Kundalini and the Siva Lingam

The muladhara chakra at the base of the spine is the place of the Siva Lingam, specifically of the Siva Lingam called "Svyhambhu." "Svyhambhu" means self-subsistent, "that which arises without a cause." This refers to a physical reality. But how can it? The lingam is the phallus, the penis erect with desire. It’s a symbol of the male principal, a male principal that is present in women as much as in men. There seems to be a contradiction. How can the phallus be self-subsistent? How can the erect penis arise "without a cause," when the erect penis is the most conditioned of objects, evoked, aroused, brought into being, by touch, visual impression, smell, sound, taste, and, above all, by the presence of another person? And yet the traditional wisdom insists that it’s this very self-subsistent phallic presence at the base of the spine which awakens Kundalini.

In our squeamish, politically correct age, there’s a tendency to sweep this issue under the carpet by saying that the Lingam isn’t phallic, and that it can just as readily be symbolized by a hill or an egg standing on its bottom, or by any upright thing. But this is surely a cop-out, just as it’s a cop-out to say that the yoni, or female genital presence at the base of the spine, can just as readily be symbolized by a bowl or a valley or by any indented thing. Sometime in the future, researchers will prove the physical existence of both the Siva Lingam and the Sakti Yoni at the base of the spine, not as previously undetected bits of nerve tissue, but as quantum states, conscious particle forces, male and female, confined to the midpoint of the body. This can already be intuited in meditation, and seen at certain moments during sexual intercourse, when all the things that cause arousal— touch, sight, smell, taste, even the awareness of the other person — drop away as they are consumed by Kundalini, and all that remains is ‘that which is self-subsistent. When this happens during sex, the precarious clinging-to-self that causes climax is also consumed.

The Lingam is also found, in a different form, in the heart chakra, and in the forehead chakra. In the heart chakra it’s called the Bana Lingam. The Bana Lingam is the self-subsistent state at the moment when what drops away and is consumed by Kundalini is not just the touch, sight, smell, taste and awareness of the outer world (and other people), but the touch, sight, smell, taste and awareness of the inner world and of one’s own body (and of one’s self.) This comes with a sense of expansion and light.
 

Crossing Over

The Lingam in the forehead chakra is called the Itara Lingam. "Itara" means "to cross over" or "to go beyond." The Itara Lingam is the self-subsistent state at the moment when it goes outside the body and mind into the cosmos.

Henry Miller said “You can’t argue with a stiff prick,” and got torn to pieces by feminists. If his “you” refers to a man overpowering a woman, then he deserved to be torn to pieces. If, however, his “you” refers to a man or a woman, confronted with this spontaneous arousal at the root of their being, then perhaps he was onto something.

Kundalini and Near Death Experiences

Over the years, I’ve read several articles about the similarities between Kundalini Rising and Near Death Experience (NDE). The similarities were not obvious to me until I read Anita Moorjani’s book “Dying To Be Me” which described her journey from cancer, to near death, and then to true healing.

 

Most people would look at life differently if faced with a disease causing death, only to return from that condition to full health. Anita described this return and the effect it had on her with imagery and description that impacts powerfully on the reader. But what surprised me most was its similarity to the life-changing experience of Kundalini Rising. While reading Chapter 12 called “Seeing Life With New Eyes” and Chapter 16 called “Infinite Selves and Universal Energy,” it was as if I was reading my own story.

 

Reading this book lead me to ponder the question: What is it about these two experiences that they should lead to a similar outcome or effect, even though they start at very different points? Let me summarize the conclusions of my pondering on this question:

1. Both experiences involve a surrender. Anita described this surrender as a “letting go,” and it wasn’t just a letting go of her body riddled by cancer and nearing death. More importantly, it was a letting go of all the conditioning, attitudes and human constructs created during her lifetime that kept her a prisoner (in a sense) to what she perceived to be the source of happiness, comfort and security. In her book, she affirmed many times that it was her previous attitudes, constructs and conditioning that were influential in causing the cancer in her body in the first place. This surrender, whether a NDE or Kundalini Rising, involves a life-death decision; and with that decision comes a willingness to:

• let go of many of our deeply ingrained beliefs caused by a lifetime of conditioning,
• accept what comes.

I experienced this life-death decision during my Kundalini Rising process, a willingness to accept full personal responsibility, to embrace the consequences of the decision, irrespective of the outcome. This “letting go” requires an insurmountable amount of trust. Where does this trust come from?

2. Both experiences involve an incredible outpouring of love or bliss, a sense of oneness and unity with all things, an encounter with the sacred. It is this outpouring of love and bliss, this sense of oneness that entices us away from our self-imposed prison walls that served only to create a sense of separateness.

