There are many underdeveloped creatures which have no nerve cells or nerve fibres and behave according to their instincts only. Human beings possess nerve cells and nerve fibres, but they also behave according to their instincts. For example, very young children smile and keep their hands closed because of their instincts. They are not goaded by intellect or by any intellectual inclination in this respect.
The innumerable nerve cells and nerve fibres in the human body can be divided into two types: one connecting the brain to the spinal cord [the central nervous system], and the other from the spinal cord to the skin and going within the body [the peripheral nervous system]. There is also a collection of nerve cells in the cranium that is made up of fat [that is, the hypothalamus], which has a special power, an inborn power or a vibrational speciality, which is sometimes synthetic [sympathetic] and sometimes apathetic [parasympathetic].
In Sanskrit the region across the top of the head above the ears is called sna'yupet'aka, which means "a basket of nerves". A vibration from any part of the body takes one two-hundredths of a second to reach the cranium. Suppose an insect bites your hand. The sensation will travel through your afferent nerves to the brain. Immediately an order, which will travel through the efferent nerves, will be given to remove the insect. The terms "afferent nerves" and "efferent nerves" are derived from Latin words and mean "sensory nerves" and "motor nerves" respectively. The corresponding Sanskrit terms are sam'jina' na'd'ii and a'jina' na'd'ii.
The nerve cells are active and work directly in the conscious (ja'grata), subconscious (svapna) and unconscious (sus'upta) states of mind, although the Sanskrit and English terms for these three states are not exactly synonymous. When the nerves do not work properly, sometimes people experience a condition which may be described as feeling unnerved. For example, if a person is hit on the head and the balance between their afferent and efferent nerves is lost, the person may forget everything, lose his or her discrimination and be unable to decide what to do. The same condition may occur after a nightmare. If a man dreams that he is being chased by a ghost and falls down and knocks his head, he may suddenly wake up covered in perspiration, suffering from the same symptoms as if he had actually been hit on the head while awake. In such a condition we say he is feeling unnerved.
The midpoint of the last vertebra of the spinal column is a nerve centre. This is the central point of the mu'la'dha'ra cakra. The whole body is balanced on this cakra [plexus]. It has four vrttis [propensities]: dharma [psycho-spiritual longing], artha [psychic longing], ka'ma [physical longing] and moks'a [spiritual longing].
The sva'dhis't'ha'na cakra is situated on the spinal cord directly behind the root of the genital organ. It has six propensities: avajina' [belittlement of others], mu'rccha' [psychic stupor, lack of common sense], prashraya [indulgence], avishva'sa [lack of confidence], sarvana'sha [thought of sure annihilation] and krurata' [cruelty].
Next comes the man'ipura cakra. This cakra is located at the navel. It controls ten propensities: lajja' [shyness, shame], pishunata' [sadistic tendency], iirs'a' [envy], sus'upti [staticity, sleepiness], vis'a'da [melancholia], kas'a'ya [peevishness], trs'n'a' [yearning for acquisition], moha [infatuation], ghrn'a' [hatred, revulsion] and bhaya [fear].
Then the ana'hata cakra, situated in the centre of the chest, which controls twelve propensities: a'sha' [hope], cinta' [worry], ces't'a' [effort], mamata' [attachment], dambha [vanity], viveka [conscience], vikalata' [mental numbness due to fear], aham'ka'ra [ego], lolata' [avarice], kapat'ata' [hypocrisy], vitarka [argumentativeness to point of wild exaggeration] and anuta'pa [repentance].
Next is the vishuddha cakra, located in the region of the throat, which controls sixteen propensities: s'ad'aja [sound of peacock], rs'abha [sound of bull or ox], ga'ndha'ra [sound of goat], madhyama [sound of deer], paincama [sound of cuckoo], dhaevata [sound of donkey], nis'a'da [sound of elephant], onm [acoustic root of creation, preservation, dissolution], hummm [sound of arousing kulakun'd'alinii], phat' [practication, i.e., putting a theory into practice], vaos'at' [expression of mundane knowledge], vas'at' [welfare in the subtler sphere], sva'ha' [performing noble actions], namah [surrender to the Supreme], vis'a [repulsive expression] and amrta [sweet expression]. When any theory is put into effect the process of practication is made effective by chanting the sounds hummm, phat', vaos'at', vas'at', sva'ha' and namah.
