Spirituality Studies 37 Monique Rebelle One of the cases containing descriptions that do not align with my model of the Kuṇḍalinī process is the Kundalinī: Book of Living and Dying, where the authors state that Kuṇḍalinī first awakens in the Maṇipūra cakra. Their descriptions of what the Maṇipūra cakra represents are also not in accordance with my observations (Kumar and Larsen 2004). I realized there are specific reasons why one experience on the path to spiritual enlightenment may not be the same as another one. When considering relevant theories of the process, it becomes clear that although the final result of the complete ascension is the same, the focus of the teachings and practices relates to the experience of the person who initiated the specific school or tradition. If the teachings emphasize the conquering of the mind, it means that the most memorable part of the experience happened during Kundalinī passage through the third chakra. Alternatively, as in the case of Swami Muktananda, it was the experience of śaktipāta, which highlights the connection the fifth cakra can facilitate (Muktānanda 1978). Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, on the other hand, are primarily based on the activity of the seventh chakra and jñāna yoga, corresponding to the content of the seventh dimension of perception. Both cases need to be discussed in separate articles exploring the fifth and seventh dimension of perception. 4.1 The Crucial Point of Transition Between the Third and Fourth Chakra The points of transcendence are the conditions that allow the transition of energy of consciousness from one cakra to the one above during Kuṇḍalinī rising, thereby transforming that energy. These points can be compared to the granthis (Sa. “knots”) described in early Tantric texts, considered energetic and psychospiritual obstructions along the “central energetic channel” – suṣumṇā (Feuerstein 2001, 458–461). More precise descriptions of Kuṇḍalinī resolving granthis come from the Yoga Kuṇḍalinī Upaniṣad (Ayyangar 1938). From my previous article, the points of transcendence between the first and second, and second and third cakras are as follows: the first to the second occurs when we lose attachment to the body and focus on emotion; the second to the third occurs by dwelling in emotional emptiness and then observing thoughts. These conditions are critical for determining whether Kuṇḍalinī can continue ascending. From my experience with students encountering partial Kuṇḍalinī rising, when a point of transcendence is not reached (a granthi unresolved), Kuṇḍalinī usually causes physical, emotional, mental, or other difficulties. The transit from the third to the fourth cakra is of principal significance. Kuṇḍalinī entering the third cakra can produce joy, mental clarity, personal power, omniscience, and weightlessness, but this stage alone does not guarantee full clearing of thoughts, ego dissolution, or further ascent. As with earlier points of transcendence, the strength and totality of focus is crucial. In my view, narrowing the mind to one thought and surrendering it is the only way to fully clear the third cakra, dissolve the ahaṃkāra, and facilitate energy moving to the fourth cakra. Even when these conditions are fulfilled, Kuṇḍalinī entering the fourth cakra is not guaranteed; only the point of transcendence between the third and fourth is achieved. While many sources discuss surrender or ego dissolution, I have found no description of a precise step linking it to entering the fourth cakra. Various practices aim to subdue the mind, escape the torrents of passion, and find “an island which no flood can overwhelm,” which corresponds closely to my understanding of the third-tofourth-cakra point of transcendence, though I propose a stepwise path with a specific approach for each cakra. The third is the most difficult for Kuṇḍalinī to traverse, mainly because of time, which renders experiences consequential and solid. Ancient and modern teachers advise mindfulness and unflagging self-discipline to facilitate passage. Gautama Buddha states: “Though one should conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, he who conquers his own self is the greatest of all conquerors” (Buddha 1993, 103). Bhikkhu Bodhi emphasizes restraint and self-discipline as key to mastering the difficult, fickle mind (Bodhi 1993, 15).
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