Awaken the chakras E-Book

Jayadev Jaerschky

• Herausgeber: Ananda Edizioni
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

The power of the chakras can be yours!
The unique strength of this extraordinary handbook is that it combines enlightened teachings with techniques that can be applied by everyone. Each chapter provides practices that allow you personally to explore the chakras: how to perceive them, how to stimulate them; how to open them. In this way, you can directly experiment with the many applications of the chakras, for example with the secret yogic link between the chakras and music, art, mantras, asanas, sacred writings and so many other subjects.

Leseprobe

Testimonials

“Jayadev›s new book Awaken the Chakras! is an invaluable, comprehensive and in-depth text packed with information on how to discover, perceive and stimulate the chakras according to Yogananda›s teaching. This text is a great opportunity for all those who wish to explore this topic, because Jayadev describes with great clarity and expertise the power of the chakras at all levels of our existence and their application to the yoga postures. I believe it should be a reference text for all those who are on a path of inner search.”

–Wanda Vanni, president of the Federazione Mediterranea Yoga

“This work is one of the precious fruits of the tree of knowledge planted by Yogananda in the West. A fundamental contribution to the culture of awareness, wellness and physical and spiritual health, of the new way of being human.

The real gift that Jayadev’s written pages offer lies in learning to discern between form and essence.

The Light also teaches us how to discern its presence as the only non-sensory reality behind the seven colors of the rainbow. My hope is that the reader will be able to grasp this essence and not get lost in appearances and phenomena that, though wonderful, are only a reflection of the Infinite that dwells in the human soul.

Jayadev, in this journey through the seven energy centers of the indo-vedic tradition, plants a seed in the human soul and reminds us that behind all the colors of life there is always one essential reality: Love. This is what we came for, and it is only with this that we will leave.”

–Daniel Lumera,director of MyLifeDesign Foundation, president of theInternational School of Forgiveness,head of research, development and culture for UNESCO club for the protection of the intangible heritage

“I don’t know the chakras, or at least I have never seen them. I know the places where they reside and the colors, but I have never actually perceived them. On the other hand, I do know Jayadev, and I have had the opportunity to work with him, and I can say that he is a ‘chakra-rich’ man, and in his way of practice, the chakras pulsate like a festive Christmas tree. Of course, the gifts are promises of peace, which last forever.”

–Guido Gabrielli, editor ofYoga Journal magazine

“A guide to exploring the subtle energy system in the tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda. The view of our being through the chakra map represents a commonality among many schools of yoga, and as I have been taught, the map is not the territory, but only a means to facilitate its exploration.

It is with great pleasure that I observe within the pages of this book, the lineage of Kriya Yoga renew itself further.

As Jayadev explains in his historical introduction to this invaluable book, the teachings of yoga have been passed down from Master to disciple in an unbroken chain that has spanned the centuries and millennia to reach us. This direct passage is thus the key to the evolution of yoga, each true disciple in turn having chewed and digested it (the Upanishads use the term manana, which signifies “ruminate”) repurposed the original teaching by adapting it to the most effective medium and language for the time and students to whom he in turn transmitted it. Jayadev is one of these extraordinary disciples who, after absorbing the teachings by drinking directly from the source of knowledge, embodied them daily, for a long time, lovingly and without interruption; thus becoming able to transfer his experience into clear, simple, fluent and modern language.

In this fresh work, Jayadev reconnects the various passages and key points of his exposition to the words first spoken by Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda, thus enabling his tradition to renew itself and adapt to modern times without ever losing the integrity of the original message.

Guiding us with his engaging passion, Jayadev takes us step by step to experience the inner territory through the extraordinary map of the subtle body, the energetic envelope that gives life to all the functions of our being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.”

–Alberto Vezzani,Anusara Yoga teacher and creator of www.yogare.eu

“In this book Jayadev guides the reader along a detailed and at the same time accessible path toward the discovery of the chakras. The beauty of this text lies in the author’s deep dedication to conveying the teachings he received from his Masters. The result is a text that deeply invites you to experience on yourself the search and to connect with the immense source of knowledge that resides within all of us.”

