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heartfully
22 November 2009, 01:54 PM
Namaste!

I always thought that the dot many Hindus put on their forehead is to define a caste. Then I was reading about how the this dot actually symbolizes the third eye. Could someone clarify on this for me?

Also, what is used to make the dot on the forehead? Is there a certain material used?

I have a couple other questions, but I'll post them all separately since they are all different topics.

Om Shanti!
<3fully

sambya
23 November 2009, 12:04 AM
the material used to put that dot differs with different sampradays or sects . vaishnavs often use sandal paste , kumkum powder or holy clay from dwaraka city . shaivas use ashes from sacrificial fire made into a paste by adding water and kumkum . shaktas use vermillion(sindoor) powder , red sandal paste or ashes and kumkum .

the shape and size depends on a number of factors like location , sampradaya etc .

heartfully
23 November 2009, 05:10 AM
Namaste! Thanks! I want to learn more about the ingredients used (what these different pastes, etc., are made of. Hoping Google helps me do that. Do you have any websites you'd recommend learning about this ritual? What about online stores where the pastes, etc., can be purchased?

Love from my
heart

heartfully
23 November 2009, 08:36 AM
is it a symbol of the third eye? where can i learn more about what the different shapes and sizes are? this is all asked because of some insights around the third eye.

with love from my
<3


the material used to put that dot differs with different sampradays or sects . vaishnavs often use sandal paste , kumkum powder or holy clay from dwaraka city . shaivas use ashes from sacrificial fire made into a paste by adding water and kumkum . shaktas use vermillion(sindoor) powder , red sandal paste or ashes and kumkum .

the shape and size depends on a number of factors like location , sampradaya etc .

sambya
23 November 2009, 10:34 AM
according to tanntra there is a latent energy hidden within the body known as kundalini which must be awaken if we are to attain enlightment . google kundalini n u shall find scores of reading material .

according to this theory there are seven chakras or point within the body through which this awakened energy passes before finally reaching the top of the skull which signifies the final liberation . one of such chakras is between the two eyebrows . when this energy reaches upto this level the person experiences direct communion with god . hence this place between third eyes is said to be the gyana-netra or the eye of wisdom .

a yogi is also supposed to concemtrate on the divine with hid mind fixed on the area between the two eyes . hence this place is often marked with a tilak or tika .

broadly there are two types of tilaks--urdhapundra (two vertical lines running uowards through the forehead) and the tripundra(three horizaontal lines running through the forehead . it varies with sects .

nowadays the bhasma(ashes from sacrificial fire) is readily available in market . some r even perfumed . the dwaraka clay is also sold by iskcon shops and other outlets . sandal wood can be purchased in form of a block of wood(which has to be rubbed over a slab of stone to get the desired paste) or in the modern form of powder (which can be mixed with water to get the paste) .

however i do not know of any online sites which i can refer to u . try to goggle out and see if theres any(should be) . u can also try some of the indian temples that exists in ur country. they might be having a sales counter with these common goods .....

yajvan
23 November 2009, 11:14 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namast&#233;

heartfully wrote,

I always thought that the dot many Hindus put on their forehead is to define a caste. Then I was reading about how the this dot actually symbolizes the third eye. Could someone clarify on this for me?


You may find this post helps:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=26469&postcount=24 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=26469&postcount=24)

Also in this string Customs and Traditions, you will find some of the answers to the following : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3656

Why light a lamp (dīpa दीप) ?
Why bow (namaskāra नमस्कार) or namas by word or gesture to another ?
Why do many wear a mark ( tilaka तिलक) on the forehead i.e. vibhūtiḥ (sacred ash) , kuṁkum (power for red dot) etc.
Why do we offer food (naivedya नैवेद्य) to the Supreme first, before eating?
Why do many circumambulate ( pradākṣiṇā प्रदाक्शिणा) i.e. walk clockwise around a temple, holy place, or even turn-round the axis of of selves?
Why is it traditional to say peace ( śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ शान्तिः ) 3 times?
Why do we ring a bell (ghaṇtā घण्ता) ?
Why meditate at the junctions (sandhyā or saṁdhyā संधि) of the day i.e. dawn, dusk , etc? praṇām

heartfully
23 November 2009, 03:49 PM
Namaste! Very cool links you gave me; I'm just starting to look at them and I thank you for taking the time to show me where to find all this info. Its great for someone like me who is just starting out.

