By Julia Jablonski

While the word “chakra” has Hindu (Sanskrit) roots, the energy involved is not partial to any particular religion. It is a universal energy, and all people inhabiting physical bodies on this earth have them. These energy vortexes are the channels through which spiritual energy flows through to manifest in the physical. (Matter is merely slowed down or crystallized energy, hence, our bodies are energy!) The chakras and other smaller energy vortexes (such as acupuncture points) are openings and channels for universal energy to flow into and out of the aura. Through chakra meditation and learning and experience with the energetic nature of the universe, we can awaken our conscious minds to our true spiritual natures.

The following is a general summary of my current understanding of the physical locations and elements associated with each chakra. Over the years I have noticed some discrepancies between how different people “define” each chakra, (particularly the second and third chakras), but the differences have only been minor. Certainly the colors and locations of the chakras are generally consistent. The base chakra extends down and the crown chakra extends up, while the chakras in between have vortexes both to the front of the body and to the back.

*The first chakra is located at the base of the spine and is associated with red. It is the chakra that governs our physical existence, our bodies and our health.

*The second chakra is located in the area of the womb or spleen, and is associated with the color orange. This chakra governs creativity, and some say emotion. (I associate emotion with the third and fourth chakras).

*The third chakra is located at the solar plexus and is associated with the color gold (yellow). It is associated with the will or desire.

*The fourth chakra (the middle chakra in the chain of seven) is the heart chakra and is associated with the color green, and also the color rose, which is the “color of love.” This chakra is connected with emotion and human love.

*The fifth chakra is located at the throat and is a bright blue. It governs communication and personal magnetism. It is the chakra that most influences intercommunication and our “personas.” It is also the link between emotion and thought.

*The sixth chakra is located at the third eye (mid-forehead) and is indigo (deep purply/blue). This chakra is associated with thought (though some say the third chakra governs thought) and with vision, particularly psychic vision. It is also the chakra of spiritual love and connection.

*The seventh chakra is at the crown of the head, and is violet fading to white further away from the body. This chakra is our connection to our “higher selves” and to the “divine.” It is associated with wisdom and integration of our eternal selves with our current physical selves. It is like our umbilical cord to “God.”

When all the chakras are “whirling,” open, bright and clean, then our chakra system is balanced. When a chakra becomes blocked, damaged, or muddied with residual energy, then our physical and emotional health can be affected. Often this occurs habitually as the result of negative or incomplete belief systems. The effects of our habits, feelings, beliefs, thoughts, fears and desires can be found in our chakras.

For example, if you eat poorly (a lot of processed food, for instance) and don’t exercise, chances are your root (red) chakra is going to become sluggish, darkened and dull. If you “close off” your emotions because they’re painful or overwhelming, your heart chakra is likely to become tight and closed and block emotional energy. If you are extremely centered in your intellect, you may have a bulging and bright brow chakra, but a disproportionately small heart chakra or root chakra. Or perhaps you’re cerebrally focused on finding answers to deep questions about “reality” (as I was for many years). In the West we tend to value the upper chakras over the lower chakras. This probably has its roots in our ancestors’ religious aversion to the “flesh” and their focus on the rewards of “heaven.”

The goal is a strong, clear, balanced energy system. The more open, clear and balanced the chakras, the more energy can flow through your system. This energy is essential for vitality, health, and continued growth on all levels.

The meditation:

I use this type of meditation whenever I need to “recharge” and when beginning astral projection practice and sometimes when beginning psychic readings. More commonly I used a grounding meditation when performing readings. Both are effective and powerful.

Lie or sit in a relaxed and comfortable position, as you would for any meditation. Your spine should be straight and your head in alignment with your body. This meditation is in script mode, should one want to tape it and listen to it while performing the meditation. It is preferable to learn about energy and the methods of balancing, cleansing and charging the chakras and allow one’s own inner voice to lead the meditation. The following is just one way of performing this balancing.

Allow your meditations to evolve and to reflect your individual values and beliefs. If taped, a slow, deliberate pace should be used with a mild voice and the appropriate pauses. The body should already be relaxed and the mind tranquil when beginning this meditation. Eyes are closed.

