Читать книгу Body of Light - John Mann - Страница 12

CHAPTER ONE

THE RECURRENT IMAGE

The physical body is the mediator of all our experience. If it seriously malfunctions, everything we perceive is distorted. If it is relaxed and in balance, many of our difficulties fade to insignificance. The impact of the body on our awareness is stronger than the influences of history, culture, or psychology, although it is, of course, affected by them. Individuals vary widely in the amount of attention that they devote to their body, but except in sleep, unconsciousness and death, they cannot escape its impact. Its importance is like water to fish—easy to overlook but obvious when it is disturbed.

Behind this fundamental aspect of our awareness lies a parallel concept that has shadowed man's development throughout history; of another, more radiant structure, that infuses the physical body but can function beyond it. Different names have been used to describe this concept; "the subtle body," "the energetic body" or "the body of light". Descriptions of human auras assume that this type of energy body is a normal expression of the life force within the individual. Systems of psychic diagnosis examine the quality of vibrations associated with various portions of the subtle body in order to detect imbalances, and to determine which psychic and mental approaches will restore health. But originally, interest in the subtle body was as a vehicle for human development. Matters of mental and physical health came later.

Fig. 1. TheChakras

THE CHAKRAS

Descriptions of the subtle body vary in detail, complexity and, in some cases, basic design. But the elements involved are universal. These elements are, in their simplest form, energy centers (chakras) and the connections between them.

Each energy center can be described separately as a kind of isolated organ, like the stomach or the liver. The major chakras are typically located at:

a. the base of the spine;

b. the sex organs;

c. the lower belly;

d. the upper chest;

e. the throat;

f. the center of the eyebrows (third eye); and

g. the crown of the head.

The pathways connecting the chakras with each other and with the rest of the physical body can be mapped like a rarified lymphatic system. The temptation is to approach either the separate structures or the complex pathways connecting them as physical phenomena, which they are not. No dissection has ever found a chakra. If they exist, it is on a more subtle realm of energy relations. Artists attempting to express the inherent ambiguities of the subtle body have suggested this intermixing of dimensions by interpenetrating lights and muted structural boundaries.

In reading the literature on this subject one is immediately struck by the detail with which the material is presented. For example, the chakra in the lower belly is traditionally described as follows:

The Manipura Chakra is governed by the fire element. It looks like a ten petalled-lotus within which is a red triangle with three T-shaped swastika marks. Its seed mantra is "Ram".

On the other hand, there is comparatively little questioning of the basis on which these very specific descriptions rest. This is exceedingly strange because, unlike the physical body, the very existence of the subtle body is subject to question.

Descriptions of the subtle body usually emphasize the different energy centers. Since each of these centers is associated with easily identifiable human functions this orientation is natural. But the more important question of how they interrelate as a system is often underplayed, or simply overlooked.

Thus the heart center is depicted as a source of love and compassion. The "hara" center in the lower belly is identified with the life force, internal balance and effective physical functioning. But these centers, while distinctly different, are not independent of each other. Whatever happens to one center affects all the others, as in any system.

In the physical body the purpose of each physiological system is clear. The digestive system absorbs and breaks down potential nourishment, eliminating what cannot be burned. The circulatory network transports food and waste products into and out of all areas of the body. The nervous system carries messages and coordinates information. All of these interacting functions are delicately balanced and, for the most part, work instinctively.

But what is the analogous purpose of the energetic body? Any answer at this point would be tentative. One useful model views the subtle body as roughly similar to the physical digestive system. But unlike the digestive system, it cannot act instinctively. If it could, everyone would have a functioning subtle body which, most teachings agree, requires a great deal of time and effort.

Fig. 2. The Subtle body is experienced through sensation.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to the understanding of the subtle body is that it doesn't exist in the ordinary sense. You cannot touch it or weigh it. Does this mean that it is a universal fantasy, recurring in various cultures, interesting in its symbolic content but not connected to any enduring reality? The symbolic content is certainly there. But the subtle body can be experienced in the same way as the physical body; through sensation.