–Anna Inferrera,Vinyasa Flow Yoga teacher

Copyright Yogananda Edizioni 2022

All rights reserved.

Please note that the choice and the prescription of the right therapy are the sole responsibility of the treating physician, who can also assess any side risks. The information, preparations, recipes, exercises, and suggestions contained in this book have no therapeutic value. Therefore, the author and the publisher are not responsible for any damage or accidents resulting from the use of this information without the necessary medical supervision (self-treatment, self-medication, self-prophylaxis, etc.).

Dedicated with love and humility

to my teacher, Swami Kriyananda,

who has given me the most precious gifts:

a river of tangible inner blessings,

constant inspiration and support,

my life in the Ananda community,

the teachings of Yogananda,

initiation into Kriya Yoga,

and the encouragement to expand

on his “seminal” writings.

Often when in his presence I felt his energy opening my heart chakra and my spiritual eye.

“With blessings”: Paramhansa Yoganandaon the beachat Encinitas, in California, April 3rd, 1951.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

PART ONE: The Chakras: Structure of Life

Chapter 1: The Seven Elements

Chapter 2: As Above, so Below: Three Worlds, Three Bodies

Chapter 3: The Tree of Life

PART TWO: The Chakras For Body, Mind, and Soul

Chapter 4: The Chakras and the BODY

Chapter 5: The Chakras and the MIND

Chapter 6: The Chakras and the SOUL

PART THREE: Applying the Chakras to Daily Life

Chapter 7: How to Strengthen the Aura

Chapter 8: The Chakras and Relationships

Chapter 9: Chakra-Elements in Vedic Sciences: Ayurveda, Astrology, Architecture

Chapter 10: The Chakras and Music

Chapter 11: The Chakras and Art

Chapter 12: Yoga Postures for the Chakras

PART FOUR: Chakras in the Scriptures

Chapter 13: The Chakras and Patanjali

Chapter 14: The Chakras in the Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 15: The Chakras in the Holy Bible

PART FIVE: The Highest Purpose of the Chakras

Chapter 16: Towards “The Kingdom of God”

Chapter 17: Kundalini Awakening

PART SIX: A Scientific Contribution

Chapter 18: Scientific References to the Chakras

EPILOGUE: The Land of Healing

Preface

Nayaswami Savitri

An in-depth study of the chakras is one of the most rewarding activities that anyone can undertake. However, this information becomes even more important to learn about and actually experience, as one becomes a more sincere spiritual truth-seeker.

Awaken the Chakras offers knowledge, wisdom, and experience, about this fascinating subject, and many clear answers to questions, such as:

1)Exactly where is our own personal spiritual pathway, and how may it be found most easily? (Answer: It is within each of us! It may be found by actively and dynamically seeking it, primarily through the practices of yoga and meditation, but also with the essential help and guidance of Self-Realized Gurus and/or qualified spiritual teachers, well-trained in the Gurus’ lineage).

2)How does the spiritual path really function? (Answer: It gradually becomes more real to us with increasing awareness and experience of its existence. We do this by taking charge of the powerful movements of prana, or conscious cosmic energy, to be found in our astral/energic bodies).

3)And finally, how we may advance rapidly along this shining inner path to perfect freedom and oneness with all that is? (Answer: Awaken the Chakras offers clear and detailed answers and instructions, which will answer all these and many more such important questions).

However, much more important than by simply reading a book or studying the chakras in an intellectual way, we also must begin to be fully aware of their powerful presence, personally, within ourselves and within all our fellow beings. This is most efficiently accomplished by experiencing the living reality our chakras, prana, and karma as essentially indicative that we are not only live in a wonderfully created and intricately functioning physical bodies, but that we also possess bodies made of light, energy, vibrations, sounds, and colors!

We instinctively know about our astral bodies with their seven chakras and channels for prana/lifeforce. For example, a person, having lost a loving relationship speaks of being “broken-hearted.” Other such phrases such as “I have a gut feeling about…,” or “She has a chip on her shoulder,” or “I have a lump in my throat.” Or another example, we wish to concentrate deeply, we automatically knit our eyebrows together, bringing attention and energy to our 6th chakras, the center of intense concentration.

