The Serpent Power (Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe))
Serpent Power Poppycock
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shakti Yoga†by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe)].
In this classic century-old tome, author Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), expounds upon the Serpent Power, or Kundalini (which he defines as†Divine Cosmic Energy in bodiesâ€), and the form of tantrik yoga – called Kundalini Yoga -- that enables a yogi to experience this Power.
But, unfortunately, Woodroffe is just a scholar, and not a yogic adept, and his discourse, though providing interesting and worthwhile information on Tantrik metaphysics, displays his ignorance of the En-Light-enment (or Self-realization) project.
For example, he writes, “Nothing, however, of real moment, from the higher Yogi’s point of view, is achieved until the Ajna Chakra is reached. Here again it is said that the Sadhaka whose Atma is nothing but a meditation on this lotus…†Reducing the Atma to a meditation on the Ajna Chakra is beyond ridiculous, and it exemplifies the quality, or lack thereof, of the discourse in this text.
Woodroffe also, unimpressively, discusses yogas other than Kundalini Yoga. His description of Raja Yoga is a farce. He writes, “The last and most difficult form of yoga is Raja Yoga.†This is hardly the case. Waxing theosophically, he informs us that “Raja Yoga comprises 16 divisions. There are seven varieties of Vichara (reasoning) in seven planes of knowledge.†This is pure baloney. According to Woodroffe, “It is through Raja Yoga alone that one can attain Nirvikapla Samadhi†(which Woodroffe, wrongly, equates with liberation). If this is the case – and it isn’t – then why should one even practice Kundalini Yoga (or write a book about it, for that matter)?
The first two-thirds of this book is an ultra-lengthy Introduction by Woodroffe, and the remainder consists of two florid, bull-crap infested Hindu tantrik works and commentary – “Description of the six centers (Shatchara Nirupana)†and “The five Foot Stool (Padukapanchakra).â€
In sum, if poppycock-permeated material about Kundalini, the chakras, liberation, and the Indic Yoga traditions is what you’re looking for, you will doubtless appreciate this book. But given that this is a classic text and does contain worthwhile material amongst all the worthless, it’s still worthy of a read by students of the Tantra tradition and Kundalini Yoga.
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shakti Yoga†by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe)].
In this classic century-old tome, author Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), expounds upon the Serpent Power, or Kundalini (which he defines as†Divine Cosmic Energy in bodiesâ€), and the form of tantrik yoga – called Kundalini Yoga -- that enables a yogi to experience this Power.
But, unfortunately, Woodroffe is just a scholar, and not a yogic adept, and his discourse, though providing interesting and worthwhile information on Tantrik metaphysics, displays his ignorance of the En-Light-enment (or Self-realization) project.
For example, he writes, “Nothing, however, of real moment, from the higher Yogi’s point of view, is achieved until the Ajna Chakra is reached. Here again it is said that the Sadhaka whose Atma is nothing but a meditation on this lotus…†Reducing the Atma to a meditation on the Ajna Chakra is beyond ridiculous, and it exemplifies the quality, or lack thereof, of the discourse in this text.
Woodroffe also, unimpressively, discusses yogas other than Kundalini Yoga. His description of Raja Yoga is a farce. He writes, “The last and most difficult form of yoga is Raja Yoga.†This is hardly the case. Waxing theosophically, he informs us that “Raja Yoga comprises 16 divisions. There are seven varieties of Vichara (reasoning) in seven planes of knowledge.†This is pure baloney. According to Woodroffe, “It is through Raja Yoga alone that one can attain Nirvikapla Samadhi†(which Woodroffe, wrongly, equates with liberation). If this is the case – and it isn’t – then why should one even practice Kundalini Yoga (or write a book about it, for that matter)?
The first two-thirds of this book is an ultra-lengthy Introduction by Woodroffe, and the remainder consists of two florid, bull-crap infested Hindu tantrik works and commentary – “Description of the six centers (Shatchara Nirupana)†and “The five Foot Stool (Padukapanchakra).â€
In sum, if poppycock-permeated material about Kundalini, the chakras, liberation, and the Indic Yoga traditions is what you’re looking for, you will doubtless appreciate this book. But given that this is a classic text and does contain worthwhile material amongst all the worthless, it’s still worthy of a read by students of the Tantra tradition and Kundalini Yoga.