Try an experiment. Shake your hands out as if there were a liquid on them that you wanted to cast off. Next, slowly bring them together, palms facing each other. Notice the moment when they seem to impinge on each other's energy field. This may be experienced as a sudden rise in temperature in both hands. If you feel it, experiment with moving your hands slowly apart and then together again, until you convince yourself of the reality of the sensation. Then hold your hands precisely at the place where the sensation first becomes evident to you. Allow the energy to build. After this happens, see if you can slowly move your hands apart without losing the sensation. Did anything happen, or not? If it did, how do you interpret it? Just because you felt a sensation in your hands does not prove that the energetic body exists. But it does support the possibility.

The teachers of subtle body practices usually suggest that if you follow their teachings, you will gradually experience an inner unfolding of the subtle body that is felt as an immediate sensation. Perhaps these experiences may be accompanied by mystical visions or psychic experiences, but that is secondary. What is crucial is that the immediate sensations corresponding to the location and function of energy centers is subject to verification by the individual, if he will follow directions and make certain efforts over time. Belief is not required. An experimental attitude is all that is necessary.

Fig. 3. Sensing the energy between the. palms

While the preceding approach seems simple, the actual state of the literature on the subtle body is confusing. Consider the following examples:

In the Hindu tradition, the navel (lower belly) center is associated with fire, the color red, and the syllable "Ram" In Tibetan Buddhism the navel center is associated with water, the color white, and the syllable "Vam." It is hard to see how both versions could be true.

Furthermore, color symbolism in different chakra systems is contradictory. For example, in his book Energy Ecstacy¹ Bernard Gunther, relying principally on the Hindu tradition, gives the chakra colors, going from bottom to top as: red-orange, kelly green, yellow gold, sky blue and indigo-purple. In the Buddhist system they are, in the same order: yellow, white, red, green and blue. In color therapy and New Age symbolism they are different from either of the foregoing and also from each other. If one takes these descriptions as objective psychic experiences, then these differences are likely to puzzle the reader since, whatever may have been intended, the traditions involved present these color connections as if they were objective.

Finally, to further compound the confusion, some energy body systems describe the chakras as located along the front of the body, some inside the spine, and others along the center line of the body. Since each system is quite precise about these locations, the innocent reader seeking guidance and clarity has a right to be puzzled by these apparent contradictions.

One of the underlying purposes of this book is to resolve some of these differences by separating the superficial and arbitrary distinctions from the underlying essential ones. All systems, for example, identify specific energy centers and their interconnections. They are typically related to specific sounds, colors, and various other forms of symbolism such as animals and divinities. Even though the symbolism varies, the types of symbols do not.

In regard to the role played by the subtle body within the broader scheme of human spiritual evolution, some traditions view it as central, whereas in others it may appear almost incidental. As an example of the latter, Zen Buddhism places major emphasis on the breakdown of logical functioning so that a higher form of understanding becomes possible. However, further examination reveals that great importance is placed on the navel chakra as the major center of human awareness. Furthermore, it is often believed that utilizing this center as the focus of concentration will eventually activate the energy body in a more complete form.

Regardless of its relative visibility, it should become increasingly clear as we sift through the accumulated wisdom and debris of the ages that the energetic body constitutes a vital link in the attainment of higher inner development. It is a system for creating higher energies through a form of inner alchemy. Since any kind of organic growth requires the proper food, the subtle body, which is capable of generating this nourishment, is essential for any fundamental inner transformation to occur.

Even today, when information on chakras and auras is more widespread, and to some extent taken for granted, it is incredible to think that a mechanism vital for our inner development exists in latent form within each individual, and that it is virtually unknown by a broad range of the population.

One of the basic purposes of this book is to introduce the reader to simple methods by which the reality of this statement can be tested. To have this opportunity is vital not only as a means of intellectually assimilating the material, but also for coming to an organic understanding of what is involved. Our underlying purpose is not scholarly. We are basically concerned with helping readers to apply what they learn to further their own inner development.

An example of one such method is the following:

Place your attention about an inch above where your eyebrows converge. Keep your attention on this spot in a relaxed manner. When you have a clear sensation at that point, allow your awareness to penetrate a little below the surface of the skin. After you feel that happen, say to yourself, "This is the center of my experience" Then, whatever else occurs, keep part of your awareness on this spot for 60 seconds. If you wish, take the forefinger of your right hand and slowly lift it until you make gentle contact with that spot on your forehead. After 10 seconds remove your finger and notice the effect.

