We will do a kriya, a meditation called ‘Jagriti’. Before we begin I will tell you a little about centres and consciousness. Our consciousness is one consciousness, but it has many planes, centres – centres of our being. And you can say they have a physical location in our physical body. There are seven centres; they each have a name. And this is a science, the science of Yoga, science of the consciousness and being – science of the mystics; it is a truth, it is a truth about yourself which is ordinarily not available to people. They do not know about themselves, about their consciousness, about their being. Seven centres. If one were to dissect the body you will not find them; it is through meditation that you become aware of these centres. And they can open out – there is a powerful force in them. And then you see life in the way it should be seen… in a most wonderful, awakened and enlightened way. All these different centres are representative of different parts and planes of your being and consciousness. For example there is an emotional centre from where all your emotions come from; there is a vital centre from wherein all your passions originate; there is a physical centre and a mental centre and so on.

The first centre is called ‘Muladhar’, the ‘root support’. It is located between the anus and the genitals, the spot on which you are sitting literally. It is at the base of the spine. And there is a force there which when it awakens, rises upthrough your spine in the Sushumna channel upwards, and raises your consciousness through the different planes and centres of consciousness, higher and higher. Ordinarily you do not live all the levels of your consciousness. Through this awakening the other levels of your consciousness and existence become available. Most people in the world pass away, die, without knowing anything about this, leave alone having it in their life.

Then there is a second centre which is called ‘Svadhisthana’; it is at the root of your genitals – deep in there, in the subtle level. The third centre which is in the navel, deep in the navel is called ‘Manipura’. ‘Mani’ means ‘gem’, pura is ‘city’. ‘Manipura’, therefore meansGemcity. It is a vital centre like the second centre and the seat of passions, higher passions, while the second centre is the seat of lower passions. Together they make for a complete vital plane of your consciousness.

Then there is the fourth centre of your consciousness which is the heart centre in the middle of the chest, deep inside – it is called ‘Anahata’. It is the centre of emotions and the seat of your soul. Of course, the soul, your existence is behind and in every centre. It is your Being.
Then comes the fifth centre, in the throat – it is called the ‘Vishudha’ centre’. (Playfully) If this awakens you will start singing, you will become a singer. No, it is more than that.

Then there is the centre between the eyebrows. That is where people during puja, worship put a mark there. By that they are hoping to energize and open this centre, through concentrating and meditating on the mark. It is ‘the centre of vision’, the ‘third eye’, the Eye of Shiva,centre of insight, the divine sight. When this opens, you start to see the Reality. You go beyond the external appearance. Now you only see the body, the outer form only and therefore see incompletely and incorrectly and are deluded but when this opens you will start to see things behind the form, things as they are. You will start to see in completeness. No more are you deluded by the incomplete world of forms. In the form you start to see the formless. In the finite you start to see the infinite. In time you start to see the timeless. This then is the sixth centre; it is called the ‘Agnya’ centre.

The seventh centre is in the top of the head; it is called ‘Sahasrar’. And when that opens you have transcended all the life levels, your embodied existence; you have arrived at immortality, infinity. You become one with the universe, with the cosmos. You have arrived at your cosmic being. Your body is moving about, you can work… it is as if you are looking down on everything. These are the seven centres.
We did the breathing exercise with one side and then the other, finally alternating between the two; they represent three very important channels, nadis, as they are called. Again there are many thousands of channels in our body in the subtle level, but also represented in the physical level by nerves and veins. The centres of course being represented by the plexuses. The three channels are important here because they are connected with your nasal passages.

The left channel is the moon channel called the ‘Ida nadi’. It is the ‘moon side’ of your being, and connected to the right hemisphere of your brain. So when you are breathing from here the right hemisphere of your brain is being energized and activated. But ordinarily people hardly breathe, so your brain does not get much of the energy required. But this long and deep rhythmic breathing that we do is extremely beneficial. It activates your brain, it keeps it young. It energizes all the nerves in the brain.

And if you observe in the twenty-four hours of the day, your breath is moving in one nostril or the other. It keeps shifting. It is never in both sides at the same time, ordinarily. It happens only to those who have awakened to the force. In them the breath sometimes will even stop. Then it only moves inside, in the spine. This is for the very advanced yogis. Even the pulse stops. But the doctors will tell you that this man is dead. He is not; he has become immortal. This is Yoga; science of Yoga, science of the breath, science of your Self, which most people do not know and they pass away, die, without knowing it. So the left side through the left nostril is the ‘moon channel’ or ‘Chandra nadi’, ‘Ida’, and deals with the right hemisphere of your brain. The right side through the right nostril is ‘Pingala’, the ‘sunchannel’, the ‘Suryanadi’, connected to the left hemisphere of your brain. It feeds and energizes the left side of your brain.

