Sahasrara Dictionary

tantrism: The enlightenment path outlined in the Tantra scriptures.

1)    Tantrism is sometimes considered a parallel stream of history and tradition in Hinduism, running alongside and gradually interweaving with the Vedic brahminical tradition.

2)    Tantrism refers to traditions, mainly within Saivism and Shaktism, that focus on the arousal of the kundalini force, and which view the human body as a vehicle of the Divine and an instrument for liberation. Tantrism's ultimate aim is a channeling of the kundalini life force through the sushumna, the gracious channel, upwards into the sahasrara chakra and beyond, through the door of brahman (brahmarandhra) into Parasiva, either before or at the time of death. The stress is on the transformation of all spheres of consciousness, spiritual, psychic, emotional and material. It is a path of sadhana.

Shakta Tantrism: Brings a strong emphasis on the worship of the feminine force. Depending on the school, this may be symbolic or literal in rites involving sexual intercourse, etc. Shakta Tantrism's main principle is the use of the material to gain the spiritual. In certain schools, historically, this implies embracing that which is normally forbidden and manipulating the forces to attain transcendent consciousness rather than lower consciousness. There are three main streams:

-       the righthand path (dakshina marga or dakshinachara) of conservative Hindu practice,

-       the left-hand path (vama marga or vamachara) involving the use of things normally forbidden such as taking intoxicants, meat, ritual sex, etc., and

-       the yogic path of the Kaula sect. Gorakshanatha followers are sometimes grouped with the latter.

See: Shaktism, kundalini, kundalini yoga, raja yoga, tantra.

(See also: Tantrism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Chakra System

The chakras are the bodies centres of energy and vital to the well being of the whole person. They are the energy centres through which our spiritual and emotional energies flow.

The word ‘Chakra’ is taken from Hindi and means ‘wheel of energy’ There are seven chakras or energy centres within the body. Each Chakra has certain characteristics and influences a different aspect of the personality. The correct flow of energies through the chakras is vital for health. When the flow of Prana, or energy is blocked, disease results.

The Base Chakra, Mooladhara

This chakra controls the basic human survival instincts and provides an essential ‘grounding’. Our most basic human instincts originate from this Chakra.

The Sacral Chakra, Swadisthan Manipura

This is linked to sexuality and reproductive capacity.

The Solar Plexus, Nabhi

This chakra is said to direct our awareness of self within the world. This is the seat of our emotional life and existence.

The Heart Chakra, Anhata

Connected to love and compassion. This chakra is the centre of feelings of love, harmony and peace.

The Throat Chakra, Vishuddhi

Linked to individual creativity and communication.

The Brow Chakra, Ajjna

This chakra forms the seat of both intuition and awareness. It is seen as the seat of perception, often perception beyond our physical senses.

The Crown Chakra, Sahasrara

This chakra links to the persons spiritual connection with the universe around them, the link with the divine. This chakra also balances the interior and exterior energies of a person's existence, linking them to the world around them.

(See also: Chakra System , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Seventh Chakra: The Sahasrara Chakra

The seventh center integrates all the chakras with their respective qualities. It is the last milestone of the evolution of human awareness. Nowadays, we are at a level which corresponds to this chakra, and our consciousness is able to easily enter into this new realm of perception, which is beyond our limited mind and concepts, and which becomes absolute at the level of the Sahasrara. This chakra gives us the direct, absolute perception of Reality on our central nervous system.

Read more here: » Seventh Chakra: The Sahasrara Chakra

Kundalini:

(lit., coiled one) The primordial Shakti, or cosmic energy, that lies dormant in a coiled form in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. Through the descent of grace (shaktipat), this extremely subtle force, also described as the supreme goddess, is awakened and begins to purify the entire being. As Kundalini travels upward through the central channel, She pierces the various chakras, finally reaching the sahasrara at the crown of the head. There, the individual soul merges into the supreme Self and attains the state of Self-realization. See also CHAKRA, SHAKTIPAT.

(See also: Kundalini , Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Amrita:

Amrita ("immortal/immortality"): a designation of the deathless Spirit (atman, purusha); also the nectar of immortality that oozes from the psychoenergetic center at the crown of the head (see sahasrara-cakra) when it is activated and transforms the body into a "divine body" (divya-deha)

(See also: Amrita ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Chakra cakra (Sanskrit) Wheel; cycle; the horizon, as being circular or of a wheel-form; likewise certain pranic centers of the body.