 In Chapter 16, Anita starts out:

“During my NDE, it felt as if I were connected to the entire universe and everything contained within it; and it seemed that the cosmos was alive, dynamic, and conscious. I found that every thought, emotion, or action I made while expressing through the physical body had an effect on the Whole. In fact, in that realm of Oneness, it felt as though the whole universe were an extension of me. This realization has, of course, dramatically changed the way I view things.”

It is this outpouring of love or bliss, this call to oneness that becomes the source of trust that allow us to abandon all previous false notions of comfort and security to embrace the uncertainty of what is to follow.

3. Both experiences result in a whole new way of seeing and of being. The attitudes, conditioning, and constructs of the old self are now seen for what they are. It is as if an inner searchlight has come on, and what was previous looked upon as a concrete reality is now seen for the illusion that it is. A new way of seeing the world is born and the old way crumbles away. Mind-you, many of our old habits are still there, but with the guidance from our new searchlight, we more easily see them for what they are, and abandon what is unnecessary more quickly.

 Again, Anita describes it well:

“Becoming entrenched in beliefs that no longer serve us can keep us locked in a state of duality and put us in a constant state of judgement. What we endorse is considered 'good' or 'positive,' and what we don’t believe in is not. This also puts us in the position of needing to defend our beliefs when others don’t agree. And when we invest too much of our energy in defense, we become reluctant to let go, even when our ideas no longer serve us. That’s when our beliefs start to own us instead of the other way around.

“Having awareness, on the other hand, just means realizing what exists and what’s possible — without judgement. Awareness doesn’t need defending. It expands with growth and can be all-encompassing bringing us closer to the state of Oneness.”

 As we become more mature in our experience of Kundalini Rising, we gain greater trust to work in cooperation with what seems like the universal life-force energy that permeates everything, including ourselves, and in recognizing and letting go of the constructs that no longer serve a purpose.

4. Finally, both experiences lead to greater authenticity and wholeness. As explained by Anita:

“I'm most powerful when I allow myself to be who life intended me to be — which is why my healing occurred only when all conscious action on my past had completely ceased and the life force took over. I am always most powerful when I am working with life rather than against it. Each one of us is a gift to those around us helping each other to be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together. Realizing that I am love was the most important lesson I learned, allowing me to release all fear, and that's the key that saved my life.”

 

 The release of Kundalini energy in the subtle body system undertakes the systematic process of renovating and restoring, not only of the subtle body, but the physical body as well. It not only gives us an awareness of our intended perfect blueprint, but also begins to slowly erode the obstacles that prevent us from attaining it.

An Uncomfortable Truth....

I'm not going to prolong the anticipation by a long-winded explanation on the title of this blog post; I'm going straight to the point.

This world, this human condition realm of experience is not working out. There is no happily-ever-after or utopia here. All material efforts to make ourselves more, better, or different are doomed to failure. This is a tough assertion I make. I can hear the cries and protestations from the ego minds of those reading this post. Does this mean that we should give up on the spiritual ideals with its aspirations of love, higher consciousness, and enlightenment? Not at all. But it does demand that we stop being loyal to the wrong master. For this to happen, everyone has to become dis-illusioned with the ego and egoistic life. That's the central demand of spiritual life. But who wants to do this?
 

Kali Yuga Prophesies

We are living in what yogis describe as the Kali Yuga* where forces are at their darkest. You have only to look at what is happening in the world to see the truth of this. Millions of people being displaced, global warming, racial hatred, financial collapse, stratification of wealth, perennial war, rampant addiction. So why hasn't this manifest world worked out? Because ultimately it is an illusion. This is the uncomfortable truth, which all realizers get to at some point, albeit only when the consciousness reaches the profoundest level of insight, allowing the real spiritual journey to begin. Up to that point, it's a matter of egoistic striving to get somewhere, an ultimately fruitless and frustrating effort. How can I declare this with such authority? Because it's where I'm coming from.

Kali Yuga Depiction

I have made no secret of the fact that along with my path of devotion I also do transformative self-development training because these programs are all about gaining mastery over the ego. The seminar I am doing at the moment is called Causing the Miraculous or how to authentically generate a miraculous life.

There is no doubt that it is powerful, but the underlying message is that the world into which we have been born will never produce a miraculous life. One of the ideas that we are asked to "consider" — but only if it resonates — is that we are born into a world where "there is something wrong here." Something happens to us early on in life and we make this judgement, after which, there is something wrong with everything, either with myself, with others, or with life itself. If you look at any area of life deeply and dispassionately, don't you feel "there's something wrong here?" This line of inquiry takes real courage; it's not easy; it goes against all of our egoistic patterns. But just realizing and accepting it as fact — never mind resisting or fighting against it — creates an opening for something new and different.

