Rousing of Kundalini is the one and only way to attain divine wisdom,
super conscious perception and realization of the spirit. – SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Kundalini refers to the dormant power or Shakthi that lies in every human being. Awakening this dormant power is of Supreme importance for achieving Self-Realization. The ancient Hindu scriptures note that every human soul is potentially divine and the purpose of meditation is to bring out this divinity by awakening the dormant power called kundalini. Awakening of the dormant Kundalini Power is known to result in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss.

Swami Vivekananda refers to the awakening of kundalini in detail in his book, Raja Yoga'. We have noted earlier, while discussing koshas and chakras, that muladhara is the root of the sushumna and that on which the kundalini rests. Sushumna is the central nerve channel through which prana moves. Swamiji states that among the thousands of yoga nadis in the human body, three are of prime importance. They are lda, Pingala and Sushumna. Ida is associated with the moon and ends up in the left nostril. Pingala is associated with the sun and ends up in the right nostril. Sushumna Is the hollow passage that runs through the spinal cord and ends up in Brahmarandhra, which is said to be the tenth opening in the human brain.

The purpose of rousing kundalini is to get prana out of lda and Pingala and make it enter Sushumna. By leading a chaste life and through regular meditation, spiritual practitioners note, the mass of energy stored in muladhara travels along sushumna, with tremendous force, and moves up to sahasrara. In the process, the chakras get pierced and what is known as ojas or sexual energy gets transformed into spiritual energy. This transformed spiritual energy gets stored in the brain and facilitates the spiritual traveler to experience sublime vision. Finally, when the awakened kundalini unites with Consciousness at sahasrara, the summit, the seeker enters the state of nirvikalpa samadhi. Nirvikalpa samadhi is the ultimate state where the spiritual practitioner experiences Supreme Bliss and, in the words of Swani Vivekananda, "the full blaze of illumination, the perception of the Self".

Kundalini is the dormant power lying coiled at the base of spine. It is a part of the sukshma sharira, the subtle body. It is the mysterious divine energy, in subtle form, conceived as in the shape of a folded cobra in a triangular form. It is known to be normally lying dormant upside down, at the base of the spine. When a person goes into meditation, kundalini gets awakened and moves up in the six conceptual centers known as chakras along the spinal cord or the sushumna channel.

The word kundalini is, thus, associated with certain kinds of meditation. As per the Tantra Shastra, there are three kinds of dhyana - sthula, jyotih and sukshma. Sukshma has been described as meditation on kundalini in sambhavi-mudra after 'She' has been aroused. Kundalini is referred to as 'She' since she is equated with Shakthi. As Ruzbeh a journalist and a writer, notes, "If you don't have the right person helping you to raise kundalini, then it can be dangerous. It is very powerful; it is the source of creation, which is why we call it 'shakthi', When your kundalini awakens, you become one with cosmos". We have noted earlier that while practicing meditation, the practitioner should sit upright, with his or her back straight as a column. Why is this so? This is because, as detailed in the Tantra Shastra, at t the base of the spine lies the serpentine power or kundalini shakthi, which is dormant and coiled. It is said that during intense meditation, this dormant power rises and, like a serpent raises its hood, piercing the chakras which lie along the spinal column. By such awakening, it pierces the veil of ignorance and also brings out mystical experiences to the meditator. The erect posture helps the kundalini shakthi pass smoothly through the spinal column or sushumna.

Sri Ramana Maharshi, an enlightened spiritual guru, notes that the kundalini shakthi is nothing but the natural energy of the Self, where Self is Paramatma, the universal consciousness that is present in every being. It is the seat of absolute knowledge and described in great detail in Upanishads. Again, as Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, notes. "God has made this human body a house with six chakras and has established the light of spirit in it. Cross the ocean of Maya and meet the eternal God who does not come, who does not go, who neither takes birth nor dies. When your six chakras meet in line, Surati (kundalini) takes you beyond distortions".