Now that you are relaxed and feeling very much at peace, take a moment to ground yourself here in this moment, in this body, in this place, in this time…

Take some deep breaths…in…and out…in…and out…

Follow the breath as it flows toward your nostrils, as it enters your nose, as it fills your lungs and then as it is expelled. That’s it, just relax into this quiet moment. Breathe in…follow your breath…and out.

In…and out.

Feel where your body meets the (chair/bed/floor). Become aware of your body from head to toe, of your weight, of the heaviness of your limbs.

Now focus on the area at the base of the spine, the area between your legs. This is the root chakra. Its energy is red, and it governs your physical body, your physical health and vitality. In your mind, study the appearance of this chakra; note its color and vitality. Mentally envision the chakra and note any symbolic symptoms of dis-ease.

Have you been caring well for your body? If your chakra is dusty, dirty, torn, or otherwise less than a perfectly brilliant red whirling vortex, imagine your hands (or those of a guide) working on the chakra. If it is dirty, clean away the dirt and throw it into an imaginary pail with a lid. Allow those hands to repair any imperfections, and when the chakra is clean, mentally take the pail and hurl it into the sun. Watch it as it travels through space and then bursts into a zillion bits of energy upon solar contact. Allow the sun to recycle this energy back into the universe.

Now turn your attention back to the root chakra. It is clean and red. You are surrounded by infinite root energy. Imagine the room glowing red with this energy, feel its strength and power. See red swirls of energy flowing to your root chakra. You can feel this as a tingling as the energy fills your root chakra. As the energy swirls in, your chakra grows large and deep red and strong. Allow the energy to fill your chakra until it is so vital that it extends several feet out from your body. In your mind you can see your root chakra, a brilliant red swirling vortex of physical energy.

Now turn your focus up to your abdomen, to the area of the “womb” or spleen. This is the orange chakra, that which controls clear thinking and creativity. Take a moment to observe the chakra. Note its color, its vitality. Is it clean and strong? Or is there work to be done here? Allow those invisible hands to cleanse the chakra, to repair or heal it. Discard any imperfections in the pail, and send the pail to the sun to recycle the energy.

Focus on the orange chakra again. It is now clean and whole, and a bright orange. Call out to the universe for orange creative energy and feel the space around you begin to glow orange. With a tingle you feel the energy begin to swirl into your chakra, charging it with vitality, with creativity, with clear-thought. Watch as your orange chakra grows and whirls, until it extends out from your body for several feet, just as the red root chakra is still whirling and strong.

Turn from the red chakra, up through the orange chakra, to the solar plexus. This is the heart of the yellow chakra, that which governs will and ambition. Take a few moments to examine this chakra. Note its color and appearance. Have you been lazy of late, or perhaps too driven? Examine your will through this chakra. Allow the invisible hands to cleanse the chakra and heal it, discarding any imperfections or impurities in the pail. Send the pail to the sun for recycling.

Now return your attention to the yellow chakra, that of will. It is now clean and a bright yellow. ‘Universe, send me yellow energy, will energy, energy to achieve my goals, to work for that which I value and desire.’ Feel the yellow energy surrounding your body, and with a tingle feel the energy swirl into your solar plexus. In your mind you can see your red/root chakra glowing, whirling, your orange/womb chakra pulsing brilliantly, and your yellow/solar plexus chakra glowing strongly, extending several feet out from your body.

Turn your attention to the middle of your chest, to the heart chakra, the green chakra. You may feel an instant wave of emotion. This chakra governs your feelings, your emotional connections to others and to the universe, to life itself. Examine this chakra. Note its color, vitality, any impurities. Gently allow those invisible hands to cleanse and purify the chakra. Reflect a moment on how you’ve been feeling emotionally lately. Are there bindings holding in pain? Or is the chakra tight and hard with anger? Release any tensions, imperfections or impurities to the pail. Send them to the sun for recycling. They are still yours if you choose to hold them, but for now, release any pain or anger.

Now focus back on the heart chakra. It is clean and a beautiful green color. It whirls strongly and evenly. ‘Universe, send me green energy for my heart! Open my heart to the world, to all beings big and small, with compassion for our shared experiences and journey. Fill my heart with love energy, that I may in turn give love to others.’ Feel the green energy whirling into your heart. Watch the chakra grow and glow and spin with this new energy.

