The Chakra System
The word Chakra is Sanskrit and is pronounced (shu-kruh) though we often pronounce it incorrectly in the West. Chakra comes from two syllables, that when put together, mean circle or wheel. The body and mind are considered to be one system within yogic and ancient Indian philosophies. This is so also in Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Medicine, Hinduism and Jainism. The energy within the chakra system is referred to in many different cultures. The !Kung tribe in Africa refers to Kundalini energy as 'boiling energy'. In the Polynesian Islands as well as Hawaii, the energy is called Mana. In Japan it is referred to as 'ki' and in China as 'chi.' In yogic circles it is called prana, and in the movie, Starwars, "the force." These are all interpretations based on culture and mean essentially the same thing. We are beings teeming with energy, in fact we are energy.
This energy is described in different ways and accessed via different means. In many of the martial arts, Chi Kung or Qi Gong, Karate and Kung Foo, the Ki is accessed. In yoga, we do asana and meditate to access Pran. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Mahamudra outlines many ways to awaken energy for enlightenment. Even the famous psychologist, Carl Jung, knew that the subtle energy within the body followed specific channels, and that one could learn to harness this energy in order to utilize it for higher purposes.
The chakra system is described in different subtle ways by different cultures, just as there are different names for vital energy, but there is agreement upon some primary chakras throughout several cultures. Primarily, the body consists of seven to nine wheels or energetic hubs which act as conduits for the life force to travel through freely. They are:
Mooladhara:1st Chakra also often called the root chakra.
Swadhisthana: 2nd Chakra reproductive parts
Manipura: 3rd Chakra navel
Anahata: 4th Chakra heart
Vishuddha: 5th Chakra throat
Ajna: 6th Chakra eyebrow or forehead
Sahasrāra: 7th Chakra top of head, crown chakra
Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, a yogi and Shinto Priest has conducted research at the California Institute for Human Science regarding the Chakra system. He invented a special machine which can read the subtle energy of the body. It measures the energy by detecting light coming from chakras of yogi masters and by observing changes in skin currents at acupuncture points. Just as the ancient yogis have taught us, when there is a disruption or block in the energetic flow in what Motoyama calls the "circles of light" then there is the possibility for disease to develop. Chakras do not just need to be energized, but balanced, so that energy can flow freely throughout the physical body. The famous Itzah Bentov discusses kundalini in his ground-breaking book, Stalking the wild Pendulum. He says that the effects of Kundalini are caused by nerve impulses that rotate around the cortex of the brain during meditation. In fact, many yogis have purported that different chakras have different associated centers in the brain.
There are many ways to "tone" the chakras, or to clear them. The most powerful, perhaps, is the use of sound. This is why chanting mantra, the use of pure crystal energy bowls, Tibetan Singing Bowls, and the like are utilized in medical settings and not just ashrams. The sound waves created by these specific sound instruments help to clean out the blocked energy and get it flowing along the right paths in the body.
There are said to be over 72,000 nadis, or energy points in the body. The Upanishads teach us that the nadis constitute the subtle or yogic body. Nadi translates to mean conduit, vein, or vessel. A nadi is like an energy center that helps regulate energy in specific parts of the subtle body. The Ida and Pingala nadis are often spoken of in Pranayama practice. For example, Ida is in charge of the left nostril and Pingala, of the right. When we strengthen the general flow of energy through all these nadis, we increase our life force, prana or chi. The chakras are the "super" nadis of the body, situated along the spinal column, also called the fine Chitrini nadi. Each of these chakras helps to regulate certain physical, emotional and psychological traits within us.
