Chakra

File:Chakras3.gif

Modern depiction of one Western model of seven chakras in the human body.

Chakra (from Sanskrit meaning circle or wheel) is a widely used concept in Indian philsophy, religion, and politics that underpins many systems and spiritual energy practices, religious observance and personal discipline. Within Indian yoga, the chakra is seen as centers of energy. Chakra are commonly described as energy centers in the body located at major branchings of the human nervous system, beginning at the base of the spinal column and moving upward to the top of the skull. Chakras are considered to be a point or nexus of metaphysical and/or biophysical energy of the human body.

The concept of Chakra are often treated in different ways, depending on the cultural context. In Chinese medicine, traditional chakra locations correspond to acupuncture points. In some Eastern thought, chakras are considered to be gradations of consciousness and reflect states of the soul—these systems rely less on proof than on experience (under the assumption that 'proving' the existence of chakras is asking to 'prove' the existence of the thought process). A mystic may deal with chakra as a model for their internal and external experience, and when talking about 'energy centers', may be talking about subtle electromagnetic forces which connect to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of a person.

Etymology

The English word chakra is derived from the Sanskrit cakraṃ चक्रं meaning "wheel" or "circle". More generally, the term refers to circular objects or formations, and Apte provides 23 different definitions for cakram used as a noun. Examples include "discus" (a type of divine weapon, particularly associated with the god Vishnu), a potter's wheel, a form of military array, etc.

Bhattacharyya's review of Tantric history says that the word chakra is used to mean several different things in the Sanskrit sources:

1. "Circle," used in a variety of senses, symbolizing endless rotation of shakti.
2. A circle of people. In rituals there are different cakra-sādhanā in which adherents assemble and perform rites. According to the Niruttaratantra, chakras in the sense of assemblies are of 5 types.
3. The term chakra also is used to denote yantras or mystic diagrams, variously known as trikoṇa-cakra, aṣṭakoṇa-cakra, etc.
4. Different "nerve plexi within the body."

In Buddhist literature the Sanskrit term cakra (Pali cakka) is used in a different sense of "circle," referring to a Buddhist conception of the 4 circles or states of existence in which gods or men may find themselves.

"A chakra is a center of activity that receives, assimilates, and expresses life force energy. The word chakra literally translates as wheel or disk and refers to a spinning sphere of bioenergetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching forward from the spinal column. There are six of these wheels stacked in a column of energy that spans from the base of the spine to the middle of the forehead. And the seventh which is beyond the physical region. It is the six major chakras that correlate with basic states of consciousness."

History

Judith (1996: p.5) outlines that:

"The chakra system originated in India more than four thousand years ago. Chakras were referred to in the ancient literature of the Vedas, the later Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and most thoroughly in the 16th century by an Indian yogi in a text called the Sat-Chakra-Nirupana. In the 1920s, chakras were brought to the West by Arthur Avalon with his book, The Serpent Power."

What is construed as the New Age movement, and to some degree the distinctly different New Thought movement, has adopted and developed the chakra meme.

Chakrology is a neologism sometimes employed by Alternative Medicine practitioners or esoteric philosophers for the study of chakras. There are many different chakrologies, some of them based on ancient Indian Hindu Tantric esoteric traditions, New Age interpretations, or Western occult analyses, as well as ancient Greek and Christian references.

There are numerous traditional and modern models of the chakra system of the human subtle energetic body. As the system is subtle, these differences may co-exist and be perceived as foregrounding and backgrounding different qualities or attributes for specific reasons or purposes rather than perceived as vying for ascendancy. That said, the bodymind is a system, refer systems theory and no chakra is supreme. Chakra work in dialogue and in relationship to each other and that is how Ayurvedic Medicine energetic interplay which is directly comparable to the human endocrine system and how different glands chemically signal and communicate to each other.

Hindu model

In Hinduism, the concept of chakras is part of a complex of ideas related to esoteric anatomy. These ideas occur most often in the class of texts that are called Āgamas or Tantras. This is a large body of scripture, most of which is rejected by orthodox Brahmins.