From the red chakra through the orange chakra through the yellow chakra through the green chakra, your chakras are cleansed and charged and huge with energy.

Focus on the throat, center of the blue chakra which governs communication and personal magnetism. Examine the chakra, noting the color and any imperfections. Perhaps you haven’t been honoring your own beliefs and speaking out when you should. Or perhaps you’ve been talking over others, or not listening well. Perhaps you’ve been feeling shy and afraid to extend your energy in communication. Allow the hands to heal and cleanse the chakra and when finished, send the impurities to the sun for recycling.

Now the chakra is clean and strong and bright blue. Feel the air fill with blue universal energy. Feel the throat open as this energy swirls into the throat chakra. This energy charges your aura with magnetism, drawing others to you. Feel your throat open with this swirling, strong blue energy.

Focus on the middle of your forehead, the third eye. This chakra is indigo and governs psychic vision and intuition. Examine the chakra for imperfections. Perhaps it is locked up due to fear. Perhaps it no longer spins out of neglect/stagnation. Allow the hands to cleanse the chakra, to heal any imperfections and recycle them in the sun. Now look at the chakra. It is a beautiful deep indigo, clean and whirling.

There is psychic energy available to you beyond measure. Feel it charge the air, swirl in and around and fill your third eye chakra with deep, vital indigo energy. Feel the third eye open, and note any mental visions as this occurs. Now is a good time to pray for increased psychic power. Note the red/root chakra, the orange/womb chakra, bright, strong, big! Move your attention up to the yellow/solar plexus chakra, to the green/heart chakra, open and brilliant, to the blue/throat chakra and the indigo/third eye chakra. Your chakras are huge, whirling, and fully charged.

Now focus your attention at the crown of your head. This chakra is violet near the body, fading to white further away. This chakra governs your connection to the universe/God/Goddess/The Creator, etc… This chakra is like an umbilical cord to “home.” Reflect on your spirituality of late, examine the chakra and allow any healing needed. In my experience this chakra generally needs much less work than the others.

Allow the hands to heal, to cleanse, and recycle the discarded energy in the sun. Now examine the chakra. It is brilliantly violet, glowing white around the outside. Mentally reach out to that which you consider your “source…” to “God” or the Universe. Feel the response, the energy flowing back to you. Pray for the peace and joy of a strong crown chakra connection. Feel the violet energy flowing in, a loving embrace of your whole self, of your soul. See the crown chakra grow enormous, and the white energy surround your body.

All your chakras are now clean, charged and in balance. From the red/root chakra, to the orange/womb chakra, to the yellow/solar plexus chakra, to the green/heart chakra, to the blue/throat chakra, to the deep purple/third eye to the violet/crown, your chakras are spinning and whirling, full of energy and vitality. See the white energy that extends up and out from the crown chakra enveloping your whole body in an egg of white energy.

You are completely refreshed, calm, and peaceful. Your energy is balanced. You are full of vitality.

About author:
Julia Jablonski is an ordained Spiritualist minister, medium and clairvoyant. Please Visit Julia’s website here: http://www.muse-net.com/.

By Courtesy to www.Wikipedia.org

Principles of Buddhism

The Three Jewels

Buddhists seek refuge in what are often referred to as the Three Jewels, Triple Gem or Triple Jewel. These are the Buddha, the Dharma (or Dhamma), and the “noble” (Sanskrit: arya) Sangha or community of monks and nuns who have become enlightened. While it is impossible to escape one’s karma or the effects caused by previous thoughts, words and deeds, it is possible to avoid the suffering that comes from it by becoming enlightened. In this way, dharma offers a refuge. Dharma, used in the sense of the Buddha’s teachings, provides a raft and is thus a temporary refuge while entering and crossing the river. However, the real refuge is on the other side of the river.

 

To one who is seeking to become enlightened, taking refuge constitutes a continuing commitment to pursuing enlightenment and following in the footsteps of the people who have followed the path to enlightenment before. It contains an element of confidence that enlightenment is in fact a refuge, a supreme resort. Many Buddhists take the refuges each day, sometimes more than once in order to remind themselves of what they are doing and to direct their resolve inwardly towards liberation.