Yoga relates to the Hindu philosophy which tells us how to control our body and mind so that we can become united with the spirit of the universe. Yoga is also a system of exercises for our body, and for controlling our breathing, used for keeping ourselves fit and relaxed. Kundalini is regarded as the supreme yoga. Kundalini yoga is a discipline that deals with awakening the kundalini, a mysterious power or energy which normally lies dormant at the bottom of the spine, in every person.

Those who master this discipline can awaken the kundalini power, cautiously, by certain yogic practices and then make it rise in a controlled manner along the sushumna channel to the highest chakra or center situated in the brain, called the sahasrara chakra. On its way to the sahasrara chakra, the kundalini power touches and activates the different centers. When this happens, the consciousness of the person, imprisoned in the physical body rises, step by step, and becomes united with the Supreme Consciousness in the sahasrara.

Maitreyi asks, "How can I know that by knowing which everything becomes known?”
Rishi Yainavalkya replies, "This Self... is to be heard, reasoned about and meditated upon.
Oh Maitreyi! When that Self has been seen and has been realized then all this becomes known, -Maitri Upanishad

There is a set of words which is often used in Hindu scriptural literature, an understanding of which is very essential for a Gayatri Sadhaka, the practitioner of the Highest Meditation. These are Pure Consciousness, Self-Realization and Atman. These are concepts of eternal value which Vedantic scholars espouse with great conviction. These constitute the very core of Vedantic discussions. The more we appreciate these concepts, the more enlightened we become in taking up the spiritual pursuits of the highest order. Pure Consciousness, Self-Realization and Atman are, after all, the ultimate goal of every enlightened seeker. This subject has been discussed in great detail in various Upanishads and is considered to be the very core of Hindu philosophy. There is hardly any great spiritual master who has not commented on these aspects.

Before proceeding further, let us look at these profound statements from the Upanishads.

In pure consciousness, God holds us in close embrace. – Brihadarayaka Upanishad.

The Self serves as his (man's) light, for it is with the Self as his light that he sits, moves around, does his work, and returns again. – Chandogya Upanishad.

There is a light that shines above this heaven, above all words, above everything that exists in the highest worlds beyond which there are no higher - this is the light that shines within man. – Svetasvatara Upanishad.

He who has found and awakened the Atman, which has entered the otherwise impenetrable body, he is the maker of the universe, of all things. The world is his. The world itself is he. – Chandogya Upanishad.

Bevond the senses are their objects, beyond the objects is the mind. Beyond the mind is the intellect, beyond the intellect is the Atman. – Katha Upanishad.

It is not understood by those who understand. It is understood by those who do not understand. – Kena Upanishad.

ldam Brahma ldam kshatram lme lokah Ime devah Imani Bhutani ldam sarvam yada yam atma. (This is the source of all knowledge; this is the source of power; all these worlds; all these gods; all these beings - all this is just the Self (atman). – Katha Upanishad.

Yaya tad aksharam adhigamyate. (Having realized this Akshara, everything becomes known) - Katha Upanishad

All these statements from different Upanishads deal with the concept of Atman, Consciousness and Self, describing them as light, as an awakening, as that which is beyond everything, the source of everything and as the ultimate knowledge. As the Kena Upanishad notes with such penetrating philosophical meaning, "it is understood by those who do not understand, and not by those who understand". There is thus a mysterious mystical depth associated with Atman or Self, which has to be explored.

The acme or the summit of Vedantic wisdom relates to knowing the unknown. The Maitri Upanishad, as we have noted at the beginning, states that when the Self is known, and realized, everything becomes known. Similarly, in the Mundaka Upanishad too, Shaunaka asks Rishi Angira, "Sir, what is that by knowing which everything becomes known?" The Rishi explains that there are two kinds of knowledge that one can acquire- apara vidya and para vidya. Apara vidya is lower knowledge and para vidya is higher knowledge, self-realization. The lower knowledge comprises of the four Vedas-Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva- and the six Vedangas. The higher knowledge is that which leads to immortality; it is immutable or changeless and transcends thought. Swami Nikhilananda explains that when we meditate and reach the state of enlightenment, directly experiencing truth, that is para vidya. Para vidya is paroksha anubhuthi, or direct experience of the Supreme.

