Once we already talked about the "subtle anatomy" of yoga. Today we will talk in more detail about the nadi channels and how they work.
There are 72,000 channels in our body, but yoga considers three to be the main ones: Ida, pingala and sushumna. Sushumna runs in the subtle body along the spinal column, and ida and pingala entwine it on the left and right. Ida and pingala end at the ajna chakra, while sushumna goes higher, into the sahasrara.
- Ida is a white channel, it is associated with intuition, passivity and reflection. In yoga, this channel is considered "masculine", although we are used to referring such qualities to the feminine nature.
- Pingala is the red channel associated with logic, activity and activity. In yoga it is considered "feminine."
- Sushumna is the central channel, it is also called shunya-nadi - empty. It combines both masculine and feminine properties, and it is in sushumna that we must direct prana in order to achieve clarity of consciousness. Kundalini (shakti) rises along sushumna, thanks to which the yogi gains siddhi (superpowers), and subsequently - liberation.
In everyday life, only ida and pingala work, and sushumna is activated exclusively in the process of meditation. Approximately every 72 minutes, the work of ida and pingala alternates, and at the same time sushumna is turned on for a few seconds or minutes, but we are not able to feel or notice this transition, since we are too busy with our thoughts.
In order to direct prana to the central channel, we need to first cleanse the nadis from impurities.
Channel pollution
The contamination of the nadis is facilitated by excessive or insufficient use of the senses (in general, all impressions that lead to a loss of mindfulness and awareness).
Overuse includes alcohol and drug use. They very quickly drain the nervous system, literally "burn" it.
In addition, in the city, our senses are constantly attacked by external stimuli, and we experience all kinds of stress. When we leave for the countryside, we immediately feel better. This is largely due to the fact that our nervous system ceases to experience such terrible overloads.
Underutilization includes sensory deprivation - a lack of external impressions. If we shuttle between home and office, and spend the evening watching TV, the nadi channels will not work properly, because they do not have enough food.
Methods for purifying nadis
- Following the principles of yama and niyama. Their violation creates the strongest negative consequences.
- Do not intoxicate your mind - not only with impressions, but also with states that interfere with concentration. Extremes should be avoided because they always interfere with practice and pollute the nadis.
- Performing asanas (provided that at the same time we try to develop stability and equanimity).
- The practice of pranayama with accompanying elements - counting breaths, concentrating gaze on certain points, performing bandhas.
Nadi Shodhana is the most important classical exercise for cleansing nadis. Nadis, in the interpretation of yogis, are conduits or channels through which energy flows - prana. The word shodhana means to cleanse or purify.
One of the main goals of yoga is to restore normal energy circulation in the body. The cycle of asanas helps to open access to the channels (nadis), and Pranayama helps to consciously manage energy and direct it to the appropriate nadis (channels) and organs.
For practitioners, it is enough to know about the existence of three main channels through which prana moves: Ida (Lunar), Pingala (Solar) and Sushumna (Central), which runs along the spine.
When performing nadi shodhana, the work of the respiratory center is normalized, the processes of excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system are balanced, headaches pass, chronic stress conditions are cured, energy channels are freed from blockages, harmonized energy flow in the main channels Ida and Pingala. It helps very well in combination with self-massage and jala-neti with a cold.
This exercise is an excellent preparation for further mastery of Pranayama.
The practice of nadi shodhana is taught in three stages - beginner, intermediate and advanced. Until you do a certain stage without stress, it makes no sense to move on to another.
Starting position.
Standing or sitting (lightning pose). The back, neck, head are straight, stable, motionless. Control your breath with your fingers right hand, which we hold in front of our face in nasikagra mudra (see fig.). Breathing is soundless, without tension.
Cycle counting.
One cycle of nadi shodhana includes inhalation through the left nostril, exhalation through the right, inhalation through the right, and exhalation through the left. 5-10-5 cycles are performed.
Of the bandhas in the intermediate and advanced stages are used: jalandhara, uddiyana and moola bandhas (see bandhas).
The inhalation-exhalation ratio at the initial stage is 1: 1 (1-4 counts), that is, 4: 4. Further, when delays after inhalation and exhalation are introduced: 1: 1: 1: 1; 1: 2: 2: 1, which is respectively 4: 4: 4: 4; 4: 8: 8: 4. As Pranayama becomes comfortable, gradually add units, we get: 5: 5: 5: 5; 6: 6: 6: 6; 5: 10: 10: 5; 6: 12: 12: 6. Assess your capabilities correctly and do not pursue an increase in duration. After a year of practice, stop at a ratio of 6: 12: 12: 6.
Achieve mastery in each stage, first without using bandhas, and then practice with them.
Execution technique
1. Beginner level
Pose - see above, do kaya sthairyam for a short time to achieve stability in the body and calm breathing. Perform nasikagra mudra. Close the right nostril and breathe in and out five times through the left nostril. Close the left one and take 5 breaths with both nostrils.
The inhalation-exhalation ratio is 4: 4. The number of repetitions is unlimited here.
At this stage, alternating breathing begins with the left and right nostrils - inhale with the left nostril - exhale - right, right - inhale, left - exhale.
Do 5-10-15 cycles.
Ratio 1: 1 (4: 4). With a gradual increase (Fig . and).
Practice at this stage an inhalation-exhalation ratio of 1: 2 (4: 8), gradually increasing but maintaining the same ratio.
2. Intermediate level
At this level, post-inhalation and exhalation delays and bandhas are introduced, which block the energy within the body.
First, the ratio inhale-hold-exhale-hold 1: 1: 1: 1 is used, that is, 4: 4: 4: 4, and jalandhara bandha is added on holding the breath.
Then, using a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1, we introduce moola bandha on hold.
At this stage, we master the ratio 1: 2: 2: 1 without bandhas.
And finally, using the ratio 1: 2: 2: 1, we introduce jalandhara and mula bandha on hold after inhalation, and on hold after exhalation we perform three bandhas - jalandhara, uddiyana and mula bandha (Fig. B).
