DOCSLIB.ORG

Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahßyoga System of Rnying-Ma Tantra

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahßyoga System of Rnying-Ma Tantra Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahßyoga System of rNying-ma Tantra Nathaniel DeWitt Garson Afton, Virginia B.A., Wesleyan University, 1987 M.A., University of Virginia, 1993 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Religious Studies University of Virginia May, 2004 UMI Number: 3137292 Copyright 2004 by Garson, Nathaniel DeWitt All rights reserved. ________________________________________________________ UMI Microform 3137292 Copyright 2004 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ____________________________________________________________ ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 i © Copyright by Nathaniel DeWitt Garson All Rights Reserved May 2004 ii ABSTRACT This dissertation describes the Zur tradition’s (zur lugs) interpretation of the Mahßyoga Vehicle and its central scripture the Secret Essence Tantra (gsang ba’i snying po rgyud, guhyagarbhatantra) found in the Old Schools (rnying ma) of Tibetan Buddhism. The perspective provided on this tradition is that of an early twentieth century commentary, the Key to the Treasury (mdzod kyi lde mig), composed by the Third Dodrupchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima (1865-1926). The first part of the dissertation provides an introduction to the Mahßyoga system of beliefs and practices by viewing Mahßyoga from four different perspectives: doxographical, historical, scriptural, and philosophical. How Mahßyoga figures into the nine vehicle doxography of the Old Schools is presented through a discussion of the relevant section in Oral Instructions of the Lord of Secrets (gsang bdag zhal lung) by Lochen DharmashrÏ (1654-1717), a prominent member of the Zur tradition upon whom Jikmé Tenpé Nyima heavily relies. The historical background of the Key to the Treasury is described through short biographies of the important figures in Jikmé Tenpé Nyima’s lineage along with biographies of other important figures of the Old Schools relevant to this discussion. The scriptural background for the Key to the Treasury is provided through a discussion of the Mahßyoga corpus of tantras and means of achievement (sgrub thabs, sßdhana) along with a chapter summary of the short version of the Secret Essence. Finally, the philosophy of Mahßyoga, according to the Zur tradition, is described through summarizing the central points in the first half of the Key to the Treasury. The conclusion of part one provides some tentative hypotheses concerning the origins of the Secret Essence and its Indo-Tibetan lineages along a comparison of the Zur interpretation with the other major hermeneutic tradition, the system of Ronzom ChÙkyi Zangpo (11th century) and Longchenpa (1308-1363). Part two of the dissertation contains a translation of the first half of the Key to the Treasury, which describes the general worldview and philosophy of the Zur tradition’s interpretation of Mahßyoga. iii CONTENTS Preface ................................................................................................................................. 1 Part One: Introduction to the Mahßyoga System 1. Penetrating the Secret Essence ................................................................................... 7 Methodology and Sources .............................................................................................. 14 Doxography: Synchronizing the Diachronic............................................................... 16 Legends and History .................................................................................................. 22 The Tantra as Myth ................................................................................................... 24 The Tantric Background................................................................................................ 33 Manifest Enlightenment............................................................................................. 34 The Highest Pure Land.............................................................................................. 37 The Five Marvels........................................................................................................ 41 Maòðala..................................................................................................................... 42 Channels, Winds, and Drops ..................................................................................... 45 Tantric Symbolism..................................................................................................... 48 Deity Yoga ................................................................................................................. 51 Reinterpretation of the Relationship Between Saôsßra and Nirvßòa........................... 54 Tantric Results........................................................................................................... 57 2. Doxography in the Old Schools............................................................................... 62 The Five Vehicles in the Tantra ..................................................................................... 68 The Nine Vehicles.......................................................................................................... 71 The Hearer Vehicle .................................................................................................... 78 The Solitary Realizer Vehicle...................................................................................... 82 The Bodhisattva Vehicle ............................................................................................ 87 Table of Contents iv Sátra Versus Tantra.................................................................................................... 93 Inner Versus Outer Tantra......................................................................................... 98 The Action Tantra Vehicle......................................................................................... 99 The Dual Tantra Vehicle ......................................................................................... 103 The Yoga Tantra Vehicle.......................................................................................... 104 The Mahßyoga Tantra Vehicle ................................................................................. 111 The Anuyoga Tantra Vehicle ................................................................................... 121 The Atiyoga Tantra Vehicle ..................................................................................... 125 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 127 3. Legends and History .............................................................................................. 146 The Lineage in India .................................................................................................... 151 King Indrabháti ....................................................................................................... 