Our spiritual evolution depends upon the state of each chakra. Our evolution will happen without our conscious participation, but we can greatly speed up the evolutionary process by conscious awareness as well as with practices such as meditation, yoga asana, pranayama and mantra repetition. We aim to bring our energy from the Mooladhara chakra, the base chakra to the Sahasrara chakra where it is said (in yogic philosophy) enlightenment occurs. Each successive chakra processes energy differently. This energy is often called shakti. When shakti awakens in the lowest chakra it may lie dormant for some time still before it develops enough voltage to rise up to the next chakra. It can reach Swadhisthana, the second chakra and fall back again if the energy is not maintained and balanced for a long enough duration. It is said, however, that once shakti reaches the third chakra, Manipura, it cannot fall back down again. This is why many yogic practices focus on raising the shakti through the lower three chakras and purifying them entirely first.
Furthermore, if the lower three chakras are not purified and one continues to develop energy in the higher chakras, the chance for a "fall" in consciousness is much greater. There is also the possibility of damaging the nervous system if energy is taken too high too fast without purifying the chakras along the way. This is the cause of many symptoms associated with Kundalini awakening when it is practiced without the aid of a teacher or with a haphazard attitude. What can happen is that instead of shakti beginning to rise along the central channel called the sushumna-nadi, it will force itself into either the ida or pingala nadis and cause great havoc within the nervous system, and brain and therefore the rest of the body. The energy is so powerful, it has to find a vein in which to travel, and instead of traveling up the spinal column in a central and balanced path, it heads off to the left or right. Manifestations of this erroneous path taken by shakti can cause immense heat in the body, cold sweats, involuntary, jerky motions of the limbs, discomfort in the organs, and other unpleasant symptoms. When shakti travels up purified chakras along the correct meridian, these symptoms are not experienced. Instead, feelings of great well-being and bliss well up from deep within. As long as daily meditation practice and purification of the body via pranayama and various saucha (purification techniques) are practiced, then shakti can awaken slowly and without causing physical, psychological and emotional damage.
In some cases, yogis speak of siddhis or special "powers" which develop through the development of energy and the purification of specific chakras. Siddhi is Sanskrit for accomplishment or attainment but they are actually considered a hindrance to spiritual development. One is not to dwell upon these gifts, but to see them as a side-effect of the practice. The ultimate goal should still be to reach enlightenment, but many can get caught up with the gifts that come with Kundalini awakening and halt spiritual progress. Some gifts that are said to be developed with Kundalini awakening are psychic ability, bi-location abilities, access to memories from past lives, the ability to manifest upon will, and many others. Many yogis who develop these siddhis wisely use them as a way to further develop their spiritual nature by only utilizing them to help others. There was an old yogi in Nasik City who was said to have the ability to diagnosis any number of physical diseases from cancer to endometriosis just by looking at a person. He could tell if someone had a drug habit, drank or smoked cigarettes. People would line up at his humble abode near a rice patty and ask for his consultation and he did not charge a penny for his services, nor did he accept offerings, knowing that the minute he did so, his 'power' would be taken away. It was in this way that he intended to relieve the masses from their ailments, practicing karma and acting as a bodhisattva - one who aspires to relieve all sentient beings from suffering.
Many systems of chakra science begin with Mooladhara chakra and travel up the spinal column, studying the respective energy centers, but Swami Satyananda Saraswati discusses another perspective wherein the first chakra is considered to be the Ajna Chakra. This is because the Ajna Chakra is a point of confluence for three of the other important energy centers - ida, pingala and sushumna which all merge at the Ajna Chakra. Ajna is a Sanskrit word which means to follow, know or obey. In Vedic scriptures it is also referred to as the bhru chakra, bhruyugamadhyabila, baindawa-sthana, or dwidala.
It is through the perspective (clear or blocked) of the Ajna chakra that we interact with the manifest world. The physical eyes see the past and present, and the 'third-eye' sees the future. This is also called the 'guru' chakra and the 'third eye' chakra. It is the Infinite Space we can experience in this chakra once the thinking mind is quieted. The cessation of thought must first occur prior to full enlightenment. In the Hindu philosophy, the half male, half female deity, Ardhanarishvara, embodying Shiva-Shakti, is the presiding figure over this chakra as she/he represents the overcoming of duality and dualistic thinking.