Fig. Nadi shodhana
At first, your attention will be completely absorbed by the alternation of fingers and nostrils. But what will seem complicated at first will then turn into a simple and understandable, almost automatic movement. When you can get your mind off your fingers, concentrate on the passage of air and at the same time try to visualize the movement of prana as a stream of blinding white or blue light.
It is better to start with 5 approaches in one workout, and inhalation-exhalation is counted in one approach. As you train, bring the number of exercises to 10 per session. If sweat breaks out at the roots of the hair, this is the first sign that the cells have begun to breathe and energize.
At first, do not worry about the proportions of inhalation and exhalation, the main thing is that their duration does not exceed 4-5 counts. Make sure your breathing is slow. After some time, when Nadi Shodhana becomes familiar to you, try to inhale and exhale the same duration. Having achieved this, move on to other, more difficult tasks.
A typical mistake for beginners is to tighten the muscles of the face and free arm, which should not be allowed.
Three channels and chakra pollution
Right Channel (Pingala) and Evil Heart
You may think that the most important thing is the techniques, but the main thing is a mental process.
1. If you completely get rid of attachment, then the corresponding channel will also be completely free.
2. If you completely get rid of ignorance, then another corresponding channel will also be completely freed.
3. If you completely get rid of the evil heart, the right channel will open completely -.
The malice of the Muladara Chakra is hatred and murder.
Svadhishtana's anger is jealousy that occurs when you cannot win the favor of a member of the opposite sex.
Manipura's anger is the desire for sole possession, for example, the possession of food or some other thing. But here, moreover, the desire to eliminate others is added.
And if we are talking about science or abilities, then when you do not use it for the benefit of others, but only for the sake of satisfying your own mental anger, it creates an entrapment in the Manipura chakra.
Anahata associated with the Pingala channel is not pure attachment, it can be associated with all sorts of benefits or, if it does not come to benefits, then attachment with secret intent. This is Anahata, which belongs to the right channel.
In the case of Vishuddha, slander and slander.
Next is the Ajna chakra. Here the worldly desire is not to benefit living beings, but to harm them.
It is necessary to refuse the emergence of such a work of the soul and such emotions in consciousness. If there is no such congestion, then your right channel will be cleared.
However, even if you do your best to practice, but still fix the memory on evil feelings, your right channel will never be free.
Left channel (Ida) and delusion
Now - about the part of the Muladar chakra related to the left channel. Since your consciousness is in delusion, you consider the enemy as a friend, and a friend as an enemy.
Svadhishtana - chakra: About what actually benefits you, you think that it does not benefit, and vice versa.
Contamination related to Manipur is manifested as follows: You think that such and such a science benefits you, but in fact it does not. Or do you think that such and such food is healthy, but in fact it is not. That such and such is harmless, but in fact it is harmful to you.
Left channel and Anahata. In this case, you become attached to what is more and more deluded, and not attached to what frees you from it.
Vishuddha Chakra: defilements - lies and idle talk.
In the case of the Ajna chakra, this is the work of consciousness that wants to satisfy its desires through information. Unclear and uncertain.
Central Channel (Sushumna) and Attachment
So the next one is attachment.
Muladara Chakra: Despite the fact that karma is already beginning to come to an end or is completely exhausted, you continue to fix memory on it and fix it on hatred. This is the attachment of Muladara.
Next is the attachment of Svadhishtana: to continue to be greedy for sexual pleasure.
Manipura's affection. It is greed for science or food that you are willing to eat until you feel bad.
Anahata's attachment: to continue to be attached to an object without fully understanding it. As a result, your soul experiences a sense of oneness with this object.
A typical example of Vishuddha-chakra attachment is flattery. You flatter, wanting to be well thought of.
And finally, Ajni's affection. This is a state that occurs when, despite the fact that the fulfillment of desires is associated with impermanence, you do not notice it. This is the attachment of the Ajna Chakra.
Channels, Wind and a drop of the soul
In the practice of the highest levels of the teachings of esoteric Buddhism, Judaism and Western magic, there is a theory of achieving Liberation by purifying three elements: Channels, Wind and Soul Drops. Why does this teaching belong to the category of the highest? When mastering it, it makes it possible without much effort to gain experience of other worlds and high reincarnation, even for those who have serious pollution.
What are Channels? These are several tens of thousands of Channels of subtle spiritual energy that form the subtle body of a person.
What is Wind? This is the energy that moves through the Channels. And the consciousness that moves along with the energy of the Wind is a Soul Drop.
CHANNELS
Of several tens of thousands of Channels, only 49 are considered main. Among them, in turn, there are three most important - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, the intersection of which gives seven powerful centers of spiritual energy - chakras. Everyone has chakras, but ordinary people do not work and are in a dormant state. The purity and width of the Channels is determined by the purity of a person's soul, his every minute thoughts, however, the state of the Channels is also strongly influenced by the external vibrations of the surrounding world. What does it mean to clear Channels? This means to destroy the pollution of our past experience that has settled in the Channels and chakras.
WIND (PRANA, QI energy)
There are two types of Wind: the outer Wind is breath, and the inner Wind is the Wind, which carries us either to the higher worlds, or to the lower ones.
When the inner Wind rises, we move to the worlds of the gods,
And when it descends, we fall into the lower worlds.
Winds are also coarse and subtle. "Wind" is a generalizing word meaning vital energies that cause both the movement of the body itself and all physiological processes in it.
At the time of death, the Winds gather first in the central Channel, and then into an indestructible Soul Drop. This causes the manifestation of the Mind of Pure Light - the most subtle of all consciousness. When it stops, Bardo begins and a new incarnation takes place.
What does it mean to direct the Wind upward and strengthen it? It means directing your consciousness to a higher state by doing the practice of Good and Merit or by doing the practice of spreading the Dharma.
DROP OF SOUL
What does "cleanse a Soul Drop" mean?
It will be purified only by practicing the practice of Tranquility.
The Soul Drop is a mirror. How correctly the object or the outside world is reflected in it depends on the purity of the mirror.
CLEANING DUCTS, WIND AND SOUL DROPS
It all starts with the awakening of the Kundalini.
