswami states that about the Pranava it has been said
that there is the bija in akshara form which is explained in
Soubhajnalakshmyupanishad as a splendorous consciousness­
like light on which concentration should be done.
Yogarajopanishad says that circular light indicates luminous
coils of kundalini.

Verse 36
Ilia sthaane leene susukhasadane chetasi puram niraalambaam
badhvaa paramagurusevaasuviditaam.Tadabhyaasaad yogee
pavanasuhridaam pashyati kanaan tatastanmadhyaantah
pravilasitaroopaanapi sadaa.

Translation
When the yogi closes the house which hangs without support,
the knowledge where of he has gained by the service of
Param guru, and when the chetas by rep eated practice
becomes dissolved in this place which is the abode of
uninterrupted bliss, he then sees in the middle of, and in the
space above (the triangle) sparks of fire distinctly shining.

Commentary (Avalon)
Having described the Pranava, he now speaks of its union
(with chetas), i.e. Pranava yoga.

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 T he yogi should close the house (puram baddhva), i.e. he
should, with his mind set on the act, close the inner house or,
in other words, he should make yoni m udra in the m anner
prescribed and thus effectually close the inner house. T he
use of the word pur shows that the yoni m udra is meant.
Then, when his chetas by repeated practice (abhyasa) or
meditation on the Pranava becomes dissolved (lina) in this
place (ajna), he sees, within and in the space above the
triangle wherein the Pranava is, sparks of fire (pavana-suhridam
kanan). Or, to put it plainly, he sees sparks of light resembling
sparks of fire appear before his mental vision above the
triangle on which the Pranava rests.
It is by yoni m udra that the inner self (antah-pur) is
restrained and detached from the outside world, the region
of material sense. Manas cannot be purified and steadied
unless it is completely detached from the material sphere. It
is therefore that the m ind (manas) should be completely
detached by yoni mudra.
Yoni mudra, which detaches manas from the outside world,
is thus described in Sarada Tilaka, “Place the left heel against
the anus and the right heel on the left foot, sit erect with your
body, neck and head in a straight line. Then, with your lips
formed to resemble a crow’s beak (kaki mudra) draw in air and
fill there with your belly. Next, close tightly your ear holes with
the thumbs, with your index fingers the eyes, the nostrils by
your middle fingers, and your mouth by the rem aining fingers.
Retain the air within you (kumbhaka), and with the senses
controlled meditate on the m antra whereby you realize the
unity (ekatvam) of prana and manas (i.e. recite the hamsa or
ajapa mantra). This is yoga, the favourite of yogis.”
T hat steadiness of m ind is produced by restraint of breath
through the help of m udra has been said by Shruti: “T he
mind under the influence of hamsa (thejivatm a manifesting
as prana) moves to and fro, over different subjects; by
restraining hamsa the m ind is restrained.”
‘Closes the house’ (puram baddhva): This may also mean
khechari mudra. This latter also produces steadiness of mind.

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As has been said, “As by this the chitta roams in the Brahman
(kha) and as the sound of uttered word (tongue) also roams the
ether (kha), therefore is khechari mudra honoured by all the
siddhas.” The chitta is khechara (what moves about in the sky or
ether) when, disunited from manas and devoid of all worldly
things, it becomes unmani. As has been said, “The yogi is
united with unmani; without unmani there is no yogi.” Niralamba
means that which has no support - that from which the m ind’s
connection with the world has been removed.
‘T he knowledge whereof he gained by the service of his
Param aguru’ (parama-guru-seva suviditam): Parama is excel­
lence in the sense that he has attained excellence in yoga
practice (by instructions) handed down along a series of
spiritual preceptors (gurus) and not as a result of book
learning. ‘Serving the guru’: Such knowledge is obtained
from the guru by pleasing him by personal services (seva);
compare. “It can be attained by the instructions of the guru
and not by ten million shastras.”
‘The abode of uninterrupted bliss’ (susukha-sadane) : This is
the place where one enjoys happiness that nothing can interrupt.
This word qualifies place (Via sthane, i.e. ajna chakra).
‘Sparks o f fire distinctly sh in in g ’ (pavana-suhridam
pravilasitaroopan kanan): These sparks of fire shine quite
distinctly.
Elsewhere it is clearly stated that the Pranava is sur­
rounded by sparks of light: “Above it is the flame-like Atma,
auspicious and in shape like the Pranava; on all sides
surrounded by sparks o f light.”
About verse 40 Avalon says that where the ‘manas-ness’
(manastva) of manas ceases to be, that is called unmani, the
attainm ent of which is the secret teaching of the tantras. In
q u o tin g the resp ected co m m en tato r V ishw anatha on
Svacchanda Samgraha, which speaks of unm ani as above
samana, he says that in unm ani there is no cognition of, and
no distinction is made, between kaala and kalaa; no body
and no devatas and no cessation of continuity. It is the pure
and sweet mouth of Rudra.

