Energy Activates Propensities

Universe and Man
<1>Although there are many propensities (desires) existing in the universe, without energy (raja guna) which is the activating force, they would have remained dormant.
 

<2>The solar plexus is the coordinator of the energy (prana) throughout the body. It is located to the left of the navel area. <3>When the flow of energy is directed downward (woman, passion), the lower propensities, which reside in the lower energy centers (chakras), are activated. <4>When the same energy is directed upward (Mother, compassion), higher propensities will become active.

<5>The energy is directed toward any center as the kundalini (the awakening force which opens chakras) rises into each chakra and attracts the energy toward it to activate its propensities.

<6>The first energy center (chakra)

controls solid factor. The first sheath or kosha corresponds to this chakra. The first kosha is related to the physical body. The influence of this kosha brings the longing for physiological and safety needs to be fulfilled. <7>The propensities in this chakra are: physical longing (physiological and safety needs), psychic longing (desire to know), psycho-spiritual longing (desire to know the unknown -- unconscious mind), and spiritual longing (desire to know God). <8>The last two longings are the effect of the kundalini which resides in this chakra.

<9>The second chakra controls liquid factor. The second sheath (kosha) corresponds to this chakra. The second kosha is related to pranic functions in the body. <10>Sexual activity is a bodily pranic function. That is why this chakra is so powerful. It uses prana (raja guna, Grace) directed toward the external world (absence of The Divine Logic).

<11>The influence of this kosha results in heedless actions and excess sexual desires. Some propensities in this chakra are distrust, proudfulness, overindulgence, pitilessness, or mercilessness, and fear of annihilation.

<12>The third chakra controls luminous factor (heat in the body which is mostly generated from the digestive system). This chakra is related to the third kosha or lower mental world. The creative energy of the mind is directed toward the mundane external world. <13>General longing is to gain control over others by misuse of power. Some of the propensities of this chakra are: backbiting, slandering or betraying, over-attachment even though the person knows it is not good, melancholy, cruelty, lethargy, jealousy, fear, aversion and hatred, shame, and bashfulness.

<14>The propensities in the first three chakras above are most prominent in normal humans.

<15>The fourth chakra controls the aerial factor (lungs). The corresponding kosha is the fourth kosha or higher mental world. The energy starts to flow upward when the kundalini reaches this chakra. That is why the unconditional Love is experienced in this chakra for the first time. <16>The healing power also starts when energy begins to flow upward to the fourth chakra and higher.

<17>However, to raise the kundalini from the first three chakras (lower nature) to the fourth and above is the hardest part of the spiritual journey. When this is done, a person "will be born again" from the lower self to the higher one. <18>Because of this difficulty and overlap of chakras into each other, the complete transformation of the energy to higher propensities and eventually to higher chakras is very gradual in this level. That is why there are still some negative propensities present in the fourth level. Some of the propensities in this chakra are: sense of possessiveness, anxiety, arrogance and vanity, covetousness, hypocrisy, indecision (being in the crossroads of falling back to the lower nature or progressing further), unnecessary argument, regret and misery, endeavor, discrimination between right and wrong, and hope.