The Ajna Chakra is located in the brain directly behind the eye-brow center. It is at the very top of the spinal chord and connects inside the brain. The AUM mantra is the seed mantra of this chakra and will help to awaken it.
The next chakra to become familiarized with comes from the word moola meaning 'root.' This is the lower most chakra, that which connects us to the earth and earth needs. Mooladhara chakra resides near the sexual organs in both man and woman. It is contracted in one of the bandhas or locks to re-circulate and balance shakti energy. In order to contract the 'root' bandha one must become familiar with the three contraction points in both the female and male anatomy. In the woman, the first contraction point is called the Sahajoli mudra (located near the clitoris within the vaginal walls and urethra). The second contraction point is called the Moola Bandha, (within the cervix and vaginal muscles) and finally, the third contraction point is called the Ashwini Mudra and is located within the anal wall. for a man, the first point is called Vajroli Mudra, and is located within the penis. The second point is called the Moola bandha, just as in a woman, and is located between the anus and scrotum, or within the perineal body, and finally, the Ashwini mudra, also just as in the woman, and is located within the anal wall.
The Mooladhara Chakra is concerned with the earth element. One can awaken the energy stored in the base or root chakra by utilizing a practice called pratyahara or focusing. Simply take the focus to the tip of the nose (also called Nasikagra Drishti) and keep it there with attention to the breath for as long as possible. This concentration point will help to awaken dormant energy within the Mooladhara chakra. At first, the gazing will be uncomfortable and you will find that you need to look away fairly quickly, but with practice you will be able to gaze longer without discomfort.
In its purest energetic state, the Mooladhara chakra helps us to be in touch with the quality of childlike innocence. We have no prejudices or conditioning when the energy of this chakra is freed. This chakra represents our intuitive ability to interact with the world in a conscious way, without raping it of its resources or forcing our will. Just like babies, we are innocently cared for and nurtured when this energy is purified. This chakra also rules our sexual experience. If we are over-energized here, we will find sexuality is riddled with guilt, anger and other motivations besides love. When the energy is purified and balanced, the sexual experience helps to ground us and our sexual energy can be converted for a longing to merge with the divine.
Following Mooladhara Chakra is Swadhisthana Chakra. This chakra is located at the base of the spinal column, at the tailbone, about two finger widths above the Mooladhara chakra. This chakra is associated with the unconcious and the processing of emotions. This is the seat of sexual desire and to raise kundalini shakti above this point, one must overcome gross sexual desire. This does not mean one must deny or subsume sexual emotion, but have control over it. Kriya Shakti is contained within this chakra. This is the outward physical manifestation of awakened kundalini shakti. This chakra is ruled by water and controls the sexual organs as well as the tongue. When energy in this chakra is balanced, so is the endocrine system as it produces both testosterone and estrogen hormones. This chakra is the tree of life, but also the storehouse for many of our samskaras or negative emotional impressions. Once the energy in this chakra is freed, it releases the emotional patterns we have stored in this energy center also, and we are free to make new, more healthful ways of acting in and perceiving the world. Additional names for Swadhistana chakra from the Tantric tradition are: Adhishthana, Bhima, Shatpatra, Skaddala Padma, Swadhishthana, and Wari Chakra.
Following Swadhistana Chakra is Manipura Chakra, or the place of gems - also referred to as the solar plexus. The seed mantra associated with this chakra is "Ram." Manipura is located near the navel. It controls digestion and is associated with the element of fire. It is from this chakra that we obtain our will-power or Itcha Shakti. This chakra also has a great effect on the endocrine system and rules hormonal regulations within it. The pancreas is ruled by the energy of Manipura as well as the outer adrenal gland and the adrenal cortex within the brain. These glands all produce hormones which help to convert energy and help to aid in digestion. Those with digestive ailments, irritable bowel syndrome and the like need to balance energy in Manipura chakra. This chakra is linked to the pubic and perineal chakras (Mooladhara and Swadhistana chakras) and energy released from the three help to awaken higher yogic consciousness. This chakra also corresponds to the emanation body (Nirmanakaya) in Tibetan Buddhism. Other names for this chakra are Dashachchada, Dashadala Padma, Dashapatra, Dashapatrambuja, Manipura, Manipuraka, Nabhipadma, and Nabhipankaja.
