B4. The Tantric Model - CHAKRAS

B4. The Tantric Model - CHAKRAS

A different but parallel model of human personality was developed by the Tantras. Whereas the Upanishads speak of Five Sheaths or Koshas, the Tantras speak of six chakras. These Chakras are (in ascending order).

1.      First Chakra – Root Chakra – Muladahara located near the base of the spine in the perineal space for men, at the back and top of the cervix for women; sacral plexus

2.     Second Chakra – Seat of the Soul Chakra – Svadhisthana located at the level of the uro-genital systems; prostatic plexus; also called Sacral Chakra

3.     Third Chakra – Naval Chakra – Manipura located at the area of the solar plexus

4.      Fourth Chakra – Heart Chakra – Anahata located at the level of the heart; cardiac plexus

5.     Fifth Chakra – Throat Chakra – Vishuddha located in the throat region near the thyroid and adam’s apple; laryngeal plexus

6.      Sixth Chakra – Third Eye Chakra – Ajna located in the space between the eyebrows; cavernous plexus; also called Brow Chakra

7.      Seventh Chakra – Crown Chakra – Sahasrara located at the top of the head and pineal gland

Life is regarded as the unfolding of the Self at six different levels of consciousness known as Chakras in the magnificent Tantric Model. In mundane people the unfolding takes place only at the first three chakras which represent procreation, metabolism & speech; the higher three chakras remain latent.

The awakening of the higher chakras results in the unfolding and fulfillment of Life Divine. When the Kundalini, the Serpentine Power inherent in humans, rises from the Root Chakra (Muladhara) to the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara), one achieves Cosmic Consciousness. All the basic forces in the Universe - visible and invisible - are but different manifestations of that Unitary Power - Prana. Using this Vital Energy to heal are through Pranic Therapy, the power of Mantra, Chanting, Thantric Figures (diagrams as specific in the Dasa Maha Vidya) are a few highly beneficial.

Chakras

Humans are children of the cosmos. All our organs correspond to energies fluctuating in the cosmos. According ancient teachings subtle worlds of the cosmos create our individual bodies. Like the Universe, our energetic system consists of seven worlds, and has seven primary bodies (or auric layers) that interact with each other. These bodies consist of the energy of the corresponding universal worlds accordingly, deal with them, and receive the energetic information from them.

Besides the physical bodies, our individual energy system consist of ether, astral, mental, karmic, intuitive, nirvana, and absolute subtle energetic bodies, which form our aura - human energy field or bio-energy system. We call energetic bodies subtle because it is difficult to perceive them with our senses. Nevertheless, we can perceive them when specially trained and used bio-energy methods and techniques.

All subtle bodies in a human energy system communicate with each other, and with the physical body, through the energetic "transformers"- chakras. Chakras transform cosmic universal life-support energies into human energy systems. In Sanskrit, the chakra is a wheel of life. Indian tradition considers invisible chakras as centers of consciousness. All humans have chakras whether we aware of them or not. Chakras are, in fact, centers of different levels of consciousness, ranging from almost bodily to highly spiritual.

Healthy chakras spin all the time bringing energy to the physical body and all its energy layers. Chakras play a very important role in well-being and health. Chakras are an important part of bio-energy systems. The locations and functions of the major chakras are closely related to the endocrine system and autonomic nervous system. The chakras are located on the spinal column, the head, and one chakra is located in the heart plexus.

The first chakra is Muladhara (the root chakra). It is located in the coccyx. The color is red. This chakra represents the physical body and corresponds to it.

The second chakra is Svadhisthana (the sacral chakra), and it is located in the sacrum (lower abdomen). The color is orange. The chakra represents ether energetic body (energetic matrix of the physical body) and corresponds to it.

The third chakra, Manipura (the solar plexis chakra), is located on the fifth lumbar (abdomen) vertebra. The color is yellow. It relates to the astral body. It depends on emotional condition of the person and can change its form due to personal conditions.

The fourth chakra is Anahata (the heart chakra). It is located on the 5th thoracic vertebra (chest). The color is green. It relates to the mental body (mind, related to intellect).

The fifth chakra is Vishuddha (the throat chakra). It is located on the first thoracic vertebra, on the thyroid level (throat). The color is blue. It connects to the karmic body (ego).

The sixth chakra is Ajna (the third eye). It is located on the second cervical vertebra(the forehead). The color is dark blue. It is connected to the intuitive body ("superconsciousness", intuition). Ajna chakra is a center of physical energy.

The chakra of Nirvana is Central chakra. It is located on the heart plexus. The color is violet. This is the link between our physical body and Nirvana ("World of Love").

The seventh chakra is Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). It is located on the top of the head. The color is white. It is linked to Absolute body (the conclusion of the development of all seven bodies of a cosmic organism). Sahasrara chakra is a center of psychic energy, and the only chakra that follows its subtle body Absolute in cosmic spheres after death. It is the center of psychic energy of the human organism. Through Sahasrara chakra, we connect to the "Divine Center".

Human bodies of energy are complex structures as compared to the physical body. The ether body lasts up to two inches over our physical body. During prenatal development, the solid body of a fetus is constructed according to the matrix of ether body, and it is its exact duplicate. During its life cycle, ether body performs a function of a constructor, which builds and restores the solid body. Healthy ether body differs by an accumulation of energy, which goes through the solid body and influences its organs positively.

