To: K-list
Recieved: 2002/01/14 21:15
Subject: [K-list] Cakras/Vedanta
From: aoclery
On 2002/01/14 21:15, aoclery posted thus to the K-list:
Namaste All,
Picked this up, quite interesting opinions........ONS....Tony.
"Ayurveda-vedanta: Chakras and Energy Healing" by Sri Atmatattva
Das
In the ancient Indian historical records called Puranas we find the
following text:
ekah svayam san jagatah sisrikshaya- dvitiyayatmann adhi yogamayaya
srijasy adah pasi punar grasishyase yathorna nabhir bhagavan sva
shaktibhih Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.19
"O Lord, you are one without a second, desiring to create, you
create,
maintain and dissolve the creation by winding up your energies. The
diffusion of these energies are under the control of your secondary
energy, viz., yogamaya (linking energy), just as a spider creates a
cobweb by its own energy and again winds it up."
The great Yoga teacher Manu is the speaker here, explaining creation
to another great Yoga practitioner, Kardama Muni. The Yoga path of
ancient India clearly observed the creation to be nothing but a
variety of transformation of energies, primary and secondary.
This word dvitiya refers to matter in the cosmos, and to the body in
the individual. Matter is the secondary manifestation of spirit, for
matter is produced from spirit. It is for this reason that the body
is
known as secondary energy. Even though the body is visible with seven
coverings, viz., from skin to marrow, it is a conglomeration of
different energies of matter both subtle and gross. These energies
are
the higher controlling factors of the functions of all bodily
mechanism both physical and psychic. This control is activated from
certain energy centers, which are known as Chakras.
The prime mover, which is the consciousness (the primary factor of
energy) functions as follows:
(1) It utilises the interaction of the three modes of nature of
matter
(viz., sattva – goodness, rajas – passion, and tamas –
ignorance --
the secondary factor of energy)… te vyakta suksma gunatmakah
Patanjali Yoga-sutras 4.13
(2) …via the medium of the five kinds of life airs (prana, apana,
samana, vyana and udana )…
(3) …and finally, it makes the mechanism of the subtle body
(identity,
intelligence and mind) and the gross body (made up of the perceiving
and working senses) work.
Thus it is consciousness which is the irreducible de facto reality
out
of which and by whose potency, mind and matter proceed. The
perceivable reality as mind and matter is merely an external
transformation in the dvitiya, or secondary level of voltage of
energy.
Yoga shastra confirms this:
pravrittibhede prayojakam cittamekamanekesam Patanjali Yoga-sutras
4.5
Consciousness and unconsciousness are spun in harmony in the
phenomenal world. In the human species of life, this harmony is in
full blossom. That makes the human body as the most evolved mechanism
of matter.
The cerebrospinal system with 72,000 fine nerves is the power supply
system for this complex factory of the human body, and the main
switch
boards are converged in Chakras, the six psychic centers.
To visualize this from the technical point of view:
1) The human body, is bestowed with the sensory radar system, (the
mind) that receives and transmits radiant energy frequencies, through
the towers of sense organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue , and skin)
["matra sparshas tu kaunteya...", Gita
2.14]
2) The spinal chord is the "in – out" canal to the
central
bio-computer of the human factory administration.
3) The Chakras are six interactive psychic spheres, controlled by an
electro conductive "genetic" programme.
4) In alignment with the glandular system (nadis) by the network of
five kinds of life airs, there exists a body of "light"
("jyotisham…",
Taittiriya Upanisad) within in the spinal column
5) This psychic body of illumination has a vibrating infra structure
that consists of a meta-physical field of electro-magnetic
power-lines
of force, anchored through the "six Chakras"
6) The ultra frequency points of this system have their
monitor-screens set up in the palms, soles, solar plexus and crown
7) Thus the controlling mechanism of DNA is only seemingly physical,
the "boss" is behind the curtain, expressing presence through
the
"control centers", viz., the Chakras.
8) The human body is an electro magnetic battery system powered by
consciousness, with a well aligned infra-structure consisting of a
metabolic cellular system (the physical, gross body) accompanied by a
psycho-sensory electro-magnetic circuit board (psychic, subtle body).
"The Tantra and yoga scriptures of the ancient Indian Hindu
tradition
have very detailed and scientific knowledge about the Chakras."