151 Kukurßja .................................................................................................................. 171 GomadevÏ ................................................................................................................ 172 Vilßsavajra................................................................................................................ 173 Buddhaguhya ........................................................................................................... 174 Vimalamitra ............................................................................................................. 176 The Problem of Padmasambhava ............................................................................. 188 Three Streams of the Secret Essence Transmission According to PatrÚl Rinpoché .. 195 The Lineage in Tibet.................................................................................................... 197 Kawa Peltsek ............................................................................................................ 200 Jokro Luigyeltsen ..................................................................................................... 201 Ma Rinchenchok...................................................................................................... 203 Nyak Jìßnakumßra................................................................................................... 204 Nup Sanggyé Yeshé.................................................................................................. 205 Table of Contents v The Zur Tradition ................................................................................................... 209 Scholars Not Listed in the Lineage ........................................................................... 240 Conclusion................................................................................................................... 253 4. Mahßyoga Literature.............................................................................................. 256 The Tantra Class (rgyud sde) ....................................................................................... 257 The Eighteen Tantras..............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery
    Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery Dominique Townsend Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2012 © 2012 Dominique Townsend All rights reserved ABSTRACT Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery Dominique Townsend This dissertation investigates the relationships between Buddhism and culture as exemplified at Mindroling Monastery. Focusing on the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, I argue that Mindroling was a seminal religio-cultural institution that played a key role in cultivating the ruling elite class during a critical moment of Tibet’s history. This analysis demonstrates that the connections between Buddhism and high culture have been salient throughout the history of Buddhism, rendering the project relevant to a broad range of fields within Asian Studies and the Study of Religion. As the first extensive Western-language study of Mindroling, this project employs an interdisciplinary methodology combining historical, sociological, cultural and religious studies, and makes use of diverse Tibetan sources. Mindroling was founded in 1676 with ties to Tibet’s nobility and the Fifth Dalai Lama’s newly centralized government. It was a center for elite education until the twentieth century, and in this regard it was comparable to a Western university where young members of the nobility spent two to four years training in the arts and sciences and being shaped for positions of authority. This comparison serves to highlight commonalities between distant and familiar educational models and undercuts the tendency to diminish Tibetan culture to an exoticized imagining of Buddhism as a purely ascetic, world renouncing tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nine Yanas
    The Nine Yanas By Cortland Dahl In the Nyingma school, the spiritual journey is framed as a progression through nine spiritual approaches, which are typically referred to as "vehicles" or "yanas." The first three yanas include the Buddha’s more accessible teachings, those of the Sutrayana, or Sutra Vehicle. The latter six vehicles contain the teachings of Buddhist tantra and are referred to as the Vajrayana, or Vajra Vehicle. Students of the Nyingma teachings practice these various approaches as a unity. Lower vehicles are not dispensed with in favor of supposedly “higher” teachings, but rather integrated into a more refined and holistic approach to spiritual development. Thus, core teachings like renunciation and compassion are equally important in all nine vehicles, though they may be expressed in more subtle ways. In the Foundational Vehicle, for instance, renunciation involves leaving behind “worldly” activities and taking up the life of a celibate monk or nun, while in the Great Perfection, renunciation means to leave behind all dualistic perception and contrived spiritual effort. Each vehicle contains three distinct components: view, meditation, and conduct. The view refers to a set of philosophical tenets espoused by a particular approach. On a more experiential level, the view prescribes how practitioners of a given vehicle should “see” reality and its relative manifestations. Meditation consists of the practical techniques that allow practitioners to integrate Buddhist principles with their own lives, thus providing a bridge between theory and experience, while conduct spells out the ethical guidelines of each system. The following sections outline the features of each approach. Keep in mind, however, that each vehicle is a world unto itself, with its own unique philosophical views, meditations, and ethical systems.
    [Show full text]
  • And Daemonic Buddhism in India and Tibet
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2012 The Raven and the Serpent: "The Great All- Pervading R#hula" Daemonic Buddhism in India and Tibet Cameron Bailey Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE RAVEN AND THE SERPENT: “THE GREAT ALL-PERVADING RHULA” AND DMONIC BUDDHISM IN INDIA AND TIBET By CAMERON BAILEY A Thesis submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Religion Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2012 Cameron Bailey defended this thesis on April 2, 2012. The members of the supervisory committee were: Bryan Cuevas Professor Directing Thesis Jimmy Yu Committee Member Kathleen Erndl Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For my parents iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank, first and foremost, my adviser Dr. Bryan Cuevas who has guided me through the process of writing this thesis, and introduced me to most of the sources used in it. My growth as a scholar is almost entirely due to his influence. I would also like to thank Dr. Jimmy Yu, Dr. Kathleen Erndl, and Dr. Joseph Hellweg. If there is anything worthwhile in this work, it is undoubtedly due to their instruction. I also wish to thank my former undergraduate advisor at Indiana University, Dr. Richard Nance, who inspired me to become a scholar of Buddhism.