When the Channels are cleared by repentance, meditation and technical practices and love for all living things has been accumulated (without sincere love and compassion for all living things, it is more than dangerous to get up on this path - in this case, you will bring harm to yourself, which may take hundreds of lives to fix), Until now, mystical energy rises from the tailbone and releases all the chakras one by one.
Channels are paths for energy, but until now they have been polluted by the wrong accumulation of experience - thoughts, words, actions, that is, information that does not contribute to the accumulation of inner light and an increase in a person's spirituality.
It can be compared to pipes clogged with dirt and foliage. Blockages are information, and there are two ways to clear it. One is to add information that is the opposite of what is already available. Another is to add information that exceeds the original. The process of entering information must be repeated many times.
We are forced to be born again and again from the beginningless past, constantly remembering the pleasure of sexual desire, the desire to eat.
Therefore, it is not so easy to get rid of them.
There are various techniques
For example the Four Basics of Mastering Memorization
Or special meditations.
All of them are aimed at first getting pleasure not from wasting energy, but from its accumulation, and then from its sublimation at a higher level and circulation.
It is difficult to stop desires, but with a real guru it is quite possible.
How does desire arise?
The Rising Wind meets an obstacle - pollution of consciousness at a subtle level, which causes the corresponding chakra to vibrate and our Soul Drop, that is, consciousness, moves there.
The accumulating wind leads to a strong generation of heat.
If it is sexual desire, then heat is released from the chakra in the genital area. If a person likes this sensation, he stimulates the release of heat even more, and during the peak of the release of heat, a state called ecstasy sets in. That is, a person gets maximum pleasure from the maximum loss of energy, and this leads to the impoverishment of spiritual structures.
There is, however, another way - the Way of Accumulation, which gives significant advantages over the first. He who has mastered it to perfection is truly wise and has the right to be called a king among kings and a Buddha among Buddhas.
Chakras and the devilish state
If there is apathy, lack of vitality, if a person is attached to his health, then he has not yet entered the stream of spiritual practice. Why is this so?
The fact is that he knows health Muladhara Chakra... Of course, at the stage of the Anahata chakra, apathy can occur. But in this case, the person has enough physical strength, but he is not able to do anything because of mental problems. These are the problems associated with the Anahata Chakra.
But the problems associated with the Muladhara Chakra, on the contrary, are a lack of physical strength, energy and mental exhaustion.
When the Muladhara Chakra opens and a person begins to see the flame in the form of an inverted triangle, he gets rid of these torments. They are eliminated because the Muladhara Chakra is associated with the Earth Element.
The Muladhara Chakra is the root of the Earth Element. What is the Earth Element? In the physical body, it is meat, flesh. For example, muscles, skin and everything that goes into the flesh. And when a person's flesh is strengthened, filled with energy and gains strength, he becomes healthy, his muscles increase, and physical strength returns to him.
The physical strength of a person before the opening of the Muladhara Chakra differs from physical strengthacquired by him after its disclosure. There may be people among you who know from your own experience that sometimes a person fails to build muscle, no matter how hard he does sports. This kind of problem is associated with the Muladhara Chakra.
And if with the help of yoga a person fully opens the Muladhara Chakra, he will be able to maintain efficiency for a very long time. He will be able to work even if he has little time to sleep. Or, for example, he will be able to recover faster after physical fatigue. That is why it is absolutely necessary for us to open the Muladhara Chakra.
But there is one thing. The Earth element is the element of the lowest order.
Therefore, with the opening of the Muladhara chakra - even if we leave aside the physical side of the problem - a person may worsen his relations with people around him in this World of Phenomena.
The Muladhara Chakra is a flame shaped like an inverted triangle. According to yogic concepts, it is associated with the predominance of Rajas, activity. So, speaking about the Muladhara Chakra, we are talking about the predominance of Heat.
Having plunged into this state, a person loses the clarity of thinking and becomes hot-tempered - as if a heat had hit him in the head. Therefore, while doing meditation, even a wonderful person can become extremely hot-tempered for some time and lose the clarity of thought. Of course, this is a bad condition. After all, relations with people are deteriorating. However, the practitioner should definitely go through this.
Otherwise, he will not be able to rise to the level of the Svadhishtana Chakra.
Chakras are interesting things, and they can be revealed starting from the Ajna chakra.
However, this method of opening is dangerous, since it is in the Ajna chakra that the desires of this world exist. And if a person has not received the experience of the lower worlds and his desires begin to come true, then he will fall under their influence.
But if a person has opened the chakras, starting with the Muladhara chakra, and has already acquired various experiences, then he knows what measures must be taken. He perfectly knows what harmful desires are, and therefore what they are. He got experience with other chakras.
Therefore, when he reaches the level of Ajna chakra and desires begin to come true, he already understands the meaning of karma and he will not use the chakras carelessly and thoughtlessly.
If a person first opens the Ajna chakra, then events begin to occur at his will. But when the Ajna chakra is opened, there is a possibility of opening other chakras as well. Now imagine that a person lived as he wanted, attracted by his desires, and accumulated bad karma. And suddenly, say, the Muladhara Chakra opens up in him. It will be like a blow of fate for him: bad karma will return to this person.
That is why the chakras should be opened starting from the Muladhara chakra.
If you understand that the Devilish state related to the Muladhara Chakra is confusion of thinking and angerthen you will be able to solve the problems associated with this chakra.
Let's move on to the next chakra - Svadhishtana Chakra.
She is in charge of the genitals. But in fact, it is revealed when one concentrates on tandene, an area located 3-4 cm below the navel. Svadhishtana Chakra is associated with the predominance of the Element of Water and has to do with vegetarianism. It is believed that the Svadhishtana Chakra will open up if you follow a vegetarian diet, eating brown rice. This is indeed the case.
With the opening of this chakra, a person becomes slow. And he also gets tired of this world. Of course, in the fact that the Svadhishtana chakra is revealed, there is also the good side.
For example, a person is found to have poetic talent, or he will be loved by others, or he will be able to control his sex drive.
There was one person who practiced only techniques and was simultaneously engaged in one of the types of Western magic, opened the Svadhishtana Chakra. He practiced the technique of sexual Tantra, which allows you to conserve sexual energy. But in the end, he ended up in a Devilish state. It is quite obvious that this person was able to open the Muladhara Chakra and Svadhishtana Chakra. But why did he enter the Devilish state?