Following manipura Chakra is the Anahata Chakra. Anahata is the chakra of the heart. The fourth chakra is the "unstruck note." It is the vibration of the Higher Self, the endless, fathomless Awareness, the Jivatman or Divine Soul. In the Tantric and Balinese traditions, this is the seat of enlightenment. Greater awareness issues from the heart, not from the head, according to their teachings. Other traditions correlate this chakra to the great central sun, not the sun of our little universe, but at the center of all the universes in the cosmos, the initial seed of light.The Buddhist Tantric tradition calls Anahata the center of the very subtle mind, or the "subtle wind." Anahata rules selfless devotion, the heart and feelings of love toward oneself and all other sentient beings. the vrittis which must be purified to release the great power of this chakra are: lust, fraud, indecision, repentance, hope, anxiety, longing, impartiality, arrogance, incompetence, discrimination and defiance. When we energize and clear this chakra we no longer "love" out of a need to own or control, but truly "love" with absolute selflessness. This is the chakra center which is involved in Bhakti yoga, or devotional yoga, and the fruits realized from practices which aim to open the heart. It is thought that the "wish-fulfilling tree" (kalpa taru or kalpavriksha which is usually a coconut tree in India, but metaphorically represents great bounty) resides within the heart, and that once it has blossomed within this chakra, one is able to manifest anything at all which one desires. Other names for this chakra are: anahata-puri, padma-sundara, dwadasha, dwadashadala, suryasangkhyadala, hrit padma, hritpatra, hritpankeruha, hritsaroruha, hridambhoja, hridambuja, hridabja, hridaya, h'idayambhoja, hridayambuja, hridayasarasija, hridayabja, hridaya kamala, and hritpankaja.
Following Anahata Chakra is the Vishuddha Chakra. The fifth chakra is associated with pure consciousness and creativity. It is located at the neck and is considered the great purifying chakra. It is through this chakra that we determine right and wrong, where we develop our skills of discrimination. This chakra can be directly awakened by practicing jalandhara bandha, vipareeta karani asana, and ujjayi pranayama, all aspects of kriya yoga. Asanas which can be practiced to awaken the dormant energy here are: bhujangasana (cobra pose), sarvangasana (shoulder stand), matsyasana (fish pose), and supta vajrasana. This chakra is directly linked ot the minor Bindu chakra at the top, back part of the skull where both the nectars of poison and enlightenment are said to issue from. When the enrgy in this chakra is circulating and free then negative experience is transformed into wisdom and learning. When this chakra becomes clogged or closed off, death and decay result. The seed syllable (mantra) for this chakra is हं 'haṃ'. Other names for hthis chakra are Akasha, Dwyashtapatrambuja, Kantha, Kanthadesha, Kanthambhoja, Kanthambuja, Kanthapadma, Kanthapankaja, Nirmala-Padma, Shodasha, Shodasha-Dala, Shodasha-Patra, Shodashara, Shodashollasa-Dala, Vishuddha, and Vishuddhi.
Sahasrāra is the final chakra also known as the thousand petalled lotus. The Crown Chakra is the final destination of Kundalini energy in yogic philosophy. The Crown Chakra is located on the top of the head, just above the ears, and covering the very top-most portion of the skull. In Tantra it is called Sahasrara, the great wheel of Bliss. It has other names in other traditions also, but they essentially point to the importance of this chakra, or energy center. The True Sahasrara is located just above the head, within the etheric body, and not the physical body. (1)
Through meditation, we are able to send the dormant energy which lies, physically, at the base of the spine, in Mooladhara Chakra, to the upper most portion of our bodies. When this Kundalini energy passes through the chakras along the spine, it ignites the energy of the corresponding chakras, releasing old emotional wounds called samskaras. Once these wounds have been cleared, new ways of thinking can emerge. A "higher" consciousness then prevails within the person.