Finally, there is the a'jina' cakra, located between the eyebrows, which controls two propensities: apara' [mundane knowledge] and para' [spiritual knowledge].
Cakra is a Sanskrit term while "plexus" is the Latin term. Besides the main nerve centres at the point of each cakra, there are also sub-centres where sub-glands are located. These sub-glands influence [and control] the propensities attached to each cakra. This science is largely unknown today.
By performing a'sanas [postures for physico-psychic well-being] regularly, human beings can control the propensities attached to each cakra, and hence the thoughts which arise in their minds and their behaviour. This is because a'sanas have a profound effect on the glands and sub-glands. How? All a'sanas have either a pressurizing or depressurizing effect on the glands and sub-glands. For example, mayu'ra'sana [peacock posture] has a pressurizing effect on the man'ipura cakra. The secretions of the glands and sub-glands of the man'ipura cakra and the propensities associated with them will become more balanced if this a'sana is practised regularly. If someone has a great fear of public speaking, it means his or her man'ipura cakra is weak. Through the regular practice of mayu'ra'sana, this propensity will be controlled and fear will be eliminated. Other a'sanas may have a depressurizing effect on the man'ipura cakra, and if these a'sanas are performed regularly the glands and sub-glands associated with the cakra will become less active. Increased glandular secretions generally make the propensities more active and vice versa. By practising a'sanas regularly, one can control the propensities and either increase or decrease their activity. So spiritual aspirants should select the a'sanas they perform very carefully. This effect of a'sanas on glands and sub-glands has never been revealed before.
Extreme fear causes excessive tension and pressure on the man'ipura cakra. Normally when people experience fear, the afferent and efferent nerves are able to work properly. The tension in the nerves caused by the fear travels through the nervous system and reaches the brain, so excessive pressure does not occur. However, when a person becomes extremely afraid the balance between the afferent and efferent nerves is lost, and there is a build-up of tension and pressure around the man'ipura cakra. If the information carried by the efferent nerves from the brain to the man'ipura cakra is prevented from reaching its destination, the imbalance can cause a blockage in the region of the ana'hata cakra which is a very complicated and sensitive part of the human body. A disturbance in this region can cause palpitations, excessive pressure on the heart, the inability to act decisively, and even a heart attack.
In human beings the thyroid and parathyroid glands are more developed than the lymphatic glands. Previously the lymphatic glands were more developed than they are today, but as human beings evolved, the thyroid and parathyroid glands became more active and the role of the lymphatic glands diminished. In monkeys, the opposite is the case: the lymphatic glands are more developed than the thyroid and parathyroid glands. The thyroid and parathyroid glands are concerned with psychic development and intellectual elevation, while the lymphatic glands are more concerned with physical activity, hence monkeys can jump higher and swing further than human beings. One of the reasons why human beings are more evolved than monkeys is that their thyroid and parathyroid glands are more active.
Human and monkey start out by sitting on a vast savanna. Human contemplates mosaic of diversity of life, hears symphony of myriad living beings, ponders how all this came about and all its permutations, and even how this could flourish further and do so in a balanced manner.
What is the monkey doing?
Monkey is strutting and jumping, screeching, rolling on ground, and climbing trees, occasionally entreating attention of others.
Contemporary biological scientists claim there is a 98.7% similarity between the DNA of humans and monkeys. Then how to explain the differences. Particularly, the difference is the biopsychological emphasis of glandular optimization in humans, while the biopsychological for monkeys remains lymphatic. The divergence of psychic evolution in humans, contrasted with monkeys, starts emphatically with optimization of thyroid and parathyroid, the base anchor for grander gestalts in human evolution, along with a more evolved thymus.
Semen and lymph are not the same thing. When males are sexually aroused, the nerves in the testes get stimulated and lymph is converted into semen.
Joint hair grows near the lymphatic glands in the armpits and leg joints. If this hair is removed, then the lymphatic glands tend to overheat, causing over-secretion, and this in turn decreases the function of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. There is an inverse relation between the lymphatic glands and the thyroid and parathyroid glands: if one is more active then the other is less developed and it becomes weak. For this reason, the joint hair should not be removed.