The region of pure consciousness, according to Krishnaswamy lyer, is bliss, beauty and immortality. He goes on to explain the depth of pure consciousness with great clarity. Our feeble senses and finite mind cannot bear the blaze of its splendor. So, when we enter its realm, our senses are bound up and our proud intellect is blind-folded. Pure consciousness relates to entering a Heaven whose splendor would daze our mental faculties. Hence, it is only the gifted few that bodily enter the precincts of such a Heaven and come back after a dumb enjoyment of its bliss. These are men who go into religious or yogic trances, and whatever their caste or creed, their testimony to its ineffable beauty and joy is uniform. Pure consciousness is indeed the real kingdom of God.

Going further, Shri Iyer notes that pure consciousness appearing as intuition is the Christ in us. He never forsakes us. To realize him, we have to forsake our lower nature, the selfish attachments which bind us to the manifestations. This is the only way to salvation. He says that men and women need to be wary or cautious about what springs from inside, and when the evil that rises within is controlled, the things from outside can do no harm. “External nature is perfectly innocent and bears the stamp of superscription of divine power, beauty and beneficence. It is no evil to be rid of. Things from outside do no harm. It is what springs from inside, the host of selfish feelings, envy, malice, avarice, lust – it is these that work to ruin the soul. It is the heart that is to be purified and fitted to be the throne of God, The larger life is the Christ, and is one with God. When our lower nature is crucified, Christ ascends to heaven, the kingdom of God, to pure consciousness which is our essence."

According to the English dictionary, consciousness is the state of being able to use our senses and mental powers to understand what is happening. It is awareness, the state of being aware of something. Similarly, pure is something clean and not containing any harmful substance. Pure refers to that which is morally good i.e. without any evil thoughts and actions. In other words, pure consciousness implies an awareness that is pure, clean and uncontaminated by evil or sinful thoughts and desires. Pure consciousness, therefore, is a state in which all the vasanas or sins are erased, and the individual transcends the mind-intellect influence.

In order to achieve pure consciousness, it is essential that the spiritual practitioner overcomes all the vasanas or desires. Pure consciousness is attained when avidya or ignorance and bhranti or delusion are removed. Spiritual masters make it clear that pure consciousness is our eternal svarupa or being. It exists in every one of us. When ignorance and delusion are got rid of, our inner being starts shining. In order to achieve this state, there are three paths before us. They are the path of devotion, the path of knowledge and the path of action - bhakti yoga, jnana yoga and karma yoga.

Vedantic philosophy equates pure consciousness with Brahman, Brahman with Self, Self with the soul and soul with Atman. In the Hindu philosophy, eternal truths are called mahavakyas. These mahavakyas or Great Truths declare that pure consciousness is the ultimate truth. There are four mahavakyas that are quoted often.

They are:
Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahman.
Ayam Atma Brahma – This Self is Brahman.
Prajnanam Brahman – Consciousness is Brahman.
Tat Tvam Asi - That Thou Art or You Are That.

All these mahavakyas underline the essential divinity that every man and woman possesses. Every individual is God. Our self, our souls God. That consciousness, that awareness is God. We are That'.

In pure consciousness, the person reaches the Shivo Ham or the Aham Brahmasmi state. It means "I am the Eternal". Men and women no longer identify themselves with their body, name, fame, etc. They tend to merge with the Brahman. There will be a detachment from the body consciousness and attachment to the Supreme Consciousness. Call it the state of pure consciousness or self-realization or atman. They all mean the same. This state is what the scriptures declare to be the state of Sat-Chit-Ananda. This state can be achieved, Vedanta notes, again by three approaches called shravana or hearing, manana or reflection and nidhidhyasana or meditation.

Let us now turn to Self-Realization. Realization is the process of becoming aware of something. Realization concerns awareness. It also means achieving something, something important that one wants to achieve. Similarly, the word Self has an exalted meaning in the Upanishads. The Chandogya Upanishad notes that the Self is the light that guides the man. A truly realized person is said to be a light unto himself. He or she radiates light. Self-Realization brings about awareness and a radiance that starts glowing within us. This light is referred to as Atmajyoti.

