 |
| Deities within the Swadhisthana Chakra - counterclockwise from the bottom: Varuna, Vishnu, Rakini |
Indian teachings place a lot of emphasise on celibacy, in order to raise and transmute this powerful sexual energy to the brain (or, more correctly, the Upper Tien Tan Centre, to use the Taoist paradigm), increasing higher consciousness. This is actually the basic principle behind celibacy in all religions, including Catholicism. In practice however, this noble ideal flounders, because the individual is not yet ready to renounce physical sex, and may become psychologically unbalanced, full of guilt, or turn to paedophilia or other unnatural forms of sex.
On a psychic level this center of force determines: desires, imagination, hallucinations, sensuality and the need to have a family. On a physical level it controls assimilation, procreation, the lymphatic system and menstrual secretions.The yogic literature states that the improper activation of Svadhishthana chakra may have the effect of orienting and pushing one’s psychic “downwards”, causing agitation and mental confusion.
People mainly influenced by Svadhishthana chakra can make quite the impression, have an active and vivid imagination, as well as the aptitude of verbalizing their perceptions, which make them very suited for professions that involve guiding or healing.
The message corresponding to the second chakra is “respect each other”. It applies to interactions we have with other people and to any new life forms we may encounter.
From a spiritual point of view, each relationship we develop, from the most formal to the most intimate has an inherent role to help us become more aware and to spiritually evolve.
On the physical level the energies specific to the second chakra symbolize all our relationships; they can be understood as being a kind of spiritual messengers.
Through this interaction we discover as we could in a mirror, our own qualities and faults and thus we have the chance to enhance the good and eliminate the bad.
The energy characteristic to the first chakra represented by the group mentality is divided into polarities at the level of the second chakra. The polarity is male-female or man-woman.Understanding this polarity is equal to understanding the message transmitted by this level. The existence of the dualistic energies ensures that we are “attracted” to certain relationships in order to gain a better understanding of ourselves.
Opposites attract – this is a well-known law that makes us assimilate from the people we have relationships with, the very qualities we lack and they have.
The challenge of this second chakra is learning to interact on a conscious level with others, and this interaction offers great support for our spiritual development.
Surpassing the limit of group choices, which we mentioned in a previous article as being related to the first chakra, we now need to learn the difference between positive and negative choices.
The choice is itself a process of creation. At this level, creativity is a form of evolution. The creative energy needs to be allowed to manifest freely and completeley, because this creativity pulls us up from routine and other limitations.
One of the lessons we need to learn is that choice is in fact a creative act of our spiritual power and the responsibility of our actions based on those choices belongs entirely to us.
THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU IS YOUR MIRROR
- Our inner power will never grow if we allow ourselves be seduced by money, fashion or uncontrolled eroticism.
- At this stage, an imbalance is known as the phenomenon of mimesis, proof that even though the person has overcome the first limit, that particular person does not yet have the inner strength required to manifest his/her own individuality and qualities. All manifestations related to fashion, money and high-society affairs are connected to this level.
- If we truly desire control over our own life, we don’t need to be that extroverted, we need to focus our attention on what is happening inside our own being. The suffering and discontentment we have to put up to do not really occur because of unfavorable social, external circumstances, but because of our own thoughts and attitudes to the world around us.
- On this level we need to discover our true inner motives, the ones that make us act or react one way or the other.
- At this point, our journey towards perfection requires that we approach our relationships in a new and superior manner. We need to make choices that will allow us to transcend duality.
- As long as we focus on controlling other people, we maintain conflicts within ourselves. Seeing others and ourselves as being close and united, will allow us to gain a different perspective on life.
- Another characteristic of this chakra is the need to have a family. Unlike the first chakra, where it was essential to fight for survival of the individual and the group, here the emphasis is laid upon perpetuating the species.
- On this level, the creative sexual desire comes forth. Here, sexuality is a way of expression, creating its own facility for relating to the people around us.
- The more open and profound our attitude is towards sexuality, the greater our possibility of evolving spiritually. Perfect control of our own sexual energy is imposed on this level in order to be able to ascend even higher.
- For a better understanding of what this control means, we suggest you read articles related to transmutation, sublimation, orgasm and sexual continence that are also found on our site.
Such a person will also easily get to know the astral worlds. Limiting qualities such as passion, anger, attachment, vanity, jealousy, and other psychic impurities are easily and completely eliminated. Such a person’s body will regenerate easily and will even know immortality.” (Swami Sivananda)
SWADHISTHANA CHAKRA Table
| Tantric | swadhishthana, adhishthana, bhima, shatpatra, skaddala padma, wari-chakra | |
| Vedic (late Upanishads) | swadhishthana, medhra | |
| Puranic | swadhishthana | |
| Position | externally, genital region | |
| Petals | number | six; arranged from right to left |
| colour | vermilion, deep red, shining red, whitish red, lightning-like, golden | |
| Matrika-letters | on petals | six in number: Bang Bhang Mang Yang Rang Lang, arranged from right to left |
| colour | lightning-like, diamond-white, white, vermilion | |
| Vrittis | on petals | six in number; arranged from right to left |
| name | 1 affection; 2 pitilessness; 3 feeling of all-destructiveness; 4 delusion; 5 disdain; 6 suspicion | |
| In the pericarp | half-moon-shaped 'water'-region | |
| colour of the Water Region | white | |
| Water-bija (in Water Region) | Wang | |
| colour of Water-bija | moon-white | |
| Form of Water-bija | deity Varuna | |
| Concentration form of Varuna | Varuna is white in colour, four-armed, holding a noose, and seated on a makara ("crocodile" - "water monster") | |
| In the bindu of Wang | deity Vishnu | |
| Concentration form of Vishnu | Vishnu is shining dark-blue (or black), golden, crystal-white, moon-white, and white; youthful and graceful; three-eyed, four-armed, holding a conch, wheel, mace and lotus; dressed in yellow raiment; wears shriwatsa-mark, Koustubha-gem and wanamala; seated on garuda | |
| Presiding divinity | power Rakini | |
| Concentration of Rakini | Rakini is dark-blue (or black), or red in colour; beautiful-faced, vermilion-mark on forehead; three-eyed; dressed in white raiment; two-armed, holding a sword and a shield; or, four-armed, holding a trident, a lotus, a drum and the Vajra, or a chisel; seated on a red lotus | |