There are many variations on these concepts in the Sanskrit source texts. In earlier texts there are various systems of chakras and nadis, with varying connections between them. Various traditional sources list 5, 6, 7, or 8 chakras. Over time, one system of 6 or 7 chakras along the body's axis became the dominant model, adopted by most schools of yoga. This particular system may have originated in about the 11th century C.E., and rapidly became widely popular. It is in this model where Kundalini is said to "rise" upward, piercing the various centers until reaching the crown of the head, resulting in union with the Divine.

This is the conventional arrangement cited by Monier-Williams, where the chakras are defined as "6 in number, one above the other".

Atal Behari Ghosh 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."

The Hindu sadhana of Laya yoga works with the chakra system.

Tantric model

The chakras are described in the tantric texts the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, and the Padaka-Pancaka , in which they are described as emanations of consciousness from Brahman, an energy emanating from the spiritual which gradually turns concrete, creating these distinct levels of chakras, and which eventually finds its rest in the Muladhara chakra. They are therefore part of an emanationist theory, like that of the Kabbalah in the west, lataif-e-sitta in Sufism or Neo-platonism. The energy that was unleashed in creation, called the Kundalini, lies coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. It is the purpose of the tantric or kundalini forms of yoga to arouse this energy, and cause it to rise back up through the increasingly subtler chakras, until union with God is achieved in the Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.

The Tantric sadhana of Laya yoga works with the chakra system.

The tantric chakras

Tantra (Shakta or Shaktism) describes eight primary inner chakras:

1. Muladhara (Sanskrit: Mūlādhāra) tip of the tailbone, spiritual potential
2. Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: Svādhiṣṭhāna) tailbone, unconscious emotion or desire
3. Manipura (Sanskrit: Maṇipūra) navel, dynamism
4. Anahata (Sanskrit: Anāhata) heart, love based decisions
5. Vishuddha (Sanskrit: Viśuddha) neck, discrimination and wisdom
6. Ajna (Sanskrit: Ājñā) eyebrow, mind
7. Bindu (Sanskrit: Bindu) a dot at the back of the head, prayer and Aum
8. Sahasrara (Sanskrit: Sahasrāra) top of head, higher consciousness

Vajrayana and Tantric Buddhist model

According to contemporary buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku, the heart chakra is very important for the feeling of existential fulfillment.

A result of energetic imbalance between chakras is an almost continuous feeling of dissatisfaction. When the heart chakra is agitated, people lose touch with feelings and sensations, and that breeds the sense of dissatisfaction. That leads to looking outside for fulfillment.

When people live in their heads, feelings are secondary, they are interpretations of mental images that are fed back to the individual. When awareness is focused on memories of past experiences and mental vocalizations, the energy flow to the head chakra increases and the energy flow to the heart chakra lessens. Without nurturing feelings of the heart a subtle form of anxiety arises which results in the self reaching out for experience.

When the throat chakra settles and energy is distributed evenly between the head and the heart chakras, one is able to truly contact one's senses and touch real feelings.

Chögyal Namkai Norbu Rinpoche teaches a version of the Six Lokas sadhana which works with the chakra system.

Bön model

Chakras, as pranic centers of the body, according to the Himalayan Bönpo tradition, influence the quality of experience, because movement of prana can not be separated from experience. Each of six major chakras are linked to experiential qualities of one of the six realms of existence.

A modern teacher, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche uses a computer analogy: main chakras are like hard drives. Each hard drive has many files. One of the files is always open in each of the chakras, no matter how "closed" that particular chakra may be. What is displayed by the file shapes experience.

The tsa lung practices such as those embodied in Trul Khor lineages open channels so lung (Lung is a Tibetan term cognate with prana or qi) may move without obstruction. Yoga opens chakras and evokes positive qualities associated with a particular chakra. In the hard drive analogy, the screen is cleared and a file is called up that contains positive, supportive qualities. A seed syllable (Sanskrit bija) is used both as a password that evokes the positive quality and the armor that sustains the quality.