(Sir
John Woodroffe – "Shakti and Shakta", page 25)
Following the Vedic tradition of India, the Tantra conceives of
creation in terms of several planes of existence, from the Plane of
Bliss at the summit to the Plane of Physical Matter below; each plane
to fit a manifestation of its own psychological Principle. Since both
the body of universe and the body of individual (especially in the
case of the fully evolved human form) have the same ingredients, one
can see the physical body of humans as a mini reproduction of the
universe. The only difference is that the matter is of varied
multi-dimensional potencies when it manifests as the universal body.
The various grades of fully evolved human species have in the designs
of their bodies limitations to deal with various dimensions of
matter,
fitting to where they are situated. In the meantime, the
consciousness
of the individual has the same potential within all of these bodies.
By the process of detachment through meditation, even in a lower
dimensional body one can achieve the perfection of dealing with
higher
dimensions. This is how a martial art master becomes a higher human
being with apparently superhuman powers.
The ancient Tantra scriptures define these higher states of
consciousness:
"There are in the being of man certain 'nodii' (not to be
mistaken
with the ayurvedic 'nadi') which are so to say centers connecting him
with the universal planes of existence; and when properly tapped they
open up in one's being their respective planes and the powers
that are
characteristic of the principles governing those planes. These are
called Centres or Chakras in the Indian Yogic system" (page 433,
in
"Shakti and Shakta" by Sir John Woodroffe)
The cerebral control room, Sahasrara is sometimes seen as the seventh
Chakra.
Apart from these main energy centers there are many branch
transformers within the body, totally numbering 108, known as marma
sthaanas (secret centers of energy). The traditional martial arts
schools like Kalari of Kerala and Silambu of Tamil Nadu teach about
these energy centers in their anatomy training.
Certain commentaries on Tantra and yoga see the number of Chakras in
sets of 12 and
18, 36 and 72, or 54 and 108 depending upon which area of psychic
control they are trying to explain.
List of Chakras
(1 - Chakra), (2 - Place in Body), (3 - Tattva) (4 - Colour), (5 -
Sense), (6 - Aspects)
1 - Muladhara, 2 -Spine Base, 3 - Earth, 4 - Gold, Yellow, 5 - Smell,
6 - Nutrition, Reproduction
1 - Svadhisthana, 2 -Genitals, 3 - Water, 4 - Gold, Blue, 5 - Taste,
6
- Reproduction
1 - Manipuraka, 2 - Navel, 3 - Fire, 4 - Gold, 5 - Sight, 6 - Ego,
Sight
1 - Anahata, 2 - Chest, 3 - Air , 4 - Gold, Green, 5 - Touch, 6 -
Balance
1 - Visudhhi, 2 - Throatpit, 3 - Ether, 4 - Gold, Purple, 5 - Sound,
6
- Knowledge
1 - Ajna, 2 - Eyebrow Centre, 3 - Mahat (Three Gunas), 4 - Blue,
Camphor, 5 - Multi Vision, 6 - Realization
Chakras - Bija Mantras Muladhara - vam, sham, Sham, sam Svadhisthana
-
bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, lam Manipuraka - Dam, Dham, Nam, tam, tham,
dam, dham, nam, pam, pham Anahata - kam, kham, gam, gham, Nam, cam,
cham, jam, jham, Nyam, Tam, Tham Visudhhi - am, aam, im, iim, um,
uum,
rim, reem, lriˆ,lreem, em, aim, om, aum am aham Ajna - ham, ksham
The chakras are visualized as flowers with different numbers of
petals:
1) Muladhara – 4 petals
2) Swadhistana - 6 petals
3) Manipuraka - 10 petals
4) Anahata - 12 petals
5) Vishuddhi - 16 petals
6) Ajna - 2 petals
The life airs of the body flow through certain channels known as
"nadis". The term nadi comes from the root word "nad"
which means
movement. These are different from nerves, veins or any other
pathways
which are known to medical sciences. It is the number of
configuration
of these nadis that makes the petals of the Chakra-flowers.
Each of the petals is manifested from a syllable of sound, called
"varna" representing the superior control (adhi-daiva) or the
deity at
that Chakra. These varnas are fifty in total, and they are the
seed-letters (bija-aksharas) of all that is there in Mantra or
Speech.