In Taoist, Tibetan and Yogic philosophies, it is believed that the essence of a person does not perish at death, only the physical vessel does. When the physical vessel is dying, the essence or spirit of a person leaves via a tiny opening in the top of the head, or the crown. The crown chakra is responsible for our connection to the divine, while the lowest chakra, the mooladhara chakra, is responsible for our basest needs and connection to the earth. When we balance all the chakras between these two we can learn to be in this world but not of it - spirit having a human experience and not a human having a spiritual experience. This is the aim of meditation. It is the aim of higher consciousness. In our most natural state of "being" we are already pure. We are energy manifest without lables or ideology, without hang ups and egoic frameworks within which we stuff everything, as if into a tiny box. Once the crown chakra energy is triggered, we see ourselves as a single consciousness creating all, and paradoxically, thus connected to all, like a dreamer within a dream.
It is in understanding the chakras and their ruling energies that we can better understand the awakening of Shakti or Kundalini energy. Futhermore, kundalini energy leads to altered states of consciousness; the awakening of additional levels of awareness. Itzhak Bentov also writes very clearly about altered states of consciousness. In, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, he uses an apt metaphor to describe the spectrum of realities one can tune into. He compares consciousness to listening to a radio. When we drive around on a Saturday afternoon, listening to the radio, the closest station broadcasting on a certain frequency is the one we are able to listen to, but there are many stations broadcasting on that frequency that we do not hear because of the noise of the one broadcasting that is closest to us (or the power of their signal). If we can selectively turn down the volume of that local station (or our physical consciousness), and turn up the volume of other stations we can identify broadcasts that generally go unobserved.(2)
Is it possible that we human beings have the capacity to be great radio receivers, and tune into different wavelengths of consciousness? A study of electrostatic charge on electrically-isolated meditators revealed that “exceptional meditators can produce large surges in bodily electrostatic energy. The experiment compared 10 average meditators with 9 "'exceptional'" meditators (healers) in a Copper Wall Lab designed to electrically isolate the subjects from the ground. To detect electrostatic potential each meditator's body and the walls were "floated" on single-ended electrometer inputs. In 45 minute sessions, no body-potential surges reached 4 volts in the regular meditators, but in sessions with the healers surges ranged from 4 volts to 221 volts (with a median of 8.3 volts). When measuring the body-potential surges of the healers during a healing session, surges were recorded ranging from 4 volts to 190 volts. At the high end of this spectrum the surges are 105 times greater than EKG voltages and 106 times larger than EEG voltages, a phenomenon that can not be accounted for by any presently known biological processes.” (Elmer E.Green, Ph.D.)
It seems these same electrical currents or energetic currents can be measured in the subtle body. This is the part of our body which is beyond our physical being. You can imagine the subtle body as a gradation of the physical body which is less dense, much like a gas differs from a solid. The more you extend the subtle body away from the physical body the less dense the energy. In many traditions the cubtle body is divided into four further layers to help describe the qualities of each level. These are also called the four vertical or astral planes. The subtle body is also thought to be where all memories from previous incarnations are stored. It is in these planes that we tap into the Universal Consciousness or storehouse of wisdom – the collective wisdom.
