Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (35 page)

Purusha and prakriti may be interpreted differently when there is no experience above the Purusha-prakriti level. Purusha is consciousness in which there is no trace of anything else. As this consciousness is not analysable or reducible, so purusha is the ultimate principle. And prakriti exists as an independent principle, which is not consciousness. If we accept this, we have to explain the nature of the relation between consciousness and what is not consciousness. It is said that purusha is lame but can see, and prakriti can move but does not see. It is as if purusha sits on the shoulders of prakriti and shows the way, and prakriti moves blindly. This means prakriti in contact with conscious purusha undergoes evolutionary changes. But what does it actually mean? Does it not indicate that purusha is also endowed with power that makes prakriti evolve? If it is assumed that consciousness itself is the stimulus to make prakriti evolve, then we have also to assume that purusha consciousness exerts some influence on prakriti, either consciously or unconsciously. This purusha influence on prakriti cannot altogether be denied. This means consciousness as power, which is not without motive, is the root cause of the evolutionary changes of prakriti. If prakriti remains infinitely as an independent principle tending to develop as different cosmic principles in relation to purusha, then we have to admit that the ultimate picture of consciousness is that form of consciousness which is associated through its power with prakriti which is evolving. This form of consciousness cannot be the irreducible ultimate Supreme Consciousness, but it is a form which appears at a transitory phase of realization that ultimately culminates in the experience of the eternal static whole consciousness.

If the mere presence of purusha causes prakriti to evolve, then prakriti can never be in a state when the gunas are negative, and under this condition the absorption of prakriti is not possible and, consequently, non-mens concentration is an impossible phenomenon. Supreme Bindu is both Consciousness and Power. In its creative aspect, the power is prana-energy in a supremely concentrated state. On the other hand, Kundalini-power is associated with Supreme Bindu in its spiritual aspect. When creative prana-energy is manifested, the spiritual Kundalini-power remains in a coiled state. To make a finite phenomenon possible in infinite Supreme Consciousness-Power, Maya—negato-positivity principle—arises from Supreme Bindu. By the influence of maya prakriti appears as a separate principle in which is imbedded the creative germ consisting of three primary principles as minus factors, and from the mantra viewpoint prakriti is kamakala in which lie the pre-matrika units in a latent form. With the evolution of prakriti, also arises purusha as consciousness separate from, but related to, prakriti.

Purusha consciousness is Shiwa Consciousness, as if, isolated from Supreme Consciousness-Power by maya. The emergence of purusha is a most important phenomenon. The passivity of purusha does not stir prakriti directly, but as purusha consciousness is the consciousness of Supreme Bindu which, as Ishwara (Supreme Being in his creative aspect) ‘wills’ to express his (or her) creative omnipotence, it is this ‘will’ which acts on prakriti silently to make the gunas operate. The gunas operate on the principle of bindu-nada-bija. The nada or sound-emitting power becomes rajas (primary energy-principle) which is the source of all energy in the mental and physical fields. The same power becomes transformed into sattwa, (primary sentience-principle), which exhibits mental consciousness. The same nada-power becomes tamas (primary inertia-principle) which creates metamatter and matter.

Through the omnipotent ‘willing’ of Ishwara, purusha consciousness is reflected on sattwa, causing an ‘artificial’ consciousness which is expressed as mental consciousness; and the nature and degree of the expression depend on the concentration of sattwa. This reflection of purusha on sattwa does not change its passive nature. Sattwa itself is not consciousness; it is unconscious. But sattwa is in such a rarefied form that purusha consciousness becomes reflected on it. This reflection is mental consciousness. When mental consciousness is embodied, it begins to function, and the whole organization is called jiwa—an embodied being. Mental consciousness is also unconsciousness, if it is not enlivened by life-force. Life-force is manifested in an embodied being. Mental consciousness is the source of all knowledge of embodied beings. This knowledge is attained only through the instrumentation of the body, senses and mind, and is limited. It does not reach beyond the sensory realm. Mental consciousness plays a predominant role in the functioning of the senses. As mind can also function without the help of the senses, so Ishwara’s ‘will’ functions without mind or body.