Most personal self-development training is aimed at transforming what we don't know into what we know. We think it's going to make us happier — by being better, cleverer, more confident, or whatever your thing is. 

"Kali Yuga is considered as the Age of Darkness. The Light primarily is lost, but not completely gone. It is hidden and veiled in the Kali – where the Dark Side rules! You can bring back the light in the world around you if you realize and remember the God-within you and by allowing the frequency to flow out of you. Even the people around you do not fully accept what you are saying; they will soon be uplifted by your silent consciousness.

"However, do not expect the people around you to like you or love you. The Kali Yuga within their egos is firmly instilled in their subconscious mind and they are threatened by your mere presence. The self-ego will not give up its power and if the individual unwittingly allows the denizens of the Phantasmal Hierarchies — in the form of addiction, tyrannical powers, alcohol, or drugs — to take hold, then eventually these parasitical entities will attack you."

~ The Truth About Kali Yuga That You Need to Know

* Prophesied attributes of and events during the Kali Yuga, according to Hindu scriptures:

   In relation to rulers:

• Rulers will become unreasonable; they will levy taxes unfairly.
• Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects; they will become a danger to the world.
• People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.

   With regard to human relationships:

• Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of the dharma will occur.
• People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in it.
• Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central achievement of life.
• Sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish.
• People will take vows and break them soon after.
• People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks and drugs.
• Gurus will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted, and followers of Kama will wrest control of the mind from all human beings.
• Brahmans will not be learned or honored, Kshatriyas will not be brave, Vaishyas will not be just in their dealings.

Does Truth Drive You Crazy?

What are thoughts? Particularly the intuitive eye-openers that change one’s life? The place of Intelligence is in the heart, not the brain. Truth is first experienced in the chest region, not the head. This can be scary, because when Kundalini is first awakened, Her most immediate and explosive impact is felt in the brain and in the general area of the head — crushing pressure from the back of the head, needle-like darts of energy from under the face. The region around the chest and heart seems to get by-passed. This accords with the Tantra, which say that the heart center is difficult to open, and is first experienced as a “darkness blotted out by smoke.” Yet the heart is where truth is manifested, and where Intelligence awakens.

When the heart center opens a curious reversal takes place. The brain becomes still. The brain remains immensely alive biologically, but it floats, in a state of suspension that must have something to do with the effect of Kundalini on the cerebro-spinal fluid. Instead of creating thought — the limited, repetitive treadmill of what we think 24/7 — the brain is able to wait. In this state of suspension, packets of energy rise from the chest region. They can literally be seen coming, like tiny explosions from the surface of the sun, moving upwards from the heart.

Heart Chakra Goddess

The brain knows what these quanta of intelligence mean before it registers them as thought. There is great power in this state of neural suspension. Angry or fearful energy can be simply seen coming, left unregistered, and turned into free energy. Influxes of truth from the heart center can be allowed to flower into words and ideas. These words and ideas, however — and this is the problem — may well strike one, later on, as crazy. We may feel that they open us up to a reality we’re not used to and don’t want any part of. Truth that rises from the heart center and flowers into neural structures — these new words and ideas — can go against everything we’ve been taught, and everything that we think about ourselves. For instance:

1. Other people don’t exist. Other people are the mere product of my senses. This seems a horrible thing to assert, and not good for one’s career, social well-being, or love-life. In fact, it’s unforgivable, unless I accept the less easy truth that I don’t exist. I am a mere product of my senses.

2. My male body is female. It craves women because women are closer to its real center than it is. This one perplexes me so much that I’ve never been able to figure out how it works the other way round.

3. The universe pours out of my face:

• I know that if I dare
• Look at it, I’ll see her eyes.

4. I’ve just died, and come back to life, but I can’t remember it.

The Tantric texts speak of two subtle channels that lie inside the susumna nadi, the central spinal channel, one inside the other. They must have something to do with the passage of Kundalini through the cerebro-spinal fluid. The first is called the brahma nadi, and the second, even subtler channel is called the citrini nadi. They are the conduits of upwards-rising, pure consciousness, the pathways of intelligent energy as it pulses upwards from the heart.

When heart energy flowers in the brain, the things we think seem crazy. This is why Kundalini teachings are traditionally accompanied by danger warnings. The risk of insanity is real, particularly as pertains to fantasies of self-aggrandizement. Stillness is essential. The state of neural suspension, of letting intelligence rise from the heart, must be carried over into everyday life so that we remain balanced, even when we are facing difficulties.

In Sanskrit, the forehead chakra is called Ajna. Ajna means “command,” not in the sense of rigid control, but in the sense of maintaining our balance as crazy truths keeps striking us.