With love,
heart-full


hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté

heartfully wrote,


You may find this post helps:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=26469&postcount=24 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=26469&postcount=24)

Also in this string Customs and Traditions, you will find some of the answers to the following : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3656
Why light a lamp (dīpa दीप) ?
Why bow (namaskāra नमस्कार) or namas by word or gesture to another ?
Why do many wear a mark ( tilaka तिलक) on the forehead i.e. vibhūtiḥ (sacred ash) , kuṁkum (power for red dot) etc.
Why do we offer food (naivedya नैवेद्य) to the Supreme first, before eating?
Why do many circumambulate ( pradākṣiṇā प्रदाक्शिणा) i.e. walk clockwise around a temple, holy place, or even turn-round the axis of of selves?
Why is it traditional to say peace ( śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ शान्तिः ) 3 times?
Why do we ring a bell (ghaṇtā घण्ता) ?
Why meditate at the junctions (sandhyā or saṁdhyā संधि) of the day i.e. dawn, dusk , etc? praṇām

heartfully
23 November 2009, 03:54 PM
Thanks for all this info. It has helped me understand it a lot better. One question, when you say ashes from the sacrificial fire, I recently learned that some Shaktis do animal sacrifice. Is there a way to know I am not getting anything that is made from that kind of sacrifice? I'm a bigtime animal rights advocate and vegetarian so the idea of putting ashes of an animal on me is something I want to avoid.

With Love,
Heart-full


according to tanntra there is a latent energy hidden within the body known as kundalini which must be awaken if we are to attain enlightment . google kundalini n u shall find scores of reading material .

according to this theory there are seven chakras or point within the body through which this awakened energy passes before finally reaching the top of the skull which signifies the final liberation . one of such chakras is between the two eyebrows . when this energy reaches upto this level the person experiences direct communion with god . hence this place between third eyes is said to be the gyana-netra or the eye of wisdom .

a yogi is also supposed to concemtrate on the divine with hid mind fixed on the area between the two eyes . hence this place is often marked with a tilak or tika .

broadly there are two types of tilaks--urdhapundra (two vertical lines running uowards through the forehead) and the tripundra(three horizaontal lines running through the forehead . it varies with sects .

nowadays the bhasma(ashes from sacrificial fire) is readily available in market . some r even perfumed . the dwaraka clay is also sold by iskcon shops and other outlets . sandal wood can be purchased in form of a block of wood(which has to be rubbed over a slab of stone to get the desired paste) or in the modern form of powder (which can be mixed with water to get the paste) .

however i do not know of any online sites which i can refer to u . try to goggle out and see if theres any(should be) . u can also try some of the indian temples that exists in ur country. they might be having a sales counter with these common goods .....

sm78
24 November 2009, 12:40 AM
Thanks for all this info. It has helped me understand it a lot better. One question, when you say ashes from the sacrificial fire, I recently learned that some Shaktis do animal sacrifice. Is there a way to know I am not getting anything that is made from that kind of sacrifice? I'm a bigtime animal rights advocate and vegetarian so the idea of putting ashes of an animal on me is something I want to avoid.

With Love,
Heart-full

You can be quiet sure that any ashes from a sacrifice will not contain animal ash. Only some archaic shrauta rituals involve animal sacrifice in the fire which have not been performed for god know how many centuries - and certainly not for *manufacturing* ash (it won't be cost effective).

On a side-note shakta animal sacrifice is called pasu-bali and does not involve offering animal meat to the homa fire - it is simply cooked and eaten by the devotees after the pooja like normal meat.

sambya
24 November 2009, 02:25 AM
as saikat mitra said , you can be sure that such ashes does not contain animal remains . the vedic animal scarifices in fire are not practiced in modern times . those customs have died out long back . the only form of animal sacrifice that is performed today is by some shakta practitioners and some tantrics who 'offer' the animals by decapitation and not through fire .

heartfully
24 November 2009, 04:00 AM
Namaste! Thanks for the reassurance. The reason I brought it up is my devotion to the Divine Feminine.

With Love from,
Heart-Full

heartfully
24 November 2009, 01:43 PM
One more question. I read in some cultures, Muslim women also use this mark on the forehead and I'm wondering why. Do Muslims have an opinion about chakras and the mystical ways of viewing the third eye?

love,
heartful

yajvan
24 November 2009, 04:05 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namast&#233; heartfully,

It is nice to see your interest regarding āj&#241;ā cakra .
I think this post will give you some additional information you may find of use. http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2227&highlight=ajna
Nothing to do with your specific question on muslim's , but much to do with āj&#241;ā.

Also an appreciation of the following may be of value:

ॐललाटाक्षायनमः
oṁ lalāṭākṣāya namaḥ - oṁ I bow (salutations) to lalāṭākṣā
Lalāṭākṣā is lalāṭa + akṣāya; lalāṭa ललाट is the forehead, some say the brow; akṣa or akśa अक्ष is the eye; also it’s a seed; it is also considered the beam of a balance or string which holds the pivot of the beam; and this akśa is also a measure of weight.
When people think of akṣa many times it is associated with rudrākśa (rudra + akśa) as the tear of Śiva . There is also another slightly different view held; that rudrākśa are the eyes of Śiva. How so?
Rudra रुद्र- we know as crying , howling , roaring , dreadful , terrific , terrible , horrible; yet this rudra is also red , shining , glittering from its root rud or rudh. Add in akṣa as we know as eye and one can also conclude rudrākśa are the eyes of Śiva.

In this mantra Śiva is being hailed as He who has an eye (akṣa) in the forehead (lalāṭa). This location is consider aj&#241;acakra. This āj&#241;a means command, and is known as the 3rd eye.

From this HDF post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=24724&postcount=11 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=24724&postcount=11)

praṇām