As prakriti is not conscious, so the three gunas are not conscious factors. But sattwa cannot function without a background of life-force. It is clearly seen in embodied beings. If life-force ceases to function in an embodied being, mental consciousness is also brought to an end. The ‘will’ of Ishwara which stirs the minus gunas, also provides the life-background. The ‘will’ of Ishwara is the concentrated power of Supreme Bindu which is also Shiwa-consciousness. The power aspect is prana, which is living energy. In Ishwara’s ‘will’, prana is fully controlled. The controlled prana is expressed as omnipotence in creation. Prana as energy gives rise to the three primary principles rajas, sattwa and tamas to constitute prakriti. These three gunas are unconscious. Through Ishwara’s ‘will’ not only comes the directing impulse to rouse the gunas, but also the life-force which serves as a background for the functioning of sattwa, which, as mental consciousness, is manifested in a living organism.

The evolution of the universe is an expression of the highest yoga-wibhuti—omnipotency—by Ishwara. In Ishwara, prarna-force is supremely concentrated and is fully under conscious control. In evolution, three fields are created; a mental conscious field, created by sattwa, a material field created by tamas, and a power field created by prana as life-force. Rajas creates energy which operates in the mental and material fields. Rajas-energy is transformed into elements of sentience in sattwa, and material energy and matter in tamas. Life-force transforms inorganic matter into living matter. In life-force lies also conscious power by which appropriate matter is selected that is made living, and is transformed into a pattern most suitable for the manifestation of mental consciousness. This transformation is a highly complicated process by which an apparently simple substance becomes highly complex. Every part of the process is purposeful, properly timed and wholly controlled. Cell activities and functional activities of the organs are parts of the activities of the organism as a whole. All these suggest that there is a conscious factor in the life-force. The life-force is the specific expression of prana. Prana, in creation, becomes wayu-force in five forms, namely prana-wayu, apana-wayu, samana-wayu, udanawayu and wyana-wayu.

To summarize: purusha is the disembodied consciousness principle, arising from Supreme Bindu when it is about to evolve. When purusha consciousness becomes embodied and individualized by the influence of maya and kañchukas, it is jiwa—embodied conciousness or being. So jiwa is purusha with modifications. Here purushas are many. On the other hand, when purusha becomes embodied cosmically and at the same time he is the master of maya and kañchukas (five forms of the power of limitation derived from maya), he is called Ishwara. Ishwara is an aspect of Supreme Bindu. So Ishwara is also purusha.

Prakriti, which is the unconscious power principle, also arises from Supreme Bindu. When Bindu is about to evolve, the power of Bindu assumes trifurcate creative power principles, which are in a state of negativity when the value of each principle is zero. This is called prakriti. Prakriti is the latent phase of creativity in the form of power principles as primary attributes in a negative state. This negativity is transformed into a state of relativity when the primary attributes become plus factors by the direction of Ishwara. At the pre-creative state, Ishwara is beyond prakriti—nirguna (without attributes). After creation, Ishwara becomes saguna (with attributes) and the entire cosmic mind-body is the embodiment of Ishwara.

Evolution of Creative Principles

Power in Supreme Bindu exists in two forms—prana and Kundali. Prana is the energy principle of Supreme Power in its omnipotent aspect, which is expressed as creative omnipotency. Supreme Power its spiritual aspect is Kundalini; . In Supreme Bindu energy is in a supremely concentrated form ready to manifest its creative omnipotence. Therefore, the prana-energy flow is away from Supreme Consciousness.

Prana is the living energy. At the prakriti level, a part of prana-energy is released which trifurcates as non-living gunas. Kundali-power is conscious spiritual power which flows most powerfully only towards Supreme Consciousness when prana-flow is controlled. But prana at the bindu point is also controlled by Kundali-power. This_ Kundali-control makes prana-energy exhibit highest yoga-wibhuti—creative omnipotence, Supreme Power in her power aspect is Supreme Bindu; and Supreme Bindu in its creative aspect is Ishwara.

Before prana manifests its creative omnipotence, a power called maya arises from Supreme Bindu by the influence of which the infinite power of Supreme Bindu appears as finite, and then evolution becomes possible. At a certain point, maya makes consciousness, which is united with the power in Supreme Bindu, appear as purusha—consciousness principle. Maya also causes prakriti to appear as unconscious power principle. But purusha and prakriti exist in relation to each other. When prakriti emerges from Supreme Bindu, Kundalini, as it were, radiates its power in the form of sound as kamakala (coiled creative omnipotency in sound-form) in which lie the germinal matrika-units.

