Science of Nadii & Cakras As it was said before, "the path of spirituality is like walking on a razor's edge". It is very sharp and narrow and there is every danger for downfall. Meditation is the central practice in the science of raising the kundalinii shakti and in this science there are several techniques involved. However, the essence of this intuitional practice is not an equation where 2 + 2 is equal to 4. It does not work like that. It is a practice where the different aspects of the discipline have to be observed very strictly, but if there is no surrender to the guru, if one does not follow the instructions of one's preceptor, little or no progress in sadhana can be made, and what's more, downfall can become imminent. That is why it is said: MANTRA MULAM GURU VAKS'YAM "The essence of all mantras is the word of the Guru" The truth is that one has to develop unconditional and implicit devotion to one's preceptor and to the Supreme. In fact in Tantra, for the disciple, the Guru is the Divine personification of That Supreme Entity that permeates everything in this universe. Without Parabhakti (Pure Devotion) the path becomes very painful to tread on. But, with unconditional devotion even hell becomes full of bliss because the sadhaka feels that the Supreme is always with him/her. Therefore, in all these Tantric pages I will introduce you gradually to the various basic techniques and practices that will lead you to the path of Supreme Enlightenment. Now, I will explain the science of nadii first. In order to attain spiritual elevation, one will have to undergo purification of body and mind. So, you have first to understand the structure of your physical and mental body so that you can perform proper meditation. One should know the location of the glands of the body, and the cakras and nadii and how they affect your mental processes. What is nadii? Nadiis are the channels through which the pranic energy travels. Pran'a is your vital force that is located in your plexi (cakras) and throughout your physical structure. The vital force plays the functions of regulating all the physical and mental functions, such as, blood circulation, the functioning of heart and lungs, sleep and drowsiness, etc. Now the nadiis, as you can see in the illustration above, are three. The ida nadii starts at the left side (from your own point of view) of the first cakra (muladhara cakra) andends at your left nostril. The characteristic of the energy carried through this channel is very subtle and has a cooling effect in the mind. When the left nostril is active we usually use this energy for mental and spiritual pursuits, such as studying, memorizing and spiritual practices. When the ida nadii is predominant it facilitates the progress in meditation and helps in the arousal of the kundalinii. The piungala nadii starts at the right side of the muladhara cakra and ends up at the right nostril. The energy in this channel is less refined or coarse. It creates a sense of heat in the mind and it creates more difficulty for the mind to concentrate. Usually this energy is used for physical exertion or physical work, or for natural functions like eating or other crude activities. However, it is a good thing when the right nostril is predominant after having a meal as it facilitates digestion. Also during sleep is better to have the right nostril active. The susumna nadii is the middle channel where the kundalinii travels in upwards direction towards the higher plexi. When a vacuum is produced in the susumna channel, the kulakundalinii will travel upwards. Usually the vacuum is produced when the cakras have been purified and through the practice of dhyana as it causes the kundalinii to jump upwards due to the intense attraction from the Supreme Being. Now, there is a little secret that I will share with you regarding the functioning of the nadiis. First, try to do meditation and a'sanas (Yoga postures) always when the left nostril is active (ida nadii). The activity of the nadiis change every 2 or three hours, depending on your mental state and type of food you take. It is very important that your left nostril is active during morning meditation. Therefore, at the time of sleep try to have the right nostril active during the whole night. If you want to have the right nostril open, lie on your left side and it will open. Vice versa, if you want to open the left nostril, then lie on your right side of your body. In order to have the left nostril open for each sadhana (morning & evening) you have to practise your meditation at the same time every day, so that you will create a rhythm in your physical and mental system. Now, I will introduce you to the following diagram which is based in the practice of Rajadhiraja Yoga for you to have a basic understanding of the training that you need in order to purify all aspects of your body and mind in order to bring true purification to your levels of minds connected with the cakras. In this diagram you will see the items of Tantra Yoga practice in order from low to high. 8) SAMADHI - The final attainment of oneness with the Supreme Transcendental Consciousness. The state of Liberation or Moks'a. This is only possible to be attained in Tantra Yoga and Rajadhiraja Yoga training. VISHUDDHA CAKRA 7) DHYANA - Is the sage of deep meditation when the subject and object is unifying and the mind flows in an endless flow of cognition. ANAHATA CAKRA 6) DHARANA - It is the stage of deep concentration when the mind is fixed into a point and remains one-pointed MANIPURA CAKRA 5) PRATYAHARA - It is the state when the mind withdraws from all external stimuli and moves inwards. SVADHISHTHANA CAKRA 4) PRAN'AYA'MA - The practice of Breath control in order to purify the thoughts and control the flow of the mind to facilitate the practice of Dhyana. PHYSICAL BODY AND MIND 3) A'SANAS - These are psycho-physical exercises to control the gland secretions and keep a healthy body. MULADHARA CAKRA 2) NIYAMA SADHANA - The 5 principles of morality that control the balance between the intro- external actions of mind for all levels, that is mundane, supra mundane and spiritual strata. 1) YAMA SADHANA - The 5 principles of conduct that regulate the actions of mind in physico-psychic strata. In the previous page I mentioned about the 3 stages of spiritual development in Tantra, that is, Pashuacara, Viiracara and Divyacara.The first stage, Pashu, is the critical stage where everyone who starts sadhana is considered in an animal-like stage because one is assailed by all sorts of animal propensities from the lower cakras which are extremely active. That is why when you start meditation, usually you will find very much difficulty to concentrate as you are assailed by all kinds of mental and physical disturbances. Your kundalinii might be awake now, but the most difficult task is to bring it up. In order to do that you will have to bring under control all the propensities from the first three lower cakras. Therefore, you will need all the help you can get from your Guru. Shrii A'nandamurtijii usually advised us disciples that in order to elevate our mind to higher levels of consciousness the practice of Yama and Niyama should be done very strictly. And He always advised those who are willing to start meditation to start practicing the above moral principles very strictly for some time before taking initiation. These mental propensities are 50 in number, but due to the movement of the mind internally and externally and in 10 different directions, they become 1,000. That is 50 X 2 X 10 = 1,000.Basically the cakras control a certain number of propensities and same number of glands. The secretion of all these glands affect our nervous system and mental activities. That is why it is said that the path of Tantra is an aggressive movement from imperfection to perfection, and sadhana (meditation) is an all-round fight to defeat the internal enemies of the mind to establish oneself in the realm of divinity. Here blow I will present you with the different diagrams of the cakras, their functions and propensities that they control.
SAHASRARA PADMA The One Thousand-petaled Lotus is the final abode of the Tantric sadhaka. This is the controller of all glands and mental activities. It is the seat of Supreme Consciousness, the abode of supreme union between Shiva and Shakti. When the Tantric Yogi/Yoginii attains this realm, he/she attains immortality, and arrives at the final destination of his/her long journey.