    [Show full text]
  • For Thoroughly Ascertaining Reality
    www.khenposodargye.org For Thoroughly Ascertaining Reality By Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche Commented by Khenpo Sodargye 1 www.khenposodargye.org Not Final Version Yet For Internal Use Only If you find any mistake, please kindly send your message to [email protected]. We sincerely appreciate all your feedback. 2 www.khenposodargye.org Content Root Verses with Textual Outline ............................................................... 5 Chapter One. The Opening ........................................................................ 28 The Explanation of the Title ................................................................... 29 The Prostration & the Pledge ................................................................. 31 Chapter Two. The Two Truths and the Two Types of Valid Knowledge ... 34 The Two Truths to be Ascertained ......................................................... 34 The Two Types of Valid Knowledge that Can Ascertain the Two Truths 36 The Manifestation of Dependent Arising ............................................... 39 The Principle of Function and the Principle of Dependence .................. 42 The Necessity of Understanding the Two Principles .............................. 47 The Principle of Nature on Conventional Level ...................................... 52 The Principle of Nature on Ultimate Level ............................................. 60 Summary of the Three Principles ........................................................... 64 The Principle of Establishment by Proof ...............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Philosophy in Depth, Part 3
    WISDOM ACADEMY Buddhist Philosophy in Depth, Part 3 JAY GARFIELD Lessons 6: The Transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet, and the Shentong-Rangtong Debate Reading: The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism," pages 71-75 "The Nyingma Tradition," pages 77-84 "The Kagyu Tradition," pages 117-124 "The Sakya Tradition," pages 169-175 "The Geluk Tradition," pages 215-225 CrystalMirror_Cover 2 4/7/17 10:28 AM Page 1 buddhism / tibetan THE LIBRARY OF $59.95US TIBETAN CLASSICS t h e l i b r a r y o f t i b e t a n c l a s s i c s T C! N (1737–1802) was L T C is a among the most cosmopolitan and prolific Tspecial series being developed by e Insti- Tibetan Buddhist masters of the late eighteenth C M P S, by Thuken Losang the crystal tute of Tibetan Classics to make key classical century. Hailing from the “melting pot” Tibetan Chökyi Nyima (1737–1802), is arguably the widest-ranging account of religious Tibetan texts part of the global literary and intel- T mirror of region of Amdo, he was Mongol by heritage and philosophies ever written in pre-modern Tibet. Like most texts on philosophical systems, lectual heritage. Eventually comprising thirty-two educated in Geluk monasteries. roughout his this work covers the major schools of India, both non-Buddhist and Buddhist, but then philosophical large volumes, the collection will contain over two life, he traveled widely in east and inner Asia, goes on to discuss in detail the entire range of Tibetan traditions as well, with separate hundred distinct texts by more than a hundred of spending significant time in Central Tibet, chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyü, Shijé, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bön schools.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibet Saga Dawa Festival 2022 at Mt. Kailash
    Mt Kailash Pilgrimage Kora SAGA DAWA FESTIVAL 2022 Tashi delek! Tibetan Guide Travel Tours is a small travel agency based in Lhasa. We always work hard and take responsible for our clients by using local services as much as possible. Of course we use Tibetan drivers and tour guides. Who are experienced, have rich knowledge about Tibetan culture and also excellent attitude. We are confident that you would not be disappointed if you choose our services letting us show you our mother land. Proposed itinerary June 4th, 2022. Day 1: Lhasa arrival [3650m] Upon arrival in Lhasa you will be welcomed by your English-speaking Tibetan Guide and Tibetan Driver who will bring you to your hotel. Acclimatization to high altitude: please, drink lots of water and take plenty of rest in order to minimize altitude sickness. Overnight at Shambhala Palace or House of Shambhala Hotel, which are a Tibetan style hotel located in Lhasa city center (Barkhor) June 5th, 2022. Day 2: Lhasa sightseeing We begin visiting Ramoche Temple, built in honor of the image of Jowo Rinpoche that Chinese princess Wencheng brought by marrying Songtsen Gampo, the first king of Buddhist doctrine and who unified the Tibetan empire in the 7th century. Thereafter, we continue with Jokhang Temple, the most sacred monastery in Tibet. It was also founded in the 7th century by Songtsen Gampo. Later you can explore the surrounding Barkhor old quarter and spend time walking around Jokhang Temple following pilgrims from all over the Tibetan plateau. In the afternoon we go to Sera Monastery, one of three great universities of Gelugpa Sect.