In fact, kamakala and prakriti are not fundamentally different. The nature of the powers inherent in prakriti is in the sound-forms that are represented in kamakala. The three gunas in prakriti are the three lines of an equilateral triangle, consisting in latent sound-units which form kamakala. When the gunas begin to operate, the kamakala triangle, as it were, bursts and emits sound known as pranawa-sound. The power which is involved in transforming the minus gunas into plus ones, thus effecting their operations, is in the nature of pranawa-sound. The pure energy is from prana and the control of that energy is from Kundali-power expressed as pranawa-sound.

Prakriti does not exist above the Purusha level. The existence of prakriti is due to maya. and with the absorption of maya, prakriti is also absorbed, and what remains is bindu-power-consciousness in Supreme Bindu. The absorption of maya is a great step towards arousing the Kundali-power to the extent when it absorbs all sound-forms as well as prana. Now all creative impulses cease. Now, Kundalini as Supreme Kundalini is the spiritual aspect of Supreme Power. But Supreme Power in its creative aspect is Supreme Bindu in which prana-energy is supremely concentrated and on which Kundali as Shabdabrahman exerts control through sound-power to raise it to the level of creative omnipotence. The Kundalini-control over prana remains at the pashyanti and madhyama levels.

Kundalini, as Supreme Kundalini, ascends from Supreme Bindu to Supreme Nada. Nada is the power of Supreme Power in its power aspect, which is infinite, but with a trace of something which may develop as finite power. At this point, prana as infinite energy-principle is a part of Kundali The possibility of being ‘motional’ is most pronounced in Supreme Bindu, in which prana becomes concentrated to the highest degree; but it is also controlled by Kundalini.

Nada is predominantly Kundali-power where there is a faint indication of sound element, which is neither evident, nor traced, nor manifested. This sound element becomes sound principle at the bindu level when Kundalini is Shabdabrahman. At the nada level, when Kundalini is towards Supreme Shiwa (Consciousness), sound is completely coiled into her. But when the power-flow is away from Shiwa, a faint indication appears. This untraceable sound element may develop into specific bija-mantra by which Supreme Kundalini, united with Supreme Shiwa, appears as Ishtadewata in the thousand-petalled lotus. The sound element develops into matrika in latent form at the bindu level, when Supreme Power is in its creative aspect.

When Supreme Kundalini is at the Shiwa-Shakti level, Shiwa shines forth in Kundalini. At this stage, there is nothing but Shiwa in Kundalini. Thereafter Kundalini is in union in supreme love with Parama Shiwa—infinite Consciousness. This occurs at the Sakala Shiwa stage. Finally, Kundalini in supreme union becomes one and the same with Parama Shiwa. Now there is only Shakti (Power) as Shiwa, and Shiwa as one with his Shakti. Mahakundalini is now Parama Shiwa.

When bindu-power as prana first manifests its creativity, Kundali-power bursts through the kamakala triangle and appears as pranawa-sound which exercises control over the manifested pranic force. In fact, the pranawa-sound is the intrinsic part of the first manifested pranic force. The manifestation of pranic force is associated with the changes of minus gunas to plus gunas in prakriti. Now Kundalini-controlled pranic force begins to operate at the rajas point. This occurs just at the end of pranawa-sound, that is, at the junction between pashyanti and madhyama. Pranic force exhibits circular motions, making twenty circles, and at each circle fifty matrika-units appear. In this way sahasrara (the thousand-petalled centre) comes into being. Here, each matrika-unit is twenty units strong.

Thereafter, the rajas-line, the sattwa-line and the tamas-line are manifested. In the rajas-line, where rajas is the predominant factor, prana bifurcates into rajas-energy and life-energy. Rajas-energy at the sattwa point is transformed into sentience, and at the tamas point it becomes matter and material energy. Life-energy at the sattwa point forms the vital basis for the functioning of sattwa, and at the tamas point forms living matter. At the rajas point, life-energy as wayu-energy creates force-field.

From sattwa arise, stage by stage, the following principles: