Date: 17 Dec 2009 06:10:15 -0000
From: “Shivadayal Singhal”
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Cakras, Cakras, & Cakras & So Many Cakras in AM
BABA
“Bha’loba’si toma’y a’mi, keno ta’ ja’ni na’…” P.S. 2329
Purport:
Baba, I love You but I do not know why I love You. You go on pulling my
heart– but what is the mystery behind this, that I do not understand.
Baba, You are the divine effulgence of my dark heart. By Your grace I
will never allow that effulgence to get extinguished. Baba, I will always
keep Your love in my heart.
All the love I have in the deep core of my heart, and all the hopes and
longings I have in my mind, all my desires and aspirations are revolving
around You. And they get expressed through Your songs, dance, melody, and
rhythms. Baba, You are my everything.
Where I am, where I will go, and from where I have come, all these types
of useless questions never come in my mind, by Your grace. Baba, I do not
even want to know these things. Just I am fully depending on You– that You
know everything and that everything is in Your control.
Baba, You are always ever gracious on me. I love You; my whole existence
is Yours…
== CAKRAS, CAKRAS, CAKRAS & SO MANY CAKRAS IN AM ==
Namaskar,
Knowing all aspects of AM philosophy serves at minimum a dual purpose:
It helps us convince and guide others about the dictates of AM plus it
fuels our own progress along the path of spirituality.
Thus we should be thoroughly familiar with all the major and minor terms
used in our AM discourses, including the term “cakra”.
In our Ananda Marga philosophy, the term “cakra” is used in a multitude
of ways which differ greatly from the approach of traditional Indian
gurus as well as the contemporary yoga movement in the west.
Of course, on its own cakra has two basic meanings: (1) wheel, or cycle,
or circle; (2) society, samaj, ghosti, or family.
In addition there are these common and not so common terms and their
moderate to subtle differentiations: (a) dharmacakra, (b) brahmacakra,
(c) srsti cakra, (d0 cakras as in psychic energy centers, (e)
karmacakra, and (f) bhacakra. Knowing all these terms and applications
gives us comprehensive knowledge of the term cakra and so much more.
#1 DHARMACAKRA
In AM the term dharmacakra is known and practiced by one and all. This
refers to our weekly, collective meditation gatherings. Once the minimum
of five persons gather, then it is enough to officially hold a dharmacakra.
Although the term is quite common in AM, we should not think that it
only applies to AM gatherings. The term actually stems back to Buddha’s
era.
Baba says, “That special mudra’ of Buddha is called dharmacakra
pravarttana mudra’. To those first five people who heard his preaching,
he said, “Always keep the wheel of dharma moving. Take care that it
never ceases to move.”” (NSS)
Thus the term dharmacakra is at least 2500 years old, though the way
Buddha used the term is a bit different from our use in AM.
#2 BRAHMACAKRA
The term brahmacakra is also quite well known in AM. This of course
refers to the system wherein jiivas move around the Cosmic Nucleus.
Those who are psycho-spiritually closer to Him have a shorter radius.
But regardless of near or far, all are moving around Him – no one is
outside of this system.
Here is one of the classic ways Baba describes this in His discourses.
Baba says, ““Sarva’jiive sarvasam’sthe brhante.” His created beings, His
loving sons and daughters, His children, are moving round Him. They
cannot get themselves detached from Him because He is the Supreme
Nucleus and others are just like electrons moving round the nucleus. So
Purus’ottama, Parama Purus’a, the Supreme Father, the Supreme
Progenitor, is in the centre, and the others are moving and dancing
round Him. They move along with their different psychic and physical
pabula.” (AV-3)
Just as all the planets of this solar system move around the sun, all
the created beings revolve around Parama Purusa. So long as one feels
separate from Him, then they are revolving around Him. Those clouded by
maya are far and those sadhakas focused on Him are near. It all depends
upon one’s samskara. Finally. by His grace, when a person feels that, “I
and Parama Purusa are the same” then they are very close, and when any
semblance of I-ness disappears, the jiiva becomes one with Him. This is
His divine krpa.
In a nutshell, this is our system of brahmacakra and of course most in
AM are quite familiar with this.
#3 SRSTI CAKRA
Srsti cakra literally means the “cycle of creation”. When using this
term, Baba is describing how creation came into existence. Specifically
in His discourses in “Idea and Ideology” and “Elementary Philosophy”,
Baba explains how the triangle of forces, the five elements, jadasphota,
the creation of mind, and how the creation emerged from Nirgun’a Brahma.
Thus, srsti cakra is a very complex and technical discussion of how the
manifested universe took expression out of Cosmic Mind.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
BRAHMACAKRA AND SRSTI CAKRA
Often times people think that brahmacakra and srsti cakras are perfectly
synonymous – after all there is a lot of overlap. And both are often
referred to as the cycle of creation.
But there is a technical difference as well.
Basically, in those discourses where Baba describes how all the jiivas
are moving around Him then He is referring to brahmacakra, and employing
the shloka: “Sarva’jiive sarvasam’sthe brhante.”
In contrast, when He is discussing how this created universe came into
being and how the mind came into existence along with terms like
jadasphota, prakrti and the triangle of forces, then He is referring to
srsti cakra.
So although the terms brahmacakra and srsti cakra are highly
interlinked, Baba often employs them in different ways to refer to
different aspects of the cycle of creation and different aspects of His
philosophy.
GREAT IMPORTANCE OF BRAHMACAKRA
Most often in life people associate their existence with something –
usually something narrow like a race, or a religion, or a locale, or a
region, or type of business, or a level of education, or a sickness or
disease, or a degree or wealth etc. These are the small minded ways that
people classify themselves. And this leads to a certain type of identity
problem.
They think I am white, or I am black, or I am a brahmin, or I am a
Christian, or I am a CEO etc. When in fact they are part of something
much large than that.
Their limitation of thought is no different than a frog who lives in one
pond and thinks that this pond is the whole universe in which they live.
When in fact that frog is part of something much, much bigger, and far
more grand. But with its limited outlook the frog cannot realise this.
Same then is the case of jiivas who merely associate themselves with
some type of clannish identity.
Here the point is that when a person or a sadhaka become aware of
brahmacakra as well as what it means, then automatically it changes
their entire outlook. Then they are no longer small-minded, then they
are no longer far. Because by definition they are forced to think that
“I am a jiivatma connected to a great universe and I have a link with my
Divine Father.”
In that case one no longer associates themselves with a small part of
this cosmos or with a limited group – rather they think they are part of
the greater whole.
This clears up all kinds of misconceptions and automatically expands
one’s psychic outlook. Indeed by understanding brahmacakra, then one
knows that Parama Purusa is the Goal – then one knows all that is
necessary to know. The sadhaka has a mental road map of where they need
to go.
So just being aware about brahmacakra is a big boon to one’s growth and
development, both mentally and spiritually.
In contrast those unaware are drowned in maya and get caught up in all
kinds of feuds, abuse, deception, wrongs, and injustices because they
are identifying themselves with something small and view others as being
opponents, different or outside of their world.
Understanding practically what brahmacakra entails is enough to change
one’s whole mental structure and push one towards their cherished Goal.
#4 CAKRAS OF THE HUMAN BODY
The next application of the term cakra refers to the psychic energy
centers in the body, where two nadiis cross the susmna canal.
Depending on the style of discourse, Baba refers to there being seven,
eight or nine cakras
Baba says, “Here the seven cakras, from mu’la’dha’ra to sahasra’ra,
which the kulakun’d’alinii has to pierce, are the fetters or ropes which
a spiritual aspirant has to snap.” (DKG)
In this above passage Baba is clearly stating that there are seven
cakras and then in other darshans He says there are more.
Baba says, “The first thing is that this kulakun’d’alinii rises slowly
from the mu’la’dha’ra cakra to the sahasra’ra cakra in eight steps, it
passes through eight cakras, and the sahasra’ra cakra is the ninth. Just
below the sahasra’ra cakra is the guru cakra.” (DKG)
Baba says, ‘There are nine cakras [plexi] in human organisms
[mu’la’dha’ra, sva’dhis’t’ha’na, man’ipura, ana’hata, vishuddha, lalan’a
[tip of the nose], a’jin’a’, Guru, and sahasra’ra].” (YP)
We can conclude then that there are nine cakras in total and Baba will
refer to seven, eight or nine depending on what He is discussing.