    [Show full text]
  • The Many Canons of Tibetan Buddhism
    TABLE OF CONTENTS KANJUR AND TANJUR STUDIES: PRESENT STATE AND FUTURE TASKS HELMUT EIMER (Bonn) Introductory Remarks 1 SIGLINDE DIETZ (Gottingen) The 'Jig rten gzhag pa in the Kanjur Manuscript of the Newark Museum 13 Appendix: Preliminary Basic Catalogue of Two Volumes from the Newark Kanjur 20 FRANZ-KARL EHRHARD (Lumbini) The Transmission of the Thig-le bcu-drug and the Bka' gdams glegs bam 29 HELMUT EIMER (Bonn) On the Structure of the Tibetan Kanjur 57 HELMUT EIMER (Bonn) Notes on the Mustang Tanjur 73 Appendix: The Mustang Tanjur Dkar chag in the Myu gu Manuscript 89 ADELHEID HERRMANN-PFANDT (Marburg) The than kar maasa Source for the History of Tantric Buddhism 129 KARENINA KOLLMAR-PAULENZ (Berne) The Transmission of the Mongolian Kanjur: A Preliminary Report 151 MICHAEL ZIMMERMANN (Hamburg) The Tabo Fragments and the Stemma of the Tibetan Tathdgatagarbhasutra 177 VI TABLE OF CONTENTS CANONS AT THE BOUNDARIES: THE RNYING MA TANTRAS AND SHADES OF GRAY BETWEEN THE EARLY AND LATE TRANSLATIONS DAVID GERMANO Introduction 199 RONALD M. DAVIDSON Gsar ma Apocrypha: the Creation of Orthodoxy, Gray Texts, and the New Revelation 203 DAVID GERMANO The Seven Descents and the Early History of Rnying ma Transmissions 225 DORJI WANGCHUK An Eleventh-Century Defence of the Authenticity of the Guhyagarbha Tantra 265 ANNE-MARIE BLONDEAU Les ma mo: mythes cosmogoniques et theogoniques dans le Rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum 293 GREGORY HILLIS Khyung Texts in the Rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum 313 DAN MARTIN Gray Traces: Tracing the Tibetan Teaching Transmission of the Mngon pa kun btus (Abhidharmasamuccaya) through the Early Period of Disunity 335 CATHY CANTWELL Distinctive Features of the Rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu (Waddell) Edition of the Rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum 359.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Genocide in Tibet a Report
    Cultural Genocide in Tibet A Report The Tibet Policy Institute The Department of Information and International Relations Central Tibetan Administration Published by the Tibet Policy Institute Printed at Narthang Press, Department of Information and International Relations of the Central Tibet Administration, 2017 Drafting Committee: Thubten Samphel, Bhuchung D. Sonam, Dr. Rinzin Dorjee and Dr. Tenzin Desal Contents Abbreviation Foreword .............................................................................................i Executive Summary ...........................................................................iv Introduction ........................................................................................vi PART ONE A CULTURE OF COMPASSION The Land .............................................................................................4 Language and Literature....................................................................4 Bonism .................................................................................................6 Buddhism ............................................................................................6 Sciences ................................................................................................8 Environmental Protection ................................................................9 The Origin and Evolution of Tibetan Culture ..............................10 The Emergence of the Yarlung Dynasty .......................................11 Songtsen Gampo and the Unification
    [Show full text]
  • Allowing Spontaneity: Practice, Theory, and Ethical Cultivation in Longchenpa's Great Perfection Philosophy of Action
    Allowing Spontaneity: Practice, Theory, and Ethical Cultivation in Longchenpa's Great Perfection Philosophy of Action The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:40050138 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Allowing Spontaneity: Practice, Theory, and Ethical Cultivation in Longchenpa’s Great Perfection Philosophy of Action A dissertation presented by Adam S. Lobel to The Committee on the Study of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of The Study of Religion Harvard University Cambridge, MA April 2018! ! © 2018, Adam S. Lobel All rights reserved $$!! Advisor: Janet Gyatso Author: Adam S. Lobel Allowing Spontaneity: Practice, Theory, and Ethical Cultivation in Longchenpa’s Great Perfection Philosophy of Action Abstract This is a study of the philosophy of practical action in the Great Perfection poetry and spiritual exercises of the fourteenth century Tibetan author, Longchen Rabjampa Drime Ozer (klong chen rab 'byams pa dri med 'od zer 1308-1364). I inquire into his claim that practices may be completely spontaneous, uncaused, and effortless and what this claim might reveal about the conditions of possibility for action. Although I am interested in how Longchenpa understands spontaneous practices, I also question whether the very categories of practice and theory are useful for interpreting his writings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mirror 108 January-February 2011