Even with these obvious signs, inward feelings, physical movements, or words and expressions, we often do not pay enough attention to the reality of our chakras systems, unless or until something goes wrong with our bodies or in other aspects of our lives; or if we can find no other solutions to the challenge that life brings us.

Eventually, and in one way or another, we are pushed along by the events of our lives to want to know what is the true basis for what we have experienced in the past, and what are experiencing now, and most of all, to answer such questions as: why are all these things happening to me in these subtle or not so subtle ways and what do they really mean for my life and the way I choose to live it?

It would be wise all of us, especially as sincere truth-seekers, to take some time away from our very busy lives, and use that time to study carefully the subtle subjects offered in this book. And also go deeper into what is written in the book, by not simply reading the words in this book, but by taking the time the time to practice the suggested techniques presented in it.

As you read this book, you will perceive quickly that the author of Awaken the Chakras, Kriyacharya Jayadev Jaerschky, has researched these subjects extensively, through studying and compiling information about the chakras, astral anatomy, meditation practices and techniques, taken from and based on the incomparable, timeless truths and teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Kriyananda, and other great Masters and teachers of the science of Kriya Yoga.

While reading Awaken the Chakras, it will soon will become obvious to you that that the author has practiced these teachings and techniques himself, energetically and for many years--thus knowing very well, whereof he writes, especially concerning their efficacy for rapid spiritual growth.

The truths presented in this book have the power to change our lives for the better and forever! Please enjoy your inner quest and may you be blessed always. Onward and upward into the Inner Light and and Perfect Freedom in God!

In divine friendship,

Nayaswami Savitri

Ananda Village, Nevada City, USA www.savitrisimpson.com

Nayaswami Savitri is the author of Chakras for Starters (book and audio CD of guided chakras meditations),Through the Chakras, and The Chakras Workbook available through www.crystalclarity.com or www.amazon.com. Her Online Video Home-Study Course, Know your Chakras may be found at: https://www.ananda.org/shop/yoganandainstitute/yoga-philosophy/know-your-chakras/

Introduction

Invocation

Great soul, Namasté.

This book about the chakras begins with an ancient invocation, which is chanted by yogis all over the world. Let us chant it with reverence to prepare our mind for the inner mysteries. May this ancient slokabless our understanding, our growth, our inner joy; may it align our mind and heart with Spirit; and may it turn darkness into light.

~OM~

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

~OM~

Lead us from unreality to Reality,

Lead us from darkness to Light,

Lead us from death to Immortality.

Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda

The chakras are subtle centers of energy and consciousness within us. They are a reality which can be felt, seen, and experienced. However, they can’t yet be photographed, or scientifically proven. For this reason, when you read books by various yogis about the chakras, you will find a certain shared understanding, but also differences in the way they are explained: their functions, qualities, colors, impact, their location in the body, and the techniques to be used to awaken them.

This is normal in Indian tradition. Fortunately no yogic institution exists which says, “this is the only truth, and nobody is allowed to teach it in any other way!” Yoga is free. Enjoying such philosophical freedom, the following pages simply present the specific teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and his disciple Swami Kriyananda (may they forgive any mistakes!). These two great teachers are part of the ancient Kriya Yoga tradition, in which the chakras are essential.

A warning: this books abounds with direct teachings of Yogananda and Kriyananda. However, lovers of footnotes might be disappointed. They will find very few references from which book, article, or discourse a particular teaching has been taken, with one footnote after another. Otherwise this book would be half text, half footnotes: stale like old bread. So while these chapters endeavor to faithfully convey an authentic tradition, they try to do so in a light and enjoyable way.

History: The Chakras in Ancient India

Yogananda’s teachings are designed for our modern society, yet they are rooted in ancient yoga. The chakras, in fact, have been taught by great yogis for millennia.

In which manner did these yogis teach such sacred topics, century for century? Not by books, usually. They imparted their experience and knowledge directly, in person, from guru to disciple. A book simply wasn’t considered the proper channel to convey that most precious knowledge. Therefore, when some advanced yogis wrote about the chakras, they provided only some small fragments, some few hints, or even hid them in symbols.

