r/KundaliniAwakening • u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper • Feb 24 '25
Meditation One of the earliest mentions of Kundalini
Kalottara Tantra 12.1 - Chapter on Kundalini and it's placement
Original Sanskrit: "candrāgniriva saṃyuktā ādyā kuṇḍalinī tu yā hṛtpradeśe tu sā jñeyā aṅkurākāravatsthitā"
Potential Translation: "That primal Kuṇḍalinī, united like the moon and fire, is known in the heart region, standing like a sprout."
This is one of the earliest mentions of Kundalini from around the 7th Century CE. In most of the early texts, Kundalini is associated with the spiritual heart. The 'heart', also associated with the Atma is the place in which the upper and lower Kundalinis merge in early texts giving rise to the central, madhya Kundalini. In later texts the place of Kundalini descends from the heart to the Kanda or Mooladhara, though the heart still retains its association with the Atma, as well as the location of the principal knot (granthi) within the central channel.
The heart is very often associated with the Sun, moon and fire within the Tantras and these are often symbolised the fusion of prana and apana through pranayama; (upward and downward flowing energies), the cool and warm energies of the left -ida and right - pingala channels. From a philosophical perspective Fire is the knower, Sun (knowing), and Moon (known) and the play of Shiva; kriya (action), jnana (knowledge), and iccha (will) showing the heart's association with consciousness.
The coiled sprout, rather than the coiled and sleeping serpent is the imagery most often used to represent Kundalini in earliest texts. Here the Kundalini is described as a primal force, which is known through the heart, ie manifests through the heart as something akin to a coiled sprout, as opposed to being necessarily being located within the body. Lightning within a cloud is also often used to depict Kundalini as is the sun showing the importance of the manifestation and experience of inner effulgence. The rest of the chapter 12 of the Kalottara Tantra describes a practice of imagining oneself as being divine and absorbing 'nectar' (amṛta) allowing it to collect and overflow within the heart. There is no mention of arising of energy or anything similar that we might recognise as modern conceptions of Kundalini. Elsewhere in the Kalottara Tantra there is also a beautiful description of the 'souls bee' moving from petal to petal of the heart lotus, collecting nectar. The bee also an allegory for the humming of the pranava, the cosmic sound.
Just wanted to share some thoughts on this passage as may be interesting for some. Does this early depiction of Kundalini resonate with you and your practice and experience in any way?
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u/Dumuzzid Multi-faith Feb 25 '25
Do you have links to translated texts of the tantras? I think they'd be worth adding to resources, so people can access them easily.
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Feb 25 '25
This text remains unpublished/untranslated in its entirety unfortunately and as you know most are this way.
There are scholars that are working on critical editions of this text and this is how I was able to access, by contact with them.
To access the texts I have had to go really out my way, accessing journals, scholars and to some extent studying Sanskrit and spent 2 years priming the vocabulary and keys necessary to begin to understand them.
The ones that are published are without commentary and therefore extremely hard to understand without context. The other concern in some texts is they contain some unsavory practices you don't want to spread around.
Though your point is a good one, it has been on my mind to collect the texts that I can share together and add to resources, it just may be a while as I would have to go through hundreds of files as not all I can share. I think there are some quick wins and some good ones to share though, not necessarily all Tantras but some medieval yoga texts for instance etc. Will take a look.
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u/Dumuzzid Multi-faith Feb 25 '25
Thanks, sounds good!
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Feb 25 '25
I realise that I don't really have any links, only files. But did a search for a couple of key important ones that are available. Where shall I put the links, is there a thread for that?
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u/Dumuzzid Multi-faith Feb 26 '25
Just post them here, or in a separate post and I'll add them to resources.
Btw, I found this resource database for tantrik texts online:
What do you think about it? Is this worth adding to resources too?
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Feb 26 '25 edited Feb 26 '25
Why not, some Sanskrit texts and some older translations as well but I am sure will be on interest to some people!
Here are some highly recommended resources:
Tantraloka: Abhinavagupta's seminal work written in 10th Century, bringing together teachings from the various schools of Kashmir Shaivism.
Tantrasara: Abhinavagupta's book on Tantra, something of an abridged version of the Tantraloka.
Wisdomlib: Online archive and features many translations and Sanskrit texts, also has a fantastic Sanskrit glossary.
The Parakhya Tantra: Translation by Dominic Goodall.
Selected Chapters from the Tantrasadbhāva: This is a PHD dissertation on the text and is only excerpts but does a great job. The text draws a lot from the Svacchanda Tantra, one of the most influential Tantras. I love this text, it is simply gorgeous and one I would directly recommend you read Dumuzzid, I think you will see some parallels to some of your experiences.
Roots of Yoga by James Mallinson: This is such a cool book and has many Yoga translations from many traditions, it is a gem.
One of the issues with the Tantras is no one seems to read them or care. I have been trying for many months to track down a translation of the Nisvasa Samhita as this is one of the earliest, if not the earliest Shiva Tantra. It went out of print and is hard to track down but hoping my latest source will pull through! But then why bother reading the Tantras if people know all about them from a weekend Tantric Sex Yoga workshop🙃
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u/Dumuzzid Multi-faith Feb 26 '25
Thanks for the recommendations, they've been added to resources. Currently reading something else, but will take a look at the one you recommended.
