Origins of Kundalini Yoga

[Guest guest]

MHortling wrote:

 

Kundalin Yoga is not at all the monopoly of any specific group or

tradition -

even if the 3HO organization like to market themselves as *the* Kundalini

Yoga.

 

In fact, I've read books by 3HO people that tend to indicate that the

authors

didn't really know what they were writing about:)

 

No, there are numerous traditions and lineages of kundalini-yoga around

the

world, most of them of course originating in India and some of them going

much further back in history than Sikhism. Kashmir Shaivism for instance,

is

a good example of a tradition that can be traced to the pre-vedic,

dravidian

culture and is possibly older than 5000 years !

 

Most of the tantric traditions in fact incorporate Kundalini-Yoga and are

based on the Shiva/Shakti polarity of life. Among the more contemporary

Kundalini-Yogis, some of the essential ones meriting investigation are of

course Gopi Krishna, Muktananda (who is an exponent of Kashmir Shaivism

basically), Swami Satyananda Saraswati to name but a few. Even Paramahansa

Ramakrishna was a Kundalini-Yogi although the orthodoxy of his time didn't

really want that aspect of their patron saint to be made too public.

Anarchist tantrics are dangerous!!

 

Anyway, I don't essentially want to bash Yogi Bhajan's group or teaching,

but to me, it doesn't really feel correct the way they seem to appropriate

one of the oldest and deepest traditions of human spirituality and making

it

their trademark.

 

On the other hand, it's probably just another of Ma's little jokes

 

Regards,

 

Michael

 

Well stated Michael. You are clearly very knowledgeable about the subject

matter.

 

Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs was a beautiful and God-intoxicated

saint lived who about 500 years ago. However, Tantra and Kundalini Yoga

traditions can be historically documented to go back several thousand years.

Some scholars claim at least 5000 years.

 

One of the 24 Jain Tirthankara's (Perfected and Omniscient Sage in Jainism)

who lived around around 3000 years ago is always shown with several serpents

acting as umbrellas and giving shade to his head. Similarly, the Hindu Deity

Shiva is usually shown with a Serpent around his neck.

 

 

Harsha