The Bhagavad Gita, the “Hindu-Bible” (around 700 BC according to Yogananda’s guru, Sri Yukteswar), as an example, presents the chakras only in symbolic form, never mentioning them openly.

Also the father of yoga, Patanjali (200 BC, uncertain) was extremely “stingy” in teaching the chakras. He openly mentions only one of them, in just one of his Yoga Sutras, as we shall see.

Much earlier, around 1000 BC (3000 years ago!), the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad already mentions the chakras, but again, it shares only scarce information. The Scripture simply states (9b-11): “There are six chakras: muladhara is in the anus; svadhisthana is near the genital organ; manipuraka is in the navel; anahatais in the heart; visuddhi is at the root of the neck; and agya is in the head.” Later it also mentions the seventh, the sahasrara chakra. That is all. The rest had to be learnt personally from the guru. Other Upanishads (ancient yogic Scriptures) mention the chakras as well, but again: very sparingly.

A few teachings on the chakras were offered by the great yogi, Gorakhnath (or Gorakshanath, 11th century), who is recognized, together with his guru Matsyendra, as the founder of Hatha Yoga (yoga postures). His original teachings are described in Philosophy ofGorakhnath (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers). It is a recommended book for all sincere Hatha Yogis, as it shows the true roots of Hatha Yoga. Goraknath, a yogi of the highly regarded Natha tradition, taught to see the inner light; to arouse kundalini; to work with the chakras in order to achieve samadhi (union) and liberation. In his own book Goraksha Samhita, (translated into English by Georg Feuerstein, in The Yoga Tradition), Goraknath advises a meditation on each one of the chakras.

During the 16th century Swami Purananda wrote the Shri-Tattva-Cintamini, the 6th chapter of which is called Sat-Chakra-Nirupana, or “Investigation of the Six Chakras”.

This is, of course, only a small selection of the numerous ancient Scriptures which mention the chakras. One thing is certain: for deep yogis this topic has always been as essential as air for their lungs.

The Chakras in Our Modern Society

If the ancient teachings about the seven chakras are true (which they are), they can’t but become increasingly known in our society, as humanity evolves. The chakras will become part of our daily language, just as “energy” has become a common word amongst us in the last decades. Society will sooner or later apply the wisdom of the chakras to health, relationships, environment, psychology, and spirituality. This is a natural development: the chakras are like the hub of a wheel, from where spokes radiate outward toward all aspects of life.

A “Slow-Book”!

Here is a recommendation: you will discover that the chakras are an extremely vast topic, with many important aspects. For this reason, in order to avoid “spiritual indigestion,” it would be best to read only one chapter at a time, thinking about it deeply for an entire week. Digest the teachings thoroughly. You may read the chapter several times. During that week, every day apply the practices you will find. Meditate on the key points, so as to make them your own, in your own inner perception. Experiment creatively with these teachings.

Otherwise this book might end up becoming a confusing mix of too many undigested inputs. In short: go slow, and go deep. In this way you will receive much out of these chapters. Just as “Slow-Food” is better than “Fast-Food, so a “Slow-Book” is better than a “Fast-Book” (at least in this case).

The good news is that in truth our soul already knows everything: all it has to do is remember. For that remembrance (smriti), however, it needs time. This is why it is taught that patience is the fastest way to inner realization.

Love

As you move ahead, chapter for chapter, week for week, try to fall in love with your chakras, with their beauty, depth, and mystery. In other words, make your quest for understanding a love affair. Why? Because the only way to deeply understand anything is to love it. Whatever you love will reveal itself to you, bit by bit. Whatever you love inevitably grows close to you, becoming familiar, simply because love is the universal power of union. If for example you love a language, you will learn it much more quickly. Likewise, if you fall in love with the chakras, you will understand them much more easily. And the more you understand them, the more they will become your best friends, making your life happy as never before.

Our Inner Temple

To prepare ourselves for the discovery of the chakras, lets enjoy the words of a song by Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet who received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Paramhansa Yogananda “imported” it to the West as on of his Cosmic Chants. The “temple” refers to our body, while the “doors” and “lights” refer to the chakras.