Everyone in AM knows of the seven cakras and most know about Guru cakra
as well which makes eight. Some or more may not be aware about lalana’
cakra at the tip of the nose. That is the ninth cakra, although it is
situation in between the vishuddha and ajina cakras. This lalana’ cakra
is used in our system of sadhana with certain aspirants.
In one Prabhat Samgiita, there is a line: nava cakra kii kalyan’. And in
that song, the sadhaka is saying by His grace the mind is vibrated and
the petals of the cakras are blooming so he is requesting Parama Purusa
to come and sit on the petals of my nine cakras.
By all this, we can understand that there are nine cakras.
Other aspects to know about this topic are that Guru cakra is at the
base or underside of sahasrara cakra and that another name for Guru
cakra is as’t’a kamal, meaning eight lotus. Guru cakra is also referred
to as Varanasi in the discourse, “Where is Varanasi?”.
The reason why all of this is so important is because our system of
sadhana is a methodical process and one needs proper understanding to
move ahead. Some may differ and state that just by singing Baba Nam
Kevalam then one can attain Him. And while that is certainly true, there
are few who sing kiirtan with that type of intensity that they get the
highest realisation. So all the supportive knowledge and practices of
sadhana are necessary to create that intense longing for Parama Purusa.
For this reason, Baba has given us so many lessons of sadhana and
delivered thousands of spiritual discourses. With that knowledge and
practice, then one can gain that one-pointed devotion for Him.
Baba says, “To attain Parama Purus’a, to become one with the Supreme
Reality, He must be made the summum bonum of human life. But the
attainment of the Supreme Reality is not possible overnight. For that
the sa’dhaka [spiritual practitioner] will have to undergo the
systematic and methodical process of spiritual sa’dhana’ for a long
period, till every nerve-cell, nerve-fibre, every bit of his physical
existence is divinized. Sa’dhana’, after all, is a scientific process by
which the entire psycho-physical existence is divinized.” (AV-33)
#5 KARMA CAKRA
The next usage of the term cakra in AM comes with karma cakra. This term
is used less frequently.
It refers to the law of karma or cycle of karma or the cycle of action
and reaction.
We all know about original action (karma or kriya), and the ensuring
reactive momenta (samskara), followed by the fruit of the action
(karmaphala, or phalabhoga). This is the endless cycle of karma that
keeps jiivas bound in this manifested cosmos, returning again and again,
life after life.
Karma cakra refers to the totality of this endless cycle. The jiivatma
keeps revolving through this cycle birth after birth. So long as one is
bound by their actions they cannot attain salvation.
In any number of discourses Baba indepthly describes the principles of
karmic law, or karama cakra. This is also something important to know
about.
#6 BHACAKRA
Finally there is bhacakra. This is still more uncommon. In a few
English discourses this is referred to as the spatio-eternal system. But
that is not the essence of the term.
The real meaning of the term bhacarka is given in Laghu Nirukta (AM
encyclopedia). That is as follows:
“1. The sky and space which can be seen from one side of the earth
represents only half or a partial amount. To see the other half one has
to go to the other side of the earth. And when the entire thing is
treated as one, then that is bhacakra. Bhacakra is complete.”
“2. The next definition means the known and unknown created worlds– that
combined is bhacakra.”
Often people think that when they are looking up at the sky they can see
the whole thing. But this is just their faulty perception. There is
another part of the sky which is out of view. When both the seen and
unseen skies are taken together as the complete whole, then that is
bhacakra.
So that is yet another cakra in our Ananda Marga ideology.
IF YOU KNOW OF MORE….
If you know of any other types of cakras in AM, please write in and let
us know.
BABA’S BLESSING
By Baba’s grace He has blessed us with a complete philosophy and this
gives us great insight into the path of spirituality as well as the
universe around us. We should study and assimilate the meaning of all
the terms Baba uses, such as cakra. Then we will be in the best position
to do pracara and get self-realisation, by His grace. Then we will best
be able to serve and please Him.
Namaskar,
Shivadayal
*****************************************
Most Loving
Baba says,
“That Entity who is the most beloved of all, that Entity is one’s Is’t’a.”
“Is’t’a means Parama Purus’a, but why is He called Is’t’a? The answer is
that by attaining Parama Purus’a one no longer has any unsatiated hunger or
unquenched thirst.”
“Is’t’a means the most beloved of all entities.”
(BABA, 04 July 1979)
*****************************************
Read Full Post »
Ananda Marga Ideological Forum 