Awaiting all men is a destiny most glorious.  This destiny is what some call Soul Liberation, other Self - Realization and Illumination, and still others divine Union and Cosmic Consciousness. Whatever the name, it is where all men are headed, regardless of which path they choose to traverse.  It is the goal of all religions, brotherhoods and mystical orders.
For the common man, the path is long, winding and laborious.  Upon it, he travels slowly and in ignorance.  He is mostly unaware of the law, unseeing of the signposts and landmarks, and virtually defenseless against the blows, the twists and turns, of mighty karma.  For the mystic, the path is much shorter, yet also strewn with difficulties.

Knowledge of the kundalini shakti is a part of many traditions and religions, especially in the East.  It is part of yoga, Hinduism, Christianity, the Hebrew Qabala, and various aboriginal American Indian, African and Australian traditions, to name a few.
This passage from the ancient Christian Gnostic Gospels refers to kundalini:

"In each human being dwells an infinite power,
the root of the universe That infinite power
exists in two modes: one actual, the other
potential. The infinite exists in a latent condition
in everyone."

In certain Christian traditions, the serpent in the Garden of Eden is actually named Kundalini.  When it appeared, Adam and Esha (Eve) were not fully awake or even in existence.  They were just starting to come forth oblivion.  It was the serpent Kundalini which engaged them in the process of coming into full being and evolving.  What the serpent did was not to "beguile" Esha, but to fuse its physical fire with Esha's lost divine fire, which was given new life.
The Hopi Indians believed that earth and man are built in a similar manner.  Earth moves along a central axis. In man, the central axis is the spinal column, which governs the equilibrium of his action and functions.  Also according to the Hopis, along the spinal axis are vibratory centers through which the "sound of life" reverberates.  These centers correspond to the chakras in yogic lore.

In many parts of India, the kundalini was and still is- revered as a supreme cosmic power, referred to as the supreme feminine principle.  She is said to be the Mother of the Universe, the progenitor of nature, the essence of all form.  She is regarded as the goddess Shakti, the consort of Shiva.  She is the active counterpart of the formless, attributeless Absolute.  Interpreted this way, kundalini is very similar to prakriti.

Thus, from the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, we read:

The divine power,
Kundalini, shines
like the stem of a young lotus;
like a snake, coiled round upon herself,
she holds her tail in her mouth
and lies resting half asleep
at the base of the body.

The passage states in no uncertain terms that the Kundalini power is divine.  It is also gives important clues to its physiology, if we may use the term.  It is coiled like a serpent at the base of the body, with its tail held in the mouth.

But while the kundalini shakti (also called "serpentine power") is revered in many ancient cultures, there is in modern times a certain fear of it.  Even some chelas believe that arousing the latent kundalini energy will result in bodily or mental harm.  This is false notion that we would like to dispel.

Fears about the kundalini are raised by false teachers and authors who have no real knowledge of the energy.  They speak not from the experience but from hearsay.  While their words may seem authoritative, especially to the unwitting reader or listener, they should not be taken seriously by the chela.  What we should heed are the words of authentic scriptures and of many notable Adepts lauding the immense advantages to be gained with an awakened kundalini.  True, certain authentic Masters in the Himalayan regions have sometimes summarily discouraged attempts at rousing the kundalini.  But their words were meant to drive away insincere or even foolish seekers.  They were intended to discourage the attention of ill-prepared adventurers and thrill-seekers.

In the spirit of scientific inquiry, we should endeavor to take a clinical and non-superstitious understanding of the kundalini energy.  Let us strive to keep an open mind, one that is unbiased and fear-free, so that we can proceed as we should.

Like prana and prakriti, the kundalini is a force that vitally supports life.  It pervades our entire body, maintaining and invigorating it.  It makes the mind think, the emotions feel, and the body functions.  But this is just the external aspect of kundalini, or kundalini directed outwardly.  As mystics, we are interested in directing the kundalini inwardly, that is, spiritually.  Our goal is to activate the inner, latent kundalini energy along the spine.