Who is in my temple?

Who is in my temple?

All the doors do open themselves,

All the lights do light themselves.

Darkness like a dark bird,

Flies away, O flies away.

The Universe Reflected in Us

We are not discussing a little topic in this book: the seven chakras manifest in us the very structure of creation. Actually (don’t get scared) every truth seeker should study and explore them all life long. Step by step they lead to complete understanding. Knowing the seven chakras to their depth means to understand the world. They lead to Self-realization, and therefore to union with the cosmos.

Such deep understanding, of course, can never be gained from any theoretical study, but only by inner intuition. A Persian proverb puts it perfectly: “Seek truth in meditation, not in moldy books. Look in the sky to find the moon, not in the pond.” The “pond” of this book can therefore only provide the inspiration to look up to “the sky”.

Let’s start, then, by asking: what is to be found up there, in “the sky”?

The Seven Chakras: A Cosmic Reflection

According to the ancient rishis (saints), all our universe, our macrocosm, emerges from a Cosmic Source, Spirit, which they call Brahman, or Sat-chit-ananda. Swami Vivekananda, an enlightened yogi of the past century, explains it in these words: “Brahman… has nothing outside of Himself; nothing at all. All this indeed is He. He is in the universe. He is the universe Himself.”

One can understand this mechanism when sitting in the cinema hall: during the film, just when it is most dramatic and intense, take a moment to look up: you notice that all the exciting screen images appear from one imageless beam of light, which emanates from a hidden projector. All our world and its endless drama is similarly issuing from the single white light which emerges from a Cosmic Source: Brahman, or Spirit.

Our universe, once created, contains seven specific elements. Five of them are the fundamental “building blocks” from which all the cosmos is made:

•earth;

•water;

•fire;

•air;

•ether.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the role of the five elements for our world:

•Without the earth element there would be no state of solid matter.

•Without the water element, there would be no liquid state.

•Without the fire element, there would be no heat.

•Without the air element, there would be gaseous state.

•Without the ether element, there would be background on which to produce the cosmic “motion picture show.”

These five are not literally physical elements (the earth we find sticking on our shoes when walking through a field, for example), but vibratory elements. The Cosmic Intelligent Vibration AUM* vibrates in five different frequencies: ether is a slower vibration, air vibrates faster; fire still faster; and so on.

In other words, out of the Eternal Stillness emerges a primordial vibration, which increases its frequency, and then increases it more. All creation is made of these five differently vibrating frequencies. Yogananda puts it this way†: “Different rates of vibration, balanced in cosmic rhythm, create before us the majestic cosmos.”

So these five elements – ether, air, fire, water, earth – are what all matter is composed of: they make up our outer universe.

The two remaining elements are the hidden “unworldly” ones:

•Spirito withincreation;

•Spirit beyondcreation.

Together with the other five elements they compose the seven elements which collectively make up our entire creation: its material and immaterial side.

Our Body

The same seven elements of which the cosmos is made also constitute our body. The chakras are the energy centers in our spine where these seven basic elements reside. Together they create completeness, wholeness.

Think about it: the seven elements which reside in our chakras are an essential key to life, for achieving wellbeing in our body, mind, and soul. This “union of seven” is the matrix of life, the structure which guides us toward a complete balance and harmony with nature.

No wonder that the number seven has always been instinctively recognized as a sacred number, in all spiritual traditions.

Here are the seven elements and their respective chakras, divided into the two elements of Spirit, and the five building blocks of matter.

7 |Sahasrara chakra

Its “element” is Cosmic Consciousness, or Spirit beyond creation. Yogananda also characterized it as “bliss ether”.

6 |Agya chakra

(often transliterated as ajna)

It has two poles: one is situated between the eyebrows, the other at the medulla oblongata, at the top of the physical spine. Both contain the “element” Christ Consciousness, or Spirit within creation. Yogananda also characterized it as “super-ether”.

To repeat: these two highest chakras contain Spirit within and beyond the body. They represent our heavenly roots, our divine origin.

The other chakras are the hometo the five “material” elements:

5 |Vishuddha chakra

It is the seat of the element ETHER.