Many researchers believe that the chakra of the physical plan - Muladhara - and Svadhisthana belongs to the ether body. Certainly they are similar to each other by their energetic functions as well. Muladhara plays a connecting role between the center of the physical energy (Ajna-chakra) and the center of the psychic energy. Muladhara-chakra absorbs important for physical body elecromagnetic fields of the Earth. Svadhisthana, which produces internal energy, feeds by prana or vital energy of the food matter, which it distributes to the organs of the physical body and other energetic centers along energy pathways. Interactions of Svadhisthana with other chakras determine the influence of food intake on energetic manifestations (Manipura-chakra), sexuality (Muladhara-chakra), and emotional spheres (Anahata-chakra).

The astral body possesses extraordinary mobility and, depending on emotional state, can accept different shapes and sizes. Movement in astral bodies in areas of activity of the gravitational field of the Moon is possible if done under supervision of experienced professional. The primary chakra of the astral body is Manipura-chakra. This center accumulates and distributes energies which are produced in other chakras. Through Manipura, energy and material of the astral world are united.

The mental body (mind, intellect) connects to our physical body by meridians (energy pathways). It is the strongest body among others. If intellect is high in its development, then the mental body is developed perfectly. We use the mental bodies in our actions, behaviors, and thoughts.

Karmic body is a ruler of our ego. All events, their reasons, and all of the unconscious traits of past lives that determine individual's being and destiny, are kept in the karmic body (karma). Karmic body rules all functions of a cosmic organism. It connects to the karmic world by the Vishuddha chakra.

Intuitive body contacts to the intuitive world by Ajna-chakra (the third eye), which can be a source of intuitive insight and superconsciousness (unconscious sphere of consciousness). Intuitive body develops more or less in all people. Many people have experienced moments when their intuition yelded the most intelligent decision at unexpected times. Besides controlling vision of the past, the intuitive body directs the future.

The chakra of Nirvana body - Central chakra - is a connection between a physical body and Nirvana body through the heart. A peak of our soul is a body of Nirvana, which acts as fusion of our ego and the Universe, and union of Truth and Love.

And the last body - Absolute body - is a consequence of the development of all bodies of a cosmic organism. If a human life is improved due to karma, so the Sahasrara-chakra regulates human behavior in according to changed expectations of life.

4.1.  Chakras' Performance

The human organism, its functioning, and the condition of its subtle bodies depends on the chakras' work, or spinning. When the chakras are spinning effectively, they bring balanced functioning to the organism, a free-flowing of energies, and harmony between consciousness and subconsciousness and between inner and outer worlds as well.

Chakras show patterns of electromagnetic activity. When all chakras work properly (spinning not too slow or too fast), a physical organism is in perfect health and powerful energetic shape. When the chakra is opened and functional, it can perform its work perfectly, process prana energy, bring energy to the physical organs and subtle bodies, and remove used stale or stagnant energy from the system.

When the chakra is closed or blocked, it stops spinning and becomes dysfunctional. Chakras may become closed when they are congested with stale or stagnant energy. One way they can close is during an instance of fight-or-flight response of the organism. This response is a natural way for the organism to become alert and prepared to any danger or unusual situation. However, if this stressful condition of the body is left uncontrolled and continues for a long time, the chakras may stay closed and dysfunctional. When the physical body stays in prolonged stress (distress) or depression, the chakras cannot spin and work properly; they become unbalanced, blocked with stale and stagnant energy and unbalanced.

Our thoughts and attitudes can block energy flowing through the chakras as well. Unexpressed emotions can cause the chakras to be overcharged, leading to their closing or blockage. Personality problems both cause and are caused by energy imbalances. Imbalances in the chakra system of the physical body reveal themselves through both negative personality and physical illness: dysfunctional chakras cause imbalances in the subtle energetic bodies, and imbalances in the subtle bodies then manifest in personal, psychological and emotional problems.

When chakras are closed, energy cannot be transformed and released to the physical body. If energy is not flowing freely through energetic systems, physical problems may develop in specific areas, and discomfort or illness can occur in the organism. When a chakra is blocked, it needs healing by uncovering and removing whatever is blocking it. The clearing of congested energy from the human energy system becomes a necessary prophylactic way for keeping the organism healthy.

Because the chakras work together as a system, a block in the functioning of one chakra may affect the activity of another. These chakras are especially inter-related: (a) the root chakra and the third eye tie, (b) the sacral chakra and throat chakra, and (c) the solar plexus chakra and heart chakra. If one chakra is not functioning, it must be cleansed, balanced, normalized, and healed together with the associate chakra accordingly.

Chakras are interrelated not only with parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomous nervous systems, but endocrine systems as well. Chakras transform vital energy to the endocrine glands. The root chakra (Muladhara) correlates to the testicles, the sacral chakra (Svadhisthana) - the ovaries, the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) - the adrenals and pancreas, the heart chakra (Anahata) - the thymus, the throat chakra (Vishuddha) - the thyroid and parathyroid, the third eye chakra (Ajna) - the pineal gland, and the crown chakra (Sahasrara) - the pituitary (master) gland. Chakras feed the life-force into our endocrine systems, which regulates our hormonal balance.

During our many years as healers, we have observed that healthy chakras spin in a clockwise direction and in the same way in both sexes, whereas closed, unbalanced chakras spin in a counterclockwise direction, stay still, spin in eclipses or move unevenly. The energy balance of the bio-energy system, which is very important to our general well-being and health, can be achieved by energy that is in a constant smooth flow, refreshed and vitalized, aided by constantly spinning chakras.