Tantric practice eventually transforms all experience into bliss. The practice liberates from negative conditioning and leads to control over perception and cognition.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche teaches a version of the Six Lokas sadhana which works with the chakra system.

Chinese models

Traditional Chinese medicine also relies on a similar model of the human body as an energy system, except that it involves the circulation of qi energy , rather than a simple ascent as in kundalini yoga.

In the circuit of qi, called the microcosmic orbit, energy also comes back down the front torso channel (equivalent to the nadis of Hatha yoga), and enters the tan tiens: when it returns to the heart (and cycles down and reascends to the head) further meditation/contemplation or union with deity develops. In macrocosmic orbit, the qi is also guided through the main channels in the limbs.

With the front tan tiens (autonomic plexuses to organs/glands) branching from cerebrospinal chakras) and two levels of a vitality triangle on/in the back (spleen and behind a 'belly chakra/tantien', and by the arm-nadi branch) on the back, there are 7 (or 8) chakra spots outside the cerebrospinal nadis.^{[citation needed]}

Common currency and popular models

The chakras are described as being aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. In New Age practices, each chakra is often associated with a certain color. In various traditions chakras are associated with multiple physiological functions, an aspect of consciousness, a classical element, and other distinguishing characteristics. They are visualized as lotuses/flowers with a different number of petals in every chakra.

The chakras are thought to vitalize the physical body and to be associated with interactions of a physical, emotional and mental nature. They are considered loci of life energy or prana, also called shakti, qi (Chinese; ki in Japanese), coach-ha-guf (Hebrew), bios (Greek) and aether (English), which is thought to flow among them along pathways called nadis. The function of the chakras is to spin and draw in this energy to keep the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance.

The New Age movement has led to an increased interest in the West regarding chakras. Many in this movement point to a correspondence between the position and role of the chakras and those of the glands in the endocrine system. These ideas first appear in the writings of theosophical authors like C. W. Leadbeater, who wrote a book on the Chakras.

The seven principal chakras are said by some to reflect how the unified consciousness of humanity (the immortal human being or the soul), is divided to manage different aspects of earthly life (body/instinct/vital energy/deeper emotions/communication/having an overview of life/contact to God). The chakras are placed at differing levels of spiritual subtlety, with Sahasrara at the top being concerned with pure consciousness, and Muladhara at the bottom being concerned with matter, which is seen simply as crudified consciousness.

Hesychastic centers of prayer

Hesychasm specifies four centers:

1. Cerebrofrontal centre: Positioned between the eyebrows (compare with Ajna).
2. Buccolaryngeal centre.
3. Pectoral centre: Positioned in the upper and median region of the chest.
4. Cardiac centre: Positioned near the upper part of the heart (compare with Anahata).

In the Hesychastic Tradition (and Christian Ascetical Theology as well ) the ascetical methods and meditation which lead to an inner Knowledge of the Heart are often referred as Cardiognosis

Western derivative models and interpretations

File:Seven chakras.jpg

The seven chakras and the five elements in Tantra. Origin : art galleries/chakras.htm Chakras Images Database

The first western reference on chakra commonly accepted by modern scholars is from a disciple of Jakob Böhme namely Johann Georg Gichtel. Gichtel, in his book Theosophia Practica (1696), directly refer to inner force centers which are strictly related with eastern chakra doctrines . Anyway it is the shakta theory of 7 main chakras that many people in the West adhere to, largely thanks to a translation of two Indian texts, the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, and the Padaka-Pancaka, by Sir John Woodroffe, alias Arthur Avalon, in a book entitled The Serpent Power. This book is extremely detailed and complex, and later the ideas were developed into what is predominant western view of the Chakras by the Theosophists, and largely the controversial (in theosophical circles) C. W. Leadbeater in his book The Chakras, which are in large part his own meditations and insights on the matter.

