Chakras

[skhandelwal]

I hear of many different systems of chakra systems, ranging from 4 to even 21....I am well aware of the minor chakras that are like 118...but I am referring to major chakras here...may be it is a bit dificult to establish the link here...since there might be chakras in middle of those categories..etc.

Here is the stuff I have come up w/ so far.

The seven upper chakras, from lowest to highest, are:

1) muladhara chakra (base of spine): memory, time and space;

2) svadhishthana chakra (below navel): reason;

3) manipura chakra (solar plexus): willpower;

4) anahata chakra (heart center): direct cognition;

5) vishuddha chakra (throat): divine love;

6) ajna chakra (third eye): divine sight;

7) sahasrara chakra (crown of head): illumination, Godliness.

http://www.swamishyam.org/html/14_chakras.html (http://www.swamishyam.org/html/14_chakras.html)

The seven lower chakras, from highest to lowest, are

1) atala chakra (hips): fear and lust;

2) vitala chakra (thighs): raging anger;

3) sutala chakra (knees): retaliatory jealousy;

4) talatala chakra (calves): prolonged mental confusion;

5) rasatala chakra (ankles): selfishness;

6) mahatala chakra (feet): absence of conscience;

7) patala chakra (located in the soles of the feet): murder and malice.

I don't think the argument that if you cut someone leg and his chakra will disappear would apply here, since we believe in chakras above your head too.

This is something I found in a Westerner's book so I wouldn't trust it.....

Advanced Spiritual Chakra System

Chakra 12 - Connection to the Monadic level of divinity, advanced
spiritual skills, ascension, connection to the cosmos and beyond

Chakra 11 - Pathwork to the Soul, the individual's ability to acquire
advanced spiritual skills (travel beyond the limits of time and space,
teleprotation, bi-location, instantaneous precipitation of thoughts,
telekinesis in some cases)

Chakra 10 - divine creativity, synchronicity of life; the merging of
the masculine and feminine within, unlocking of skills contained in
the ninth chakra

Chakra 9 - soul blueprint (the individual's total skills and abilities
learned in all the life times)

Chakra 8 - energy center of divine love, of spiritual compassion and
spiritual selflessness, your karmic residue, activates spiritual
skills contained in the seventh chakra,

by Tom DeLiso

Now, just when you think you have the got the depression, normal, and enlightenment chakras...you find out there are 3 kinds of chakras....rear, center, and front. Which makes clear of the buddhist theory of how all the chakras need to be balanced...they are referring to the ones that are already open. Also, most people don't even agree....even within hinduism, as a mainstream, we have 7 chakras, but there have been theories of 8 by tantrism, 5 by taoist, and others. So the question is...what is the truth?

A very important I learned is that each chakra has an element, I managed to find those for the popular 7 chakras;

1. Earth
2. Water
3. Fire
4. Air
5. Sound
6. Light
7. Thought

And here is what you get rid of if you conquer all 7;

1. Fear: Comes when one's survival is threatened. May force energy into the upper chakras.
2. Guilt: Keeps us from reaching out, hindering emotional and sexual ties with others.
3. Shame: Hinders spontaneity, self-esteem, and personal power, turning one's will and power in upon themselves.
4. Grief: Hinders the love and lightness of the heart, leaving a heavy burden on one's persona.
5. Lies: Misinformation hinders our relationship to the world.
6. Illusion: Looking at things incorrectly, not seeing the big picture, and seeing only what one wants to see, can hinder our perception.
7. Attachment: Holding on to the pointless and focusing all of one's attention in one area can obscure the big picture and hinder our relationship with the divine.

And here is how each chakra represents each dimension of our awareness;

1st Chakra: Fear
2nd Chakra: Spark
3rd Chakra: Strength
4th Chakra: Acceptance
5th Chakra: Clarity
6th Chakra: Power
7th Chakra: Understanding

Here is another question though....according to Kundalini Yoga, you have to go from bottom to the top...this is how our true energy arises....which is coiled up.....however, I see people who are born with intuitive power, but lack qualities of the 1st chakra...meaning, you can skip chakras too! I believe the reason we have snakes to be coiled up, represents the depth of our chakras.

What do you guys think?

[skhandelwal]

They say Gyan Yoga is the fastest way to achieve Mokscha...and best way...now I get why....b/c through Bhakti yoga for instance, a person only gets to divine love(heart chakra)....they don't know the truth or get psychic, telekinetic, etc. powers.