To understand the subtle body and the effects of energy on this portion of our being, we can look into a field of science called plasma metaphysics. It is in the theories of this science that we can begin to understand how the human body acts as a radio receiver. More than 90% of the Universe is composed of dark matter and energy. Dark Matter is studied by astrophysicists and is just beginning to be understood. It is a certain type of matter found in the universe which is of unknown composition (although postulated to be neutrinos, or elementary particles which travel at a speed similar to the speed of light. They are able to pass through ordinary matter without disturbing it and are almost impossible to detect), and unknown origin (though it is thought to be from black holes). It does not emit or reflect electromagnetic radiation in high enough voltages to be observed directly. Interestingly though, its presence is inferred from gravitational effects on matter we can see and observe, like stars, planets and known elements. Dark matter is found in our own galaxies and others. Our very own sun and moon interact with dark matter as well as the earth. Dark matter particles rain down on our planet every day. So what does this have to do with the subtle body? All objects on earth, including our own bodies contain dark matter also. The subtle body is often called a bio-plasma body as it sticks around even after the death of our physical body. Current scientists are calling the subtle body the bio-plasma body, ancient Egyptians called it the Ka, and ancient Indians called it the Pranamayakosha or Energy Body. In space, an electrical discharge occurrs when a sudden release of stored electrical or magnetic energy ensues after an electromagnetic stress exceeds some threshold. In our bodies, the same electrical discharge happens in conjecture with our brain and spinal column which opens up higher states of awareness. Recall that scientists call the subtle body the bio-plasma body. Our subtle bodies are composed of magnetic plasma or "magma" which generates filamentary currents that are also found in space plasma and the low density magnetic plasma spheres that interpenetrate Earth. Space plasma is just a low-density gas in which atoms are ionized or charged but maintain an overall neutrality. Our universe is 99% plasma. (3)
Plasma metaphysics asserts that the biomolecular body (carbon based body, not plasma-based body, or our physical body) has a heating center or “magma center” which creates energy for the subtle body which is near the lower abdomen area or the first and second chakras. This core of energy is often called the base of Kundalini or the coiled serpent. It is the innate fire at the core of our being which has the capacity to interpret energies at much higher levels than our physical bodies. The great scientific studies involving master meditators and healers are showing that these people have learned how to evolve their nervous systems to a degree that the physical body is able to interpret greater amounts of what the etheric or subtle bodies interpret on a regular basis.
The real meaning of expanding our consciousness is realizing that our cerebrospinal nervous system can adapt and evolve enough to tune into other realities happening simultaneously with the reality we currently experience. The matrix of energy we are tuned in to now is just a result of our current spiritual evolution. It turns out that our spiritual evolution is not an esoteric practice of haphazard means, but a physical, intellectual and cosmic process that mimics some of the same patterns in the creation of Universes – indeed the very energetic exchanges that happen between dark matter and other matter. According to Osho, a modern mystic, the use of wooden platforms during meditation in ancient Indian practice, had no other purposes than that the planks were poor conductors of electricity. Deer and leopard skins were also frequently used for the same purpose: so that electromagnetic energy that is released during meditation does not damage the internal organs of the physical-biomolecular body. "A man can be killed by this electric shock," said Osho. "Therefore, the sadhak [or Yoga practitioner] put on wooden sandals and slept on a wooden platform."(4)
The sheer magnitude of power which Osho suggets is the main reason that many Kundalini experiences are accompanied by hot flashes, and sometimes agonizing physical and mental pains. The physical body is not yet ready to handle the same energy as the subtle body. We can tune our stations to a higher frequency, as Bentov suggests, but this is why systematic yoga and meditation with a skilled teacher is imperative. When we start to open energy channels that have been closed for a very long time, we are opening a superhighway to higher realms. It is best not to get run over by a MAC truck of energy by practicing haphazardly.
