Is Sahasrar The Final Destination?

The Sahasrar, or the thousand rayed lotus, of life and light is situated four finger’s width above the top of the head, with all the petals directed downwards. It is also called the Crown Chakra and has always been considered the level to be achieved spiritually. It shines like a thousand suns in its power and glory and is also called the Brahmarandra or Brahma’s Door, the gateway to the Absolute. It is said that it is closed to the ‘ordinary’ individual but when one is highly advanced, this door opens and one ascends through it into the Beyond. It is commonly known that the fifty letters or sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet are on the petals of the Sahasrar. The fifty letters or sounds, in multiples of twenty, equal the one thousand petals of the Sahasrar. Each alphabetical vibration is connected with a specific petal on the lotuses in the spinal chakras .Petals are actually rays or vibrations, which, singularly and in combination, along with the five tattvas and other principles of Nature are responsible for the various psychological and physiological activities in our physical and astral bodies. The rishis realized the potencies of these vibratory “bija” or “seed” sounds and devised the various mantras based on them. The Mantra for the Sahasrar chakra is “Aum”. (If you wish, you may kindly refer to my earlier blog http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/meditation/aum-and-gayatri-mantrastheir-deeper-meaning ) Genesis: As we are aware, the human soul is encased in three coverings or bodies, namely the ideational or the causal, the subtle or astral, and the gross physical body. The physical body is both created and sustained by the astral body, which mainly consists of prana. The creative life energy of the astral body descends into the physical body through the seven chakras situated in the spine and the brain. (Kindly refer to my blog, if you so desire http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/mantra-meditation-on-the-chakras-and-their-health-benefits for more details about the chakras) Our physical body is structured on similar lines as the astral. Just as the physical body has a brain, spinal cord, nerves and nerve plexuses so also the astral body has an astral brain of a thousand rays…the thousand-petaled lotus along with an astral spine with its chakras of light and energy and an astral nervous system with its “nadis’. Through the Astral nervous system flows “prana” which gets differentiated in the physical body into the various currents which carry on the function of crystallization, circulation, assimilation, metabolism and elimination ( Vyana, Udana, Prana, Samana and Apana Vayus). The Sushumana is the main astral channel and has two other astral nadis on either side, the “Ida” on the left and the ‘Pingala” on the right. There are about 72000 such nadis which constitute the Astral Sympathetic nervous System. The Ida, Pingala and Sushumana reach only as far as the Agya Chakra or the Third Eye and not any further. The Sushumana also has another astral spine called ‘vajra’, within which is present is another one called ‘chitra’, which controls our spiritual activities. All three of these spines are controlled by the Sahasrar. Specific rays and intelligence emanating from the Sahasrar are reflected to the various spinal chakras giving each its characteristic activities and consciousness. (Sri Paramhans Yoganandaji …’God talks To Arjun……”) At the sacral centre or the Muladhara chakra lies the nadi which is coiled like a serpent and is called the Kundalini, which ends its journey at the Sahasrar chakra from where it arises. Similarly the third covering, the Causal Body is pure consciousness, which has a spiritual brain and a spiritual spine called ‘Brahmanadi’. Consciouness flows from the causal to the astral body and finally into the physical body and becomes increasingly deluded due to sense pleasures. It is, therefore, clear from the above that the Sahasrar is related to the Astral body and the Causal still needs to be negotiated. The Kundalini and Consciousness: As has been clarified above, systems in which the kundalini is made to rise by various methods of meditation, it is possible to raise one’s consciousness only upto the Sahasrar chakra and not beyond since the kundalini ends at that point. Similarly by various methods of Pranayam, consciousness can be raised only up to the Third Eye since the Ida , Pingala and Sushumanana end there and do not go beyond. When we withdraw our consciuousness from our surroundings by meditation, the sushumana becomes active and helps in channeling our consciousness upwards but cannot take it beyond the Third Eye or the Sahasrar chakra. All systems of yoga, therefore, have this limitation. Thus if our Consciousness reaches up to the Sahasrar by any spiritual method we can reach only up to the Astral body (since the sahasrar is part of the Astral) and cannot go beyond