4 |Anahata chakra

It is the seat of the element AIR.

3 |Manipura chakra

It is the seat of the element FIRE.

2 |Svadhisthana chakra

It is the seat of the element WATER.

1 |Muladhara chakra

It is the seat of the element EARTH.

To put it in different words: each of our lower five chakras vibrates with a specific element: earth, water, fire, air, ether. Everything in creation, according to ancient yogic science, is made of them, including our body. These five elements are therefore immensely important for us, on all levels, as they are nature’s “building blocks”. We need them all, for a happy and healthy life.

“Wheels” of Energy

The seven energy centers are called chakra, meaning “wheel,” because energy and light radiate outward from them, as if from a hub of a wheel. They can also been described as energy vortexes.

Where does the energy come from which the chakras radiate? Yogananda explains that it doesn’t come from our body, but from a cosmic source: cosmic energy enters into our body through the negative (receptive) pole of the 6th chakra (agya chakra), which is located at the medulla oblongata, at the point where the spine meets the base of the brain. The medulla oblongata, in other words, acts like an antenna for cosmic energy (the AUM), and is the seat of life in the body.

That energy then gets stored in the 7th chakra, the sahasrara chakra (also called “crown chakra”) which is the main dynamo of our astral body (body of energy). From there the prana flows downward, and is distributed by the five lower chakras, or sub-dynamos, into our various body parts. Each chakra is therefore essential for our life.

The “Symphony” of the Chakras

Imagine the seven musical notes of an octave: all of them are needed to create a beautiful and rich symphony. If one is missing or weak, the symphony doesn’t sound well anymore. To create harmony, all seven notes need to be tuned correctly. Each note plays an important role in the symphony. Each note, moreover, can be played in its full purity and beauty, or with poor skill. They are arranged in a harmonious way by the composer, to finally create the greatness of the symphony. All this perfectly describes our chakras, the seven subtle centers of energy and consciousness in us.

Contemplate the importance of the chakras for our life:

•BODY:The energy irradiating from the chakras supply every organ, limb, and physical function with necessary life force (prana). A sluggish flow creates illness, a strong flow creates health. Prana is the great healer, and all prana in our body irradiates from the chakras.

•MIND:The chakras contain consciousness and determine our psychological state. In them are located all our mental states, good and harmful. A healthy mental condition requires balance and harmony of the five basic elements, and also includes the two divine ones.

•SOUL:The chakras are not only fundamental for our outer life, but also for our inner life. They are doors leading us inward, into the kingdom of our soul, to the deepest mysteries of our being. The soul is said to have eight qualities: joy; love; peace; calmness; power; wisdom; light; sound. The closer we draw to the chakras, the more these natural qualities unfold in our life. They grant us the greatest possible fulfillment.

To sum up: in our inner life the chakras are perceived as “temples”, or “tabernacles”. They enable us human beings to experience and express the loftiest aspects of divinity.

In our outer life, knowledge of the seven elements offers us a practical key, with which we can achieve a natural sense completeness, harmony, and balance, because we perfectly attune ourselves with Mother Nature. These natural elements in our chakras, when they “play in harmony with each other” create health, beauty, and happiness in our life.

~Meditate on this ~

The chakras and their seven elements

play a crucial role for our BODY, for our physical health.

They play an crucial role for our MIND,

for our psychological health and balance.

They play an crucial role for our SOUL,

for inner fulfillment and enlightenment.

This book offers a lot of information on the chakras, covering their inner and outer dimensions. Many aspects will be explained, some of which are a little complex. The basic truth, however, is simple: once we experience them, the chakras begin to fill us with a stream of inner happiness. This experience will start slowly, and will increase in time. No book will be needed then. The Bhagavad Gita, India’s most beloved Scripture, states it beautifully (2:46): “To the knower of Brahman (Spirit) the Vedas (Holy Scriptures) are of no more use than a well when the land all around one is in flood.” This “flood” comes from our personal experience.

