Nectar from the moon from the book "The mirror of yoga" by Richard Freeman

One of the meanings of the word rasa is "relationship," referring to the
aesthetic pleasure coming from interfacing with another. The different rasas, or
flavors, of love correspond to a strong feeling of luminous, intense, pleasurable
joy, which seems to come from what is called the root of the palate. The
palate is located approximately at the pituitary gland, and is felt by releasing
the soft palate as if subtly smiling. The quintessence of all of the rasas
is called amrta, or nectar. its primary quality is compassion. The nectar
drips down through the petals of the sahasrara, the thousand-petaled lotus,
to the reservoir just above the root of the palate called the moon. When mula bandha
or yoni mudra, is done well it causes nectar to drip from this moon
and that nectar fills all of the nadis, transforming one’s body and every sensation
the experience of consciousness and joy.

Sandilya Upanishad quotes

This body is ninety-six digits in length.

Prana extends twelve digits beyond the body. He who through,

the practice of yoga reduces his prana within his body to make

it equal to or not less than the fire in it becomes the greatest

of

the yogins. In men, the region of fire which is triangular in

form and brilliant as the molten gold is situated in the middle

of the body

Lying in the middle of the navel and

above it, is the seat of kundalini. The kundalini sakti is of the

form of eight prakrtis (matter) and coils itself eight ways or

(times). The movement of vayus (vital airs) checks duly the

food and drink all round by the side of skandha(the web of life)

It closes by

its head (the opening of) the brahmarandhra, and during the

time of (the practice of) yoga is awakened by the fire (in the

apana); then it shines with great brilliancy in the akas of the

heart in the shape of wisdom.

Situated at

the back of the anus, it is attached to the spinal column and

extends to the brahmarandhra of the head and is invisible

and subtle and is vaishnavi (or has the sakti force of Vishnu).

On the left of Sushumna is situated Ida and on the right is

Pingala. The moon moves in Ida and the sun in Pingala.

The moon is of the nature of tamas and the sun of rajas.

The poison share is of the sun and the nectar of the moon.

They both direct (or indicate) time and Sushumna, is the enjoyer

(or consumer) of time.

By the

contraction of the muscles of the neck and by the contraction

of the one below (viz.,) Apana, the Prana (breath) goes into the

Sushumna which is in the middle from the west nadi.

Drawing up the Apana and forcing down the Prana from the throat,

the yogin free from old age becomes a youth of sixteen.

Having by contraction opened the door of kundalini, one

should force open the door of moksha. Closing with her mouth

the door through which one ought to go, the kundalini sleeps

spiral in form and coiled up like a serpent. He who causes this

kundalini to move he is an emancipated person. If this kundalini

were to sleep in the upper part of the neck of any yogin, it goes

towards his emancipation. (If it were to sleep) in the lower part

(of the body), it is for the bondage of the ignorant. Leaving the

two nadis, Ida and the other (Pingala), it (prana) should move

in the Sushumna. That is the supreme seat of Vishnu.

Samadhi is the union of the Jivatma (individual self) and

the Paramatma (higher self) without ,the threefold state, (viz.,

the knower, the known, and the knowledge). It is of the nature

of extreme bliss and pure consciousness.

Shiva samhita chapter IV,1-5

1. First with a strong inspiration fix the mind in the adhar lotus. Then engage in contracting the Yoni, which
is situated in the perineal space.
2. There let him contemplate that the God of love resides in that Brahma Yoni and that he is beautiful like
Bandhuk flower (Pentapetes pheanicia)-- brilliant as tens of millions of suns, and cool as tens of millions of
moons. Above this (Yoni) is a small and subtle flame, whose form is intelligence. Then let him imagine that