This happened because he used only a system of techniques, combining it with magic, and used the Svadhishtana Chakra only for worldly purposes. What kind of Devilish state did he enter?
The Svadhishtana Chakra gives a person a poetic talent, a talent for versification, since it connects him with the Lower Astral World. It is there that he draws inspiration or sees some semblance of images. As a result, he begins to write good poetry. And the person I was talking about really succeeded temporarily in this. However, he used his talent for evil and therefore accumulated bad karma. He became schizophrenic.
Why did he develop schizophrenia? You are in this World of Appearance - and suddenly a hole appears in the Lower Astral World. And the information coming from there starts to mix with information related to your past experience. But you have the illusion that all the information you received from this world. This is the man who rushed in the wrong direction. He was repeatedly told:. He was also advised to study not only technical practices, but also spiritual ones. However, he could not understand this and amused himself with something resembling divine abilities. Because of this, he completely fell into a Devilish state.
So, the disadvantage of the Svadhishtana Chakra is, as already mentioned, slowness. But inspiration or poetic talent may also appear. In addition, people around him begin to love, especially those of the opposite sex. In such a situation, you should be careful and think like this:.
Being in the Devilish state associated with the Svadhishtana Chakra means mistakenly believing that information coming from the Lower Astral World exists in this world, which just leads to schizophrenia.
And what should be done to prevent this from happening?
Remain indifferent to your current situation, considering it only as a manifestation of Merit.
Let others like you very much - however, do not think about it.
Let your poetic talent polished to shine - however, do not think about it. But you can use it! And think about accumulating Merits to strengthen your position. If one thinks in this way, his Svadhishtana chakra will close. Some people will probably say that you should not close the Svadhishtana Chakra, which has been opened with great difficulty. Maybe this is so. But with the closure of this chakra, nothing ends. It's just that the energy of the Svadhishtana chakra will turn into the energy necessary to open the next chakra - the Manipura chakra.
- The world of the Muladhara chakra is Hell and the World of Hungry Spirits,
World of Svadhishtana Chakra - World of Animals and World of People,
World of Manipura Chakra - World of Asura and Heaven.
So, a person who strives for eternal happiness will be happier if he is reborn not in the Human World, but in the higher worlds - the Asura World, where harmony reigns, or in the world of the gods, where he will be completely satisfied.
And the World of Asura and Heaven just refer to the Manipura Chakra.
If we turn to the theory of the elements, then we can say that this chakra is associated with the predominance of the element of Fire.
You will probably be surprised: Meanwhile, this is not so strange. On the one hand, the predominance of the Earth Element, as mentioned above, indicates the Muladhara chakra, the predominance of the Water Element - to the Svadhishtana chakra, and the predominance of the Fire Element - to the Manipura chakra. On the other hand, the Muladhara chakra is a flame, the Svadhishtana chakra is gross particles, not water. And the Manipura Chakra is the world of subtle substances.
Manipura Chakra is the world of study, science, talents. In other words, if the Manipura chakra opens, a person surpasses others, achieving success in studies, sciences, develops his talent.
Here's an example. - someone thinks. And what happens if this person paints a great picture? He will be satisfied: This work of consciousness is characteristic of the active Manipura Chakra. And if a person is satisfied with his life, then you can consider that in the next life he will be an asura or a god (celestial).
So, when the Manipura chakra opens, a person has talents that were not there before. Or the person acquires more knowledge and succeeds in studies and research.
Then what is a real Devilish state associated with the Manipura chakra?
This is the satisfaction of a person with his own world. Meanwhile, being in a state of self-satisfaction, he does not notice others. In other words, human relationships are deteriorating. They get worse because a person stops caring for others, being satisfied with himself. Then he enters the Devilish state. What's going on?
The longer he stays in the Devilish state, the worse his relations with others will become.
This is quite natural. And when he breaks out of this state, the consequences will greatly puzzle him. The fact is that as long as he is satisfied with himself, external circumstances do not matter to him. But when he comes out of the Devilish state and becomes the same as everyone else, he will notice that the situation has changed. After all, the longer it lasted, the more the external circumstances around him worsened. That is why one should get out of this state as soon as possible.
And what needs to be done for this? The learning abilities and various talents revealed during this period are not originally intended for personal use. They exist for others. If a person understood this, if he fully opened the Manipura chakra, skillfully used it and changed its quality, then, most likely, he will move on to the next step - the Anahata chakra step.
Anahata chakra is associated with nobility.
They talk about a person who is at the level of this chakra. If the Manipura chakra is the divine world of knowledge and talents, then the next, Anahata chakra, is the entrance to the higher Astral World.
More precisely, the Astral World is the world of the Anahata chakra and Vishuddha chakra. From the point of view of the Svadhishtan Chakra, which points to the Human World, the inhabitants of these worlds can be considered the inhabitants of a sufficiently high world.
With the opening of the Anahata chakra, a person acquires nobility. They start talking about him:
And yet, what is A devilish state associated with the Anahata chakra? This is pride. Suppose that there is Truth, and a person understands that it is Truth, but at the same time believes that in his current position it is not profitable to talk about it.
In other words, the pride under the influence of which does not allow him to do this. This is the Devilish state associated with the Anahata chakra.
And others will appreciate this person. in the following way:. When this is repeated, a person is immersed in his closed, personal world.
Of course, such a person clearly manifests himself in studies, love, poetry. He is very talented and physically healthy. He has many Merits. But out of pride, he is immersed in his own world. He often distinguishes between himself and others, or compares himself to others. And if it turns out that the other is better than him, he tries to get him out of his way. Or he may sacrifice others to satisfy his pride.
Pride is of no use to us. On the contrary, it brings misfortune. Of course, a person who is at this level can live alone in this world. But we need to move to a higher stage - the stage of the Vishuddha chakra. And for this it is necessary to interact with others and accumulate Merits in relation to others.
So if you are proud and unable to drop your pride, you should think like this:. Clear?..