Self-Realization is the process of realizing the ultimate truth or the Knowledge Absolute. When that happens, the person concerned sheds the "I-Mine-Ours" attitude and embraces the "I am Atman" attitude. The person discards the bodily self and moves to a higher Self. He or she starts realizing and feeling, "I am not this body", I am not this mind" and "l am something beyond these sense organs". This pure light of consciousness, this Self, this Atman in every one of us is also referred to as Atma-Rama. The word Rama, here, has a soothing meaning. Rama means that which revels in every one of us- Sarveshu Ramanthe Iti Ramaha.

Atman is described in the scriptures as the principle of life, breath, body and the Self. It refers to the full undivided person and also the inmost center in every human being. Atman is every person's underlying core, the very essence, which according to Brahmarishi’s is no different from Brahman. Chandogya Upanishad notes that the one who has awakened to the Atman residing within the body is the maker of the universe. While the body itself decays in course of time, Atman or the soul constitutes the person's un-decaying core. Mundaka Upanishad notes that when organic life comes to an end and dissolves, the human being returns to the Higher Life from which every manifestation has emerged. Men and women transit from the darkness of phenomenal existence and death to immortality.

As the Brahma Ghyani’s quoting the Upanishads states, God is light, the Atman is light, and so the sadhaka or practitioner who has realized the Atman is himself luminous and radiant. There are indeed numerous examples of Saints, Rishi’s, Siddhars (Prophets), seers, sadhakas and spiritually enlightened travelers in Hindu literature, where such 'realized' persons have a special aura and luminosity around them. These persons are known to have had some experience of the Atmajyoti or the Inner Light. Thus, this discovery of the Inner Light by the practitioners is construed to be the authentic criterion for spiritual 'realization', In other words, every 'realized' person would have had some experience of that vision of Inner Light.

Reiterating this point, Brahma Ghyani’s notes that people of deep spiritual insight in every country, every age, and every religion have declared the same experience of truth. Regardless of cultural or religious heritage, they have announced the same or similar discoveries based on their direct experience. In their communion with a higher consciousness, they would have heard a divine sound or would have had the vision of an Infinite Light. They would have had some divine vision of their own Ishta Devata. Any attempt to clearly describe that Bliss in words is usually in vain. Yet, anyone who undergoes this unique bliss-experience even once in his or her life, will never again go for the lower pleasures of life filled with all its dualities. That would have been an overwhelming, indescribable experience, a life transforming discovery of the ineffable or heavenly bliss.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has given a scintillating description of the Vision he had of this Inner Light. In his own words, I had the wonderful vision of the Mother, and fell down unconscious. I did not know what happened then in the external world - how that day and the next day slipped away. But in my heart of hearts, there was flowing a current of intense bliss, never experienced before... It was as if the houses, doors, temples, and all other things vanished altogether; as if there was nothing anywhere! And what I saw was a boundless, infinite conscious sea of light! However far and in whatever direction I looked, I found a continuous succession of effulgent waves coming forward, raging and storming from all sides with great speed. Very soon they fell on me and made me sink to the abysmal depths of infinity". (Sri Ramakrishna, Volume I by Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras).

I.K. Taimni aptly describes the process of Self-Realization as a gradual process of stepping up our own consciousness to meet the Higher Consciousness and become Pure Consciousness. It happens over a period of time, as one moves relentlessly on the chosen path. This experience is something similar to climbing a mountain of greater and never-ending heights. As we pass one height after another, we get a grander view of the surrounding panorama. It is not only that we get a more glorious vision of Reality, but we also find ourselves becoming more and more one with the reality we perceive. Such is the process of spiritual unfolding of the soul, says Taimni, when its consciousness rises gradually into the higher planes of existence, and becomes more and more one with the consciousness of the Universal Being.

Guru Parampara Diksha together with spiritual sadhana is a mahamantra that takes us towards that kind of higher and higher realization. It helps us reach out and merge with the supreme consciousness. It helps us experience that Inner Light.