In most– if not all– forms of Buddhism, the Three Jewels are taken before the Sangha for the first time, as a part of the conversion ritual.

Although Buddhists concur that taking refuge should be undertaken with proper motivation (complete liberation) and an understanding of the objects of refuge, the Indian scholar Atisha identified that in practice there are many different motives found for taking refuge.

His idea was to use these differing motivations as a key to resolving any apparent conflicts between all the Buddha’s teachings without depending upon some form of syncresis that would cause as much confusion as it attempted to alleviate.

It is extremely important to note that in Buddhism, the word “refuge” should not be taken in the English sense of “hiding” or “escape;” instead, many scholars have said, it ought be thought of as a homecoming, or place of healing, much as a parent’s home might be a refuge for someone. This simple misunderstanding has led some Western scholars to conclude that Buddhism is “a religion for sticking one’s head in the sand,” when most Buddhists would assert quite the opposite.

In the 11th century, Lamp for the Path by Atisha, and in the subsequent Lamrim tradition as elaborated by Tsongkhapa, the several motives for refuge are enumerated as follows, typically introduced using the concept of the “scope” (level of motivation) of a practitioner:

Worldly scope is taking refuge to improve the lot of this life

Low scope is taking refuge to gain high rebirth and avoid the low realms

Middle scope is taking refuge to achieve Nirvana

High scope is taking refuge to achieve Buddhahood

Highest scope is also sometimes included, which is taking refuge to achieve Buddhahood in this life.

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha taught that life was dissatisfactory because of craving, but that this condition was curable by following the eightfold path. This teaching is called the four noble truths:

1. Dukkha: All worldly life is unsatisfactory, disjointed, containing suffering.

2. Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or desire (tanha) rooted in ignorance.

3. Nirodha: There is an end of suffering, which is Nirvana.

4. Marga: There is a path that leads out of suffering, known as the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path

In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain lifestyle or path be followed which consists of:

1. Right Understanding

2. Right Thought

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

Sometimes in the Pali Canon the Eightfold Path is spoken of as being a progressive series of stages which the practitioner moves through, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another, but it is more usual to view the stages of the ‘Path’ as requiring simultaneous development.

The Eightfold Path essentially consists of meditation, following the precepts, and cultivating the positive converse of the precepts (e.g. benefiting living beings is the converse of the first precept of harmlessness). The Path may also be thought of as a the way of developing ala, meaning mental and moral discipline.

The Five Precepts

Buddhists undertake certain precepts as aids on the path to coming into contact with ultimate reality. Laypeople generally undertake five precepts. The five precepts are:

1. I undertake the precept to refrain from harming living creatures (killing).

2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).

3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.

4. I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat).

5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

In some schools of Buddhism, serious lay people or aspiring monks take an additional three to five ethical precepts, and some of the five precepts are strengthened. For example, the precept pertaining to sexual misconduct becomes a precept of celibacy; the fourth precept, which pertains to incorrect speech, is expanded to four: lying, harsh language, slander, and idle chit-chat. Monks and nuns in most countries also vow to follow the 227 patimokkha rules.

The three marks of conditioned existence

According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma Seals:

Anatta

Anatta (Pali; Sanskrit: anatman): In Indian philosophy, the concept of a self is called atman (that is, “soul” or metaphysical self), which refers to an unchanging, permanent essence conceived by virtue of existence. This concept and the related concept of Brahman, the Vedantic monistic ideal, which was regarded as an ultimate atman for all beings, were indispensable for mainstream Indian metaphysics, logic, and science; for all apparent things there had to be an underlying and persistent reality, akin to a Platonic form. The Buddha rejected all concepts of atman, emphasizing not permanence but changeability. He taught that all concepts of a substantial self were incorrect and formed in the realm of ignorance.

According to some thinkers both in the East and the West, this may imply that Buddhism is a form of nihilism or something similar. However, as thinkers like Nagarjuna have pointed out, Buddhism is not simply a rejection of the concept of existence (or of meaning, etc.) but of the hard and fast distinction between existence and nonexistence, or rather between being and nothingness. Buddhism thus has more in common with Western empiricism, pragmatism, and anti-foundationalism than it does with nihilism per se.