(Refer table above.)
"The sound that a particular bija akshara represents is the
sound-body
of that controlling deity of the Chakra." (M.P.Pundit,
"Lights on
Tantra", page 15)
The different paraphernalia that is associated with the worship of
these adhi-daiva deities are also manifested by the nature
(especially
the ingredients of worship that come from the plant kingdom) from the
same seed-letters. Because of this, the syllables that form the name
of the ingredient are invariably the same as the seed-syllables which
are the sound form of the particular deity of the Chakra.
Varna also means color, it is the author's personal experience in
the
research of Pancaratric Upasana that the colors of the Chakras and
the
colors of the ingredients of worship also tally.
The root word of the term Yoga is "yuj" meaning, "to
link".
Realization of one's constitutional nature through Yoga and
Tantra
brings release from the captivity of one's lower nature. The
lower
nature spans from aquatic to animalistic, ("Jatyantaraparinama
prakrityapurat" – Patanjali Yoga-sutras 4.2) and it causes
conditioning of consciousness, limiting one's perceiving power
through
the secondary energy, viz., material. In these computer chip days of
mechanistic life, it is a boon to utilize this ancient technology to
establish peace and harmony within us, which can subsequently make us
accomplish peace and harmony in the world around us.
The Yoga scriptures advise us to transcend the lower platform of
existence by unifying it with the primary platform. This will
actually
save us from external distractions and conflicts, and help us to
explore all our latent potentials. With this harmonization of primary
and secondary energies, much can transpire in yoga practice. The
following is a small list of some of the beneficial results:
a) Purification and cleansing of the various physical layers.
b) Cleansing of old, subconscious stress, impressions, and mental
states.
c) Balancing of excessive, deficient or improper use of energies.
d) Proper utilization of inherent habits and practices, etc.
e) Help in expressing ourselves better in every function, from
digestion, to dreams, up to physical and mental health. Better power
for digestion, calm and peaceful sleep, and a disease-free body with
an agitation-free mind.
"Sadhana (practice of yoga) opens up the six centers of the
subtle
nervous system and by the opening one escapes from the limitations of
the surface consciousness bound to the gross body and great ranges of
experiences proper to the subliminal self, mental, vital subtle
physical are shown to the sadhaka (yoga practitioner)." (Sri
Aurabindo
– "Letters", First Series, Page 226)
These results can be accomplished in different degrees of intensity,
and there are much more than one method prescribed in the ancient
practice of Yoga. One such prescribed method is healing with herbs.
janmoushadhi mantra tapah samadhijah siddhayah Patanjali Yoga-sutras
4.1
"Either by birth, by the use of herbs, by sound vibration or by
absorption one can attain perfection (in yoga)."
Healing again does not mean curing a virus, bacteria or unwanted
growth. Healing actually means to harmonize our potential energies.
tasmin sati svasaprashvashayor gati vicchedah pranayamah
brahyabhyantara stambhavrittih desha kala sankhyabhih pariddrishtho
dirgha sukshmah Patanjali Yoga-sutras 2.49-50
"One must practice control of the breath by stopping the motions
of
inhalation and exhalation. The breath may be stopped externally, or
internally, or in mid motion, and regulated according to place, time
and a fixed number of moments, so that the stoppage is either
protracted or brief."
By proper and simple regulation of breath, (known as prana yama –
breath regulation) if one could engage the olfactory sense by
treatment with the smell from different parts of plants, like roots,
barks, branches, flowers, fruits, peels and seeds, one could attain
the same result of healing that is accomplished through the complex
systems of yoga practice. (Refer to our explanation on the petals and
seed letters of the Chakras.) Among these, flowers are considered as
the most essential energy harmonizers.
Hard to believe? Well, let's analyze the power of flowers from a
different angle of vedic view namely "Upasana Yoga", or the
linking
process by worship. (From the discussion between Agasthya and his
disciples, found in Skanda Purana Upakyana, Pushpa-khanda):
When the moon planet enters in the eighth house in one's birth
constellation, it is known as Chandra ashtama according to vedic
astrology. This occurs for two and a quarter of days every month for
a
person. It is a real trial period where one becomes intolerant, too
sensuous, jealous, and suffers low resistance in the physic and
psychic.