In the heart resides what we must respect the most - our True Ego. We need to reach the Mahayana by going through the stages of Anahata Chakra, Vishuddha Chakra and Sahasrara Chakra. If pride overcomes you, your limit is the level of the Anahata chakra. But if you think of Liberation, drop your pride. In terms of Achievement, your pride is like dirt under your nails.
Suppose pride is overcome.
A person who overcomes it will go to the world of Vishuddha-chakra.
There, in addition to nobility, he acquires a high social status - be it in politics, or the financial sphere, or religion.
You will probably notice one truth. For example, in India it is believed that if a great soul is reborn, it incarnates either as a king ruling seven kingdoms or as a Buddha. The point is that when a great soul or a great True Ego descends in this world, it will certainly be one of them. But this, of course, cannot happen if the Vishuddha Chakra is not opened.
Buddha, as already mentioned, is in a high position because of the support of others; and when he reaches a high position, his duty is to pull, to drag the world in the right direction.
This is precisely what the Vishuddha Chakra knows. So those of you who have already reached a high social position, have taken a high position, or those who are respected by others and have almost become great, can say:.
The Vishuddha chakra has one more property - it makes it possible to visit the astral library of the highest rank.
The Truth of the Universe is collected there. At this stage, a person no longer enters the magnificent world of the gods, but into a more majestic world - the Upper Astral World. When you gain the ability to visit the library of this world, you may think that you have the Vishuddha chakra open.
But if a person stops at this stage, he will not be able to enter the world of the Ajna chakra.
You can't stop here. If a person uses his post, his fame, his high social position, satisfying his egoism, he most likely will not be able to go to the world located above the Vishuddha chakra.
It is here that the answer to the question of why a Buddha is a great soul, or a great true Ego, is contained.
When a buddha, for example, descends into this world, he does not do it for his own sake. Therefore, even if he attains a high position, he does it for the sake of others. In other words, his consciousness is no longer at the level of the Vishuddha chakra.
The Vishuddha chakra barrier is a state of self-satisfaction after reaching a high position.
So the buddha is at least at the level of the Ajna chakra - the highest chakra of this life - or at the level of the Sahasrara chakra.
So the last one is Ajna Chakra.
So, there are only two options here: either Evil, that is, to rule this world, or Good, that is, to save this world.
But the fulfillment of desires that you imagine is not the level of the Ajna chakra. Although when Buddhist scriptures speak of living in this world of one's own free will and of fulfilling all desires, they mean the abilities that arise when the Ajna chakra opens. Perhaps this is being said on an earthly social plane.
But a person who has fully opened the Ajna chakra can, at least, control the mental state of others. And he is able to either bring another into the Holy Stream, or control it while in the stream of evil.
So, if Salvation becomes a barrier for a person, he, of course, will not be able to reach the Mahayana, connected with the last chakra - Sahasrara chakra.
And if he rejoices, governing everything according to his evil will, if he revels in this, then he will also not be able to reach the upper world - the Mahayana.
And between the Ajna Chakra and the Sahasrara Chakra there are seven more stages.
So people who are concerned about health are at the level of the Muladhara chakra;
Absorbed in poetry or love - at the level of the Svadhishtana chakra;
Attached to knowledge and talents - at the level of the Manipura chakra;
Those who are drunk with glory or pride - at the level of the Anahata chakra;
Those who are content with high position and power - at the level of the Vishuddha-chakra;
And absorbed in the dreams and desires of this life - at the level of the Ajna chakra.
What level are you at and what level are you going to reach?
About repentance
Our actions, speech and thoughts from the beginningless past have been polluted with a lot of karma. We were often gripped by anger, greed, and ignorance. And the state that we are accustomed to consider common is often bad when objectively examined. Let us, for example, think that we are not accumulating bad karma. We need to realize that even though it looks like we are not accumulating bad karma, in fact we are "floating downstream." And only when we consciously accumulate Merits, consciously conduct the meditation of the purification of the soul, - only then we begin our movement towards the upper worlds. heading upstream.
Those who believe that any harmful action is necessary or beneficial are absolutely wrong. It is wrong to think that you should do this to curb enemies or protect friends, or for the sake of money, property, fame, writing, clothes, etc. No matter how rich a person is in all this, at the time of death there will be less benefit in all this. than a sesame seed! You can't take with you a crumb of food, not a piece of clothing, and it's not worth talking about fame, wealth, son, wife and so on.
When you wander alone in the lower worlds, then no one else will be able to shift the painful oppression of your atrocities: you will have to suffer them alone! Consider this: And there is not the slightest harm in being motivated by self-loathing. And contemplate all this meditatively, sad and unhappy.
In addition, hidden crimes grow more and more as soon as the seeds of evil deeds are mixed with the water and dung of deceitful pretense. If you do not hide your mistakes, but recognize them and reveal your sad state to others, your misdeeds will not grow, but wither, for,.
Harmful deeds can be easily uprooted through the vigorous application of methods of cleansing from atrocities — deep regret and sincere repentance.
REPENTANCE
To say:, - means to recognize the perniciousness of the performed action. To say this with a feeling of deep regret and mental anguish is to repent. Repent, addressing with a sense of the deepest respect and admiration to those who did not commit such atrocities, feel disgust and shame for their atrocities and directly sincerely pray:.
Four Forces: [Your repentance will be effective if you apply four forces at the same time]:
1. and repent of your past atrocities as vigorously as if you [were freed] from the poison you have swallowed.
2.Together with firm determination:
3. to Coming to Refuge and Generation of Bodhicitta.
4., including others.
And all four must be applied. [Constantly be aware of the following]:
1. If you are simply repentance without true repentance for your past atrocities, then those deeds will not be cleansed.
2. If you do not commit yourself to a vow to avoid future atrocities, all your repentance and the associated beneficial action will be useless.
3. One single repentance of one who truly took refuge and generated Bodhicitta has incomparably greater power to purify from harmful deeds than hundreds of thousands of repentances of one who did not come to Refuge or generate Bodhicitta.