If something seems to have occurred, you might wish to take a further step. Keeping your awareness focused on the spot in your forehead, notice your breathing. It has been going on all the time without you paying attention to it. If you keep your awareness in the center of your lower forehead as you breathe in, you will tend to draw extra energy to that place. If you hold your breath briefly and relax, it will give the energy that you have brought there a chance to expand. Then, when you let go and breathe out, you will have the chance to surrender any physical or emotional tension that you are holding in the forehead. Try coordinating your awareness and your breathing in this manner for a few minutes. After this experiment you may have your first taste of what it is like to begin consciously to open a chakra; in this case the third eye.

Fig. 4. Place your attention slightly above where your eyebrows converge.

OPENING CHAKRAS

While it is generally assumed in working with the energetic body that it is a conscious experience to be developed through the proper inner exercises, it is also true that spontaneous experiences involving the opening of the chakras do occur. The main value of such experiences is that they demonstrate to the person involved that the center is actually there, whether or not they have ever heard of it, or would have believed in it if they had.

Perhaps the center that is most likely to open spontaneously is the heart chakra. Think of a time when you were with someone you loved, under very relaxed conditions, in front of a fire or sharing a quiet meal. Whatever the circumstances, one of the sensations you may have noticed was a warm, radiant expanding feeling in the center of your upper chest. If you can remember something of this nature, you have experienced an opening of your heart chakra.

Another type of opening that may have occurred involves the center in the lower belly. Most people have at one time or another experienced a sense of effortless coordination while engaged in a physical activity. It may have been during an athletic event, hiking, or dancing. Whatever the setting, such moments are associated with a heightened sense of awareness, greater relaxation in the midst of activity, a sensation of being lighter, and a feeling that the physical actions occur without much conscious effort on our part. If that experience is at all familiar to you, the chakra in your lower belly was probably open and functioning.

Fig. 5. The spontaneous opening of the heart by a pleasant thought.

Perhaps the most familiar experience for most people is of the inner flow that occurs in a relaxed and harmonious body. This flow can take various directions, some of which do, and some of which do not correspond to traditional pathways in the subtle body. Think of a time when you were free from worry and responsibility, perhaps camping in the wilderness or on the seashore close to nature. Under such conditions you may have felt a great surge of well-being and relaxation and noticed a kaleidoscope of shifting sensations that flowed naturally and effortlessly into each other, creating their own balance and adjustment. At that moment nothing else is necessary. You are content!

While it is natural to focus on the opening of separate energy centers, their interconnections are equally important. Different traditions vary considerably in their emphasis on these interconnections or in their recognition of them. In Kundalini Yoga the major channel for these connections is along the spine, with two subsidiary pathways that twist around in a kind of double helix. In Buddhism the two subsidiary channels are straight. In Taoism a veritable landscape of energy circuits is described in detail. These differences are not necessarily contradictory, but may be due to focusing on different practices or on different levels of practice. In addition, over time, elements of these teachings may have been forgotten. Given the magnitude of the time scales involved (some over thousands of years), it is remarkable how much has been retained.

An energy center is very much like a flower bud. If it is properly cared for and receives the necessary sunshine, the bud opens and turns into a flower. The interconnections between the centers are more like a subtle circulation system. They can develop leaks, holes, or become clogged up with garbage and debris. In working with these interconnections, one must become a spiritual electrician or a psychic plumber, in order to repair the connections and balance the flow between centers.

There is a whole array of methods to help clear the psychic system. Some are strange and complex, others are quite simple. Consider the following:

Sit comfortably. Let your open hands hang down at your sides. Ask in a voice that seems to come from your heart center, "Please help me to surrender my negative psychic tensions" Then relax and see what happens. If the exercise takes, you will feel a warmth and tingling in your hands as the negative psychic tension begins to flow out of them. If you feel nothing, ask again with greater sincerity. Listen to your own voice as you ask, and see if you believe that it is sincere. After the process has gone on for a few minutes shake your hands, make a fist, and the flow will stop.

Fig. 6. Surrendering negativity

AN HOLISTIC VIEW

Over the course of time some traditions have emphasized working more with specific chakras and less with their interconnections. This is unfortunate. If the various channels cannot communicate, they will not be able to fulfill their underlying purpose. The chakras and the network that encloses them are part of a whole that cannot be understood, and cannot function properly, outside the context of the system that constitutes their frame of reference. This holistic orientation is often portrayed by showing sacred individuals and divinities with auras around their bodies and haloes surrounding their heads. If this type of symbolism occurred in only one or two traditions, it could be viewed as coincidental. But it is too pervasive to be an accident. A simpler explanation is that holy persons become that way precisely because a higher level of cosmic energy flows through them. It is this experience that religious art seeks to reproduce, utilizing a combination of psychic sight and traditional representation.

