Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
sri kaman koti mandal's article on naabhichakra
Naabhichakra
Various yogic cultures have identified the importance of cultivating the nAbhi chakra. Though ignored by paramahamsa yogAnanda for some reason, nAbhi kriyA formed an integral part of kriyA taught by Lahiri Baba. The Tibetans use gtummo or chANDAlI kriyA and cultivate the mystic fire through various means such as twenty-six herbs, specific mantras, tulpa like entities in some cases and most commonly, breathing techniques. Tummo is one of the six yogas of Naropa. The famous mantra of avalokiteshvara is aimed at cultivating the nAbhi chakra. The Zen or cha’an Buddhists cultivate stillness by paying attention to their navel during zazen, eventually leading to the shuddhi of nADis. Mahasi Sayadaw, the Burmese Buddhist monk who created uproar among traditional Theravadin Buddhists by insisting on paying attention to the abdomen during shamata and vipassana practices (satipatthana vipassana) seemed to understand well the implications of not cultivating the nAbhi chakra. The Daoists gave utmost importance to the three dantiens of which the lower dantien or the point below the nAbhi chakra assumed the pivotal role. Daoist Pre-natal or pre-heavenly breathing is the chief step of the alchemical cycle that begins with the nourishing of jing, one of the three treasures discussed in traditional Chinese medicine.
It should be noted that the importance of nAbhi chakra which is the origin of all nADis, has been discussed in our tantras as well. It was this concept that formed the basis of the allegory that describes kAnchIpuram as the nAbhisthAna and the origin of all shaktis.
shR^iNu kAmakalA nAma-nADI bhogAmbuvAhinI |
sarvatra tasyA nADIShu vypAptiH sha~Nkari vidyate ||
nADIchakraM samastaM cha tayA vyAptaM varAnane |
sharIre nADikAH kAshchit prANavAhinya IritAH ||
kAshchidraktapravAhinyaH kAshchidutsAhavAhikAH |
kAshchidrasapravAhinyaH kAshchiddainyapravAhikAH ||
kAshchidAnandavAhinyaH ekaivamalavAhinI |
ekA mUtravahA nADI kAshchidindriyavAhikAH ||
aShTau bhogAmbuvAhinyaH tAsu chandrakalA parA |
AdyA chandrakalA proktA dvitIyA chandrachandrikA ||
chandrarekhA chandravatI tathA chandramahodayA |
chandriNI chandragarbhA cha chandronmattA tathA.aShTamI ||
etA bhogAmbuvAhinyaH svAmshaishchandrakalAshritAH |
bhogAmbuvAhinIbhishcha tAbhirnADIbhirAvR^itA ||
pradhAnabhUtA vilasadvidyuddAmasamaprabhA |
atinirbharakandarpadrameduritAntarA ||
sarvanADImUlabhUtaM nAbhichakraM sAmAshritA |
proktA chandrakalA nADI sarvasaubhAgyavardhinI |
tanmukhodghATanaM loke durlabhaM parameshvari ||
The association of nAbhi chakra with Chandra kalA-s that reside in the chicchandramaNDala of sahasrAra - through the eight extremely special nADI-s – thus becomes clearly established. Having experienced the yogic significance or parlance of this structure, shrI lakShmIdharAchArya elucidates the theory of samayAchAra, a path followed by yogins of the highest caliber, where the Supreme kAmakalA manifests as shrIvidyA ShoDashAkSharI in the maNipUraka chakra. It should be noted that samayins worship parAmbA chiefly in the chicchandramaNDala at sahasrAra and this process is initiated at the nAbhi chakra.
The unneya, anvaya and pratyAvrtti bhUmikas of kuNDalinI yoga should be studied carefully under the guidance of sadguru to clearly grasp the subtleties of this liberating yoga shAstra.
nIlavarNA mahAkAlI trimukhA navalochanA |
anekachakrachakreshI pAtu naH sha~NkarArchitA ||