The Kundalini Force by Charlie F. Lutes

The following submission is from notes taken at a lecture given by Charlie F. Lutes and were transcribed and submitted to ISS for publication by Mr. Peter Rousseau. Photograph of Charlie F. Lutes courtesy of Vince Dacznski. -RJR

The Kundalini Force
by Charlie Lutes
6/14/1981

We are humans on earth as well as Beings of the Sun; Beings of the Sun or Beings of the Spiritual force. Therefore, no matter what, we should always keep our feet on the earth no matter how high we managed to get our heads into the clouds.

We must draw power from the earth as well as from space. We cannot have one force without the other. However, one thing is very important, and that is that we should have a strong infusion of purity or Spiritual development before we invoke the earth force; or the Serpent Fire as it is called. One cannot afford to unleash this force before one is able to control it.

Now the process of Transcendental Meditation is that the centers will open as the purity increases and there is no forcing of this energy ever to take place. There is a certain amount of this activity taking place in the human, and the human at this point is totally unaware of this; although it is still doing its work. This activity is strictly in the physical centers for most all of humanity. Most all of humanity functions on the first three centers, the other three centers just simply clicking along in reverse. What happens when you begin to open up a center, this begins to chatter like this. I think that maybe some of you have had that experience in meditation, tremendous chattering and then…….Zoom, it begins to whirl…….Zoom you just feel that power shooting through. This is Kundalini!

A simplified view of the subtle body, showing the three major nadis or channels, the Ida (B), Sushumna (C), and Pingala (D), which run vertically in the body. Image credit Wikipedia.

Now in the central tube of the spinal cord is located the Sushumna, the chief seat of the Three Devas, the Ida and the Pingala.⁽¹) These are the two forces that play along the curved wall of the cord as the Feminine aspect of the force and the Masculine aspect of the force. Ida is the Feminine and Pingala is the Masculine. Also, they represent the positive and the negative forces in you. They also represent the Spiritual Manas, that is, the Spiritual mind and the physical Kama, or the desire; and the Higher does subdue the lower. It is also pure Akasha⁽²⁾ that passes up the Sushumna. Its two aspects flow in the Ida and the Pingala, which in turn starts the action of the free and Spiritual current of the Sushumna. They have distinct paths of their own otherwise they would radiate over the entire body; but they don't.

Now, when the Serpent Fire⁽³⁾ sets forth from its base in the Root Chakra and rises up the three channels, the section rising through the Pingala channel is Masculine and that force going up the Ida channel is Feminine; and that going up the larger channel Sushumna retains its original proportions of the central energy. However, as it travels up the spine from Center to Center, it does take on the individual special qualities and peculiarities. When Prana and Apana⁽⁴⁾ flow together through the Sushumna the Central passage of the spinal column to the top of the head, the experience of Samadhi⁽⁵⁾ takes place; which is the Goal of All Yogic practice.

Transcribed from lecture notes by Peter Rousseau and submitted to the Institute of Spiritual Sciences (ISS) in September 2025.

Footnotes:
⁽¹⁾ In Yoga and Ayurveda teachings the sushumna nadi is an energy channel of the subtle body: the sushumna nadi. The vital life force energy known as prana travels along energy pathways called nadis. The three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the ida on the left, the sushumna in the center, and the pingala on the right. -Various sources.
⁽²⁾ Akasha (Sanskrit) Simply put, akasha means aether in traditional Hindu cosmology. In Hinduism, akasha is the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the first element created. -Various sources.
⁽³⁾ In Vedic traditions, serpents appear as nagas - guardians of treasures and waters - and are linked to kundalini energy, the spiritual force coiled at the base of the spine. Kundalini energy or the serpent fire, rises from the base of the spine. -Various sources.
⁽⁴⁾ In Vedanta Prana and Apana represent opposite, but complementary forces. Prana is the inward or upward-moving energy of intake, nourishment, and mental focus, usually associated with inhalation. Apana is the downward/outward-moving energy of elimination, grounding, and release, associated with exhalation. -Various sources.
⁽⁵⁾ Across Vedic traditions there are multiple interpretations for Samadi, but a simple explanation for this instance is that Samadhi a state achieved through meditation and spiritual practice that is regarded as a final stage, a point at which a union with the divine is reached. -Various sources.

Footnotes and images added by Ray J. Rousseau for the Institute of Spiritual Sciences (ISS).
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