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Commentary (general)
A description of khechari m udra is given in Hatha Yoga
Pradipika (3:40-41): “O ne who knows khechari m udra is
unafflicted by disease, unaffected by the laws o f cause and
effect (karma) and free from the bonds of time (death). Mind
moves in Brahman (khe) because the tongue moves in space
(khe). Therefore, the perfected ones have nam ed this m udra
khechari, moving in space or Brahman.”
The commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda on these
two verses is: “One who knows khechari m udra is one who
has experienced and perfected it. T he Sanskrit word vetti,
meaning knowledge, refers to knowledge through experience,
not knowledge through an intellectual concept.
“The benefits attributed to khechari m udra are those
th at result from experience o f supra-consciousness or
samadhi. Here we are told that khechari is so powerful that
the practitioner can reach a state beyond karma (cause and
effect), time, death and disease. These are all aspects of the
influence of shakti or maya. T he state of supra-consciousness
is that of universal awareness, beyond duality and the finite
mind. It is called kaivalya, nirvana, moksha, samadhi or
Brahma. These are all synonymous terms indicating the
final stage or accomplishment of raja yoga.
“Time and space are concepts of the finite m ind and per­
ception. In yoga and tantra they are said to be the tools of maya,
prakriti or shakti. They are the laws of nature and finite m ind
is the product of nature. If you can expand the consciousness
beyond the awareness o f finite mind and natural phenom ena,
the consciousness will enter the realm of the infinite.”
In his commentary, Avalon is suggesting that use of the
word ‘p u r’, meaning city, means the practidoner at this stage
of experience should practise yoni mudra. Use of the word
‘pu r’ indicates this body which has nine gates. It does not
necessarily signify the practice of yoni m udra that Avalon
describes in detail.
Yoni m udra is a yogic technique for closing the nine
gates (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, urinary tract and anus) to

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experience the mind, as it is disconnected from any external
experience. However, an adept would, by concentration
alone, experience this without having to practise yoni mudra.
It is clear that Avalon’s comments relate to manas chakra,
the place where mind is experienced without any external
support (the house without support).
T he bindu of the Pranava which is within the triangle is
the lower bindu. Beyond this bindu lies the nada, blazing
white, which is manas chakra, which is discussed separately.
So, manas chakra is the seat of chitta. It is the blazing
white nada above the triangle and above the Pranava on it.
Manas has two aspects, the lower and the higher. Lower
manas is the product o f the senses and receives the sensations
via the brain and conveys them to chitta (called chetas in
Avalon’s text).
A possible mechanism for the creation of chitta by manas
and subsequent detachm ent of chitta from manas, enabling
m anas to be ‘as a house w ithout s u p p o rt’ o r m ind
unsupported by any external experience could be as follows.
Sense impressions are impulses that trigger brain functions,
which are transformed into subtle prana vayu movements
and conveyed to each chakra according to the sense in­
volved. Thus odours trigger a pranic flow to mooladhara,
tastes to swadhisthana, sights or form to manipura, touch
to anahata and sound to vishuddhi (see ‘Creation of Chitta’
diagram on page 125).
In turn these pranic signals are transferred to lower
manas or that aspect of mind dependent on sense stimulation.
These external experiences are stored in chitta as experiences
that we recall and recognize. It is here that our sense of ‘I’
ness identifies with the process of cognition and thus we say
‘I see’ or ‘I smell’. Thus we can recall an experience of smell
or form or colour as well as our feelings of pleasure or pain,
tasteful or distasteful, desirable or undesirable. When we
sleep or enter into unconsciousness, the flow of sensations to
the brain ceases and thus the related petal of manas chakra
is black. According to S.S. Goswami, the colours of the petals

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in manas chakra are yellow for smell, white for taste, red for
form, ash (silver white) for touch, white for sound and black
for unconsciousness.
In this verse from Sat Chakra Nirupana it is stated that
manas is the place where chitta is absorbed, and since our
attachment to the objects of chitta is always there, liberation
of manas from the external experience by dissolution of
chitta is only possible through the service of a Paramguru.
Param guru’s role is to liberate manas from its involvement
with the external guru and achieves this th ro u g h u n ­
derstanding this process and appropriately training disciples
in non-attachment and teaching the secrets of dissociating
from chitta.
Manas chakra is white and has six petals. Each petal is
said to represent a sense modality as well as having a
representative colour. T he petal representing sense of smell
is yellow, sense of taste is white, sense of sight is red, sense of
touch is ash, sense of sound is white and the petal representing
sleep is black.
When we examine the tantric process of creation, we
come to understand that creation is the evolution of the
tattwas or elements. Since nothing comes from nothing, our
consciousness plus the elements must have their essence or
source in the more subtle aspects out of which they have
evolved. According to tantra the five senses and the material
objects evolved out of the composite mind, otherwise known
as antah harana (manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara). T he
antah karana is the subtle source of the five karmendriyas
(motor senses), the five jnanendriyas (sensory senses) and the
pancha tattwa (five elements, being earth, water, fire, air and
ether, out of which is composed the physical body and the
material universe). We would therefore expect to find the
subtle seeds of manifest reality in time and space in the more
subtle forms of reality beyond time and space.