Anicca

Anicca (Pali; Sanskrit: anitya): All things and experiences are inconstant, unsteady, and impermanent. Everything is made up of parts, and is dependent on the right conditions for its existence. Everything is in flux, and so conditions are constantly changing. Things are constantly coming into being, and ceasing to be. Nothing lasts.

Dukkha

Dukkha (Pali; Sanskrit: duhkha): Because we fail to truly grasp the first two conditions, we suffer. We desire a lasting satisfaction, but look for it amongst constantly changing phenomena. We perceive a self, and act to enhance that self by pursuing pleasure, and seek to prolong pleasure when it too is fleeting.

It is by realizing (not merely understanding intellectually, but making real in one’s experience) the three marks of conditioned existence that one develops Praj?a, which is the antidote to the ignorance that lies at the root of all suffering.

Other principles and practices

Meditation or dhyana of some form is a common practice in most if not all schools of Buddhism, for the clergy if not the laity.

Central to Buddhist doctrine and practice is the law of karma and vipaka; action and its fruition, which happens within the dynamic of dependent origination (pratatya-samutpada). Actions which result in positive retribution (happiness) are defined as skillful or good, while actions that produce negative results (suffering) are called unskillful or bad actions. These actions are expressed by the way of mind, body or speech. Some actions bring instant retribution while the results of other actions may not appear until a future lifetime. Most teachers are, however, quick to point out that though it may be a result of someone’s past-life karma that they suffer, this should not be used as an excuse to treat them poorly; indeed, all should help them and help to alleviate their suffering, leading to them working to alleviate their own suffering.

Rebirth, which is closely related to the law of karma. An action in this life may not give fruit or reaction until the next life time. This being said, action in a past life takes effect in this one, making a chain of existence. The full realization of the absence of an eternal self or soul (the doctrine of anatta (Pali; Sanskrit: anatman)) breaks this cycle of birth and death (samsara).

Vegetarianism

The first lay precept in Buddhism prohibits killing. Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. However, this is not necessarily the case. The Buddha made distinction between killing an animal and consumption of meat, stressing that it is immoral conduct that makes one impure, not the food one eats. Monks in ancient India were expected to receive all of their food by begging and to have little or no control over their diet. During the Buddha’s time, there was no general rule requiring monks to refrain from eating meat. In fact, at one point the Buddha specifically refused to institute vegetarianism and the Pali Canon records the Buddha himself eating meat on several occasions. There were, however, rules prohibiting certain types of meat, such as human, leopard or elephant meat. Monks are also prohibited from consuming meat if the monk witnessed the animal’s death or knows that it was killed specifically for him. This rule was not applied to commercial purchase of meat in the case of a general who sent a servant to purchase meat specifically to feed the Buddha. Therefore, eating commercially purchased meat is not prohibited.

On the other hand, certain Mahayana sutras make a stronger argument against eating meat. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha states that “the eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion”, adding that all and every kind of meat and fish consumption (even of animals already found dead) is prohibited by him. The Buddha also predicts in this sutra that later monks will “hold spurious writings to be the authentic Dharma” and will concoct their own sutras and mendaciously claim that the Buddha allows the eating of meat, whereas in fact (he says) he does not. A long passage in the Lankavatara Sutra shows the Buddha weighing strongly in favor of vegetarianism, since the eating of the flesh of fellow sentient beings is said by him to be incompatible with the compassion which a Bodhisattva should strive to cultivate. Several other Mahayana sutras also emphatically prohibit the consumption of meat.

In the modern world, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary by location. In the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, monks are bound by the vinaya to accept almost any food that is offered to them, often including meat, while in China and Vietnam, monks are expected to eat no meat. In Japan and Korea, some monks practice vegetarianism, and most will do so at least when training at a monastery, but otherwise they typically do eat meat. In Tibet, where vegetable nutrition was historically very scarce, and the adopted vinaya was the Nikaya Sarvastivada, vegetarianism is very rare, although the Dalai Lama has recently made several comments encouraging its adoption. In the West, of course, a wide variety of practices are followed. Lay Buddhists generally follow dietary rules less rigorously than monks.

About author:
Courtesy to www.Wikipedia.org