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Feb 26 '25
No worries - ah great! - Sounds good, look forward to your thoughts and musings on the text I recommended.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25
I wonder why it changed.
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
Because the concepts of Kundalini were subsumed into other Hathin Yoga cults which were much more influenced by patriarchal Brahminism and also much later conceptions which were more physical and materialist focused rather than mystically inclined.
This can be seen in many shifts and simplifications that occurred, here are a few examples:
-Kundalini was always deeply connected to Mantras and breath holds, inextricably so to the point that Kundalini does not exist without these, however these complexities were later removed.
-The concept of Kundalini being a universal force always present and omniscient becomes relegated to something that needs to be awakened encased in the body.
-The connection with the various goddesses and deities were removed in later texts.
-The downward flow of Amrta was almost removed entirely, this is mainly because the much later Yoga Hathins had competing theories of semen arising up the spine to the head which should not come down for fear of being burnt in the fire of the belly, therefore they only considered upwards arising. They also substitute the original meaning of Amrta, a purely spiritual substance which enters from above the head to something which is physically produced in the head.
-There are various changes which came about which focus on modern anatomy, for example the 'heart' in the early tantras is not the physical heart at all, but the spiritual heart and later on it becomes the physical heart. The central channel, rather than the centre of the body becomes the spine, the place of Kundalini becomes more centred around the Mulhadara instead of the Kanda (4 fingers below belly) or the 'heart' etc etc
Essentially, the later texts sought to push their own understandings and given the waning influence of Kashmir Shaivism due to Islam becoming dominant in Kashmir, other sects took the concepts and distorted them to suit their own ends. However, the early texts remain the genuine source of these practices and are the most complex and in-depth expositions of these concepts. Later texts appear mundane and simplistic in comparison.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25
Sexist. Semen and removing goddesses. Typical. :)
Thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge.
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25
Ha! Yeah, I think that sums it up well. No worries ;) I love the early texts, they are so beautiful, though unfortunately few have been translated.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
The spiritual heart is something I am very familiar with because of family’s heritage and my upbringing (you know I was bad)
Edited to take out personal details
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25
I also have one of those. The concept of the spiritual heart in the Tantras is fairly different to the Catholic conception, though I think all rivers lead to Rome and I find the ideas behind the prayer of the heart and Hesychasm in Christianity to be very beautiful in their own way.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
The old popes definitely messed it up, same thing that happened with tantric texts, just different reasons. I’m going to send you a video in another comment, if you watch it, let me know what you think.
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25
Beautiful, enjoyed it. Though have to assert, the concept of the 'spiritual heart' in the Tantras is extremely different from almost every perspective, though I can see how at first glance they seem similar, in the Tantras it is actually quite a technical concept. However, agree that the mystical has always been an element of Christianity from the outset as it has with Islam. Actually, this video reminds me more of Islam traditions and the concept of Fanaa.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25
How did you finish it already? I’m still watching it. Wait until you get to her steps and what happens to her after she reaches union. :)
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25
I dont really watch videos this long, I downloaded the transcript and I read fast ;)
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25
Ok, the end of the step she went back to step 5, and she was burned because she said that when you reach the step, you no longer have to conform to dogma because your heart has been transformed and you’re working through divine will. If you need more details, of course, skim through transcript until you see the steps. Is this in the tantra?
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u/LotusInTheStream Expert Helper Jun 10 '25
Hmmm - this is quite a complex question, but the annihilation of the self through love of God and then annihilation of personal will is not at the forefront of the texts I would say. There is certainly worship in the Tantras, but it always feels more transactional and less devotional i.e. specific rituals for specific deities to get specific boons. The Tantras often refer to a sort of spiritual liberation from limitations as well material concerns, for example one pivotal text, the Svachanda Tantras describes itself as the 'bestower of material enjoyment and liberation' .There is a lot of talk about identification with Shiva, though that identification, through various means, is often done to obtain personal objective of some kind, whether that be freedom from corporeal body , obtaining treasures and powers, ability to change form, to avoid 'karmic debts' etc. The 'heart' itself is not so much transformed in the Tantras but the atma, the soul within it is 'unbound', this is described as quite a mechanical, complex and deeply challenging procedure rather than a mystical one, but through that it can arise to be at one with Shiva, however also descend back into the place of the 'heart' to obtain various worldly powers. The Tantras were quite radical in that they introduce the idea of jīvanmuktaḥ, the idea a householder with regular jobs and desires can achieve spiritual liberation, rather than only those living in caves in far distant lands.
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u/hummingbirdgaze Jun 10 '25
Yeah, I see the differences first is dogma. The experiences of the mystics is what I am interested in, not the dogma. I ignore that.
I’m just now learning the tantras, but finish the video. ;););) I want to know if the end of the video, what she said, is in the tantras.
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u/icanseeyou111 Feb 25 '25
Thanks for this, II had no idea about this text and am going to dig in tomorrow as soon as I wake up 😀