    No. 108 January, February 2011 Upcoming Retreats with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Photo: M. Almici 2011 This is an approximate program subject to change Australia March 18–23 Namgyalgar Retreat Photo: G. Horner Singapore March 31–April 4 Singapore Retreat Taiwan Taipei Caloundra Retreat April 8–11 Taipei Teaching Retreat February 2011 Japan Pamela Oldmeadow April 15–19 Tokyo Teaching Retreat eople had gathered from all over As we sweltered in the heat and humid- joined in evening Chöd practices, as well The teaching is Australia from Perth to Cairns, and ity and cultivated compassion towards the as Xitro for a recently deceased Vajra broth- sPyod pa ro snyoms gyi man ngag Palso New Zealand, Japan, Europe large, lumbering, stinging march fl ies, our er, Steve. Russia and the Americas for this moment. We energy harmonized with the teachings and April 25–May 1 were so profoundly relieved, overjoyed an atmosphere of lightness and delight People browsed in the bookshop and ac- Moscow Retreat and grateful to see Rinpoche there ready to prevailed. quired thigle-colored t-shirts bearing the teach us. gold longsal symbol. They went kayaking May 2–6 Mornings saw Nicki Elliot teach the Dance on the dam, or swam in the patchily warm Kunsangar North Rinpoche talked to us over the next few of the Three Vajras under the supervi- and cool water. Some went to the beach. The teaching of Medicine Srothig, days about different paths, about vows and sion of Adriana Dal Borgo, and develop- Others played bagchen. Gentle enjoyment. the root terma text of initiation and guruyoga.
    [Show full text]
  • Constituting Canon and Community in Eleventh Century Tibet: the Extant Writings of Rongzom and His Charter of Mantrins (Sngags Pa’I Bca’ Yig)
    religions Article Constituting Canon and Community in Eleventh Century Tibet: The Extant Writings of Rongzom and His Charter of Mantrins (sngags pa’i bca’ yig) Dominic Sur Department of History, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-0710, USA; [email protected] Academic Editors: Michael Sheehy and Joshua Schapiro Received: 2 September 2016; Accepted: 1 March 2017; Published: 15 March 2017 Abstract: This paper explores some of the work of Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo (hereafter Rongzom) and attempts to situate his pedagogical influence within the “Old School” or Nyingma (rnying ma) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism1. A survey of Rongzom’s extant writings indicates that he was a seminal exegete and a particularly important philosopher and interpreter of Buddhism in Tibet. He was an influential intellectual flourishing in a period of cultural rebirth, when there was immense skepticism about Tibetan compositions. His work is thereby a source of insight into the indigenous Tibetan response to the transformations of a renaissance-era in which Indian provenance became the sine qua none of religious authority. Rongzom’s “charter” (bca’ yig), the primary focus of the essay, is an important document for our understanding of Old School communities of learning. While we know very little of the social realities of Old School communities in Rongzom’s time, we do know that they were a source of concern for the emerging political and religious authorities in Western Tibet. As such, the review below argues that the production of the charter should be seen, inter alia, as an effort at maintaining autonomy in the face of a rising political power.
    [Show full text]
  • A Short Description of Maha Yoga
    A Short Description of Maha Yoga The Simple, Easy and Free Path to Self-Realization What is Maha Yoga? All human beings have three distinct elements – body, mind and spirit. All of us are aware of our bodies, and most of us are aware of our minds. However, far too many of us are unaware of the spirit that resides in each one of us. Our normal awareness often extends only to our bodies and to our minds. Only rarely do some of us get the experience of being actually aware of our own spiritual existence. The objective of Yoga is to extend our Awareness beyond our bodies and our minds to the spirit (Prana), the Universal Life Energy (Chaitanya Shakti) that lies dormant in each and every one of us. When our Awareness merges with the Chaitanya we get happiness and satisfaction in all aspects of our lives, eventually leading to eternal bliss. This union of our Awareness with the Chaitanya is the true meaning of the term Yoga, which means “union” in Sanskrit. The dormant sliver of Chaitanya Shakti, which resides in all of us, is referred to in Yoga terminology as the Kundalini Shakti (Kundalini Energy). Since our brains are usually chockfull of the physical and mental clutter of our day-to-day lives, the Kundalini in most of us gets pushed to the opposite end of our nervous system, the base of our spine (Mooladhara Chakra). There it lies dormant in its subtle form leaving most of us completely unaware of its existence throughout our lives.
    [Show full text]