Chakras: Ajna Chakra (Agnya)

By Stuart Sovatsky

Chakras: Ajna Chakra

Ajna, "the third eye," is where, as the Bible notes, "thine eyes become single," where there is no longer a difference between male and female, and where "the peace that passeth all understanding" dwells. Erotic mystery persists as the continuous, inexplicable unfolding of the eternal moment. Tranquil dispassion has culminated in vairagha, the wisdom of nonattachment. Now the unwavering light of true wisdom sends whispers even to those so-knowing missives of vishuddha, for ama is of mahat-Tattwa, utter refinement. From within these gates of heaven, Solomon and all prophets and saints and the many unknown heroes of our daily lives receive their inspirations, beyond all conjecturing. Here Siva, the lord of yogis, presides. He can only bless with dispassion, and he blesses all alike.

Certain uncompromising devotees of the penultimate ajna prefer to bypass the many substeps and complexities of tantric sublimation that I have described. Following the precepts of traditional monasticism, they attempt, in one leap, to attune to ama, perhaps including vishuddha (practice of constant, repetitive prayers) and anahata (selfless surrender via service or ecstatic devotion). Couples' practices and even the concept of energetic transformation are dismissed or left unexplored. For some of these devotees, celibacy is either easy and spontaneous or a concerted discipline without recourse to any yogic techniques. I find this stark approach to be ominous.