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 Creation o f Chitta

Each sensation flows via

manas in ajna to its chakra

Subtle impression o f each

sensation flow s from its
chakra to form chitta within
ajna and manas

Sensation Organ Chakra

Smell Nose Mooladhara
Taste Tongue Swadhisthana
Sight Eyes Manipura
Touch Skin Anahata
Sound Ears Vishuddhi

Verse 37
Jvaladdeepaakaaram tadanu cha naveenaarkabahulaprakaasham
jyotirvaa gaganadharaneemadhyamilitam. Iha sthaane saakshaad
bhavati bhagavaan poornavibhavo ‘vyayah saakshee vahneh
shashimihirayormandala iva.

T ranslation
He then also sees the light (jyoti), which is in th e form o f a
flaming lamp. It is lustrous like the clearly shining m orning
sun, and glows between the sky and the earth. It is here that
the Bhagavan manifests H im self in the fullness o f his might.
He knows no decay, a n d witnesses all, and is h ere as he is in
the region of fire, m oon and sun.

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Commentary (Avalon)
Yogis such as these see other visions beside the sparks of
light; after seeing the fiery sparks they see the light.
‘Glows between the sky and the earth’ (gagana-dharani
madhya milita): This compound adjective qualifies jyo/i/i (light).
Gagana is the sky or empty space above shankhini nadi.
Shankhini nadi lies beyond ajna and all else as it is the
highest nadi. yet beyond this lies the vacant space and beyond
that lies unmani and nothing is beyond that. Dharani (earth)
is the dhara-mandala in mooladhara. This light also extends
from mooladhara to sahasrara.
He next speaks of the presence of Parama-Shiva in ajna.
‘It is here’ (ilia sthane): i.e. in ajna; Parama-Shiva is here,
as in sahasrara. Bhagavan is Parama-Shiva.
‘In the fullness o f his m ight’ (pooma-vibhava): This
compound word, which qualifies Bhagavan, is capable of
various interpretations:
Pooma may mean complete in himself, and vibhava, infi­
nite powers, such as the power of creation etc. In that case
the word would mean: “One who has in him such powers,
who is the absolute creator, destroyer and supporter of the
universe.”
Vibhava again may mean ‘the diversified and limitless
creation’, and pooma, ‘all-spreading’. In this sense pooma-
vibhava means: “He from whom this all-spreading and endless
(vast) creation has em an ated.” C om pare with Taittireya
Upanishad (3.1.1): “From whom all these originated, and in
whom having originated they live, to whom they go and into
whom they enter.”
Vibhava again may mean omnipresence, and pooma, all­
spreading. It would then mean: “He who in his omnipresence
pervades all things.”
Pooma may also mean the quality of one whose wish is
not moved by the result and is not attached to any object.
Pooma-vibhava would then mean one who is possessed of
that quality.

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 All things except Atma pass away (the omnipresence of
the ethereal region, ahasha, etc is not ever-existent). The
Nirvana Tantra (ch.IX) speaks of the presence of Parama-
Shiva in the ajna chakra in detail: “Above this (i.e. vishuddhi)
lotus is jnan a lotus, which is very difficult to achieve; it is
the region of the full moon, and has two petals.” And, “Inside
it, in the form of Hamsah, is the bija of Sham bhu.” And,
“Thus is Hamsah in mani-dvipa (the isle of gems in the
realm of ambrosia), and in its lap is Parama-Shiva, with
Siddfia-Kali (a form of Shakti) on his left. She is the very self
of eternal bliss.” By lap is m eant the space within the bindus
which form the visarga at the end of Hamsah.
So it has been said in describing sahasrara: “There are
the two bindus which make the imperishable visarga. In the
space within is Parama-Shiva.” As it is in sahasrara so it is
represented here (i.e. Parabindu is represented in ajna by
the bindu of Omkara).
We are to understand that these two, Shiva and Shakti,
are here in union (bandhana) in the form of Parabindu, as the
letter ‘Ma’ (makaratma), and that they are surrounded
(acchhadana) by Maya. “She the eternal one stays here (ajna)
in the form of a grain o f gram and creates beings (bhutani)."
Here the Parama-Shiva dwells in the form of a gram and,
according to the Utkaladimata, also creates.
‘As he is in the region of fire, moon and sun’ (vahneh
shashimihirayor mandalamiva): As the presence o f Bhagavan
in these regions is well known, so is He here. O r perhaps the
author means that as He, in the shape of a grain of gram,
dwells in the regions o f fire, moon and sun, in sahasrara, so
does He dwell here also.
In peetha-pooja, the pooja of Paramatma and jnanatm a
should be performed on the mandalas of sun (Arka), moon
(Indu), and fire (Agni). Paramatma is Parama-Shiva and
jnanatma is jnana-shakti. T he bindu should be meditated
upon like the grain o f gram, consisting of the inseparable
couple, namely Shiva and Shakti.

