Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini (9 page)

Now we come to the nadis ida and piṅgala. The origin of the ida and piṅgala is the same as of the sushumna. But they extend beyond the vertebral column and ascend to reach the ajña chakra, about the level of the caudal part of the third ventricle of the brain, where they are united with the sushumna. The ida and piṅgala are also subtle nadis, otherwise there cannot be any union with the sushumna. Though, anatomically the two gangliated sympathetic trunks extend from the base of the skull to the coccyx, they are too gross to be identified with the subtle ida. and piṅgala. The functions of the ida and piṅgala are not those of the sympathetic nervous system. The ida. and piṅgala have also been identified with the sensory and motor impulses in the spinal cord. This cannot be, because they are not the gross nerve fibres carrying nervous impulses. They are subtle nadis which are themselves force-motion lines, conveying pranic forces to the mind and body. Moreover, they are not within the vertebral column, but outside it.

Here it is not a question of deciding whether the ancient Indian medicine has presented sound anatomical and physiological knowledge; and it is unnecessary to explain here the Waidika and Tantrika chakra system and Kundalini in terms of modern anatomy and physiology. To do so means to limit the energy-confining only to the physical field, ignoring its supramaterial manifestation. As physiology is understood today, we cannot go farther than the molecular level. Even this does not explain the whole matter. It will be very helpful if we remember what Arawinda
¹⁹
has said: ‘I am afraid the attempt to apply scientific analogies to spiritual or yogic things leads more often to confusion than to anything else—just as it creates confusion if thrust upon philosophy also.’

Enough has been said to indicate that neither can the chakras be identified with the nervous plexuses, nor the nadis with the nerves.

Yogic Exposition of the Chakras

There are no indications of the chakras either in the gross aspect of the body or at the molecular and atomic levels. Are we then forced to conclude that the chakras belong to the realm of nonentities? Another important question is linked with the answer given to this question, namely, is the modern scientific conception of matter the borderland of our knowledge? At one level matter is seen in its gross form, and at another level it is constituted of minute particles and energy. Here we find the conversion of matter into energy, and energy into matter. This may explain how the materiality of matter is maintained, but it is not enough to account for the manifestation of life in matter and the connection of mind with the brain. We cannot escape by saying simply that protoplasm is the living matter and mind is the function of the brain.

The elementary particles are very minute; they are so small that they are not seen even with the help of the most sensitive instruments. But they still have mass; and theoretically it is possible to reduce mass step by step to a point where there is no longer any mass. According to Kanada, this is the stage of anu—a non-magnitudinous point. The nearest approach to anu is seen in the neutrino, which has no mass, no charge and a very slight interaction with matter. This indicates that there is a possibility of energy becoming free from the bondage of the particles in a graduated manner. In this transition period, certain particles may pass into the stage of anu where they are only energy—energy without any material form and free from matter-bondage. This is subtle energy. Where does it go? It does not return to the material field, as it cannot function there; it is not destroyed; then it must have a field of operation. This has been termed by the yogis the subtle power-field.

The yogis explain this in the following manner. The decentralized subtle forces, technically termed mahabhutas (metamatter) pass to a level, called subtle elliptical body (kanda-mula), where they are equalized to form an undifferentiated metamatter force. At this point, metamatter force tends towards grossness and materialization on a descending scale, and finally, it is transformed into material energy which operates in the material field. Material energy undergoes fragmentation. It is the process of transformation of energy, first, into just a trace of minute matter-fragments which, at a certain stage on a descending scale, appear as elementary particles, and second, into atoms and molecules, and finally into gross matter. At the gross level, matter exhibits specific sense qualities, derived from five forms of tanon (tanmatra) associated with metamatter forces, which react on the physical senses. On the other hand, when energy becomes free from particles at the energy level of matter, a part of it may break the bondage of matter, due to the activation of the latent metamatter force, the outer expression of which is material energy, and becomes transformed into metamatter force to function in the subtle powerfield. Hence, matter does not end at the level of the elementary particles, but is continuous with metamatter in the subtle power-field. The yogic explanation gives an answer to Hoyle’s statement that matter comes from nowhere. This nowhere is the subtle metamatter field which is beyond all observations, even with the aid of the most sensitive instruments.

The yogis say that pranic dynamism releases three forms of energy which give rise to the three phenomena: laghiman (rarefaction), animan (subtilization), and mahiman (magnification), which cause the emergence of life force, mind, and matter respectively. The supremely concentrated prana as bindu (power point) becomes expanded and active at a certain ‘critical’ moment, and is expressed as radiant dynamism. Radiant dynamism is transformed into petaline dynamism consisting of the centrally situated massive mental consciousness, around which is the circular pranic force-motion, and surrounding it is a petaline formation of an extraordinary character. The whole organization has been technically termed the sahasrara chakra. Below the sahasrara, the three basic forms of pranic energy coalesce to form a central power-flow, termed the sushumna. The sushumna retains the threefold nature of pranic energy, and so there are three power-flows in it. The outer flow is the sushumna itself; internal to it is the wajra-flow; and the third, which is inside the wajra, is the chitrini-flow.

The sushumna power-flow exhibits two fundamental characters: vertical force-motion, expressed as centrifugal and centripetal force-motion lines, and spiral force-motion. The chitriw energy tends to be centralized in a circular form at certain points throughout its course, due to the influence of the spiral force-motion. The centralized circular power follows the pattern of the sahasrara and presents three aspects: a central pericarpiai formation, a circular force-motion around it, and a peripheral petaline formation. The whole circular organization is called chakra. There are nine main chakras in the chitrini, namely nirwana, indu, manas, ajña, wishuddha, anahata, manipura, swadhishthana and muladhara.

