"It should be noted that it is for the sake of comprehension that the chakras and koshas were devised to explain two aspects of human existence. In reality they are completely inter-related and of one nature. <8>Soul or the unit consciousness in its ordinary state is unaware of its divinity, the chakras, or the layers of the mind (koshas) in the body. So he identifies himself as the body. A person in this state can be called a rational animal.
<9>But through
meditation, or for
any other
reason, the latent spiritual awareness which is called
"kundalini" (sleeping
serpent in the first
chakra) might be awakened.
<10>When it is awakened and rises to the seventh
chakra
into the pituitary gland, the spiritual understanding will start to
be realized, including the effect of these forces and different
layers of his mind. <11>He will become more and more familiar
with his spirit
and self.
<12>Before the awakening of these
understandings, the person will follow the influences of these
forces without having any control over them (as animals do). When
this awakening occurs, however, the person realizes that there are
messages which come from different
chakras and influence his mind (koshas) and so his reactions.
<13>Therefore, he starts to master these influences as he
progresses further. With more development, he comes closer to the
essence of his self which
is one with the Universal Self
(God). So eventually he
becomes the same as He, through The
Grace.
<14>Therefore, in reality, the message
received from any
chakra and the level of
the awareness of the person creates the sheath of the mind (kosha)
or the layer he is in. For example, a person who receives the
messages from the first, second, and third
chakras and has no
knowledge of why he is bound to follow them, is in the first three
layers of the mind (three koshas) and is earth-bound. Therefore he
suffers. <15>That is why even when the spiritual awareness is
awakened but the lower nature (the first three
chakras) is not yet
mastered, much suffering and many trials occur. Little-by-little the
person becomes aware of how to master these influences.
<16>So actually the layers of the mind and
the first five
chakras are, in a sense,
the same. It depends on how the
Soul responds to the messages received from the
chakras. When it responds to the messages received from the
first three chakras,
then the flow of energy
(prana) will be outgoing
(downward) and become binding desires, resulting in attachment,
greed, and bondage. <17>But when the
Soul responds to the call
of the higher
chakras, the flow of
energy becomes inward
(upward) and the result is higher thoughts (ideals), joy, control,
willpower, and spiritual progress toward freedom from bondage.
<18>Even desires cease to be self-centered, and only those which
are good for spiritual progress of the
self
and others will be kept and followed.
<19>So again the relationship between
lokas (worlds), koshas
(layers of the mind), and
chakras (spiritual
centers in the human body) should be understood as not being
separate things but parts of a whole inter-related system. <20>In
fact, this should be kept in mind: that the human body is an open
system related to the universe, especially in the first five
chakras. That is why the
first five
lokas (worlds) are the
same stages as the five koshas, but because these five are in the
human body, they create sheaths or separation.
<21>However, this is not in a thorough sense of separation,
because still they are related to each other and are a part of one
world (loka).
<22>Again the emphasis in realizing their
inter-relationships is to cause the seeker to ponder on these truths
and realize deeper the beauty and depth of this wonderful creation.
Also it should prevent him from becoming narrow in separating the
universe into segments and missing the view of the whole."