"These physiological chakras, which are actually connected with the pranic circulations and ganglia of the Auric Egg, and therefore function in the physical body through the intermediary of the linga-sarira, or astral model-body, are located in different parts of the physical frame, reaching from the parts about the top of the skull to the parts about the pubis. . . . were this mystical knowledge broadcast, it would be sadly misused, leading not only in many cases to death or insanity, but to the violation of every moral instinct. Alone the high initiates, who as a matter of act have risen above the need of employing physiological chakras, can use them at will, and for holy purposes -- which in fact is something that they rarely, if indeed they ever do" (OG 26-7).

In exoteric works six chakras are named. De Purucker lists seven:

1)    muladhara, the parts about the pubis, ruled by Saturn;

2)    svadhisthana, the umbilical region, ruled by Mars;

3)    manipura, the pit of the stomach or epigastrium, ruled by Jupiter;

4)    anahata, the root of the nose, ruled by Venus;

5)    visuddha, the hollow between the frontal sinuses, ruled by Mercury;

6)    ajnakhya, the fontenelle or union of the coronal and sagittal sutures, ruled by the Moon; and

7)    sahasrara, the pineal gland in the skull, ruled by the Sun.

"The human body as a microcosm may be looked upon as containing every power or attribute or energy in the solar system. . . . all the seven (or twelve) logoic forces that originally emanate from the sun, and pass in and through the various sacred planets, are transmitted to us as human beings and directly to the physical body. Thus each one of these solar logoic forces has its corresponding focus or organ in the human body, and these are the chakras" (FSO 459).

(See also: Chakra, cakra , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

cranial chakras: The ajna, or third-eye center, and the sahasrara, at the top of the head near the pineal and pituitary glands.

See: chakra.

(See also: Cranial chakras , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Shiva: The Divine; a deity that has served yogis as an archetypal model throughout the ages. Also, in the Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head, according to Yogic thinking, lives the yang or masculine aspect of divine creative expression.  As the third member of the Hindu Trinity, Shiva is the Destroyer God, joining Brahma and Vishnu.

(See also: Shiva ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Gorakshashataka: (Sanskrit) A text by Gorakshanatha, which along with Siddha Siddhanta Pradipika, extols the path of "Siva yoga," which is hatha-kundalini yoga emphasizing control over body and mind, awakening of higher chakras and nadi nerve system with the intent of realizing the Absolute, Parasamvid, and residing in the sahasrara chakra in perfect identity with Siva.

See: Gorakshanatha, Siddha Siddhanta.

(See also: Gorakshashataka , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

CHAKRA COLORS –

1. Seven energy vortexes on the human body associate with a color.

• Crown - white.
• Forehead (3rd eye) - purple.
• Throat - blue.
• Chest - pink/green.
• Navel - yellow.
• Abdomen - orange.
• Groin - red.

Smaller vortexes are in the hands and feet.

2. “wheel”, spiritual energy center (Sanskrit)

1. Muladhara - base of spine
2. Svadhisthana - lower abdomen.
3. Manipura - navel
4. Anahata - heart
5. Visuddii - throat
6. Ajna - third eye
7. Sahasrara - crown of head (NAD)

(See also: CHAKRA COLOR , Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Cakra or Chakra:

Cakra or Chakra ("wheel"): literally, the wheel of a wagon; metaphorically, one of the psycho-energetic centers of the subtle body (sukshma-sharira); in Buddhist yoga, five such centers are known, while in Hindu yoga often seven or more such centers are mentioned: mula-adhara-cakra (muladhara-cakra) at the base of the spine, svadhishthana-cakra at the genitals, manipura-cakra at the navel, anahata-cakra at the heart, vishuddha-cakra or vishuddhi-cakra at the throat, ajna-cakra in the middle of the head, and sahasrara-cakra at the top of the head

(See also: Cakra or Chakra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

All are terribly afraid of death. No one wants to die. Even intellectual persons who have grasped the idea that the Soul is Immortal and is distinct from the body are also awfully afraid of death. Yoga is actually a way of conquering Death!

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Conquest Of Death: How Yoga is a way of conquering Death

The Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad presents methods for the control of Prana. The Yogic student does not deal with Vasanas. He concerns himself with the techniques of controlling the Prana.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad: Introduction to Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad

The Dissolution Of Prana And Others

69. The Kundalini then goes to the seat of the Sahasrara. It gives up the eight forms of the Prakriti: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and egoism.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad: The Dissolution Of Prana And Others

Chakras: Kaivalya

When the nondual consciousness of ama is sustained in sabija-samadhi and then nirbija-samadhi, the crowning birth of kaivalya dawns in sahasrara. In the full liberation of kaivalya, the erotic mysteries of and after death open, as immortality takes on an awesome, crystalline reality.

Read more here: » Chakras: Kaivalya

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