Tantric View Of Our Subtle Body (微细身)

 

The Kundalini subtle body system

 

The Anuttara Tantric subtle body system

 

 

Many people confused about subtle body system in Kundalini Yoga and Anuttara Yoga systems. Many masters in Tantric Buddhism treat both systems as the same, but there are indeed differences in both of the systems:

 

Subtle body in Kundalini Yoga refers to human subtle body with 7, 8 or 9 chakras hence the left and right channels are knotted at each of the 6 chakras and the central channel; the subtle body in Anuttara Tantra, for example Vajrayogini system refers to the subtle body of Yidam (imaginary) and only 4 chakras are emphasized together 3 major nadis: the left, right and centre. Please note that all of the three channels run parallel with each other.

 

Although the concept of subtle body in Kundalini and Anuttara is not physical, it affects us psychologically and physiologically. The aim of Kundalini Yoga is to harmonize and bring our current physical body to health hence enhancing our spiritual development.

 

The aim of Anuttara Yoga is only to develop the illusion body through the practice of inner heat (tummo). So unlike Kuntalini Yoga, the subtle body in Anuttara is only a means and not an end.

 

This is also to say that Kuntalini Yoga is more suited to our mundane world, but the practice of Anuttara Yoga is to prepare one on facing his/her own dying process. So, please don’t confuse both of the systems as they are not same: means wise and ends wise.