Thus, the chakras are in the subtle power-held which comprises the mental and meta-matter realms. Is this yogic explanation based on pure inference? No, the chakras are ‘seen’ with the ‘mental eye’. This requires an explanation.

Perception is the process of receiving and being conscious of an object. Perception has several strata. At its lower stratum, physical sense apparatus is involved in perception and there is the awareness of a sense quality in a modified form. There are five main sense qualities: smell, taste, sight, touch and sound. These qualities are an aspect of matter. The awareness of the sensory form of matter occurs in Consciousness. This indicates that sense qualities are outside the boundary of consciousness, and they are to be brought into consciousness by some appropriate means. This implies that there is a distance factor. Moreover, the penetration of sensory forms into consciousness and their recognition are based on the principle of selection and rejection. If the distance and selection-rejection principle were not operating, then all sense qualities would be the simultaneous content of consciousness.

There are five classes of receptors, each endowed with the power of receiving only a particular form of sense quality. After the sense qualities are received by the receptors, sensory paths are created from the receptors, first through the sensory nerves and then through the neuronal connections in the brain, to the cerebral cortex, and thence to an area of the higher brain stem. Nothing more is known about sensory path in its nervous aspect, and there is no further trace of it in the brain. This has resulted in too much speculation. For instance, that the end point of the sensory path is in a certain area of the brain which is in connection with Consciousness. But this connection does not necessarily indicate that this particular brain area itself is the seat of consciousness. It may mean that the area is in some way connected with Consciousness; and when this area is damaged or removed, the connection is cut off. If this brain area is the seat of consciousness then is Consciousness distinct from brain, or is it identical with the brain, that is, brain = consciousness?

But, actually, consciousness has not been traced to that area or any other part of the brain. The sensory path which has been created is observable up to the brain; it is observable because it is a physicochemical process. But how the physicochemical process in that brain area causes the appearance of consciousness is not known. How the metamorphosis of physicochemical energy into consciousness occurs has not been explained. How physicochemical events in the brain suddenly occur as psychic events cannot be explained. Consequently, it is not easy to make mind = brain.

There may be another possibility. Psychical events may accompany or immediately follow the physicochemical events in the brain. If this is accepted, then it will mean that brain and consciousness are not identical, but are two separate entities, and their interconnection is experienced in a particular brain area. To explain this, it has been postulated that certain specific dynamic actions of the brain, in which certain areas of the cerebral cortex and the higher brain stem are involved, are the essential conditions for the relation between the brain and consciousness. How the specific dynamic actions, which are physicochemical in nature, can establish a relation with consciousness which lies beyond the brain itself, is neither known nor explained.

Molecular, atomic, and subatomic activities are all disconnected from consciousness, and are not a fact in consciousness. It is certainly a suggestion that a relation is established between brain and consciousness when the former exhibits specific dynamic actions. If we accept consciousness as something which is neither a physicochemical phenomenon nor explainable in terms of matter, then we think of consciousness as something which is outside the sphere of chemical and electrical energy, something which is neither bound by nor composed of molecules, atoms and elementary particles. In that case, the brain-consciousness relation is deeper and more complex.

There is an important query regarding the specific dynamic action of the brain. How is it caused? If we say that neural-neuronal, centripetal conductions are the cause, then we have to accept that this brain state is continuous, without any interruption, because these conductions are continuous. It has not been demonstrated that there is some controlling mechanism in the brain to exercise control over these conductions. In that case, how is sleep-unconsciousness produced? The specific dynamic actions certainly disappear during sleep. What makes them disappear? Here is a clear indication that the specific dynamic action of the brain, if there is any, is not caused by neural-neuronal conductions, but by something else which operates from outside the brain.

Now, let us consider two important factors: distance and sensory capacity. Taste and touch operate in direct contact with the receptors in the tongue and skin respectively. The distance factor operates in smell, sight and sound. This means that the receptors and sense-objects are not situated in direct contact with each other, but are separated by a certain distance. The distance varies, but there are certain upper and lower limits of perception, beyond which no perception takes place. Between the upper and lower limits sensory capacity varies in different species and also in the same species. Apart from distance, there is another factor, size or magnitude of the sense-objects. If the size of an object diminishes below a certain point, it is not perceptible. Here, the sense capacity also varies in both different species and the same species. There is still another factor. If a sense-object remains within the range of the right distance, and its size is also suitable for perception, then there will be no perception if it is obscured. As an example, if a certain object is placed inside a closed box situated within the range of vision, then only the box will be seen, not the object inside the box. That object has been obscured by the box. which the eyes cannot see through. Other examples are: bones covered by muscles, brain covered by the skull, etc.

The time factor is also operative in perception. Events which occurred in the past are only remembered, but not ‘seen’. Only present events are perceived directly. There is no direct knowledge of future events.

All this indicates that sensory capacity is not a fixed thing, but relative, variable, conditional and temporal. The sense qualities themselves are also variable. If this is so, we can postulate that there is a possibility of ultimately attaining a perfect and absolute sense capacity; and that the most subtle sensory forms may exist. Can this be actually demonstrated?

Let us say that normal sensory capacity is X. Now, the question is whether we can perceive sense-qualities beyond X or not. Our experience is that by using appropriate instruments we can perceive those sense-qualities which are imperceptible at X. The instrumental observations indicate that the barriers of distance, size and obscurity have been overcome to a considerable extent, and that certain details and factors which are never seen at X have become visible. Symbolically we may call this instrumentalized, extended sense capacity Y. This shows that the sensory capacity can be increased beyond the normal limit by instrumental aid. But future events are not revealed by these instruments.