The Inner Treasure House

Have you ever had the dream of going for a treasure hunt, to find riches hidden in some secret spot? Or to find an incredible treasure by diving into the ocean depth? Or to discover a secret and magical Shangri-La? Probably. The reason for this common dream is simple: on a deep level we know that we have lost something great and precious, and feel an instinctive urge to find it again, somewhere, somehow. It is a primordial instinct of our soul, whose treasures we have lost. Usually, however, our “treasure hunt” leads us not toward our inner gold, but outward, toward the enjoyment of material gain, career, possessions, romance, the perfect holiday spot, appearance, approval from others, excitement, parties.

With this outward direction, unfortunately, the very opposite happens: instead of finding our golden treasure, we deny ourselves that which is most precious and enjoyable in life. Even if we finally reach our big outer goal, for example big success, still happiness eludes us, because soon a sense of lack creeps over us again: lack of love, of inner peace, of power, or self-esteem, of lasting joy. This relentless emptiness can only be filled from an inner source.

Child Education

If we love our children, we should teach them to find that inner source: how to develop not only their outer, but also their inner life. They should learn to live a simple life, with high inner ideals. In this way we open for them a door to the greatest happiness. Children feel the chakras more easily than adults, if they are taught to meditate. They might soon see their colors, simply because these things are as natural as our breath.

Swami Kriyananda remembers his own experiences as a child, and describes them in his autobiography, The New Path: “Intuitively I felt that there must be some higher reality—another world, perhaps, radiant, beautiful, harmonious, in relation to which this earthly plane represented mere exile. Beautiful sounds and colors thrilled me almost to ecstasy. Sometimes I would cover a table down to the floor with a colorful American Indian blanket, then crawl inside and fairly drink in the luminous colors. At other times, gazing into the prism formed by the broad edge of a mirror on my mother’s dressing table, I would imagine myself living in a world of rainbow-colored lights. Often also, at night, I would see myself absorbed in a radiant inner light, and my consciousness would expand beyond the limits of my body.”

His experiences as a child are certainly extraordinary, yet not unique. Other adults remember heavenly experiences in childhood, when they had fewer mental filters.

Our True Self

Man is a soul, and has a body. In our life, however, we usually feel the exact opposite: “I am a body!” This constant perception is a cruel illusion (called avidya by yogis), as it inevitably creates pain and suffering. In truth we are free spiritual beings in the midst of a journey, which has taken us to a physical experience, for a period of time. During our earthly experience we are supposed to learn, and to enjoy. Both learning and enjoyment, however, is much easier if we know where to learn, what to learn, and how to enjoy. The chakras are a good direction to turn to, as they are a source of wisdom, of harmony, happiness, and divine joy. They are also doors to the universe, taking us out of the little ego.

Our kingly soul is ever free; yogis for millennia have taught that it is deathless and birthless. Its nature has three essential attributes: existence (sat), consciousness (chit), and bliss (ananda). Self-realization means to finally experience that we are not a body which perishes, but that our life is eternal and blissful. During our earthly journey toward realizing ourselves as “sons of God”, many mysteries unfold before us, one by one. One such mystery is the vastness of our chakras.

The Great Masters

Great Masters come to tell humanity about such immense discoveries, explaining that our normal human life is, by comparison, painfully small. But often they are laughed at, ridiculed, and sometimes even crucified. Here is a story Yogananda told.

~Story~

The Freedom Frog

Once upon a time a frog lived on the banks of a vast beautiful lake. He enjoyed swimming in the lake every day, basking in the sunshine on the long empty sandy beach. Every now and then he noticed on the other side of the sand dunes, away from the lake, there was a crocking of what seemed like a vast amount of frogs.

Finally one day the frog decided to go there, to investigate. So he went hopping over the dune. As he came down, he found thousands of frogs, all gathered around a little pond. He thought to himself, “Oh look at my poor brothers and sisters, they don’t know that there’s a huge lake. Let me go and tell them about it, so that they can go there, to enjoy its beauty.”

So he started talking to one or two frogs. They answered: “You sound like a mad man, but we’d better take you to our king. He’ll know what to do with you.” So they went hopping to the king. The frog addressed him, saying: “I have this message for you. There is this wonderful lake, most beautiful, and so vast that all of you would enjoy freedom and happiness.”