The process of controlling all the cakras and propensities was invented by Astavakra over two thousand years ago. He wrote the book As't'a'vakra Sam'hita'. He was a great saint and called this process Ra'jadhira'ja Yoga. He first taught this system of yoga to Alarka at Vakreswar in Bengal.
The human body is a biological machine. No body deviates from this rule -- all physical bodies are biological machines. The different types of lessons in Contemporary Tantra sa'dhana' [spiritual practices] are designed to strengthen the different cakras and control the propensities. Guru dhya'na [meditation on the guru] strengthens the sahasra'ra cakra. If there is control over the sahasra'ra cakra, then the body and mind can be controlled completely.
When a great man gives you a blessing, he generally does it by placing his hand on the sahasra'ra cakra, which has a positive effect on all the other cakras. The higher propensities will be increased and the lower propensities will be decreased. This kind of effect is not only produced by touch; it can also be caused by sound. When you do sa's't'a'unga pran'a'ma [prostration] to a great personality and are verbally blessed as well, the sound of the blessing will have a positive effect on your whole being. Both the touch of the hand on the sahasra'ra cakra and the verbal blessing will increase your spiritual elevation.
You can only bless those you like. If you accept salutations from those you dislike, negative sentiments may arise in your mind, increasing the lower propensities and decreasing the higher propensities in those seeking your blessing. So you do not have the right to accept salutations from all people, and you should not automatically bless everyone.
The cranium of females is usually slightly smaller than that of males, consequently women have less nerve cells in the brain than men. But the fact is that men use a very small number of the nerve cells in their brains, and the same applies to women. Spiritual practices and higher pursuits utilize more and more nerve cells. Suppose a man and a woman learn sa'dhana' at the same time, practise with the same sincerity and progress with the same speed -- they will both achieve spiritual elevation. Now, suppose they both enjoy divine bliss after performing sa'dhana' for the same number of years. If all or say ninety-nine per cent of the nerve cells in the brain of the woman are utilized, a lower percentage will be utilized by the man because he has more nerve cells in his brain.
Women have some propensities which are very strongly developed. In particular, women normally have great love and affection for their children. This is natural. But if the expression of a particular propensity is excessive, it may have adverse consequences. For instance, most stepmothers love their own children more strongly than their stepchildren, and if the intensity of this affection is not controlled, it may create tensions and divisions in the family. Also, because of the affection women have for their children, they may not like to go outside the home, and if this is taken to extremes, it may lead to harmful isolation. Similarly, if a large number of people living in a particular region only stay in their own region out of blind love for their locality, it will be detrimental to the progress of society as a whole. Good relations with other regions will not be encouraged, and the trade and economic development of their region may be adversely affected.
Love and affection are very good attributes, but to protect oneself and society from their possible extreme expressions, the best path to follow is to channelize all one's love and affection towards Parama Purus'a [Supreme Consciousness]. This will expand the arena of one's love and accelerate one's march towards the Great. A person who has developed universal love will be able to do very great work in a very short time.
~~~~~
Do the mysteries of and about shamanism, meditation, tantra, yoga, mindfulness, intuition, and consciousness seem, at times, to be more confusing than you can grasp? http://bit.ly/
Instructor in Tantra Psychology, presenting rational articulation of intuitional science with cogent practical exercises bringing greater personal awareness and cultivation of subtler realms, imbuing new and meaningful talents into participants' lives. Explore further bringing such capabilities into your realm, both personal and at work. Contact HERE.
Making a difference for the psychic, moral and physical development of youth, make a difference through and for our Youth Intuitional Development Program
 |
| Sparkling Minds Expanding with the Universe |
Instructor in Tantra Psychology, presenting rational articulation of intuitional science with cogent practical exercises bringing greater personal awareness and cultivation of subtler realms, imbuing new and meaningful talents into participants' lives. Explore further bringing such capabilities into your realm, both personal and at work. Contact HERE.
Making a difference for the psychic, moral and physical development of youth, make a difference through and for our Youth Intuitional Development Program