Rudolf Steiner (one-time Theosophist, and founder of Anthroposophy) says much about the Chakras that is unusual, especially that the chakra system is dynamic and evolving and is very different for modern people than it was in ancient times, and will in turn be radically different in future times. In contrast to the traditional eastern teachings, Steiner describes a sequence of development from the top down rather than the bottom up. This is the so called 'Christos Path' which has not always been available to humanity. He also seems to ignore the Thousand Petaled at the crown of the head and mentions cryptically an Eight Petaled chakra located between the Ten Petaled and the Six Petaled. In his book How to Know Higher Worlds Steiner gives clear instructions on how to develop the chakras safely into maturity. These are more like life disciplines than exercises and can take considerable time. He warns that while quicker methods exist, they can be dangerous to one's health, character, or sanity.

Many New Age writers, such as the Danish author and musician Peter Kjærulff in his book, The Ringbearer's Diary or Anodea Judith in her book Wheels of Life, have written their opinions about the chakras in great detail, including the reasons for their appearance and functions.

Additionally, some chakra system models describe one or more Transpersonal chakras above the crown chakra, and an Earth star chakra below the feet. There are also held to be many minor chakras, for example between the major chakras.

Chakras and the endocrine system

The primary importance and level of existence of chakras is posited to be in the psyche. However, there are those who believe that chakras have a physical manifestation as well. ^{[citation needed]} Some authors allege that there is a relationship between the positions and functions of the chakras, and of the various organs of the endocrine system (Sivananda 1953). It is noted by many that there is a marked similarity between the positions and roles described for chakras, and the positions and roles of the glands in the endocrine system, and also by the positions of the nerve ganglia (also known as "plexuses") along the spinal cord (branching to plexuses by endocrine glands or organs), opening the possibility that two vastly different systems of conceptualization have been brought to bear to systematize insights about the same phenomenon. By some, chakras are thought of as having their physical manifestation in the body as these glands, and their subjective manifestation as the associated emotional, mental and spiritual experiences. ^{[citation needed]}. However, as there are important organs located at virtually any point in the body, the correspondence of certain biological systems or organs with the traditional locations of chakras is unsurprising and may be considered inevitable.

A popular chakra model

Sahasrara

Sahasrara or the crown chakra is generally considered to be the chakra of consciousness. Its role may be envisioned somewhat similar to that of the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones to communicate to the rest of the endocrine system and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness. Symbolized by a lotus with nine hundred seventy-two petals, it is located above the head outside the body.

Ajna

Ajna (along with Bindu, either or both are considered to correspond to the third eye) is linked to the pineal gland which may inform a model of its envisioning. Ajna is held as the chakra of time, awareness and of light. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland that produces the hormone melatonin which regulates sleep and awakening. Symbolized by a lotus with two petals.

(Note: some opine that the pineal and pituitary glands should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and Brow chakras, based on the description in Arthur Avalon's book on kundalini called Serpent Power or empirical research.)

Vishuddha

Vishuddha (also Vishuddhi) or the throat chakra may be envisioned as relating to communication and growth, growth being a form of expression. This chakra is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth and maturation. Symbolized by a lotus with sixteen petals.

Anahata

Anahata or the heart chakra is related to complex emotion, compassion, love, equilibrium and well-being. It is related to the thymus, located in the chest. The thymus is an element of the immune system as well as being part of the endocrine system. It produces T cells responsible for fending off disease and may be adversely affected by stress. Symbolized by a lotus with twelve petals. See also heartmind.

Manipura/Nabhi

Manipura (also Nabhi) or the solar plexus chakra is related to the transition from simple or base to complex emotion, energy, assimilation and digestion, and is held to correspond to the roles played by the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands, the adrenal cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. Symbolized by a lotus with ten petals.

Swadhisthana

Swadhisthana or the sacral^{[citation needed]} chakra is located in the groin^{[citation needed]} and is related to base emotion, sexuality and creativity. This chakra is considered to correspond to the testicles or the ovaries that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle which may cause dramatic mood swings. Symbolized by a lotus with six petals.

