The Centers, Lotuses, Knots, or Chakras

THE PRINCIPlAL APERTURE (Brahmarandhra)

Above the Center of Command lies the Principial Aperture where the three subtle arteries Ida, Pingala and Sushumna unite. This place is known as the Sacred City of Prayaga. By bathing mentally in the triple confluence, liberation is attained.

"Above the Center of Command, at the root of the palate, is the Lotus of a thousand petals. There, in the hole of the root (of the Brahmarandhra), ends Sushumna, the central artery of the subtle body." (Shiva Samhita 5,150.)

THE MIND CENTER (manas chakra)

Near the Command Center is the Mind Center. It has six petals. Five represent the five forms of sensation (vishaya) and the sixth is the world of dream, or illusory knowledge (sambhrama jnana).

THE CENTER OF OFFERING (soma chakra)

Above the Mind Center lies the Center of Offering. It has sixteen petals. It is the City of Freedom, Niralamba puri, where dwells the Unmanifest, beyond the fourth stage. It is here that the yogi experiences the Principle whose substance is Light (Tejo-maya Brahma).

THE SEVEN CAUSAL-FORMS (Karana-rupa)

The seven Causal-forms lie near the Command center. They surround the individual self and are the origin of its causal, subtle and gross envelopes. They are named; the Moon (indu), Intellection (bodhini), Causal-Vibration (nada), Arch-Causal-Vibration (maha nada), Partibility (kala) (the shape of which is sun-moon-fire), Undifferentiated Energy (Samani) and Dispelling [of mental attachment] (unmani).

"The Moon (Indu, i.e. the point limit (bindu) between the Unmanifest and the Manifest) is in the region of the forehead. Above it stands Intellection (bodhini) itself.

Above it shines the Casual Vibration (Nada)(1) transcendent, shaped like the crescent moon.

Above is the Arch-Casual-Vibration (Maha-nada), flaming, shaped like a plow.

Above is said to be Partibility (kala) (the Pervasive Energy) (Vyapika Shakti) which is crooked (Anji, i.e. beyond the grasp of the mind) and is the beloved of yogis.

And above lies the Dispelling [of mental attachment], (Unmani) after reaching which there is no return. (Sanmohana Tantra.)

Below Unmani lies the "Undifferentiated Energy" Samani which is but an aspect of the Supreme Energy (Para Shakti).

"Next comes the Pervasive Energy (i.e. Kala) which people know as the Crooked (Anji). Above is the Undifferentiated Energy (Samani, i.e. Consciousness-Bliss).

"And above this Undifferentiated Energy is the Supreme Detachment, Unmani. This Supreme Detachment stands above all." (Bhuta Shuddhi; quoted in Shat-chakra-Nirupanam, comm. on 40.)

When the living being has reached Unmani, he does not return to the world of forms, i.e. the possibility of dependence is destroyed and, even if voluntarily a body is entered, the full memory of the shape of the Self remains.

(1) Bindu is said to be the Supreme Principle, Shiva Bodhini is Energy, Shakti Nada is the result of their union, i.e. Action.

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