Further, one day of repentance of one who has received the [Vajrayana] initiation washes away incomparably more harmful deeds than many years of repentance of one who took only [Hinayana or Mahayana vows]. This is due to the fact that [Vajrayan initiation] multiplies the power of confidence, conviction. 4. The same applies to the cultivation of your beneficial deeds and to [eliminate] the harmful ones.
So, in order to eliminate defilements, there is Repentance meditation. It cleanses the soul. If you do it with all your might, then the Light of Merit will appear in the World of Phenomena, and then only good will happen.
To get to the final point, you need a complete study of the Teaching, complete control over words, complete control over thoughts and complete control over actions. And the basis for this is Repentance.
(materials from the book "The Beacon of Confidence" by Karma Aghvan Yondan Chjamtso were used)
Dealing with Anger - Buddhist View - Pingala Nadi (Right Channel)
Over its 2,500-year history, Buddhism has developed many ways of dealing with anger. In Buddhist psychology, anger is considered one of the three main harmful interfering feelings, the so-called "poisons of the mind", so special attention is paid to working with it.
More on that below, but first let's agree on terms to avoid confusion.
Anger in our understanding can be both negative and, to some extent, a positive feeling. Sometimes we speak of “righteous anger,” meaning that we are entitled to strong emotions when we think someone is doing something unfair.
When in Buddhism we talk about anger, we mean only the negative aspect of this feeling, when we want to harm another living being, be it a person, an animal, an insect, or even an ethereal spirit - no matter for what reason.
Therefore, to denote this feeling, it is better to use the term "anger", since it more accurately reflects the negative, destructive component of those emotions that sometimes overwhelm us and the consequences of which can be irreversible. Broken dishes cannot be glued together, nor are broken relationships. Having once again defined this feeling, we will designate it as an emotion expressed by the thoughts: "I want you to feel bad" (options: "so that this and that happens to you", "so that you find yourself there and there- then ", etc.) and leading to appropriate words and actions.
The three poisons of the mind
When we talk about the three main "poisons of the mind", the three main interfering emotions, we mean anger when we want to alienate someone or something, selfishness, when we want, on the contrary, to leave something only to ourselves, not wanting sharing with others and confusion or foolishness when we do not understand what to do with a given situation.
Despite the fact that the methods of working with each of these three "poisons of the mind" are similar, in this article we will focus on the topic of anger, because it is it, expressed in words and actions, can bring the most difficult and irreparable consequences.
These three feelings: anger, selfishness and stupidity are combined with each other in different proportions, forming 84 thousand unique combinations and Buddha, when he taught, gave the same number of methods of working with them.
This does not mean at all that if we follow the teachings of the Buddha, we need to master all 84 thousand receptions, since as in the pharmacy we choose only the medicine we need, so here we need to choose individual methods to work with those harmful emotions that they manifest themselves most strongly in us.
Causes of anger
When and why does anger arise and what does it bring? Let's imagine a situation: we are sitting in a room where another person enters, be it our good friend or someone unfamiliar, and says something that causes our adrenaline level to rise and blood rushes to our face. The first emotion that arises before words and even thoughts, which "naturally" arises in people in most cases in a similar situation, and will be anger. This is the desire to push, throw this person out of our space, get rid of the irritant in one way or another. It arises from the assumption that the words of this person are focused on us, he specifically pronounces them, thinking only about hurting us, and all his actions are aimed precisely at this.
Emotion is followed by words or actions, depending on our individual experiences, temperaments and habits. We can say something in response that, in our opinion, will put the person in his place, silence him, show him that he is wrong and, finally, make him admit that we are better than he thinks. We can point him to the door or kick him out.
Now let's answer ourselves to three questions that arise in connection with this:
1. Are we correct in our assessment of the situation?
2. What makes us say and act like this?
3. What are the consequences of our words or actions, "natural" in this situation?
1. Are we correct in our assessment of the situation?
If we look closely at our assessment of this person's actions, we may see that we are not entirely right. Thinking about possible reasons words and actions of our opponent, we can assume three options: (1) he really wants us harm, (2) he misunderstood something and (3) he had a day today.
If you analyze our thoughts and behavior, you can see that 90% of all our time we think about ourselves and our problems, our thoughts do not go beyond what is connected with our world. Realizing this, we can assume that others are doing the same.
The reason for this is that a person does not feel well: he has a headache, stomach or some other part of his body, he had a fight with his wife or superiors, someone ruined his mood, which is why his whole world is painted in black tones.
After all, if everything is fine with us, then everything that we see around us glows by itself, we do not even have the thought of hurting someone or expressing criticism. IN good mood rain will delight us and all the troubles will seem ridiculous to us.
Thus, in most cases, "hitting" us has nothing to do with us and is associated only with the disorder of the person himself at the moment.
If the criticism from the other person is really directed at us, it may be fair or unfair.
In the first case, it would be reasonable to take note of it and pay attention to what we can improve in our behavior, in the second case, we can perceive the whole situation as a misunderstanding and try to resolve it, but in both cases it is clearly unreasonable to dismiss the fact that they want to convey us.
Having carefully analyzed most of these situations, we will see that most often, our assessment of them does not correspond to what they really are, and, accordingly, the reactions based on this assessment also only confuse us and their consequences are more harmful than expected. results.
2. What makes us speak and act with anger?
In the situation described above, when we are under attack, we often react in such a way as to get rid of the source of irritation as soon as possible. We say or do something that should get the alleged abuser to stop attacking.
Why is there such a reaction, despite the fact that our assessment of the situation, as we have just shown, is inadequate to the situation? We can say that, despite the fact that the words or actions of the one whom we perceived as the offender, most likely in no way directed against us, we do not see this. We are ready in advance to feel ourselves as a target towards which any external action is directed.
We can be offended not only by the meaning of a person's words, but also by the intonation that he uses, the expressions he has chosen, or something else. Most likely, if our reaction was anger, this means that, unconsciously, we very quickly made associations between our offender, his words and actions, connecting them with what we consider unacceptable for ourselves.
These things are very subjective and depend on what has brought us negative experiences in our past experiences. For one person it will be offensive if he is called a little one or compared to a child, if he has been striving to become an adult all his life, for another, on the contrary, comparison with an adult may turn out to be offensive, since a person considers himself eternally young. But as a result, due to a wrong and non-constructive understanding of the situation, we feel like a target at which someone's attack is directed. The desire to defend our borders from an imaginary attack leads to such a reaction - to defend ourselves by throwing the "offender" out of the space that we consider ours.