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Verse 38
Iha sthaane vishnoratulaparamaamodamadhure samaaropya
praanam pramuditamanaah praananidhane. Pararn nityam devant
purushamajamaadhyam trijagataam puraanam yogeendrah
pravishati cha vedaantaviditam.

Translation
This is the incom parable and delightful abode of Vishnu.
T he excellent yogi at the time of death joyfully places his
vital b reath (prana) h e re and enters (after death) that
supreme, eternal, birthless, primeval deva, the purusha, who
was before the three worlds, and who is known by the Vedanta.

Commentary (Avalon)
He now speaks of the good to be gained by giving up the
prana by yoga in ajna chakra.
This verse means that the excellent yogi (yogindra) at the
time of death (prana-nidhane) joyfully (pramudita-manah) places
his prana (pranam samaropya) in the abode of Vishnu in ajna
(iha sthane vishnoh), and passes away, and then enters the
supreme Purusha. He describes Purusha as eternal (nityam),
indestructible (vinasarahitam), birthless (aja), prim eval
(purana). Deva means he whose play is creation, existence
and destruction.
‘Joyfully’: Glad in m ind in the enjoyment o f the blissful
union with Atma (atmanandena hrishta-chittah).
‘Who was before the three worlds’ (tri-jagatam adyam)
(bhuh, bhuvah, svah): By this the implication is that He is
the cause of all as He preceded all.
‘Known by the Vedanta’ (vedanta-vidita): Vedanta are sacred
texts dealing with the inquiry concerning the Brahman. He
is known by knowledge (jnana) of these.
The way the prana is placed (pranaropana-prakara) in the
place of Vishnu is described: Knowing that the time for the
prana to depart is approaching, and glad that he is about to
be absorbed into the Brahman, the yogi sits in yogasana and
restrains his breath by kumbhaka. He then leads the jivatma

128
 in the heart to m ooladhara and by contracting the anus
(ashwini mudra) and following other prescribed processes,
rouses kundalini. He next meditates upon the lightning-
like, blissful nada, which is thread-like and whose substance
is kundali (kundalini-maya).
He then merges the Hamsa, which is the Paramatma, in
the form of prana in the nada, and leads it along with the
jiva through the different chakras according to the rules of
chakra-bheda to ajna. He there dissolves all the diverse
elements from the gross to the subtle, beginning with prithvi,
in kundalini. Last of all, he unifies her and the jivatma with
the bindu whose substance is Shiva and Shakti (Shiva-Sliakti-
maya). Having done this, he pierces the brahm arandhra,
leaves the body and becomes merged in the Brahman.

W ithin the ajna system

Within ajna is examined thoroughly by Goswami. He has
concluded that the nada above Om is manas chakra, usually
referred to in current texts on kundalini yoga as the ‘raif or
the nada that is the first trace of sound consciousness.
Referring to verse 35, Avalon commented: “Above this is
nada”, i.e. above the Pranava is the avantara (final or second)
nada, which challenges as it were the whiteness of Baladeva
and the moon. By this he means to say that it is extremely
white, excelling in whiteness both Baladeva and the rays of
the moon.”
Some read tadaadye naado’sau (in the place o f tadoordhve
naado’sau) and interpret it as, “Below bindu-roopi ma-kara is
nada,” but that is incorrect. T he text says, “Above this, again,
is ma-kara, shining in its form of bindu,” and there is nada
below it; that being so, it is useless to repeat that nada is below.
Besides, this nada is beyond the nada which forms part of
the Pranava, and is part of the differentiating Para-bindu placed
above the Pranava. If, however, it be urged that it is necessary
to state the details in describing the special Pranava, and it is
asked, “Why do you say a second nada is inappropriate?” then
the reading tadadye nado’sau may be accepted.