More on the Subtle Body
Pranayama or controlled breathing is one of the most effective ways to direct energy within the Chakras. It has a profound effect on not just the major energy channels but in the minor channels as well. In the yogic philosohy, the human being is compose dof much more than just the physical body that we can poke and prod on an oeprating table, or kiss and hug in the bedrrom. The human organism has other aspects or dimensions called 'sheaths' and can be seen as layers of gross to finer energy. The most common sheaths are divided up as such:
1. Annamaya kosha
2. Manomaya kosha
3. Pranayama kosha
4. Vijnanamaya kosha
5. Anandamaya kosha
These five sheaths work in tandem to form a collective whole within the subtler realms of energy analysis. (5) The first sheath, the Annamaya kosha is the material body. You can think of the adage, "you are what you eat" to get a general idea of this aspect of the energetic self. According to Swami Krishnananda, "This annamaya sheath or good sheath is made up of the five elements. It has a beginning and an end. It is inert and full of parts. It is an effect of the five elements. It is full of impurities. Therefore you are not this physical body or the Annamaya sheath. You are the witness of this body. Understand, therefore, "I am not the body. I am Brahman." Henry Miller also made an eloquent observation about the physical aspect of the body, "Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense." It is when we look beyond the physical body that we can sense the greater wisdom that the pranic body contains.
The second sheath is the Manomaya kosha or mental body. It is a product of Sattwa Guna - one of the many gunas (thought habits) which control the organism. Within this sheath is housed all the dominant emotional and thought patterns that comprise one’s personality. Our feelings, stimuli and responses to situations, thoughts and actions spring from this sheath. The strength or weakness of this sheath decides whether a person is emotional or unemotional, easily or uneasily moved, gross or sensitive. Much of our personality is created from this level.
The third sheath is called Pranayama kosha and, sure to its name, it has to do with the pranic body and where the energy body is thus established. Within this sheath, all the prana vayus (breaths of energy), the nadis, the energy channels, including the chakras, and energy centers are established. It is called the vital sheath because it is these energy centers which maintain our health in the physical body. All dis-ease happens within the energetic body before it ever manifests in the physical body. This hseath is also the bridge between the gross (physical) and more subtle aspects of the human organism. Learning how to utilize the breath is so important becasue it directly affects the Pranayama kosha.
The fourth sheath is called the Vijnanamaya kosha. It is the intellectual aspect of the self. It is not the mind which functions as a stimulus/response mechanism, but one which is able to have discernment at this level. It is from this level that we are able to see the bigger picture and not just see ourselves as a seperate indivual. This is the level of cognition, conditioning or de-conditioning of one’s core beliefs, the most deeply rooted of which is the ‘I’ concept. In Sanskrit this is referred to as the ‘aham’, from which springs the word ‘ahamkara’. It is within this sheath that the ego is dismantled.
The fifth sheath is called Anandamaya kosha. This is the level of bliss obtained by fewer individuals in human history, but more as we progress as a collective conciousness deciding on peace, love and harmony as an organism. It is in this kosha that "enlightenment" occurs. In the Vedantic philosphies it is the most subtle form of awarenss that there is. Here is where the veils of Atman are lifted. the spiritual soul and Buddhi principle are formed within this sheath. In the Kabbalah and the Vedas, this idea of the Buddhi principle is elaborated upon. It essentially means the vehicle (consciousness) of pure universal spirit.
(1) Swami Satyananda Saraswati in Kundalini Tantra, Yoga Publication Trust, Munger, Bihar, India.
(2) Itzhak Bentov, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, on the Mechanics of Consciousness, Bantam Books: 1977.
(3) Anthony L. Peratt, Physics of the Plasma Universe, Springer Verlag EnglishTranslation: 1992.
(4) Osho, The Book of Understanding, Random House, Inc.: 2006.
(5) Swami Satyanada Sarawati, Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha: Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India 1996.
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© 2007-8 Christina Sarich www.youryogahale.com
YOGA HALE
Yoga: Sanskrit Word Meaning, to Yoke Oneself to God Hale: Hawaiian Word for House
"As one opens the door with a key, so the yogi should open the gate to liberation with the kundalini. The great goddess sleeps, closing with her mouth, the opening through which one can ascend to the brahmarandhra. . .to that place where there is neither pain nor suffering. The kundalini sleeps above the kanda. . .she gives liberation to the yogi and bondage to the fool. He who knows kundalini, knows yoga. The kundalini, it is said, is coiled like a serpent. he who can induce her to move is liberated." Hatha Yoga Pradipika (ch. 3 v. 105-111)