But the king replied, “What are you talking about? What do you mean, a lake? This is the only water there is.”

“No, no. There’s so much more water available, which you could all enjoy.”

The king asked, “You mean there’s some more water than this?”

“Oh, infinitely more.”

“Well, we know all about this world, so is it this big?” and he jumped a quarter way across the pond.

Emphatically the frog answered, “Oh, it’s much bigger than that.”

“You mean, it dares to be this big?”, and he jumped half way across.

And the frog from the lake began to laugh, saying: “It’s bigger than a thousand of your little puddles. You’ve no idea how much vaster the lake of mine is than your little pond.”

At that moment the king became very angered, crying, “Imposter, hypocrite, liar!” And all of his subjects began to work themselves up into a rage, and finally attacked the frog. He managed to escape. Fortunately a few frogs had believed him, and courageously followed him. These courageous few found their way to the beauties of the huge lake, discovering a life of freedom and happiness.

>This is what the chakras promise us: an ongoing discovery, a huge expansion of consciousness, which we find only if we travel within.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Practice!

Traveling inward requires practice. Armchair philosophers, who don’t put theory into action, will miss out on all the inner entertainment. It would be like reading a book about a delicious pizza, without ever tasting it. All theory on the chakras is only useful if it stimulates us to practice, so that we can taste the “delicacy” of inner satisfaction.

Neither will science “feed” us, really. Even if future scientific instruments should be able to photograph the chakras accurately, they will still remain nothing but cold theory to us. Daily practice alone can make us experience them. What books can do, however, is help us know what to practice, how to practice, and why to practice. This, then, is the real purpose of these pages: giving information, encouragement, and methods to discover, experience, and know the chakras.

For this reason at the end of each chapter specific techniques are offered, which are more important than all the theory. Please remember: wisdom is not assimilated with the eyes, but with our atoms. What we need is not a sharp intellect, but deeper inner perception, to enjoy subtle flavors of this world. The inner world is, as “connoisseurs” tell us, “supremely relishable.”

Correct Spelling

A great yogi in the Himalayas, Swami Paramananda, explained the chakras to a group of pilgrims. It turned out that he had difficulties in remembering the exact Sanskrit names of each chakra, and even mixed up two of them. And who cares? He clearly perceived them, consciously controlled their energies, and shared from his deep inner experience. In short: is the spiritual eye written “agya” or “ajna”? Is it correct to write “sushumna” or “susumna”? It simply doesn’t matter. Such dispute may be left to scholarly minds. Yogis usually don’t care, including Yogananda, who didn’t even use the name “chakras”, calling them simply “centers.”

Healing Currents From the Chakras

At any rate, if you start to practice regularly with the chakras, you might find that the day comes when they are a natural part of your daily life, of your awareness. Nothing better could happen to you. Suddenly you may experience an inner stream of happiness. Yogananda writes in his Autobiography of a Yogi that sleep refreshes us at night because of the healing currents in the chakras: “The sleeping man becomes a yogi; each night he unconsciously performs the yogic rite of releasing himself from bodily identification, and of merging the life force with healing currents in the main brain region and the six sub-dynamos of his spinal centers. The sleeper thus dips unknowingly into the reservoir of cosmic energy which sustains all life.”

This reservoir is waiting to be discovered by us all, not only in sleep, but consciously, through our daily yogic practice.

CREATING THE BASES

Meditation and Asana

If you want to get in touch with chakras, you need to regularly invest time and energy. To obtain lasting results, daily practice is necessary. From nothing comes nothing, as the ancient Romans taught: “ex nihilo nihil fit.”

First of all, we need to learn to go within, with our perception. Meditation is the practical way. It helps us to turn “the searchlights” of our senses: to see, feel, hear, inwardly. If you don’t yet meditate, you can now to learn to do so.

To go within during meditation, we need to develop a basic inner calmness. Most people however are highly restless, for a number of reasons. One of them is city-life. It irritates our nerves, making us agitated. So if a restless person sits down to meditate, he may soon be frustrated, since he doesn’t get anywhere: his body moves, and his thoughts jump around like a wild monkey.