Anyways, here is why gyan yoga is fastest...b/c you realize directly what you are suppose to do to achieve Mokscha

1. Muladhara- Naked meditation in darkest, loneliest place in nature...till you become fearless(within a week), can take breaks since you are only suppose to meditate through all night.

2. svadhishthana- Karma Yoga, feeling of accomplishments gives us Taij.(removes self-doubt....ability to reason affectively)

3. manipura- Vipassana Meditation teaches us to continue our awareness throughout horrible times...thus being same in happiness and sadness...the ultimate strength.

4. anahata- Practice art of giving.(removes selfishness)

5. vishuddha- Nidra Yoga

6. ajna- How do I achieve spiritual powers?

7. sahasrara- How do I connect w/ oneness?

Also, if one follows any of these practices to the extreme, they convert into Samadhi and he gains enlightenment...so...I guess what I am asking is, what is it that unifies all the chakras? Different chakras are different elements, phases, etc. of ourself...what unifies all of this?

[skhandelwal]

I also discovered that not only there are seven elements of our spirit/awareness....we also have seven levels of consciousness/realms.

Here is the chart; http://www.meaningoflife.i12.com/7levels.htm

Come on guys, I need some output/input, I can't do this all by myself. As they say, in Kaliyuga, greatest power is teamwork.

[Eastern Mind]

Come on guys, I need some output/input, I can't do this all by myself. As they say, in Kaliyuga, greatest power is teamwork.

I'm sorry but I have not entered this discussion because I have no direct experiential knowledge on this matter. I believe one must be fairly mystically attuned to understand the subtle flow, and spinning of chakras as it pertains to kundalini yoga, which involves transmutation of sexual energy. As far as what one can learn from reading, it looks like you have done your research quite thoroughly. I, like you, would not trust the teachings on chakras from book learning or from westerners. Seems like its kind of like climbing a higher mountain/ego thing to some of the yoga teachers in the west. My understanding (second hand) that I do trust is that one must be well established in the muladhara before all else.
Aum Namasivaya

[sarabhanga]

What do you guys think?

The chart from http://www.meaningoflife.i12.com/7levels.htm seems reasonable, but most of your presentation is rather confused.




What unifies all of this?

It is the practice of the yoga itself that unifies all of this!




Come on guys, I need some output/input, I can't do this all by myself. As they say, the greatest power is teamwork.

When the answers you seek are already posted here on HDF, the team may well imagine that your own team spirit is somewhat lacking. Try searching HDF rather than Google.

The infant resides in maNipUra from conception until birth, at which time it falls to mUlAdhAra. And the first duty is to attain worldly knowledge and practical understanding.

The first condition for yoga sAdhanA is shubhecchA or mumukshA ~ the desire of liberation ~ and the way is found by first seeking brahmA.

Yoga is the reconciliation and unification of nara and nAra; and the process involves a transformation of consciousness, from the basic sentience and animal instinct of mUlAdhAra cakra to the transcendental wisdom of sahasrAra cakra.

So, how can we make this transformation from the simple “knowing” of jña into the “great knowledge” of prajñA?

It is the operation of Sanskrit itself which provides the clue!

The literal transfiguration from jña to prajñA involves a graduation of consciousness through its various degrees, but (whatever the course) the progression must go via ajña (“forgetting”).

Sanskrit has suggested the absolute necessity of forgetting or unlearning in the quest for ultimate knowledge, and the sages have confirmed this dictum by personal experience.

[Rajalakshmi]

The literal transfiguration from jña to prajñA involves a graduation of consciousness through its various degrees, but (whatever the course) the progression must go via ajña (“forgetting”).



Hello Shri Sarabhanga,

I am a little puzzled as you say this. Isn't this supposed to be AjJa, and not ajJa?

ajJa is ignorance ( or 'forgetting' as you might call it)
AjJa is command, authority, unlimited power, perception.

Isn't through the awakening of AjJa cakra( divya chaxus) that Sri Arjuna was able to perceive the universal form of Atma, where it is known that it is the Atma that is the foundation of all dualty? (that jagat is brahmAtmaka)

It is my impression that it is through AjJa that one gets unlimited command and mastery over all senses and mind, thus enabling one to transcend the individual notion of being a limited jIva and become the universal all pervading consciousness.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Rajalakshmi,

Your comments are quite correct, and they do not conflict with what I have actually said.

