KUNDALINI

Kundalini

The Human Spinal Column harbours/shields in its inside.., the spinal cord. The column is made up of vertebrae (segments of bone ) starting from the tail bone (positioned inside…. above the anus and below the genitals ) called as the coccyx(tail bone). Though the coccyx was once believed to be fused vertebrae( that is the lower segments of the column (vertebrae) being fused ) it is now known that the upper portion of the coccyx too is slightly segmented.

The hump on the back of the neck , as the neck starts, which we can touch and feel, is at the other end (upper )portion of the spinal column , and the above segments of the column above this hump are those which connect to the human brain. The entire structure (column & cord ) is through which all(central) intelligence/information flows in man.

The spinal cord (main) though , doesn’t run the entire length of the spinal column. It ends above the coccyx (in-fact even far above). However, it has a sort of tail called “filum terminal” which is connected to the coccyx.(tail bone).There are also other “nerves” which shoot from the spinal cord and some of these go down to the coccyx. Such nerve(s) are called coccyx nerve(s).

The coccyx is where the root chakra of Kundalini is positioned by the masters/texts. This chakra , the first of the 6 is called the Muladhara Chakra.

The 2nd one , above the coccyx and below the genitals, the 3rd one below the navel, the 4rth at the solar plex, the 5th at the base of the throat and the 6th between the eye brows(inside). Above is the thousand petal lotus( texts state there is a “bindu” above the 6th chakra and above the “bindu “ is where the thousand petal lotus is). The energy/intelligence or rather the Kundalini, from the 1st chakra is to be aroused and united with the “Lord” in the thousand petal lotus.

This energy when aroused flows through the central of channels/nadi inside the spinal cord. Even anatomy tells us the spinal cord is layered and there is a central channel inside the cord.

The spinal column- inside there is the spinal cord and – inside there is a central channel – called as the Sushumna. There are other nadis too… ida and pingala, however, the kundalini , raises and reaches the Lord through the sushumna , through the central of all channels. The layers of the spinal cord are not to be confused with the ida and the pingala. On the other hand Sushumna could also be understood as the channel/nadi which runs through the entire structure--- coccyx- its nerves- the filum terminale- and the spinal cord(main).

One or two words on coccyx here before we proceed.

There is a Hindu Divinity called as Hanuma. The word “hanu” is explained by some pandits to mean jaw bone/ structure and as the Divine Hanuma has extremely strong jaw , it is explained he is called as Hanuma. Implying , his control over speech.

However , the spinal column is called as Meru Danda in some parlours.

There are very few scholars( one I am fortunate enough to have acquaintance and this is to her lotus feet this post is dedicated to) who know the other name of the spinal column. It is also called as the Hanuma – Dandi.

Hanuman is the one , in reality, who has a strong Hanuma dandi.

Hanuman is also shown as an ape with a very strong tail. Which has disappeared in man( on the outside) and which remains( in the inside ) as the Coccyx.

Though in the epic Ramayana , Hanuman is put forth as the mighty one( He at times does what is not even apparently possible by Ram) , it is also put here and there that Hanuman doesn’t know his powers. He does so or is aware of them , when someone reminds him.

He already lost his acquired self to the tree of life…the hanuma dandi…..!! Or may be he didn’t acquire it in the first place at all?? The later seems true.

When required .some one has to wake him up…tell him ..all this energy is yours…”do” this. You are capable…its required by the Lord Ram.!! Then He jumps oceans etc etc. Like Krishna waking up Arjuna some one has to remind our Hanuma.

-----------THE TREE OF LIFE----------

In the Upanishads there is also another symbol. A tree and two birds sitting on it. While one Bird is eating , its(the trees) fruit , the other one only simply watches on. The purported Witness.

In almost all of the Ancient Religions there is the Tree of Life. In the Bible Adam and Eve pluck the Apple. In the Upanishads the bird plucks on the fruit…..

Hanuma – Dandi or the spinal column with the cord from the coccyx to the brain is the Vedic Tree of Life.

What do we see when we look at a Tree?

It takes in energy and gives energy. Is there a Self or a sense of doer-ship there? This is secondary.

But it takes in energy and gives out energy. Its leafs and the branches , its fruits…even , yes even the shade it gives… are all these not energy and variations?

It is a beautiful conduit to energy….. to life….to the intelligence of Life. It is the sushumna nadi itself!

Free from the Self and free from the Not self.

But Man has moved away from the tree.

He started plucking the fruit!

In the Tree of Life… the Hanuma Dandi , the spinal column and cord…... energy is taken in and given out. As a tree bears fruits( gives out energy) so does this Hanuma Dandi as well!

One fruit is the “me” or self consciousness or the sense of being I AM!

Man though is intent to pluck on this “me”… and little does he realize that this “me” is not by itself or due to him/herself ,, but is borne by the Tree of Life.It is a giving out of energy.

It can also be put as ..it is not me who is being the me... but it is Life!

Can one recall to himself how he by his/her own self acquired this sense of being or self consciousness?

By plucking on this “me” Man has successfully carved out a “separate existence to himself”...an illusonary existence away from Life.

The Bird on the tree plucks the fruit. The other bird on the upper branches does not.

Because it does not…it is one with the tree.

It knows that in reality that it is not..by itself. That it too is the Tree.

One with it.

That is why Hanuman is called as Hanuman. He is one with the Hanuma Dandi…The tree of Life. He doesn’t know…he has all the might in the world …some one has to remind him.

People who are one with the Tree of Life take pleasuere thus in Giving! Like the Tree that we see.

The Isa Upnishad asks us do not covet..kasyasvi dhanam?...for whose is wealth?

-----------KUNDALINI-------

How can the Mother be “without” the Father? Let it be in the Muladhara or in the thousand petalled lotus. Ther are allways united.

It is undoubtedly not a question of uniting Her with Him.No.

It is a question, it is an enquiry , if it happens, of seeing the inseparability of the fruit with the tree….of man with Life.

Its breaking down the shackles of separateness, which Man has carved out …away from Life.

Kundalini is about bringing him back to Life.

There is infact only one chakra to be pierced /solved . And that is the enquiry, if it happens ---“-have I bought this sense of being on me”? If not… Am I the doer now? Am I separate etc ?

Each of the 6 chakras of the Kundalini are for the purpose of finding these answers.

Milestones on a journey to take the traveller home. To deepen his/hers understanding...make it irreversable...to throw "light"....and show him/her the path...each of the chakras is undoubteldy a Library...a library of Life.

But there is no ruling out the possibility that a seeker could also put aside these chakras and meditate or enquire on the Tree of Life as such! In that case, as I say there is only one chakra. However it remains, that Kundalini or the Tree of Life is an enquiry and is the subsequent Union, not of the Mother ( the black one) with the Lord ( white smeared with ashes)…but rather a Union of Man back with Life...or the realization, non-reversable , eternal, that he/she is indeed so...to be one with the tree like the Bird on the upper branches... like our mighty Hanuma.

Such reading from the Library of Life and such a realization of the Eternal and timelss Union with Life.of realizing that man has allways been LIFE.not seperate....IF IT HAPPENS , Happens due to Life itself, and is the Grace in Life. For life is the greatest Giver of all.