There are three kinds of Chandra ashtamas namely Sadhaka, Maitra, and
Parama Maitra.
1) Sadhaka Chandra ashtama: considered as a dangerously bad period of
time, in which one may even die. The Rishis of yore have prescribed
that if one worships with a garland of small grass tied with
Chemparuthi and Jasmine flowers he can counteract the negative
influence. With the protection from these flowers one could even
transform the influence into an extreme auspicious one for sex and
fame, financial prudence and clearance of debts.
2) Maitra Chandra ashtama: causes one to make wrong decisions,
contracts and agreements, and physically failure of organs may occur.
It brings infamy and unaccomplishment. The Rishis prescribed worship
with a garland of Champangi , Shenpaga and Tulasi as the solution.
3) Parama Maitra Chandra ashtama: causes a misconceptions about
one's
own capacity of output, and over-confidence that results in big
failures. Worship with Maruvu Malli and Tavanam flowers is prescribed
to counteract the negative influence and attain success.
In the Puranas there is specifications of suitable flowers for
different days of the week:
1) Monday: Lilly and Jasmine (for family union)
2) Tuesday: Arali, Champangi (for safety, protection from accidents)
3) Wednesday: Pavizha malli (for memory power)
4) Thursday: Chamandhi (for success in finance)
5) Friday: Ramabhana (Picchi) white and red (for conception)
They also provide specifications according to the constellations:
Aswini – Sunflower (for success in business) Mrgasirsa –
Drumstick
flower (for purchase of vehicles) Hastha - Thazhamboo flower (for
purchase of gold and courting date) Anusha – Mangoe flower (for
dealing with iron or steel, printing, machines, ships) Thiruvonam
–
Pavizhamali flower – (for travel, going abroad) Avittam –
Agaththi
flower – (for a safe journey, and to escape from accidents)
Poosam –
Chamandhi flower – (for medical treatment/surgery) Punarpoosam
– same
as for Poosam
In general, uses of the flowers are classified as follows:
Neem flower for freedom from loans; Magizham flower for freedom from
black magic; shenbagam for good food; Arali for buying property;
white
lotus for shortage of garments; Asoka for matrimony… in this way
the
list goes on.
The scientific basis for these traditions is the touch and smell of
the flowers (apart from the adhidaivika – supernatural influence
coming from the worship) that harmonize the Chakras, which have been
imbalanced due to the influence of the moon planet.
As the Chakras have their connections with the five great elements of
matter, the association of flowers through the sense power of smell
(the earth element) combined with touch (the air element) and sight
(the fire element) bring into effect a wonderful tally of the trial
balance of one's energy account. In the Ayurveda it is said:
vayu agni bhumy abguna padavat tad sadbhyo rasebhyah prabhavat ca
tasya Caraka-samhita 4.2.4
The semen that passes into the ovary is constituted of equal parts of
air, fire, water and earth. The ether becomes mixed with it in the
ovary. The semen is the product of six kinds of fluids (rasas).
Thus the fetus of the body is a veritable combination of the five
elements. And the world that it perceives is a display of the sense
objects, which are the subtle form of these five elements.
The analytical study of the elements and the sense objects is known
as
Sankhya in the ancient books. There we find, in the Puranas (Srimad
Bhagavatam 3.26.48-49):
bhumer guna vishesho artho yasya sa ghrana ucyate
"The sense, whose object of perception is odor, the distinctive
charasteristic of earth is smell."
parasya drishyate dharmo hyaparsmin samanvayat ato vishesho bhavanam
bhumav evopalakshyate
"Since the cause exists in its effect as well, the
characteristics of
the former are observed in the latter. Thus the peculiarities of all
the elements exist in the earth alone."
Sound is the cause of ether, ether is the cause of air, air is the
cause of fire, fire is the cause of water, and water is the cause of
earth. In the ether there is only sound, in the air there are sound
and touch, in the fire there are sound, touch and form; in the water
there are sound, touch, form and taste; finally in the earth there
are
all of these qualities and the quality of smell as well.
