Kundalini Energy and Sexuality

May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!

In our previous spiritual discussions, we have explored the topic of Kundalini energy. We have touched upon how this energy awakens, the sensations one might feel, and the methods to cultivate it, all based on practical, direct experience. When any person develops deep concentration through what we call Samatha bhavana, or calm-abiding meditation, what awakens is this very same energy, often known by the name Kundalini energy.

However, it’s important to understand that not everyone will feel their chakras awaken in a distinct way. For some, the awakening of these energy centers is very clear; for others, it is not. But for anyone practicing Samatha meditation, it is this fundamental energy that begins to stir.

One Experience, Different Names: Kundalini Energy in and out of Buddhism

Let’s clarify the terminology. As I have mentioned before, the word “Kundalini” itself is not found in the Buddhist Pali Canon, the Tipitaka. If you have been following our teachings, you will already have a clear understanding of this. This term is primarily used by those who practice meditation methods outside of formal Buddhism.

However, whether you practice meditation within the Buddhist framework, specifically Samatha practices, or you follow other paths aimed at awakening Kundalini energy, both fall under the category of calm-abiding meditation. You should know this well.

Regardless of the path or the terminology used, the awakening process is fundamentally the same. For a person practicing Samatha meditation within the Buddhist tradition, it is the same seven chakras and the same Kundalini energy that awakens.

The experiences, the visions, the feelings, and the insights are identical for both the Buddhist practitioner and the practitioner of other yogic systems. For instance, a Buddhist meditator may or may not feel the awakening of the Muladhara, or root chakra, at the base of the spine. Likewise, someone practicing yoga or chakra meditation outside of Buddhism may or may not feel this specific chakra awaken. This experience is relative to the individual.

The Awakening Begins: Sensations and Misconceptions

Therefore, what we need to grasp is that while the words and preparatory techniques may differ, the underlying practice of developing calm is the same. As we progress in awakening the chakras in their order, starting from the Muladhara (root chakra), we begin to experience, understand, and even see various phenomena.

The awakening of Kundalini energy typically begins at the Muladhara chakra, located at the base of the spine. However, there are many incorrect ideas and harmful views circulating in society about this process. These views are often spread by people who lack genuine experience, who are stuck at a single level of practice, and have never progressed beyond it.

Physical Sensations at the Root Chakra

My goal here is to offer some clarity, as this is a path that must be walked correctly. When someone begins any form of Samatha meditation, whether within or outside of Buddhism, after a period of dedicated practice, certain sensations arise.

In our teachings on universal energy and Kundalini energy, we have described a primary feeling: a pressure at the very base of the spine, as if someone is pressing with their thumb, or a feeling of rotation or a circle tightening. For others, both men and women, this pressure is felt in the area between the base of the spine and the genital region.

The Great Deception: Mistaking Spiritual Energy for Lust

Because of this pressure, a dangerous misunderstanding arises. We have received messages, even on our WhatsApp, from people saying things like, “Venerable Sir, because of this sensation, my sexual desire has increased.” They report feeling a strong need to engage in sexual activity.

This misinterpretation is not limited to the root chakra; people with no real experience or understanding make similar claims about other chakras like Svadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna, and Sahasrara, stating that their awakening also provokes lust.

I have previously given a teaching on whether practicing Samatha meditation increases lust, and I encourage you to explore that teaching for a full explanation. I will not analyze it in detail here. But when we inquire further and ask these individuals, “Why do you now feel the need to engage in sexual acts?” they often reveal a disturbing influence.

They say there are lay meditation teachers in Sri Lanka who, upon hearing of these sensations, instruct their students to engage in sexual activity with a man or a woman.

They claim this is necessary because a certain energy has arisen, and that sexual misconduct is the way to manage it and increase the Kundalini energy. When we investigate the source of these ideas, this is the environment and the advice they describe. These so-called “teachers,” who are really just laypeople, are found in various places across the country, preying on the ignorance of sincere seekers.

The Path of Purity: Why Celibacy (Brahmacharya) is Essential

If you have followed the teachings from our Adhyathmika Bhikshun YouTube channel in order, you know that we have explained how to rapidly develop both Samatha (calm) and Vipassana (insight). We have done this by emphasizing Brahmacharya, a life of celibacy. True spiritual development is so refined that it progresses best when one abstains even from masturbation.

When the Buddha, the enlightened ones (Arahants), and even the great Rishis of the Himalayas have all taught the necessity of Brahmacharya for profound spiritual attainment, how can we trust those who teach the opposite? This advice to engage in sexuality comes from groups of people who are spiritually undeveloped, who have become stuck at a very basic level, and who are essentially making a business out of spirituality.

They tell people that when these feelings arise, one must engage in sexual acts. Shockingly, I have heard that in some of these meditation centers, the teachers will even arrange for male and female students to engage in sexual relations with each other. People who have escaped these places have told me this directly. Please, do not fall for such things.

Warning Signs: How to Identify a False Spiritual Teacher

Here is a simple truth: if you go to a place to meditate and your celibacy and virtue (Sila) are broken, there is a problem. If a teacher tells you to break the Five Precepts, the most basic moral code, to advance your meditation, that place is fundamentally flawed.