the Causal. At this juncture it would be worthwhile to mention a little about the Third Eye since it plays such an important role in spiritual evolution….. what does it look like? There is a dark opal-blue globe within a quivering ring of flame. By deep meditation, an extremely brilliant star may be seen in the centre of the blue. The star is the gateway to Spirit. (Sri Paramhans Yoganndaji).When one travels through the golden disc one reaches the astral plane but to reach the Spirit beyond the causal pane one needs to travel through this star. It has also been described like the flame of a candle. This is what Sant Kabir Dasji has to say about it: ‘Between the two eyes is the Master, the messenger of the Lord. Between the black and white moles is the shining star, and within that star dwells the unknown and unseen Lord. Between the eyes is the Master, the Messenger of God. Between the eyes shines a tiny petal and within the petal is the hidden door. On that door adjust your telescope. Thus with ease go across the world’s deadly sea. Between the eyes is the Master, the Messenger of God. In the City of sunn I reside o friend where resounds the melody in its all pervading force. Now the Master and Kabir are eternal companions. And he leads Kabir to the mansion of shabd. Between the eyes is the Master.” The Sahasrar chakra, therefore, is not the last but actually the first step to union with Spirit. The reason is quite obvious. Merging with God means merging with Spirit which is beyond the Astral and Causal realms. Since the Sahasrar is a part of the Astral only in order to evolve further we need to go beyond it. This creation was brought about by a vibration, called ‘shabd’ or “Aum” which is in the form of sound and light .This is the Divine melody which is the direct connection between human Consciousness and Divine Consciousness and is forever present. How Does Union With Spirit Take Place? Saints achieve this through their connection with the Shabd (known variously as Naam. Anhad Shabd, Aum, Kalma etc). ‘This force originates from the highest realm of consciousness and descends till our Eye Centre”. When a realized guru blesses a sadhak with Naam Daan or initiation, he brings about the sadhak’s Consciousness to rise to the Third Eye(kindly refer to my earlier blog if you wish http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/the-gurus-appearance-and-spiritual-evolution-of-the-student ) Where he connects with the shabd through which he rises to higher realms. “The Master initiates a disciple into the mystic path he or she attaches our soul currents to shabd or naam and turns our soul currents from their usual tendencies of outwards and downwards to inwards and upwards.” (The Mystic Way)During initiation the Master also teaches a mantra to be chanted during meditation on the sound current and to focus one’s mind on his “swaroop” at the eye centre and to “follow” his swaroop. . The Guru then “leads” the sadhak so that his Atma then travels through various stages or “Khands” , namely, Dharam Khand, Karam Khand, Gyan Khand, Saram Kahand and finally Sach Khand. The Dharam Khand corresponds to the ‘Sahasra Dal Kawal” or the sahasrar chakra and has its own characteristic sound and the vision as seen in the form of light of a specific colour.(My Guruji). It is now clear that we actually have 12 chakras instead of 7 as described in Yoga but this number becomes 22 when subdivided. The Sach Khand is the abode of the Supreme Being and this khand has four more stages called, Alakh, Agami and Anami or the Nameless One. (The Way of Mystics) Hence the sadhak’s journey actually commences from the sahasrar. As the Atma progresses, it travels through these various stages, each being recognized by its specific sound and the colour of the light. It should be noted that the sounds, visions and colours are different from those associated with ascent through the spinal chakrsas when the kundalini rises up the spine towards the sahasrar.All these stages are associated with tremendous changes in the sadhak’s personality along with progressive improvement in intuition and wisdom. Sant Kabir has described each and every stage in great detail. They may have other names too and each has its own number of petals , not unlike the petals of the Astral chakras. For example ‘Bhanwar Gupha” has two petals, Mahasunn (great darkness) has 16, Achint Deep has 12…..so and so forth. (The Way of Mystics). It is said that when ‘maha pralaya’ takes place, all the regions up to the gate of Sat Lok ie below Sach Khand get destroyed. We should, therefore make Sach Khand our destination, so that we never come down. Let us, therefore, strive to actually connect with the Shabd/Aum so that we can travel through the astral and causal realms and merge with the Spirit beyond Creation. Sources: “God Talks To Arjun….The Bhagwada Gita” and “The Second Coming Of Christ’ by Sri Pramahans Yoganandaji. ‘The Mystic Way” http://wayofmystics.webs.com/thepath.htm