129
 But read thus it should be interpreted in the following
manner: “This nada shown below the bindu-roopi ma-kara
is bala-dhavala-sudha-dhara-samthana-hasee, and the nada
first spoken of is also so described. Such repetition is free
from blame on the authority of the maxim that “the great
are subject to no limitations”.
Whilst the maxim does hold true, in the same way that
the manifest universe is an expression of the unmanifest
cosmic consciousness and both manifest and unmanifest
together are all pervading, total and limitless, it is also true
that Goswami’s comment based on his readings o f the tantras
does have merit.
Regarding the nada m entioned in verse 35 (the nada
above Om), Goswami comments that various tantric texts
state that manas mandala (manas chakra) is in the eye brow
centre and (in Yogashikhopanishad) is in the form of a nada.
These tantras are a record of the experiences o f those who
have walked the path o f kundalini sadhana and cannot be
ignored.
From the first m o m en t consciousness dawns after
unconscious sleep, that is to say from the m om ent we wake
from unconscious sleep, we are inundated with the five
external senses and sleep, and how tem pting it is to fall back
into sleep or to follow one of the other signals. It is only firm
resolve and personal training that can help us to explore our
inner depths on the higher side of manas, exploring and
releasing the memories within chitta and awakening the
pathways to the higher realms of consciousness.
So manas is seated in ajna and by a separation from the
lowest aspect of manas (processor of sensorial information
and sleep), the other aspects of manas become accessible.
These other aspects are antah karana (manas (higher), buddhi,
chitta and ahamkara).
T hat Acharya Swami Poom ananda limited his work to a
description of the six chakras does not indicate more chakras
within ajna are a myth or that he did not know about them.
Acharya Swami P o o rn a n an d a did in fact indicate the

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 Manas Chakra

experience o f manas, an d his work has always been very re-

speced, studied and com m ented upon by m any p rom in ent
scholars.
Above m anas c h a k ra lies th e six te e n -p e ta lle d in d u or
shitan g sh u chakra. B oth indu an d shitangshu m e a n m oon.
Above indu chakra lies nirvana chakra. Nirvana chakra is the
last chakra in chitrini nadi and is the highest chakra in the ajna
system. Evolution o f consciousness from nirvana chakra is the
awakening of guru chakra, a sub-centre o f sahasrara. Kundalini
culminates in sahasrara proper.
Summarizing, the sense nadis convey their impulses to
the five lower chakras an d above them within ajna is manas.
Manas has two aspects: a lower one connected with the
senses a n d a h ig h e r o n e lead in g to d ivine o r h ig h e r
experiences. Ajna is the chakra o f the m ind and by training,
self-control and m editation, we can transcend the attraction

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of the lower senses and become absorbed in m ind or manas
itself without any support from external stimuli. T he manas
here is the whole manas or antah karana.
After indu comes nirvana chakra, and this is the last chakra
within chitrini nadi, which lies within vajra and sushumna
nadis, m arking the end of the nadis and com pleting the
experiences within ajna. Beyond is guru chakra, sahasrara
and ultim ate highest consciousness o f Shiva united with
Shakti, who has ascended as Ma Kundalini from mooladhara.
Nirvana chakra is the centre associated with concentration
and the dissolution of the sense o f ‘I’. Thus the journey to the
divine is beyond all duality, since there is only one and that is
the experience. Swami Satyananda describes the experience
in ajna as follows: “Transformation of individual consciousness
is brought about by the merging of the three great forces.
Individual consciousness is mainly comprised of ego, and it is
on account of ego that we are aware of dualities. As long as
there is duality there cannot be samadhi; as long as you
remember yourself you cannot get out of yourself.
“Although there are experiences of trance in the other
chakras, there is no m erger of the individual ego with the
cosmic ego. All throughout you are trying to assert yourself
behind all the experiences you are having, but when ida and
pingala unite with sushumna in ajna chakra, you lose yourself
completely.”
T he consciousness associated with the senses in chitta
persists as we continue with concentration; however, the
association with the senses is replaced with a superconscious
state known as ‘Dhi’. T he bija m antra for nirvana chakra is
Gam or 7f. In nirvana chakra concentration is done on
lustrous Shiva.
Sat Chakra Nirupana states in verse 39: “When the actions
of the yogi are, through the services of the lotus feet of the
guru, in all respects good, then he will see above it (ajna) the
form of the mahanada, and will ever hold in the lotus of his
hand the siddhi of speech. T he mahanada, which is the
place of the dissolution of vayu and is half of Shiva and like

132
the plough in shape, is tranquil and grants boons and dispels
fear and makes manifest pure intelligence (buddhi).
Mahanada is the place of the dissolution of all lower
nadis and their source. In other words dissolution is the
reverse of creation and the nadis were formed from the
mahanada. It is half Shiva or Ardhanarishwara, the other half
being Shakti, and there are countless art pieces depicting
this divine state. One may question the relationship of the
form o f a plough to A rdhanarishw ara, but we should
rem em ber the m eaning of symbols is obvious in such divine
states. T he other interpretation favoured by Avalon is that
Shiva has the m antra ‘H a’ or (?) and by removing the top
part of this letter we are left with a form resembling a simple
plough as drawn by a pair of oxen.