According to the great Masters and many scriptures, this awakening is the real beginning of the spiritual quest.  Just as the outwardly directed kundalini enables us to perceive and interact with the material world, the inwardly directed kundalini energy empowers us to experience the inner spiritual realms.  As we stated in the previous satsang, ONLY with an awakened kundalini is Self-realization possible.  Only with it can we experience our true Self that is divine, joyous, omnipresent Consciousness.

While kundalini is present throughout the human body, it has a special dwelling place found at the approximate center of the body: the coccyx at the base of the spine.  Understand, however, that while we say " the coccyx," we actually refer to a subtle, intangible area approximated in the physical plane by the coccyx.  In yogic parlance, this area is the muladhara chakra.  "Mula" means "root" and "adhara" means "support."  Ancient yogic scriptures tell us that within this root, the Shakti dwells in a nonmaterial form, coiled three-and-a-half times.  Hence this energy is called kundalini, the coiled one.  When it is roused, it uncoils and journeys upward, passing through certain chakras along the spine until it reaches the "abode of Shiva," or the sahasrara chakra at the top of the head.

The awakening of the kundalini shakti is accomplished through many different ways.  Some of these means are: through mantric chanting (japa), intense devotion (bhakti yoga), by the grace of a guru (shaktipat), certain physical exercises (hatha yoga), or through the performance of yogic practices (sadhana).

Once the chela has begun the awakening of the kundalini, he should continuously nurture and enhance it. It can be dissipated or thrown away through intemperate living or through the neglect of sadhana. But generally, once stirred, the kundalini itself urges the mystical aspirant to proceed along the spiritual journey. It is an intelligent force that impels the chela toward spiritual endeavors and practices.
However, there are extremely rare cases when a practitioner seemingly becomes weak, sick or crazy when he begins to rouse the kundalini. This happens when he uses the untested practices or coerces his ill-prepared body. Such a person usually works on his own, without guidance for a school, tradition or genuine guru.

Understand this well: the kundalini is a conscious and intelligent energy that is BENEFICIAL to MAN. It destroys negativities such as diseases, bad karma, mental poisoning, and unfavorable tendencies.  Occasionally - we repreat, occasionally only - a practitioner may seem to be going through a difficult period. For example, someone who has a weak mind may appear to become unusually forgetful and distracted. Or someone who has a tendency toward the mental imbalance may briefly seem to be deluded.

These happen not because of the kundalini shakti per se, but because of a previously existing deficiency or weakness in the person. The kundalini is merely working to ELIMINATE the weakness or destructive tendency from the person's system. After a short while, as he persists with his sadhana, he becomes stronger and healthier. His improvement continues until he becomes totally cured of disease; there is no weakness or illness that cannot be cured by the power of kundalini.

Kundalini purifies and strengthens not just the gross physical body, but the mental, physical and spiritual bodies too. It gives physical vigor, emotional poise, and mental equilibrium and acuity - not to mention great spiritual development. Its action is intensive and complete. That is why, in VERY FEW instances, dormant germs or tendencies may be shaken up and brought to the fore, resulting in the person's experiencing of some undesirable symptoms. We reiterate three things: this happens only rarely; it happens to unprepared individuals, not to long practicing chelas such as the well-prepared members of ONB; and it is happening to cleanse the person's system of some negativities PERMANENTLY. Continued performance of sadhana will quickly remove the symptoms and completely eliminate the disease.

Much more significant than these temporary inconveniences (which most chelas do not experience at all) are the numerous wonderful effects of the stimulated kundalini (which all earnest practitioners experience).  With an awakened Kundalini, different powers, including clairvoyance, healing, super - memory and prophecy are stimulated.  The person also develops a new zest for life, an enthusiasm for everything that he does.  His daily activities that once seemed dull or even difficult are now imbued with the promise of adventure and excitement.  The people with whom he interacts are also now seen in a different - as divine, filled with God.  Thus he becomes more friendly, more compassionate, more cheerful, more joyful, and more filled with a light divine.  In time, he is able to feel in his heart waves upon waves of bliss, especially during mediation.