Muladhara

Muladhara or the base or root chakra is related to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. This centre is located in the region between the genitals and the anus. Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to relate to the inner adrenal glands, the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight and flight response when survival is under threat. In this region is located a muscle that controls ejaculation in the sexual act in the human male. A parallel is charted between the sperm cell and the ovum where the genetic code lies coiled and the kundalini. Symbolized by a lotus with four petals.

The following table sets forth some of the properties generally associated with each chakra:

Chakra	Color	Primary Functions	Associated Element	Location	Open or Balance	Foods	Symbol
Crown sahasrāra, सहस्रार	white or violet; may assume color of dominant chakra	Union, Bliss, Sense of empathy	space / thought	Top of the head	Meditation, guided visualization, energy, work	Air, Incense and Smudging Herbs
Third eye ājñā, आज्ञा	indigo	Direct perception, intuition, imagination, visualization, concentration, Self-mastery, Extra Sensory Perception	time / light	Between the eyebrows.	Meditation, guided visualization.	Dark bluish colored fruits, Liquids, Spices
Throat viśuddha, विशुद्ध	azure blue	Creativity, communication, expression, eloquence, Intuition, synthesis, hearing	life / sound	Base of the throat	Sing, chant, hum, breathe consciously.	Liquids, Tart or tangy fruits, Other tree grown fruits, Spices
Heart/Lung anāhata, अनाहत	green	Love, wisdom, stability, perseverance, mental patience and equilibrium, or pleasure, Compassion, Touch	Air	Center of the chest	Meditating, practicing yoga or other bodily techniques, by swimming regularly (because water has healing powers)	Leafy vegetables, Air vegetables, Liquids, Spices
Solar plexus maṇipūra, मणिपूर	yellow	Will, determination, assertion, personal power, laughter, joy, anger, sight	Fire	Located at the mouth of the stomach	Rub your belly, become aware of the energy radiating from your solar plexus, breathe using your diaphragm.	Granola and Grains, Dairy, Spices
Sacrum svādhiṣṭhāna, स्वाधिष्ठान	orange	Creativity, sexual energy (for women), desire, pleasure, Stability, self confidence, well-being, taste	Water	The lower belly	Sexual healing, try new ways of expressing yourself creatively, dance, move your hips, practice yoga.	Sweet fruits, raw honey, nuts, spices
Root mūlādhāra, मूलाधार	red or coral red (shown)	Survival, grounding, sexuality (for men), stability, smell	Earth	The base of the spine	Spend some time each day sitting directly on the earth. Dance!	Root vegetables, Protein-rich foods, Spices

Woodroffe also describes 7 head chakras (including Ajna and Sahasrara) in his other Indian text sources. Lowest to highest they are: Talu/Talana/Lalana, Ajna, Manas, Soma, Brahmarandra, Sri (inside Sahasrara) Sahasrara.

Chakras in Western Literature

Chakras underpin much of the later philosophy of the writer D H Lawrence. He explores them most explicitly in his 1931 book Apocalypse and the writings on Revelation.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965). The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 8120805674. 
• Bhattacharyya, N. N. History of the Tantric Religion. Second Revised Edition. (Manohar: New Delhi, 1999) p. 174. ISBN 8173040257
• Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986). The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press: London. ISBN 0312825404
• Chia, Mantak and Chia, Maneewan (1993). Awaken Healing Light of the Tao. Healing Tao Books. ISBN 0935621466. 
• Edgerton, Franklin (2004). Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 8120809998. 
• Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521438780. 
• Monier-Williams, Monier. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.  OCLC 48346535
• Prabhananda, S. (2000). Studies on the Tantras. Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. ISBN 8185843368.  Second reprint edition.
• Rinpoche, Tenzin Wangyal (2002). Healing with Form, Energy, and Light. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1559391766. 
• Tulku, Tarthang (2007). Tibetan Relaxation. The illustrated guide to Kum Nye massage and movement - A yoga from the Tibetan tradition. London: Dunkan Baird Publishers. ISBN 9781844834044. 
• Woodroffe, John (1919 - 1964). The Serpent Power. Madras, India: Ganesh & Co. Private Ltd.. ISBN 0486230589. 

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