This perception of oneself as a target, of course, cannot be considered correct. After all, no one wants to consciously consider himself the center of the attack, but something makes us feel the world as if everything that happens in it is directed at us, either for us, or against, or neutral, as if the whole world revolves around us, which is obvious is a gross exaggeration. Here we will not touch on the reasons for this, although in Buddhism the main reason for this attitude towards oneself and the world is called "dual perception", and it is this attitude that is considered the main cause of all our problems.
3. What are the consequences of our words or actions, "natural" in this situation?
First, as we just saw, evil words and actions are not at all natural in this situation. They are rather the products of misunderstanding, misperception of the situation. Secondly, as many of us probably know from practice, reciprocal criticism and the desire to hurt another almost always lead to an escalation of the conflict. Just as we, feeling like a target, automatically defend ourselves and react, throwing a person out of our space, so our newly-minted opponent will respond in kind.
The tangle of retaliatory critical attacks, turning into insults, grows, in the worst cases leading to hostilities. After a while, it is no longer possible to establish what was the root cause of the conflict, but extinguishing it can be many times more difficult than starting it.
Thus, we have established that anger arises from a misunderstanding of another person's words or actions and an initial illogical, vulnerable perception of oneself as a target, and the reaction of anger leads to the escalation of conflicts and ruptures of good relations.
Dealing with anger
Now that we have found out that the causes of anger are in the wrong perception of the world, and its results are extremely negative, let's touch on the methods of working with it. If we want to get rid of its harmful effects, we need to do something. If we do nothing, we will not be able to change anything and all our life we \u200b\u200bwill commit stupid actions based on erroneous perceptions and leading to unpleasant consequences... In general, we can distinguish three approaches to dealing with anger:
1. We can avoid situations and actions caused by anger, and then its consequences will not be so destructive;
2. We can develop the opposite of anger - empathy, which will allow us to resist that feeling. In this case, we are working not with the effect, but with the feeling itself, which makes our mind seethe and as a result of which we can say and do something that we will most likely regret later;
3. We can get such control over our own mind that at the moment anger arises, we will calmly observe its appearance, without getting involved in the process itself;
These three approaches are based on three components of our personality: action, emotion and gaze, worldview.
Act
Unlike European psychology, in which it is often recommended to express anger immediately and not to keep it in oneself, Buddhists suggest, on the contrary, to restrain its manifestations. As practice shows, if we restrain the manifestations of anger, then its consequences will always be less destructive, and we will quickly come to our senses, having calmed down after an outbreak of rage. Instant expressions of anger and irritability lead to a response. When a couple's relationship begins, it is psychologically difficult to get angry with a partner for the first time, however, when this happens for the first time, it is easier to do it again, and on the third it is already a habit.
In the relationship of people who are unrestrained in their critical manifestations, the lump of mutual criticism, claims and reproaches always only grows, which as a result leads to loneliness. In those countries where this psychological approach has become widespread, a generation of loners has appeared, always dissatisfied with others and ready to express their harsh emotions on any occasion. Therefore, the first way to work with anger, in Buddhism, is to avoid its manifestations, even if it has already appeared in the mind.
If we feel that blood has rushed to our face, and our fists are clenched to pain, we can stop ourselves and walk away from the situation, returning to it as soon as we calm down. If adrenaline requires active action, we can direct its energy to a good cause - to do physical exercise or work - to put things in order in the house or in the garden. If we know that in certain situations we are unable to contain ourselves, we should try to avoid them completely, leaving before we feel a surge of rage. Over time, we will get a new habit and instead of destructive criticism, we will use the energy of anger for the benefit of ourselves and society.
Emotions
Working with evil emotions, we eliminate the cause of evil words and actions, thereby preventing them from manifesting and bringing their harmful consequences. Dealing with the emotion of anger can be based on the "carrot and stick" principle, as well as using antidotes. On the one hand, we think about how much trouble our intemperance has already caused, how many relationships we have destroyed by allowing ourselves to be harsh criticisms and manifestations of anger towards others.
On the other hand, we imagine how good it would be if we stopped participating in "showdowns", how much time and effort we would save if we did not allow ourselves unnecessary negative emotions. This kind of reflection at our leisure can lead us to the conclusion that showing anger is too expensive a pleasure and it is better to come up with other entertainment.
At the same time, we can think about the motivation behind all actions, both ours and that of others. Summarizing all types of motivations, we can reduce them to two types: our actions are determined either by what should bring us happiness, or by what will help us avoid suffering. It is the same with other people, as well as with animals and all other creatures, the only difference is that each of us means something different by happiness and suffering. More often than not, by harming others in our pursuit of happiness, we misunderstand the situation, wanting to benefit at the expense of another.
However, what we give comes back to us, and the hope of happiness at the expense of others does not bring what we expect. On the contrary, our desire to alienate others from ourselves, to find a flaw in everything we see, makes us see the world more and more threatening, and thus leads to fear - a state of paranoia. People who hate the whole world can be found in insane asylums or in prison. Their life is a complete nightmare, because it seems to them that everything around them is working against them. Using the previous analogies, they turn themselves into an absolute target, and even quite peaceful and neutral things in themselves, from their point of view, are directed against them.
Realizing this, looking at the most unpleasant person, without hope of correction, we will think that he is rather not evil, but confused, unable to distinguish the true paths to happiness from the illusory ones, as a result of which he leads himself to constant suffering. Understanding this will not allow us to manifest in anything other than sympathy towards him, instead of the usual reciprocal anger. We ourselves would not want to be in the place of a person who perceives everyone who surrounds him as enemies, so we will not accustom ourselves to this, reacting with anger to our environment.
Empathy and kindness, on the other hand, are antidotes to anger, and if we consciously develop these qualities in ourselves, they replace the habitual tendencies of disgust and anger in the mind. Compassion is the desire for all living beings to get rid of suffering, and kindness is the desire for them to achieve the highest happiness.