As he becomes adept in the sadhana, the chela is able to enter a state called tandra.  In this meditative state, he has visions of mountains, rivers, gods, the great Masters, many other worlds and dimensions.  These visions are real, not dreams.  The chela sees not only the entire universe in its indescribable vastness, but also the inner physical world in microscopic detail.  He is able to see planets, stars and galaxies million of light - years away in perfect, wonderful detail.  Also, he is able to see systems of nerves, tissues and cells inside his very body.  He can view how blood pulsates with life and light inside his very veins.  In fact, he can even see prana flowing through the subtle nadis that traverse the entire body system.

And why not? In daily life, modern technology enables us to see events happening in distant places, as they happen.  For instance, with a mere turn of the television dial, we visit one far - away place after another.  We see and hear what is happening there is great detail and clarity.  The "travel time" between places is only a matter of seconds or even less.  The same experience is afforded us by the radio or the computer. By analogy, the supremely powerful kundalini shakti can quite easily transport us to place we can never reach physically.  The kundalini attunes us to the all - pervasive, all - knowing consciousness of God, which knows no spatial or time limitations.

We have always said that the mystical path we tread is the path of hastened evolution.  But up to now, the chela probably has no conclusive idea of what this truly means.  How do our teachings and practices quicken evolution? Recently, we gave a very concrete answer to this query, when we said that one cycle of the kundalini yoga sadhana hastens spiritual evolution by ONE WHOLE YEAR.  How is this possible?
We have stated that in its ascent, the kundalini travels along the sushumna (physically, along the spinal canal) which is the "royal road" of the Soul, the indwelling Self.  It is through this channel that the Soul constantly moves, up and down, resulting in our experience of various moods and degrees of inspiration.  Through kundalini yoga, the channels is cleared of obstructions and opened more widely, allowing easier passage of divine vibrations.
As the kundalini shakti ascends, it pierces six chakras along the sushumna.  These spiritual centers, or plexuses, are the following:

• muladhara, approximately at the coccyx, called the "four - petal lotus"
  
• svadisthana, between the navel and the sexual organs, the "six - petal lotus"
  
• manipura, in  the navel, the ten "ten - petal lotus"
  
• anahata,  in the heart, the 'twelve - petal lotus"
  
• vishuddha, in the throat, the "sixteen - petal lotus"
  
• ajna,  in the forehead, the 'two-petal lotus"
  

• brahma granthi, between the coccyx and navel plexuses, which blocks the realization of Truth, keeping man absorbed in material and sensual desires
  
• vishnu granthi, from the navel plexus to below the pituitary, which blocks the realization of God, keeping the senses attuned to the external world
  
• shiva granthi, between the pituitary and sahasrara, which thwarts constant and continuous God - centeredness
  

At this point, we must digress briefly to explain an important point.  Without a doubt, the Realization accomplished through kundalini yoga is supremely ecstatic or samadhic - but with a significant distinction.  It is the type of samadhi that makes the practitioner more alert or conscious, not lethargic and other - wordly.  What do we mean exactly?  The samadhi experienced brought by an awakened kundalini is the kind that makes one recognize the presence of God in everything.  It makes him more truly aware of the people and things around him - as various manifestations of one God.  This enables him to function normally in the world.  It does not necessarily impel him to abandon normal society to immerse totally in God - consciousness.  This kind of samadhi is also the goal of a yogic discipline called Siddha yoga.

Ordinarily, following the pull of gravity, the direction of the movement of the kundalini is downward.  The chakras are also similarly directed, with their petals drooping down toward the coccyx.  Understand that these actions are not merely symbolical.  They are the actual physiological or anatomical "postures" of the chakras, if we may use that term, as seen by those with astral vision.

Kundalini rises upward through kundalini yoga - thus, a reverse action is induced.  The petals of the chakras turn upward toward the sahasrara.  Thus, the sadhaka consciously directs his life - currents upwards, to the Eternal source, the great Cosmic Spirit.  Here again, as we note that these upward movements run counter to man's natural tendencies, we are reminded of the necessity of much effort and striving.