We have taught that as meditation deepens, the precepts are upheld naturally. For those who find it difficult to keep the precepts, we advise them to begin meditation, and in time, virtue will become effortless. If you haven’t heard this teaching, please find and reflect on it.

Despite this clear guidance, these false teachers spread wrong views about spirituality, leading innocent and unknowing people astray. They guide them into wrong actions, burdening them with negative karma (akusala) and leading them towards lower realms.

If there are such “gurus” in your area, your village, or your city, do not get caught by them under any circumstances. Some of them even prescribe tablets and medicines, telling students that these will enhance the Kundalini energy and the need for sexual activity. They have a deceptive term for this promiscuity: “releasing energy.” It is a laughable, tragic distortion of the truth.

The Correct Practice vs. Empty Repetition

As I tell you this, it should be obvious that the Lord Buddha never, anywhere, taught that one must engage in sensual pleasures to practice the spiritual path, be it Samatha or Vipassana. There is no such teaching. These lay teachers sometimes use words like ‘Araham’ or ‘Buddha’ as their meditation objects, but they do not understand their meaning.

They are not cultivating the qualities of the Buddha; they are merely repeating a word to develop concentration, a form of Samatha. We have given detailed, practical teachings on how to awaken the third eye and how to correctly practice recollection of the Buddha (Buddhanussati) using the Nine Virtues of the Buddha (Nava Arahadi Budu Guna) from the Itipiso gatha. I will not elaborate further here, but I encourage you to review our practical meditation programs on the third eye to understand the correct method.

The Mindful Response: Observing Lust Without Acting

Many people report a tickling sensation in the genital area when the root chakra awakens, which they mistake for a natural call to sexual activity. If you follow our series of teachings on establishing mindfulness, you will understand that lust (raga) is a defilement (klesha) that arises in the mind. If such a feeling arises during Samatha meditation, you have the ability to mindfully recognize it for what it is: just a lustful thought.

We have clearly stated that lust is an obstacle to spiritual development. While it cannot be eliminated all at once, we must work to either suppress these defilements through concentration (a Samatha approach) or completely uproot them through insight (a Vipassana approach).

If, upon the awakening of any of the seven chakras, you indulge in sexual activity when lust arises, your spiritual progress will stop right there. If someone encourages you to engage in sexuality during your Kundalini energy awakening, know that neither they nor you will advance. Your mind will revert to a very low state, covered again by defilements. This is the crucial point you must understand.

The True Ascent: How Purity Fuels Spiritual Progress

Do not be deceived like a foolish animal, following the same wrong teacher over and over. I must say this a bit harshly so that your mind will awaken. There are many people, both women and men, of all ages, races, and religions, who know these things and yet still allow themselves to be deceived. Please, understand this now and act accordingly. If you have friends or family, parents or children, who are caught in these deceptions, please make them aware.

As I have said, when lust arises, we must either suppress it or eradicate it. For the one who does this, the experience of the chakras will intensify, and the energy will rise higher. We have described that as the Kundalini energy awakens, one may feel a coolness moving up the spine.

For some, it feels like a snake uncoiling and moving upwards. Sometimes this sensation comes halfway up the back and stops. For others, it reaches the crown of the head. The experience is relative to the individual. To understand this better, please review our playlist on Universal Energy and Kundalini Energy.

A Final, Urgent Warning: Protect Your Path and Your Life

I wanted to give this teaching because I have seen how people searching for information on chakras and Kundalini energy fall for these wrong views. They destroy their meditation practice, become inclined towards sensual craving, and eventually stop meditating altogether, chasing after worldly desires. The false messages from these teachers have even destroyed the family lives of some women who were led astray. Thankfully, some have escaped these harmful situations.

Please understand this clearly. Do not fall for these traps. If you do, you accumulate negative karma, your mental defilements increase, and if your spouse or children find out, it can cause great harm to your worldly life. Understand this and act with intelligence and wisdom. Do not be fooled by these wrong views.

Your Path Forward: Purity, Practice, and Progress

Therefore, the only thing to do now is this: when lust arises during your Samatha practice, either eradicate it using the methods from our teachings on mindfulness, or continue to develop your concentration at that very moment, protecting your virtue like a celibate, and suppress the desire as much as possible.

This is how your spiritual life will develop. I will not go into a deep analysis in this article on how to eliminate lust, as we have constantly educated you on this. Many people have understood these points correctly and are applying them practically.

The lay teachers you may encounter often do not practice correctly themselves; some even live with wives. Their spiritual development is limited to a certain level. A layperson can certainly progress if they at least maintain celibacy. But if the people you seek guidance from do not uphold Brahmacharya, you cannot expect significant progress or profound results from them. Their help is limited, like being stuck in the first grade at school. You can only get so much from them, and nothing beyond that.

I will not prolong this teaching further. With this, I conclude the discourse on Kundalini energy and sexuality. May the power of the Triple Gem, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, help you to understand these matters clearly and act with wisdom.

We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.

Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.

May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!.