133
 Bibliography

Goswami, S.S., Laya Yoga, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1980
Muktibodhananda, Swami, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Publications
Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2002
Roney-Dougal, Serena, ‘On a Possible Psycho-physiology of the
Yogic Chakra System’, YOGA, Vol 11 (3,4,5), Sivananda Math,
Munger, Bihar, 2000
Saraswati, Swami Niranjanananda, Dharana Darshan, Yoga
Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2003
Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, 4th
(revised) edn, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2008
Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Dynamics of Yoga: The Foundations of
Bihar Yoga, 2nd edn, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar,
2002
Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Kundalini Tantra, Yoga Publications
Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2002
Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Mechanics of Meditation, 2nd edn,
Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, 1973
Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Meditations from the Tantras, 2nd
edn, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2000
Saraswati, Swami Satyasangananda, Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra,
The Ascent, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2003
Tooley, G. A. et al, Biological Psychology, 53, 69-78, 71, 2000
Vivekananda, Dr Rishi, Practical Yoga Psychology, Yoga Publications
Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2003
Woodroffe, Sir John (Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Power, Ganesh 8c
Company, Madras, 2001

135
 Glossary

Adwaita - non-dual, the concept of oneness

Agni - fire
Ajapa - involuntary unconscious repetition, especially of the mantra
or sound ‘soham’ and ‘hamso’ made naturally with the ingoing
and outgoing breath
Ajna - psychic command centre; the sixth chakra manifesting in
the region of the midbrain
Akasha - sky matter; ether, the first of the material elements or condi­
tions of matter; the space between the astral and physical worlds
Amrita - the nectar of immortality; another name for soma
Anahata - the fourth chakra related to the physical region of the heart
Ananda Lahari - ‘Waves of Bliss’; name of a tantric text by Adi
Shankaracharya
Anatma - non-self
Antah karana - internal instrument or tool of consciousness,
referring to the entire mind with all its functions
Antar mouna - meditative technique of awareness of inner silence
and inner ‘noise’
Antar trataka - inner trataka; gazing within with the eyes closed
Anuloma vilom a - mental nadi shodhana; awareness of the breath
movement alternatively through the two nostrils, combined
with concentration on the nosetip and trikuti
Anusthana - a fixed course of sadhana, usually practised from
early morning to late night
Arani - wood used in kindling fire by friction during yajna
Ardhanarishwara - Shiva and his Shakti united in one form
Asana - seat; posture

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Asat - false
Ashwini - horse; a mudra where the sphincter muscles of the anus
are repeatedly contracted
Atman - the self, beyond body and mind
Aum/Om - bija mantra of ajna chakra; universal cosmic mantra
Avidya - ignorance, the root of the five kleshas
Bahiranga trataka - outer trataka, with the eyes open
Baikhari japa - audible repetition of a mantra; preliminary form
of japa
Bheda - to pierce, particularly relating to the piercing of a chakra
Bija mantra - seed sound
Bindu - drop or point; dot denoting the *n’ or ‘m’ vowel sounds in
Sanskrit; chakra manifesting in the upper posterior of the
head; most important psychic centre in nada
Brahma - God as creator
Brahma sutra - chitrini-nadi
Brahmamuhurta - the auspicious time of Brahma, most suitable
for meditation; the three hours preceding dawn when the
atmosphere is most sattwic
Brahmarandhra - a concealed aperture in the top of the head
where the kundalini leaves the body at the time of mahasamadhi
Brahmara guha - the hidden residence of Brahman; another
name for ajna chakra
Bhrumadhya - eyebrow centre
Buddhi - higher intelligence, concerned with real wisdom
Chakra - wheel; centre of energy or psychic centre of the astral body
Chandra - moon; representing mental energy
Chetas - consciousness, reality
Chidakasha - inner space visualized in meditation behind the
closed eyes
Chin mudra - psychic gesture of consciousness, a hand position
with palm upwards on the knee and the index finger locked
into the base of the thumb knees
Chitrini nadi - the main nadi of the astral body manifesting along
the spinal cord; another name for sushumna
Chit - pure knowledge, beyond the division of subject and object
Chitta - empirical mind; individual consciousness; storehouse of
memory; one of four aspects of antah karana; seat of
consciousness, including the conscious, subconscious, un­
conscious and superconscious

