Meditation
The Agnya Chakra, sometimes called the Third Eye, is situated at the centre of the brain. This is the level of the mind. Our mind has two lobes: the ego, which gives us our sense of separateness; and our superego, which has our conditionings and memory. The goal in Sahaja Yoga is to bring the light of the Spirit to the brain and so achieve enlightenment, Self-realisation. The Sahaja Yoga affirmations for the Agnya Chakra are, “I forgive everyone, including myself,” “Mother, by your grace I am forgiven,” “Mother, please make me a forgiving person,” and “Mother, verily You are the forgiveness.”
When the Kundalini passes through this chakra, the thought waves elongate so that the space between the thoughts grows longer. The present moment begins to fill the attention and we enter the state of meditation in thoughtless awareness. Then we can see without colouring or projecting – simply, innocently, like a child.
Jesus Christ, the personification or Deity of the Agnya Chakra is said to have explained, “Unless you be as little children, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” This entry point is “the narrow gate” between the ego (ahankara) and superego (manas). This is the “now” point that remains clear and unpressured, beyond the mind’s remembrances of the past, and beyond the ego’s mental projections about the future.
The mind, like the body, gives us fairly convincing ideas of our existence. However, with an enlightened mind we find, as Shri Mataji has said, that we are not the body, the mind, ego and conditionings, but we are the Spirit. This was the essential revelation of Jesus Christ who fully manifested the Divine qualities of the Agnya Chakra – compassion and forgiveness. His testimony, of undoubted Oneness with His Father, is the Nirvikalpa experience of the Yogi, who has been cleansed and prepared by the Divine Mother, Kundalini. His assertion, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light,” is the ultimate expression of this enlightened Agnya.
It is through deep meditation, forgiveness and humility that the process of crossing the Agnya Chakra is worked out. The left and right channels cross just below the Agnya. If either of these channels is overly active they create a burden and an imbalance in the subtle body that pressures and closes the narrow gate and has us again feeling alone and unconnected. The right channel is easily inflated with the idea, “I do.” Too much thinking, planning, projecting, over-activity, anger, competitiveness or superiority will cause blockage and also deplete the left side of the essential ability to feel and love. Becoming too “right-sided” means we can enter the hot realm of the supra-conscious, the realm of the future. The left channel can catch if we are overly emotional, too expressive, feeling victimised, wishing harm to ourselves, becoming immersed in the past, and too involved in unhealthy habits, subconscious images or dead ideas. This is the realm where everything from the past is placed, including dead spirits and the Collective Sub-conscious.
A central idea in spiritual evolution is the idea of being “born again”. This is not a process of self- or group-certification. It is the process of Self-realisation in which we break through, surrender the lesser senses of ego and conditioning, and become resurrected, identified with the eternal awareness, the Spirit. Here we go beyond the mind and often humorously witness the play of the ego and conditionings as they battle to have their way. We are still in the world, yet in a detached, joy-filled and loving way. We easily forgive, for not to forgive causes problems. We know and enjoy our own Spirit, the same Spirit in all, and witness the play of the Creation. We are humble before the ultimate majesty of the Creator and also spontaneously experience true love and compassion for the human condition.
Pavan Keatley
(Photograph: orthodox.cn)
In Indian philosophy, there is a view as to why humankind finds itself in its present chaotic situation. The belief is that humankind passes through different ages, or Yugas. There are four main Yugas, and much like the different seasons, each has its own character. According to the Puranas, which are ancient Indian texts, the Yugas last for thousands of years. With each Yuga, the collective unconscious shifts, and gradually humankind finds itself adopting different principles and beliefs. For instance, there is a Golden Age, or Satya Yuga. This is a divine time; an age of spirituality. During this time, there is harmony between people; the world is a place of benevolence. People are said to be in a state of constant medititation. It is a time where there is no disease or sickness. Conflict is a thing of the past.
The second Age or Yuga is the Treta Yuga. This is an age characterised by mental abilities. This age is seen as a step down from the Golden Age of Satya Yuga. Man now has a sense of self. He develops the desire for power. A belief in man’s own mental abilities steadily rises.
The third age is Dvapara Yuga. In this age the sciences flourish. Inventions are abundant, especially inventions that seem to make distances between people and places disappear.
