Ch. 3, v. 5b, Haṭhayogapradīpika, sleep (supta), ‘door of Brahma’, Goddess

“One should, therefore, with all earnestness practice the mudrās in order to awaken the Sovereign Goddess (īśvarīm) sleeping (suptāṁ) at the entrance of Door of Brahma (brahmadvāramukhe).”

 तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन प्रबोधयितुमीश्वरीम् ।

ब्रह्मद्वारमुखे सुप्तां मुद्राभ्यासं समाचरेत् ॥ ५ ॥

tasmātsarvaprayatnena prabodhayitumīśvarīm |

brahmadvāramukhe suptāṁ mudrābhyāsaṁ samācaret || 5 ||

Rev. Dr John Dupuche, is a Catholic priest, and Yogi Matsyendranath is from the Nath Yoga tradition. Father John and Yogi present teachings from their contrasting traditions, using as their starting point verses from the Haṭha-Yoga-Pradīpika.

These teachings are also made available by YouTube on http://www.nathas.org/en

Teaching on 4.5b īśvarīm |brahmadvāramukhe suptāṁ

“Sovereign Goddess sleeping at the entrance of Door of Brahma.”

Where till now the terms have been prāṇa and śāmbhavī now the Goddess is given her full title īśvarī? But how can the Sovereign Goddess be asleep (suptāṁ)? Is not the Sovereign always active and dominant? Not here. This is paradoxical, but it means that the Goddess exercises her power in an altogether different way. She is powerful not because she is active but because she is possible. She is omnipotent in the sense of having every potency. This exercises an attraction, which is irresistible. How could one resist the promise of immense and infinite joy and fulfillment? In this way she inspires to action by not being active. She allows the disciples to act by not acting. She leaves them their freedom, not imposing herself, not demanding abut allowing. She is not dead, not absent, but asleep. She waits to be awakened. She suggests her beauty; she gives clues but is no obvious. She is unmanifest but suggests herself. Precisely by not acting she makes us active.

She sleeps at the ‘entrance of the door of Brahman’ (brahmadvāramukhe). This door (dvara) is different from the brahmarandhra, the aperture of Braham, which is located at the top of the head, at the site of the fontanel. The pathway between the ‘door’ and the ‘aperture’ is located along the spine. The journey, the Brahma, is the experience of bliss and enlightenment, of every fulfillment and every power, every capacity and every revelation. Thus it is progressive.

The journey along the pathway can begin only when the Sovereign is aroused. She starts to move, enters through the door; she progressively enlightens and empowers every faculty, till such time as all is fulfilled and complete.

This process was referred to in verse Haṭhayogapradīpika 3.2, whereby she pierces all the lotuses and knots. She awakens all the powers associated with each chakra, not powers such as the ability to subdue enemies, tame elephants or win fair maidens. These powers, though desired by some, do not compare with the powers of bliss and knowledge and reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Thus it is that the Spirit, which is present there at the beginning, Sovereign, waiting, inspires the work of creation and all that follows. The Spirit is breathed on the disciples from the mouth of the dead and risen Christ at Ester and the whole work and history of the Church flows from this breathing.