The Atma Jyoti Blog

One of my most cherished memories of India was the day I visited the great Kashmiri yogi, Swami Rama, in his simple ashram on the banks of the Ganges in Hardwar. I had known Swamiji for several years and found that each visit to him opened new and wonderfully clear vistas. This would be no exception. I had brought with me a young Austrian who had taken advantage of his parents’ vacation to take a plane to India without their having any idea of where he might be. Actually, he had not much idea either, having come directly from New Delhi to Hardwar to the ashram of Anandamayi Ma and its attendant East Bengali insularism and open dislike of all non-Indians, as well as the mental and emotional chaos of full-blown Puranic Hinduism.

Poor Thomas! His reading of purely theoretical books on nothing but the abstractions of Non-Dual Vedanta had not prepared him for the primitive riot surrounding him. Seeing his utter bewilderment at the ways of Anandamayi Ma and her devotees, I had decided to invite him to go along with me to see Swami Rama, a total contrast to the intellectual backwater he had been struggling to find stability within. (He gave up. A wise decision.)

As always, Swami Rama’s presence was a haven of peace and awareness. This was to be our last conversation, though I did not know it. Almost without preamble Swamiji began speaking to me about Om and its inner constitution. His words were unique and marvelous. After concluding that subject, Swamiji looked at Thomas and asked if he had any particular interest in the field of yoga.

To my chagrin, Thomas asked for an explanation of Kundalini. Oh, not again! Both Indians and Westerners were fascinated with Kundalini as many satsangs had demonstrated to me. But my dismay turned to delight as Swamiji began speaking as no teacher or book ever had. This is not the place for a full recounting of his words, but one thing is relevant to the words of the Tao Teh King cited above.

Swamiji was emphatic that Kundalini, as Mulaprakriti, is not just primal power, but Primal Consciousness. This, he said was crucial for the yogi to understand lest he fall into the absurdity of thinking the Kundalini needed “awakening” and could be directed or “used” in any way. “Imagine thinking that the Creative Consciousness of the Universe needs some yogi to awaken Her!” he exclaimed. “In Her true nature Kundalini is not even energy but the consciousness behind all energy. We need awakening–not Her. She is the one who awakens us, not the other way around.”

Then he had some pungent things to say about the reported experiences of yogis who thought they had awakened their kundalini–pungent but profoundly instructive. Thomas and I were entranced at Swamiji’s inspired words, knowing them to be the truth. I have treasured them now for many decades, and they shine as brightly in my mind as ever.