Alternative human physiological system that lives on a
separate level than gross matter yet has some correspondences with the material
body's structure.
The goddesses Shiva and Shakti, the bipolar energies
considered to be the forces behind the universe, have microcosmic
manifestations in various sections of the subtle body.
The subtle body is therefore founded on the premise of
macrocosmic and microcosmic homology, or intrinsic similarities, which has been
a basic Hindu concept since the time of the Upanishads.
The Sanskrit scriptures that describe the subtle body
presuppose that multiple levels of reality exist, and hence that the subtle
body exists, but given the web of symbols connected with it, one does not need to
acknowledge its literal existence for it to be spiritually important.
The muladhara chakra is located at the base of the spine,
the svadhishthana chakra is located in the genital region, the manipura chakra
is located in the navel region, the anahata chakra is located in the heart
region, the vishuddha chakra is located in the throat region, and the ajna
chakra is located in the forehead between the eyebrows.
An intricate symbolic system is associated with each of
these chakras: all six may be considered as symbols for a human physiological
potential; the first five are linked to one of the subtle elements (tanmatras),
and the sixth is linked to cognition.
Each chakra's lotus petals include a letter from the
Sanskrit alphabet, containing all holy sounds.
Some subtle body models go even farther, associating each
chakra with a different hue and a different governing god.
The "thousand-petaled lotus" (sahasradalapadma),
Shiva's residence in the human body, crowns these centers at the top of the
head.
Three vertical channels (nadis) connect all of the centers:
the ida nadi on the left, the pingala nadi on the right, and the sushumna in
the middle.
The kundalini, the latent spiritual power in all humans, is
coiled three times around the mulad hara chakra.
This is a manifestation of the uni versal Shakti, or
feminine divine force, although it is viewed as inactive by most people, as
signified by its coiled condition.
Because enlightenment overcomes this dualism, and the two
deities are unified and same, the separation of Shakti and Shiva at opposing
ends of the subtle body also represents the average person's unenlightened
existence.
Tantra and various types of yoga both emphasize the
importance of the subtle body.
The ultimate goal of kundalini yoga and other forms of yoga
that concentrate on the subtle body, such as kundalini yoga, is to awaken and
straighten the kundalini, pushing it up the sushumna via the chakras to Shiva's
dwelling.
Because the kundalini is nothing more than raw energy, it
must be carefully managed to avoid the aspirant releasing unmanageable powers,
and texts advise against doing so without the guidance of a spiritual master
(guru).
For more information, see Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), Shakti and Shakta, 1959; Philip S. Rawson, The Art of Tantra, 1973; Swami Agehananda Bharati, The Tantric Tradition, 1977; and Douglas Renfrew Brooks, The Secret of the Three Cities, 1990.
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