The “Shakti” or “Kundalini”

The energy of “Kundalini” is everything we see or perceive as the ultimate residue of some kind of energy. These energies are the derivatives of a single crude form of energy, also known as “Kundalini” or primordial energy.

This primordial energy is also known as “Adi Kundalini” or “Adya Shakti” in Indian philosophy, especially in Tantra.

When the “Kundalini” goes into the manifestation, she begins that with the creative process which eventually shapes itself from the subtler forms to even denser manifestations to grosser forms.

This process of materialization is known as the involution of energy. The energy condenses and contracts to a limited outline which we identify as the various objects to see or feel.

As these changes take place in the macrocosm, it does the same thing in human beings where the primordial energy gradually manifests itself to denser elements starting from “Sahasrara”, the crown chakra to the “Muladhara” or the root chakra.

The Kundaliniexists in its limitless expansive state in the crown chakra. This place is the most transcendent, beyond the mind, beyond names and their corresponding forms.

One cannot perceive this creation as a separate entity but as a whole unified all pervasive illumined existence. The subject and the object remain united and as a single entity.  As the energy goes down towards the Pineal gland “Ajna Chakra”, the perception of the existence becomes more vivid and clear through the subject-object still remains in the union.

As the “Kundalini” further descends, it comes to a point where it has to pass through a prism of the matrix or “Maya”. Here it refracts through this allegorical prism and gets dispersed. The end of the union and the birth of the duality originate. The object and the subject become separate and we fall into the trap of Maya.

Kundalini: As The Invincible Matrix

This Maya is a special kind of mirror with infinite faces. It reflects the same existence into multiple entities.

It actually weaves this creation with three attributes (Tri Gunas) and five elements (Panch Tatwas).

Everything appears to be broken up.

As the Kundalini continues to descend, it reaches the “Ajna Chakra” which resides just in the middle of the reptilian brain (pineal gland) and touches the four aspects of this chakra.

1) The Mind (Manas)

2) The Intellect (Buddhi)

3) Chitta (The subconscious mind)

4) The Ego (Ahamkara)

The Adi Kundalini then traverses the rest of the five chakras and ultimately rests in the “Muladhara” coiling up. This is referred to as the slumber state of the coiled energy (Kundalini).

The element for Muladhara is earth and is the final stage of the descending energy.

At this point, a human being is already captivated by the illusions of Maya and becomes ready for life. The outside world (projected by Maya) is already equipped with all those things, a human may need.

This illusory stage (Pra-Pancha) is known as samsara.

The involution

The involution of Kundalini or the primordial energy stops here in Muladhara and all the internal progress stops but, the outside activities start to emerge as the Maya weaves the human body as a small child. This “body” further develops into an adult and wears out at a certain point in time.

The human body is comprised of four kinds of sheaths. They are as follows:

1) The physical body – Reddish tint

2) The astral body – Smoky white tint

3) The causal body – Dark gray or blackish tint

4) The supra causal body – Bright blue

The physical body is the gross state of kundalini energy. It is the final stage of involution or contraction. It functions within the captivation of Maya and circles from birth to death and vice versa.

The astral body is the next stage which is subtle and functions on the psychological instincts and processes.

Hunger, thirst, emotional pursuits, confusion, queries, etc. are the activities of the astral body.

The causal body is the repository of the imprints that a human being does on the physical and the astral plane. This sheathes records all these imprints and designs the next birth which is the result of the previous actions. In Sanskrit, it is known as “Niyati” or “Bhagya” or destiny.

The supra causal is the state where a human being has crossed the boundaries of Maya and attained the state of “Turiya” or ecstatic state. Here, the mind ceases to exist and only the pure consciousness exists. It’s located in the Sahasrara chakra. 

During the process of involution, a human being opens his eyes to the external world and wrongfully perceives himself as an existence limited by time, space, knowledge, incompleteness, and pervasiveness.

This is the poverty of Kundalini that is why people worship the female goddess who is perceived as the embodiment of Kundalini .

Our life contracts and crumbles into the false feeling birth and death cycle.

The Goal

The goal of human life is to understand these false projections and strive to uncoil the sleeping energy so that it rises again to the Sahasrara and we attain the unified state once again. Then only we shall realize our true potential and identity.

On her upward journey of Kundalini, our lives truly evolve and the moment she passes the prism of Maya, the age-old false impression of this world around us fades away and the small “i” merges with the big “I” and everything coalesces into one, and only true existence.

The cycle of involution and evolution ends.