The Sankhya system of philosophy explains how each element telescopes
out from the previous element. The first physical or gross element is
the ether. Within the ether all the other four gross elements are
present (earth, water, fire and air) in a subtle form. The subtle
quality of ether is sound, and from the sound expands the air. The
subtle quality of air is touch (movement), and from the touch expands
the fire. The subtle quality of fire is sight, and from the sight
expands the water. The subtle quality of water is taste, and from the
taste expands the earth. And finally, the subtle quality of earth,
the
last of the physical elements, is smell.
Thus you have a telescoping effect of the elements and their subtle
qualities beginning from ether down to earth. Since each element is
manifesting from the previous, each new element contains all of the
qualities of the previous elements. The ether element, being the
first, only possesses the quality of sound. One cannot touch, see,
taste or smell ether. The air element, having expanded from the
ether,
possesses both the qualities of sound and touch. One can feel and
hear
the movements of air, but one cannot see, taste or smell the air. The
fire element's added quality is sight. Thus one can see, touch and
hear the fire, but one cannot taste or smell fire. The water, having
expanded from the fire, can be heard, felt, seen and tasted, but not
smelt. Earth, being the final element, contains all the five
qualities
of sound, touch, sight, taste and finally smell. This is the natural
sequence of manifestation of gross matter, and it is within the earth
that all of these qualities manifest in full.
The plant kingdom deposits in their flowers a wonderful amount of
these essential nectar aspects, extracting them from the earth, which
is the repository of all the sense objects.
The Srimad Bhagavatam (3.26.44-45) explains:
rasa matrad vikurvanad ambhaso daiva coditat gandha matram abhut
tasmat prithvi ghranas tu gandhagah
"Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the
subtle
element odor evolves under superior arrangement. Thence the earth and
the olfactory sense, by which one can variously experience the aroma
of the earth, become manifest."
karambha puti saurabhya shantogramladibhih prithak dravyavayava
vaishamyad gandha eko vibhidiyate
"Odor, although one, becomes many – as mixed, punchy,
fragrant, mild,
strong and so on – according to the proportions of associated
elements."
Bad odors are perceived from filth, waste and pollution of air;
healing scents are perceived from camphor, menthol and similar
products; pungent smells are perceived from garlic, onions, etc.; and
acidic smells are perceived from turmeric and similar substances.
The nature, from one single original aroma that emanates from the
earth element, arranges for a variety of exhibition of various useful
and healing smells through the auspices of the plant kingdom.
In the Bhagavad gita (15.3) it is stated:
gam avishyaca bhutani dharayamy aham ojasa pushnami caushadhih sarva
somo bhutva rasatmakah
"I enter each planet, and by my energy they stay in their orbits,
I
become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all
herbs"
The moon nourishes the plant kingdom. The moon influences the tides
of
the ocean
(which is the cosmic mental substance) and thereby provides a supply
of water that is transformable to pure, non-salty taste by
evaporation
to make rain clouds. This is why the association of flowers can
counteract the influence of the moon in the eighth house.
In summary, one could postulate that all stress and disease is a
result of a lack of equilibrium between the levels of energies of the
body and the life force, the consciousness.
The consciousness is the Managing Director of the whole network of
psychic and physical departments of our existence. Distortion of this
administration due to conditioning by external elements is the real
problem facing us.
Re-alignment of this administration allows the vital forces to
interact freely, and the nature has kept within the plant kingdom the
nectarine powers for this re-alignment.
By this powerful method of treatment (utilizing the sight, touch and
smell of flowers) the Chakras are "balanced". This is the
minimum
effect; but one may even attain to mystic visions, or even a log-on
to
cosmic consciousness once the Chakras are balanced.
The nadis, or the expressways of energy transmission in the body can
be fully cleansed and the traffic jams of work stress there are
cleared, allowing the consciousness to drive in bliss!
No wonder, why the Holy book of India, Bhagavad gita (7.9) describes
the Divine as "smell":
punyo gandhah prithivyam ca
"I am the original fragrance of the earth."
It is for this reason that flowers (and incense) play such an
essential part in the worship
(puja) of the Lord. No worship is complete without offering flowers
to
the Lord; and the devotee, after offering the flowers, smells their
fragrance, thereby automatically balancing various levels of energy
within his body. Just see how the Ayurveda, Vedanta, and Agamas are
all naturally harmonized within our daily activities. With this in
mind, let us worship the Lord and smell our way to health, happiness
and peace!
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