History of the chakra
Now that the
chakras have become New Age parlance, there are many interpretations of their
meaning and function being bandied about. While this popularity is making the
chakras a household word, it is also spreading a lot of confusing, conflicting,
and often erroneous information. It is important to realize the chakras come
from an ancient tradition, which many New Age teachers have barely explored.
Here is a brief summary of the development of the chakras historically.
The Vedas, which
are the oldest written tradition in India, (2,000 - 600 B.C.) were written
largely by the Indo-European invaders of India, known as the Aryans. The Aryans
were said to have entered India on chariots, and the original meaning of the
word chakra as "wheel" refers to the chariot wheels of the invading Aryans. (The
correct spelling is cakra, though pronounced with a ch as in church.) The word
was also a metaphor for the sun, which "traverses the world like the triumphant
chariot of a cakravartin." (ruler) and denotes the eternal cycle of time called
the kalacakra, or wheel of time. In this way, it represents celestial order and
balance.
It is said the
cakravartins were preceded by a glowing golden disk of light, much like the halo
of Christ, only this spinning disk was seen in front of them (perhaps their
powerful third chakras?). The birth of a cakravartin was said to herald a new
age. It is also said that the god Vishnu descended to Earth, having in his four
arms a cakra, a lotus flower, a club, and a conch shell. (This may have referred
to a cakra as a discus-like weapon.)
There is some
mention of the chakras as psychic centers of consciousness in the Yoga
Upanishads (circa 600A.D.) and later in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 200
B.C.). Patanjali's tradition was largely dualistic, however, stating that nature
and spirit were separate, and that the goal of yoga was to rise above nature.
The chakras and
Kundalini came to be an integral part of yoga philosophy in the non-dual Tantric
tradition, which arose in the 7th century, in reaction to the dualist philosophy
which preceded it. This tradition advised being in the world rather than
separate from it. Tantra is commonly thought of in the West as primarily a
sexual tradition, as Tantrism does put sexuality in a sacred context. Yet this
is actually only a small part of a broad philosophy which includes many
practices of yoga, worship of deities, especially the Hindu goddesses, and
integration of the many polaric forces in the universe.
The main text
about chakras that has come to us in the West is a translation by the
Englishman, Arthur Avalon, in his book,The Serpent Power published in 1919.
These texts: the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, written by an Indian pundit in 1577, and
the Padaka-Pancaka, written in the 10th century, contain descriptions of the
centers and related practices. There is also another 10th century text, called
the Gorakshashatakam, which gives instructions for meditating on the chakras.
These texts form the basis of our understanding of chakra theory and Kundalini
yoga today.
In these
traditions, there are seven basic chakras, and they all exist within the subtle
body, overlaying the physical body. Through modern physiology we can see that
these seven chakras correspond exactly to the seven main nerve ganglia which
emanate from the spinal column. There are two minor chakras mentioned in the
ancient texts, the soma chakra, located just above the third eye, and the
Anandakanda lotus, which contains the Celestial Wishing Tree (Kalpataru) of the
Heart Chakra.
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