If we cultivated these qualities in ourselves, the next time when a stimulus we are accustomed to appears, we will react with a smile rather than rudeness. In Buddhism, there are many methods of cultivating both compassion and kindness, including meditation, some of which we have already discussed in this article. This is an understanding of the law of cause and effect (the law of karma), according to which we get what we create, an understanding of the expediency of a positive outlook on the world and a good attitude towards it.
One of the best ways to develop empathy is to wish others, both concrete and abstract people, animals, and all beings, as much happiness, health, and joy as possible in every suitable situation. This is especially important in situations in which we would be more likely to be angry at other times. By replacing curses and curses with wishes for happiness, we change our instant emotion, and with it our global attitude towards others - our look.
It is always better to live surrounded by happy, joyful and internally rich people than next to small and unhappy people, even standing out among them, which can warm our pride, but in the long term it will only bring problems. Therefore, it is "profitable" for us to benefit and wish all the best for others, and this deprives the soil of any germs of anger. Obviously, we are all passengers of the same boat, and if one feels good, then everyone only gets better from this, although usually we do not see the world from this perspective.
All people, like all living beings, are more likely to share one common space than to be separated by it. Therefore, we can say that the happiness of the neighbor, as well as the distant one, is our own happiness, we are not separated from it. Gaining such a vision is not easy, but many Buddhist practices are aimed at it. But, having such a look, such an attitude towards the world and other creatures, we will not only deprive anger of any roots, but we ourselves will find happiness, in which everything around us will rather please us than annoy us.
When we talk about the Buddhist view, we must say about the true view of reality, unclouded by the dual perception "I am here - they are there", from which both the three "poisons of the mind" and other disturbing emotions arise. Despite the fact that the dualistic view is so familiar to us that we consider it completely natural, in Buddhism it is recognized as the source of all problems. Look, worldview
After receiving enough instruction and pondering the subject, we may come to the conclusion that anger is not our friend. If we are already sufficiently trained in anger management, we can move on to the next level - the technique: "let a thief enter an empty house." The thief in this case is anger, the house is our mind. If a thief enters a house where there is a lot of profit for him - our perception of ourselves as a target, our willingness to associate the actions of other people with what is unpleasant for us, he has something to profit from. If we allow, the thief will take over our thoughts and feelings and our mind will be dominated by the emotion of anger. But if we initially did not prepare anything for the thief, he will leave with an empty bag.
In this case, when the emotion of anger even overtakes us, we will remain motionless and will only watch with a smile the storm of feelings that rages inside us. We will not let anger take over our mind and control our words and actions. In a couple of minutes the thief will leave, allowing us to go about our business again. Of course, this approach is very difficult for beginners - more often than not, people notice that they only get angry after picking up the pieces of dishes. Therefore, this method is considered aerobatics in Buddhism, it is suitable only for experienced practitioners. The technique of meditation can help to develop an inner unshakable calmness, allowing, if necessary, not to get involved in the dramas of life, participating only in its comedies.
How to work with it?
Despite the fact that the Buddha gave many methods and teachings for working with our own malice, we need to start somewhere. This article lists three approaches to dealing with anger, from the perspective of external actions and words, from the perspective of motivation and gaze. Since each of us has different abilities and potential, we can start with what works best for us. If anger overtakes us easily and often, and at the moment of its occurrence we no longer control ourselves, then it is better to avoid getting into situations that provoke its appearance.
If someone annoys us, we simply avoid meeting that person. If we have learned to stop ourselves at the moment when we are ready to give free rein to our destructive emotions, we can use the second method - to leave the room, leave the situation and return to it when we have already "cooled down", even the next day, using the saying: "The morning is wiser than the evening".
At our leisure, in a calm atmosphere, we can think about the consequences of uncontrollable outbursts of anger and how many pleasant moments we would spend with our loved ones if we were not annoyed so often. At any time, in any setting, you can consciously develop empathy, wanting others as much happiness as we naturally wish for ourselves, and even more. Finally, when we are ready to change our perspective, we can no longer separate ourselves from others, and then empathy becomes a natural state that replaces anger.
Despite the abundance of methods for dealing with anger, in Buddhism there is no principle:, and compassion instead of anger does not mean submission. It means free choice of actions and even emotions instead of habitual actions under the influence of habitual emotions. If we need to stop someone who is attacking us or someone we need to protect, we can stop him using all possible means.
The important thing in this case is that we do not act out of anger, but out of sympathy. It is expressed in the fact that, not allowing someone to offend another, we do not allow him to accumulate bad karma as a result of his stupid actions and, at the same time, we do not allow to cause suffering to others. In this case, motivation is decisive.
Even Buddha in one of his previous incarnations was forced to kill a person. In that story, he was one of the sailors on the treasure ship. On the way back, when the treasures were already on board, the Buddha found out that one of the crew members planned to destroy everyone who was on the ship and take everything for himself. After going through all the possible options, the Buddha saw that the only way to save many people was to get rid of the villain, which he did.
Wherein main motivation Buddha had to save many lives and prevent one person from accumulating so much bad karma, which should also help him in the future. Thus, the Buddha acted more out of sympathy for him, as well as for everyone else. In this case, motivation is more important than the action itself.
At the same time, with practice, we will begin to understand that anger is nothing more than pure energy for our development. In its essence, it only shows us how things really are, without dividing us and those around us. With this attitude towards anger, we cannot take it seriously. The next time we feel like, in response to criticism addressed to us, our face becomes bloodshot and the adrenaline level rises, it will cause nothing but a smile, because the whole situation looks funny, and most importantly, we will cease to be addicted. from uncontrollable emotions, on the contrary, they will become our servants.
In a situation where strong action is needed, we allow ourselves to act harshly, but without anger, wishing well for the one whose actions we need to stop. This becomes possible because now we become the masters of the situation, deciding for ourselves which emotions and to what extent should be given free rein.
As a result of changing our habitual tendencies and reactions, we change ourselves, becoming other people. Anger, like other harmful emotions, no longer controls our words and actions, but we can now control its energy. This makes us calmer, more efficient, and more confident people.
Anatoly Sokolov.