Students of the human energy field attest to the fact that all people have auras—colored emanations that are radiated as part of the life process of the individual. The frequency and intensity of the colors symbolize the level of energy transformation that is occurring. Dark brown is less desirable than shining orange. A person in whom the subtle body is fully functioning has greatly accelerated the transformation process within him. This is expressed as an expanded and purified energy field around the physical body. It is no accident that the aura of holy people is drawn in gold, which is rare, pure and radiant.

Sacred pictures may leave one with the impression that the particular saint was born with a halo or attained it in a moment of great illumination. This is misleading. The light that is shown was created as the overflow of a gradual process of development, in much the same way that the size of a tree trunk expresses a continuous growth process over many seasons. Religious artists have been telling us throughout history that the subtle body exists, and that the truest expression of the sacred in human experience is the quality of light radiated by the individual.

According to a number of mystical systems, the subtle body is one of a series of progressively more refined human manifestations. Although the terminology varies and the cross-comparisons are sometimes confusing, the recurrence of these conceptions suggests a more universal model of spiritual development. In Mahayana Buddhism the Buddha is viewed as having three bodies: "Nirmanakaya " (body of transformation), "Sambhogakaya" (body of enjoyment) and "Dharmakaya" (body of reality). In Hinduism the gross, subtle, and causal bodies offer a partial correspondence. The crucial consideration in the present context is that in order to get to the higher bodies, and the level of awareness and function that they incorporate, you must activate and utilize the energy body. In this sense it constitutes a crucial intervening link in the inner development of the individual.

In many systems the importance of the energy body is underplayed. Others seem to totally ignore it. In religions and mystical paths emphasizing love, whether Christian, Moslem or Hindu, the approach seems completely focused on devotion accompanied by obedience. One can interpret this approach as cultivating the heart chakra, but if this is being done, it is certainly an indirect approach.

Other ways emphasize mind control. Examples of this orientation are found in the Kabbala, Raja Yoga, Zen Buddhism, and various tantric visualization practices. These systems focus on efforts to control, guide, or eliminate thoughts. Here again, these methods may relate indirectly to opening the chakras in the head, but little or no mention is made of them.

Often a little creative detective work reveals aspects of subtle body functioning in approaches that have nothing direct to say about them. Several modern examples can be given. The late Hindu teacher J. Krishnamurti went to great lengths to avoid most traditional approaches and rejected most familiar teachers and teachings. His major emphasis was on cultivating awareness outside the context of any tradition. He did not acknowledge the subtle body. Nevertheless, it is interesting to read in his own diary² of a period of intense and painful energy flow in his head and spine going on intermittently for 40 years as the accompaniment of various spiritual experiences. This description is quite similar to accounts of the arousal of kundalini, which is certainly a vital aspect of subtle body practices.

Fig. 7. The nimbus in Christ

Fig. 8. The aura in a Buddhist diety

Another example is the Hindu saint Sri Ramana Maharishi, who focused on the question "Who am I?" as the most direct path to enlightenment. In explaining the values of his system a major disciple, Sri Sadhu Om³ has recently explained that the "I" on awakening in the morning shoots from the heart center to the brain, and from there through the various energy channels which distribute the sense of identity throughout the body. In this description the chakra system is being recognized, even though it is generally underplayed or ignored in the Maharishi's method in order to emphasize the importance of one's identity as the major point of concentration.

One way to interpret the preceding is to conclude that the individual is influenced by the tradition within which he has been nourished and will interpret his experiences in that light. If part of that background includes a system incorporating the subtle body concept, then his experiences will find ways to support it. If the emphasis is on sudden transformation and revelation, it may be minimized. But if the subtle body is real, and the experiences of the individual are also real, then the two must relate, even if one must search to find the connection.

In the succeeding chapters of Part I, various models of the subtle body are described, analyzed, and compared. Some of the material may strike the reader as strange or even dubious. But the crucial question is always whether it can be experienced. If it can, then its importance is potentially very great. If not, the most elaborate conceptions will evaporate like mist and need not concern us further.