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Sahasrara chakra

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Created on Thursday, 15 March 2012 13:05

Sahasrara (“sahasra” from Sanskrit means thousand) chakra is the highest and most subtle chakra, the ball of purple light at the fontanel. It is actually located outside the body as often it is spoken of as a multicolored thousand petal lotus. The fact that it is outside the body denotes that this chakra has not much to do with the gross physical body; it is rather related to divine consciousness.

When we are not yet born, we are basically a ball of energy that has the potentiality of all elements to be re-arranged into a gross matter. At the point when we are born the essence of all elements, which derives from this energy center, drops down to muladhara chakra. That’s when the fontanel of the baby is closed and he or she starts living human incarnation. All yogis aspire to bring back up and re-unite this essence at the crown chakra. They do this to be liberated from the separateness and reach the state of Yoga, which is the union with Brahman, the Supreme consciousness (not to be mistaken with Brahma).  

Honestly, it is very difficult to write about this as my knowledge is purely intellectual. Obviously, I have not reached the state and only speculate about it based on books I have read and little glimpses of what I thought was a notion of Supreme consciousness or instant presence.  There are two sides of me that want to talk about this chakra. One is more airy-fairy and love-and-light, my dream on how enlightenment should be…And another is more experiential, based on real humans who I consider enlightened.

People who have this chakra activated and balanced are aware of the inner and outer world, they are unprejudiced and others turn to them for a wise advice. They feel one with the earth, they can connect to nature easily, and sometimes they can even talk to animals. These folks are good lucid dreamers, they are aware and present.  This is a perfect ground for enlightenment, I reckon, and here comes airy-fairy Madina...Once we are this balanced and connected, the Kundalini energy can arise and re-unite with consciousness to perform the magic universal dance of “shiva-shakti” union. And once they start their ecstatic dance, this is when we become enlightened. I think it should be a very strong spiritual experience, may be even close to madness. Grand, super intense, stronger than anything what a human can experience on Earth.

However, when I observe people I consider closer to enlightenment or already enlightened, I don’t see any airy-fairy stuff going on. They appear to be totally normal, sometimes even overweight. They laugh and they can get angry if it is needed, they eat, they sleep and can drink wine. Just as Zen saying goes: “Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water, after enlightenment chop wood and carry water”. So nothing really changes on the outside, person does not get a lovely glow or serene smile on his or her face 24/7. The change is purely inside and it is in how the world is perceived, in presence and awareness.

Enlightenment is not about psycho-therapy or perfect handstand. It is about realizing all limitations and the cause of them and ridding oneself off of them. But this is not through an action, but rather through realization. By realizing that all is one and united, person is no longer into me/mine/ego. It should feel great, I bet! But so far before I am there, I am up to listening to my Guru’s teachings, reading books, doing asana and meditation practice. And this is not a “must do”, but rather a “want to” thing. As in the Buddhist teachings it is often said “For the sake of others, wanting to attain perfect state of enlightenment”.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu! Om shanti-shanti-shanti!
Be happy, healthy and strong!