a union takes place there between himself and that flame (the Siva and Sakti).
3. (Then imagine that) – There go up through the sushumna vessel, three bodies in their due order (i.e., the
etheric, the astral and the mental bodies). There is emitted in every chakra the nectar, the characteristic of
which is great bliss. Its colour is whitish rosey (pink), full of splendor, showering down in jets the immortal
fluid. Let him drink this wine of immortality which is divine, and then again enter the Kula (i.e., perineal
space.)
Note. While these subtle bodies go up, they drink at every stage this nectar, called Kulamrita.
4. Then let him go again to the Kula through the practice of mantrayoga (i.e., pranayama). This Yoni has
been called by me in the Tantras as equal to life.
5. Again let him be absorbed in that Yoni, where dwells the fire of death – the nature of Shiva, &c. Thus has
been described by me the method of practicing the great Yoni-mudra. From success in its practice, there is
nothing which cannot be accomplished.

Bindu part 2 (2/2)

Definition

The word bindu comes from the Sanskrit root

bind - 'to split', 'to divide'. This means that the

bindu is the origin of individuality; it is the

point where the oneness first divides itself to

produce duality, the world of multiple forms.

This division implies limitation in knowledge,

action and so forth.

Bindu implies a point without dimension - a

dimensionless centre. In Sanskrit texts it is

often called cliidghana, that which has its roots

in the limitless consciousness. The word bindu

also means zero or voiclness - the shoonya.

More correctly, bindu is the gateway to the

shoonya. This zero orvoidness is not, however,

a total nothingness. It is a voiclness, an

emptiness that contains the fullest potential.

In fact, the word shoonya should be translated

not a nothingness, but as no-thingness. There

is a vast difference between these two words.

The state of no-thingness is pure consciousness.

Bindu is therefore a mysterious, ineffable

focal point where the two opposites - infinity

and zero, fullness and no-thingness - coexist.

Bindu is widely called the bindu visarga - 'the

falling drop'. This means that bindu is one of

many drops of nectar that continually trickle

down from sahasrara, the primal fountainhead.

This nectar irrigates life. This nectar is the real

'water of life'.

In summary we can say that bindu literally

means seed, small particle, semen or sperm, a

point, dot and so forth. It represents to be focal

point of individuality, whether animate or

inanimate. It is the cosmic seed from which all

things manifest and grow. It is an infinitesimally

Bindu, vishuddhi chakra and amrit

When we described vishuddhi chakra we

pointed out that nectar or amrit trickles down

from bindu to vishuddhi2. This amrit is bliss

and the bindu is the abode of uninterrupted

bliss. This is symbolized in Indian mythology

by the river Ganges (nectar) coming from tbe

crescent moon (bindu).

This amrit or divine nectar Hows down

through the sushumna passage from bindu'.

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika it says: "The nectar

secreted from the bindu is indeed the consort

(Shakti) of Shiva (consciousness). It fills the

sushumna passage." (v. 4:46)

Symbolism

The bindu is symbolized by both a full moon

and a crescent moon. The full moon really

represents the infinitesimally small point we

have tried to describe in the preceding pages.

The crescent moon indicates that the bindu is

widely associated with the kalas (phases) of the

moon. In the same way that the moon is

progressively revealed during the period from

new moon to full moon, so the immensity of

the sahasrara behind the bindu can be gradually

unveiled through all types of yoga

practices, if they are done regularly and

sincerely, and if one has burning aspiration

day and night to understand life and oneself.

This crescent moon implies that the spiritual

aspirant has some glimpses of sahasrara,

behind the bindu, but by no means a total

experience. The totality can never be known

while there is individuality.

The bindu is drawn on the background of

the night sky, indicating that the basis of bindu,

the sahasrara, is infinite. Most people who

practise yoga are familiar with the symbol of

Aum: In the top right hand corner of the

symbol there is a small point and a crescent

moon. The point is called visarga (drop) and

represents bindu; the crescent moon also

represents bindu, as already explained. The

chakras exist in the realm of the main figure,

together with the qualities of tamas, rajas and

sattwa. These exist in the realm of nature -

prakriti. The bindu is shown separate from the

main body of Aum indicating that bindu is

transcendental and beyond the fetters of

nature.

Bindu part1 (1/2)