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Dama - control of the body and senses
Damaru - small hand drum
Darshan - sight, vision; philosophical system of the vedic tradition
Devata - a form of divinity; divine being having subordinate functions
Devi - female deity, goddess
Dharma - duty; code of harmonious living
Dharana - concentration or complete attention
Dhyana - spontaneous state of meditation, arising out of perfection
of dharana
Drishti - seeing, viewing
Gunas - the three qualities of matter or prakriti
Guru - dispeller of the darkness of ignorance
Hakini - the goddess in ajna chakra
Hamsa mantra - mantra 'soham’or ajapa mantra
Ichchha - will; desire set by the will
Ida - psychic channel conducting pranic energy located on the left
side of the psychic body; mental, lunar force; the 4tha* of hatha
yoga
Idam - this; all this, as distinguished from that, or what is beyond
Indriya - an organ of sense or action
Ishta deva - the incarnate or embodied being for whom we feel an
attraction and who represents the manifestation of the supreme
being
Ishwara - higher reality; unmanifest existence
Itara lingam - the consolidated black shivalingam seen in ajna
chakra, symbolizing the astral or subtle body
Japa - mantra repetition
Jivatma - individual self
Jnana - wisdom, higher knowledge
Jnanendriya - five subtle organs of perception: eyes, eras, skin,
tongue and nose
Jyoti - inner light
Kaivalya - final liberation; highest state of consciousness beyond
duality
Kaala - time
Kalaa - ray or force that manifests from the nucleus of bindu due
to vibrations caused by nada
Kama - desire for material pleasures
Karma - action and result; work; law of cause and effect that
shapes the destiny of each individual

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Karma yoga - action performed unselfishly for the welfare of
others and the fulfilment of dharma
Karmaphala - the fruit or result of action
Karmendriya - five organs of action
Kaya sthairyam - practice of absolute steadiness of the body
Khechari mudra - the attitude of moving in space; tongue lock;
hatha yoga practice
Kleshas - five causes of afflictions
Koshas - sheaths or bodies
Kriya - activity associated with knowledge, leading to perfection;
practices of kundalini yoga
Kula - family, lineage
Kula kundalini - primordial cosmic energy
Kumbhaka - retention of breath
Kunda - vessel, pit; starting place of kundalini
Kundalini - divine cosmic energy lying dormant in mooladhara
chakra; evolutionary potential
Linga - a symbol representing Shiva, the male aspect of creation
Mahadeva - the great god; Shiva
Maha nadi - the main nadi of the astral body, otherwise called
sushumna or chitrini
Maha shakti - great power
Makara - the letter ‘M\ the mystic syllable *M\ the third letter that
concludes Aum or the pranava nada (original sound)
Mala - a bead rosary used for japa
Manas - mind; the lower aspect is connected with the senses and
the higher aspect leads to higher experiences; antah karana
Manas chakra - seat of chitta
Mandala - diagram within a circumference symbolizing the deeper
aspects of consciousness
Manipura - third chakra situated behind the navel in the spinal
column, associated with vitality and energy
Mantra - subtle sound vibration; tan trie tool which liberates energy
and expands the consciousness
Mantra anusthana - an intensive day and night practice of japa
Matra - unit of time; time interval in pronouncing a sound
Maya - cause of the phenomenal world
Moha - infatuation, delusion
Moksha - liberation from the cycle of birth and death
Mooladhara - the lowest and first chakra and the seat of kundalini

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Mudra - psychic attitude, often accomplished by a physical gesture,
movement or posture, which affects the flow of psychic energy
in the body
Mukta triveni - confluence of the three nadis, ida, pingala and
sushumna, through which liberation is attained; another name
for ajna chakra
Mukti - liberation from the wheel of births and deaths
Nada - subtle sound vibration heard in meditation; inner sound;
prolongation of the sound in mantras such as Om; primal
sound or first vibration; Omkara
N adis - psychic channels of prana in the astral body
Nirvana - final liberation
Om/Aum - bija mantra of ajna chakra; universal cosmic mantra
Padma - lotus
Para - beyond; superior, higher
Paramatma - cosmic soul or consciousness
Parananda - celestial joy
Pingala - psychic channel conducting pranic energy located on
the right side of the psychic body; solar force; the ‘ha’ of hatha
yoga
Pooja - worship
Prakasha - brilliance, light of consciousness
Prakriti - manifest and unmanifest nature
Prana - vital energy force
Pranava - another word for the sacred syllable Aum / Om; primal
sound vibration
Pranayama - yogic practices using the breath to control the flow of
prana in the body
Pratyahara - sense withdrawal; the point in yoga sadhana at which
the mind turns inward and progress becomes automatic
Prithvi - earth
Purusha - pure consciousness
Raga - attachment
Rajas - dynamism; one of the three gunas of prakriti
Sadhaka - one who practises sadhana; spiritual aspirant
Sadhana - spiritual discipline or practice
Sahasrara - thousand-petalled lotus or chakra manifesting at the
top of the head; abode of Shiva or superconsciousness
Samadhi - culmination of meditation; state of unity with universal
consciousness