We mentioned that the destiny of all men is Perfection.  It may not be apparent to us, but the progression of all things is toward this same end - Perfection.  Every movement of nature, every single event that takes place, is a Cosmic act which brings all beings closer to their destined end.  Thus, upon the earth's completion of one revolution around the sun, all things - including human beings - automatically experience one whole year's amount of evolution.  This evolution or advancement is affected by external influences and vibrations.  In the case of the ordinary man, these external influences include worldly experiences and newly acquired knowledge that make him wiser and more mature.

When we practice kundalini yoga, we effect such changes internally.  How so?  Occult knowledge points out that the Soul is the central sun.  Around it, the life force (kundalini) revolves, following an elliptical path and passing through the six chakras.  One complete cycle (in our sadhana, one upward and downward movement along the sushumna) makes twelve points, corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac and equivalent to twelve months.  Thus, one such cycle accomplishes one whole solar year of evolution.  This is a great quickening of spiritual development which the chela can effect through mastery of the kula kundalini sadhana.

In astronomical lingo, a declination of the sun is its angular distance from the celestial equator.  The northern declination begins with the vernal equinox, and the southern declination with the autumnal equinox.  Each declination takes six months, totaling one year.  At the end of this period, the earth has received a certain amount of energy from the sun.

The ascent and descent of the kundalini through the sushumna, passing through the six plexus, correspond very closely to the northern and southern declinations of the sun.  A complete cycle gives the practitioner spiritual energy to one year of performing other sadhanas.

The "Hong - Sau" meditation which is the preparatory practice in doing the kundalini sadhana also has great occult significance.  At the earliest grade, one is instructed to focus on the third eye or ajna chakra (physically corresponding to the pineal gland, at the center of the forehead) by intoning the mantra hong sau <CAUTION: for proper way of meditating on the akna chakra using "Hong Sau", one should be initiated by a genuine guru or acquire it from the authentic ONB lesson> or visualizing a brilliant light since this method, known as, figuratively,  "grabbing the serpent by the head," SAFELY prepares the body of the practitioner in the ascent or awakening of the force of kundalini.  When one focuses on the ajna chakra, the lower chakras, like the muladhara chakra (physically located at the base of the spine) which is the abode of the sleeping or dormant kundalini, likewise become vivified.  Thus, while it was revealed to the student of the ONB at the very start of his studies, the mantra Hong -Sau should never be taken lightly.  Called the Siddha mantra, it is actually the mantra of Perfected Beings.  Focusing on this is the essence of God - centered consciousness.
T

he syllables Hong and Sau are variations of ham and sa, which are the first and last letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, respectively.  (Ham also represents the physical body, and sa the Soul.)  It is said that the sounds of all fifty letters of the alphabet are in the sushumna.  Ham is in the area of the pituitary gland, while sa is in the muladhara chakra.  Through kundalini yoga, sa, together with the other forty letters, is drawn into the pituitary chakra to unite with ham.  A supreme state called the hamsa is then reached.  In this ecstatic state, the practitioner perceives divinity in his entire body.  He attains Realization as he becomes truly aware of the meaning of hong - sau or hamsa.  This meaning, of course, is " I am That."

The great Muslim saint Kabir is among the venerated Masters who have reached the hamsa stage through practice of kundalini yoga.  Describing his spiritual experience, he said:

It is as if my spiritual canal is just like a pond
where: in the cocygeal center, I am perceiving a
four - petal lotus; in my sacral center, a six - petal
lotus; in my lumbar center, a ten -  petal lotus; in
my dorsal center, a twelve - petal lotus; in my
cervical center, a sixteen - petal lotus; in my
pituitary, two petal lotus.  The latter is called
hamsa and means I am He! Therefore, I am
perceiving the hamsa in my whole body.

<CAUTION: The preceding discussion was but an initial exposition of the unknown force of kundalini.  A sincere and responsible aspirant must seek proper guidance. >