The fourth age, which is the one we currently find ourselves in, is Kali Yuga. This is the age of Darkness, where humankind has lost its inner connection with Divinity. It is, unfortunately, the world as we see it today. Here is an extract from the Mahabarata, describing the Kali Yuga. And remember, the Mahabharata was written thousands of years ago. So, this was written as a sign of things to come:
“Avarice and wrath will be common. Men will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of Dharma will occur. Lust will be viewed as being socially acceptable. People will have thoughts of murder for no justification, and they will see nothing wrong with that mind-set. Family murders will also occur. People will see those who are helpless as easy targets and remove everything from them. Many other unwanted changes will occur. The right hand will deceive the left and the left the right. People will not trust a single person in the world, not even their immediate family. Even husband and wife will find contempt in each other. In the Kali Yuga even pre-teenage girls will get pregnant. The primary cause will be the social acceptance of sexual intercourse as being the central requirement of life. It is believed that sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish. People will take vows only to break them soon. Alongside death and famine being everywhere, men will have lustful thoughts and so will women. People will without reason destroy trees and gardens. As previously mentioned, men will murder. There will be no respect for animals. People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks. Men will find their jobs stressful and will go to retreats to escape their work. As the sin increases exponentially, so will the incidence of divine justice and wrath.”
While this is a bleak description, I think we have to admit that it is an accurate one. There is, however, another Yuga, and it’s called Krita Yuga. Krita Yuga doesn’t last for thousands of years, but rather for several decades. It comes in between the four major Yugas and marks the transition from one to another.
According to the prophecies of Kakayyar Bhujander, a renowned Indian astrologer who lived almost 2000 years ago, this age of Darkness, or Kali Yuga, would begin to recede in the year 1970. It’s at this time the the world enters the transition stage, the Krita Yuga, which leads us to the promised times of Satya Yuga, the age of meditation, bliss and enlightenment.
Andre Anglem
Everyone is now familiar with the stereotypical image of a yogi sitting cross-legged chanting the sound, “OM”. But what is the real significance of “OM”?
OM is the primordial sound of the universe, the first sound, the sound that was made at the Big Bang, the beginning of our universe, and it resonates within our being. OM has the power to take us into meditation, to make us one with the universe, to take us into the the silence and the peace that is the vastness and the power of the universe, like the stillness of a bottomless lake that has no ripples.
The sound, OM, was made when matter first started to divide and differentiate and to recombine. OM is actually made up of three separate sounds, A-U-M, that together make the sound, OM. The first is “A” which sounds like “ar” as in “car”. The second is “U” which sounds like “oo” as in “book”. The third is “M” which sounds like “m” as in “man”. These sounds can help to keep us in balance. How?
Human beings have within them a subtle body which consists of three channels and seven chakras. The three channels are connected to our emotions on the left, our physical and mental activity on the right and our integration and balance in the centre. If we are over-emotional we are operating too much on the left side, and if we are thinking and planning too much or are over-active physically then we are using our right side too much. These situations cause the imbalances which lead to physical and mental health problems.
The central channel is generally activated only when we achieve our Self-realisation. This happens when the residual life force (called the Kundalini) which resides in the sacrum bone in every human being rises up through the spine, through the limbic area in the brain and out the top of the head at the fontanelle bone area. It then connects us with the All-pervading Power of the universe, the force that created us, the force that keeps the planets in their orbits and makes the seeds sprout in the Mother Earth.
Once we have our Self-realisation we can go into “thoughtless awareness”, the state of true meditation in which we are awake and alert but we are not thinking. In thoughtless awareness the Kundalini flows through us, balancing our subtle systems and clearing our chakras, giving us good health and feelings of well-being. As we continue to meditate and to strengthen this connection, the Kundalini flows more strongly and we are able to enjoy the silence, the space between the thoughts, to be the pure consciousness, to feel one with the whole of creation.
After our Self-realisation, when we have that connection to the force that created us, the sounds of the OM (AUM) can help to clear and balance our channels. If we use as a mantra the sound, A (“ar” as in “car”), it will help to clear the left channel, the sound, U (“oo” as in “book”), will help to clear the right channel and the sound, M (“m” as in “man”) ,will work on the central channel. As a result, the whole system will come into balance.
The sound, OM, also has the power to clear each of the chakras when sung at the pitch which resonates with the particular chakra, and it can raise the Kundalini when sung up the musical scale.
So, sit comfortably, on the floor or on a chair, hands palm upwards on your lap. Take a few deep breaths, and relax. Now sing, “Aaaaoooommm,” and let the sound take you into meditation, into the stillness and the silence and the peace that is the vastness of the universe where you are at one with the whole of creation and are nothing but pure consciousness. Enjoy!
Kay Alford
(Illustration: affirmations.goingon.com)
There will be a realisation stall at the Leura Fair to be held in Leura in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney on 6 and 7 October 2007.
The Leura Fair is held as part of the Leura Garden Festival. People come from all over to visit the beautiful gardens in their springtime splendour. The main street in Leura where the Fair is held is lined with beautiful blossom trees in full bloom.
Please come along and enjoy the gardens, the ambience and the opportunity to find out about Sahaja Yoga meditation.
(Photograph courtesy of geekphilosopher.com)