140
Samana-one of the five vital airs, operating in the region of the navel
Samkhya - one of the six systems of Indian philosophy
Samskaras - unconscious memories
Sandhi - union
Sandhya - ritual worship conducted at dawn, noon and evening
Sankalpa shakti - the power of will
Sannyasa - dedication; complete renunciation of mundane
experiences as goals in life
Sat - true; that which really exists; attribute of the ultimate reality,
or Brahman
Sattwa - luminosity, harmony; one of the three gunas of prakriti
Saundarya Lahari - a tantric prayer by Adi Shankaracharya
Shakti - primal energy; power; female aspect of creation
Shama - calming or controlling the mind
Shankara - a name of the supreme; Shiva
Shankaracharya - celebrated teacher of the Adwaita Vedanta
philosophy and founder of the Dashnami order of sannyasa
Shiva - ‘auspicious one*; eternal transcendental consciousness;
counterpart of Shakti
Shiva lingam - oval symbol of Shiva’s causal form
Shodhana - purification, of six kinds
Shoonya - void
Shruti - revealed sounds of knowledge heard in a higher state of
consciousness
Siddhi - accomplishment, perfection and power
Soham - ‘That am I\ ‘so’ representing cosmic consciousness and
‘ham’ representing individual consciousness; mantra used in
ajapa japa, said to be the unconscious repetitive prayer produced
by the breath
Soma - amrit; divine nectar; plant used by the ancient rishis for
spiritual awakening and immortality
Sthirata - steadiness
Sukha - pleasure; happiness
Sukshma sharira - subtle body
Swadhisthana - the second chakra corresponding to the region of
the pubic area, which is characterised by a drowsy state
Swara - breathing cycle; sound or tone
Tamas - darkness, inertia; one of the three gunas of prakriti
Tantras - scriptures devoted to spiritual techniques in the form of
a dialogue between Shiva and Shakti, forming a set of rules for

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 ritual, worship, discipline, meditation and the attainment of
powers for all types of people
Tapas - austerity; purification
Tattwa - ‘thatness’; truth; element
Trikuti - another name for ajna chakra
Unmani - centre beyond mind and thought
Upanishads - philosophical dialogues between guru and disciple
in Sanskrit
Upanshu japa - whispered repetition of a mantra
Vedas - sacred knowledge; the most ancient and authentic
scriptures of sanatana dharma composed before 5,000 BC,
revealed to sages and seers and expressing knowledge of the
whole universe
Vedanta - philosophy of realization of Brahman; Vedanta teaches
the ultimate aim and scope of the vedas
Vidya - inner knowledge
Vijnana - intuitive ability of mind
Visarga - in the Devanagri script used for Sanskrit, it is half of the
‘ha* sound and is represented by Y
Vishuddhi - the fifth chakra, manifesting in the throat region
Viveka - discrimination, especially between the real and the limited
Yajna - sacrifice; offering oblations to the fire
Yantra - a symbolic design used for concentration and meditation;
the visual form of a mantra
Yoga nidra - psychic sleep
Yoni - womb, source
Yoni mudra - closing the ears, eyes, nostrils and lips with the
fingers, and directing the mind inwards to listen to the inner
sounds. Also known as shanmukhi mudra.

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Rishi Nityabodhananda gradu­
ated in M etallurgy from the
University of N ew South
Wales, Sydney, Australia, in
1967. He joined the Bihar
School o f Yoga in Munger,
and on Basant Panchami,
1970, he was initiated into
poom a sannyasa by Swami
Satyananda.

He currently lives in Australia

where he conducts yoga
seminars and satsangs, and
ruminates on the meaning o f
life and the source o f it all.
O n the 21st February 1999,
he was initiated into rishi
sannyasa by Swami Niranjarv
ananda.
 fA T V A N A N D A Y O v A
» IM A * VSHVA

W h ile know ledge o f th e e x te rn a l w o rld is gained th ro u g h th e senses,

it is thro u g h o u r sixth se n se , ajna chakra. also know n as th e third
eye o r th e eye o f intuition, th a t higher intelligence, b o th unm anifest
and manifest, is e x p e rie n c e d . Awakening ajna chakra is opening th e
channel t o e x p e rie n c e a n s w e rs t o w h a t lies beyond e x te rn a l reality,
qu e stio n s haunting every seeker.

This n ew edition o f Ajna Chakra by Rishi N ityabodhananda has

b e e n revised and up d ated . Included a re discussions o n kundalini
yoga, ajna chakra in th e ta n tric tex ts, yogic practices t o awaken ajna
chakra, a tte m p ts by science to validate dim ensions o f con scio u sn e ss
beyond objective e x te rn a l reality, and rese a rc h into t h e role of th e
pineal gland and its relationship w ith ajna chakra.