Theos-Talk Archives (December 1998 Message tt00072)

>In a message dated 12/3/98 9:54:08 PM, Jerry S wrote:
>
>>I practiced Kundalini Yoga for many years before
>>I came into Theosophy and discovered that it was dangerous.
>
>Are you joking, or do you really believe it is dangerous--based on what
>theosophy says about it?  Have you also read Gopi Krishna on that subject?
>Apparently, he actually proved its dangers (at least to him) by explaining
how
>its practices caused his own suffering.

It is dangerous only if forced such as when one tries too hard. The
results of forcing kundalini are described fairly well by Besant.

Of course I have read Gopi Krishna. But he claimed to be practicing
plain yoga, not kundalini. When his kundalini became stimulated, he
had to read and study the subject to find out what was going on. The
idea of premature activation of the kundalini is an important pathology
being addresses today in transpersonal psychology. It is very clear
from the psychological data that kundalini activation can come
spontaneously to anyone at any time.


>  But, I don't think she spelled out the dangers other
>than saying that such "psychic practices" could create a "hole" in ones
>astral--which, in the long run, perhaps, could have serious side effects on
>our physical bodies, nerves or brain functions.

I agree with HPB, but this "hole" comes mostly from forcing results
instead of using a slow steady pace. As I mentioned above, such
"holes" in the astral are being seen today in people with no idea
of what yoga is, let alone kundalini yoga.


>Also, the raising of
>kundalini or other such psychic practices could be the reason why many
psychic
>practitioners, including Blavatsky herself, perhaps, seem to die young or
>suffer from serious mental and physical diseases that could very well be
>attributed to damage to one's astral body.
>

You don't need kundalini for such problems. Just taking the bodhisattvic
vow seriously will do it by precipitating all one's past karma into
manifestation at once instead of over the next few lifetimes. This is
the chief danger to entering into occultism, magic, or even Theosophy.


>Patanjali, also gave admonition to his disciples, that once one has reached
>the plateau of attainment of the Siddhis, one should not pursue them.

The great saint Ramakrishna also was of this opinion.


Jerry S.