In more detail: To attain the prajñA of sahasrAra cakra, one must first gain the prAjñA of AjñA cakra; and, starting from the basic jña of mUlAdhAra cakra, one must pass through the ajña of anAhata cakra before attaining either of the above. And this is the transforming taijasa of IshAna, which is the forgetting and forgiveness of the sacred heart.

[skhandelwal]

Thank you for your advices, more are well welcomed, but here is the deal, this is just the mainstream model, but there are more theories and it is not wise to assume that the mainstream one is right...so which is it and how?

For instance, according to Tantra Chakras, there are 8.
Muladhara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muladhara) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Mūlādhāra) tip of the tailbone, spiritual potential
Swadhisthana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swadhisthana) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Svādhiṣṭhāna) tailbone, unconscious emotion or desire
Manipura (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipura) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Maṇipūra) navel, dynamism
Anahata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anahata) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Anāhata) heart, love based decisions
Vishuddha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishuddha) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Viśuddha) neck, discrimination and wisdom
Ajna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajna) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Ājñā) eyebrow, mind
Bindu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindu) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Bindu) a dot at the back of the head, prayer and Aum
Sahasrara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahasrara) (Sanskrit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit): Sahasrāra) top of head, higher consciousnessAtal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atal) Behari Ghosh (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Behari_Ghosh&action=edit) presents the 6-chakra model but notes that "Opinion is divided as to the number of these cakras; some say that there are 16, and others that there are more.

Btw, hey Rajlakshmi, what do you mean when you said that jagat is brahmAtmaka?

And Sarabhanga, I understand that Kundalini Yoga is a wise method, but just like by doing Bhakti Yoga, one can transcend w/o even knowing, I was interested in some ways to reaching it. So to say, the quickest, easiest, and the most fun way. So this is what I came up w/.....plz, don't disregard this based on my reputation, but give it a noble thought and tell me reasonably if there is anything wrong w/ it...I wrote it earlier, and I'll write again....

Also, eastern mind, you said about getting a strong hold at the first chakra before moving forward...and I gotta say, I agree w/ you...but here is the question, is there really a perfection one can achieve at any chakra? So is each chakra a journey on its own?

The thing is, which irritates me the most is that we see spiritual life as people around us make us see it. We see at as a sacrifice from the flashy life, we see it as a road that is difficult at first, but rewardful atlast. However, although, this maybe a way, it doesn't have to be that way....spiritual life, as I see it, is the most fun thing ever! At every corner, there are new surprises. I love it! When I was searching for the list of yogas, I realized that there are infinite paths to achieve brahman...and I like mine the best. B/c it is the path which requires no self-pity....but really letting it all loose and all explode.

This is the path when you transcend from real-life experience instead of meditation or love.

I have heard each of the saints saying the effects...so it is more of a compilation rather than creation.

1. Muladhara- Naked meditation in darkest, loneliest place in nature...till you become fearless(within a week), can take breaks since you are only suppose to meditate through all night.

2. svadhishthana- Karma Yoga, feeling of accomplishments gives us Taij.(removes self-doubt....ability to reason affectively)

3. manipura- Vipassana Meditation teaches us to continue our awareness throughout horrible times...thus being same in happiness and sadness...the ultimate strength.

4. anahata- Practice art of giving.(removes selfishness)

5. vishuddha- Nidra Yoga(provides clarity)

6. ajna- How do I achieve spiritual powers?

7. sahasrara- How do I connect w/ oneness?

It is not complete yet and I was hoping you guys could help me at it.
Thank you.

[Rajalakshmi]

Namaste Rajalakshmi,

Your comments are quite correct, and they do not conflict with what I have actually said.

In more detail: To attain the prajñA of sahasrAra cakra, one must first gain the prAjñA of AjñA cakra; and, starting from the basic jña of mUlAdhAra cakra, one must pass through the ajña of anAhata cakra before attaining either of the above. And this is the transforming taijasa of IshAna, which is the forgetting and forgiveness of the sacred heart.

Thankyou for the clarification.

[Rajalakshmi]

Btw, hey Rajlakshmi, what do you mean when you said that jagat is brahmAtmaka?


That means Brahman is the Atma of jagat, and jagat has no independent existance or intrinsic nature. This is not evident for ajnAnis who are below the level of AjJa cakra ( or in whom the 'third eye' has not been bestowed).