And with the alternate breathing both hemispheres are integrated and harmonically energized, which then can effect the force to rise in the Sushumna. The way you breathe affects your brain cells. Most people breathe shallow and therefore the brain receives less of the energy then it should. But if you breathe in this way, it is very energizing and it keeps all the nerves and the cells in the brain fully energised, active and young.
So when you do the alternate breathing – left to right, right to left – what you are doing is trying to awaken the Force, the Primal Energy to rise and pass upwards through the ‘Sushumna’, the channel in the spine, and for the breath to enter the spine. It is to awaken this process, initiate this process that we do so. The Force is like a coiled serpent asleep in the Muladhar, the first centre. She is the Goddess, the divine primal energy. It is through that force and energy that all creation comes into being. Durga puja, the worship of Durga is the worship of this divine energy to awaken this divine process done outwardly and objectively as a powerful ritualised meditation ultimately to become subjective and internalised. She is that force called ‘Kundalini’ in the Scriptures. Now it is coiled and asleep in the Muladhar, the first centre. When awakened, it starts to rise through the spine passing through the seven centres all the way to the top of the head, the seat of Lord Shiva becoming one with him. You can feel the movement in your spine sometimes as heat – very strong heat, sometimes like ants crawling in your back, sometimes like a hot rod being pushed up, and you can see the altering of your consciousness. Then you are no more ordinary, rather you are all the time reaching to the extraordinary. Then you become a very special person, and then your life would be so much more, a life exceeding itself all the time, a life all the time transformed in the light of the Divine. Then you can live so much more. That is the future of humankind.

The ‘Sushumnanadi’, the central channel runs through the spine, called the Meru Dandain the scriptures. The Ida and Pingala nadis, the left and right channels are wound around the spine, the danda, the staff, from the base of the spine all the way up to the head and connecting with the respective left and right nostrils. Have you seen the representation anywhere? I am sure you have but you never knew what it meant, neither do most people out there in the world. If you go to the temples you will see this representation most times carved in stone, lying in some corner. You will see people worshiping this symbol outwardly all the time but they know nothing of what it means, what it truly represents. It is also the Latin symbol logo, the famed Staff of Caduceus of the medical profession although the medical professionals know nothing of what it means. There is the central staff which is the spine, the Meru Danda with the Sushumna running through it and the two snakes which are the two left and right channels Ida and Pingala, wound round the staff, and then the two heads of the snakes turned outwards like wings – this is what it represents. The two channels intersect each other several times crossing each other every time they wind around the staff. The intersections are the centres as described above by us, with the two open heads of the snakes exactly placed in the sixth centre while above is the whole of the seventh the Kailasa, the seat of the Lord and Master, Shiva. Simply wonderful isn’t it. People are all the time with this symbol but know nothing about it. The power of Ignorance is so strong and widespread, so overwhelming. Even when explained no-one wants to really put in the effort to have it. When the force awakens, rises and reaches this seat there is complete illumination and the force, the primal energy, Kundalini is the illuminati, that does that for you and therefore she is worshipped as the Goddess.

This is a science – this is the science of your Self. But in modern education, no one teaches you this. At one time in the gurukulas, the schools of the past, this was the basis of all your education. If you do not know yourself how can you live better?In modern education you are studying something that is other than you, but not studying about yourself.

So when the awakening happens then you become a real astronaut. You will see stars even in the day time, you will travel through time. I was telling you the story of Kabir yesterday. This is what he says, ‘In this body there is the whole universe – ‘khat bhitarsonachandi, khat bhitarsuraj tare. In this pot which is the body I have seen everything, the whole universe, the whole cosmos. This is the objective of living, to discover and uncover this truth about yourself. And then therefore to live in the outside, then therefore to relate, interact, interrelate. You can do great things, projects, whatever – nothing is denied to you, you have the whole life of beauty in front of you for you have the power and the enlightenmentfor doing the right thing.

Now it is a big mess. Sometimes it is right, sometimes it is wrong, sometimes it is a hit, sometimes… most times it is a miss. This is what brings you to increasing perfection, increasing manifestation of your potentiality. Andyou live from joy; the joy is within. Then you can offer it to the world. So if everyone were centres of joy, there would be no conflict, there would be no war, there would be no hate, there would be no enmity. There would be complete harmony. In the world people are desperately having peace conferences – it is not working because it is not working inside. When you are in harmony you will – through your actions, through your expressions – bring about harmony. Now there is most times discord, conflict. Each one is struggling against each other; each one is stepping on each other’s toes.

In your heart there will be great compassion, like the Buddha – he was called ‘the compassionate one’. If you see his figure, even in stone, you feel the compassion; you see it on his face – and the peace, the tranquillity. Hardly there is any compassion in this world. This is all concealed within people’s heart. It is not out there because they are so occupied, preoccupied with things, toys and gadgets, their possessions, and they have subordinated their souls to this things. You can have them, but as subordinate to you and not enslave yourselves to them otherwise they possess you – wealth possesses you if one is not master of the wealth. You end up spending all your life in pursuit of it. But the real wealth is this wealth, the knowledge about yourself – the rest will come by itself then. That is why it is said, ‘Where there is Narayana, there is Laxmi’. She comes automatically. She is wealth, all kinds of wealth even so material wealth, fame, opulence – she is automatically there where there is Narayana, where there is the awakening.

So while we work out, we must work within. Seek this – and there is no end. This does not stop at school level or college level – this is endless study, endless finding. There is so much, it is infinite. This was very much part of the society in the distant past, this was the foundation itself of the ancient societies, but alas not of the modern ones. It has been eliminated. It is not important. How can you be not important? It is foolishness. They call that which you are not ‘the self’ and they ignore the true Self.

So we use meditation techniques. Through the techniques we initiate the process which is something which happens spontaneously when this awakening happens. So we call that technique ‘Jagriti’, awakening – it is going ‘upwards’. We use the sound of ‘Om’ to reach into these centres – down to the first centre first to awaken this force, and then work our way upwards through each centre to open them, to energise. It is a meditation. This is how it actually happens. I am speaking from my own experience.

So we move up and even open out in the skies. There is where all the Grace is, there is where all the Light is. Of course it is within also, and everywhere. But there is always the ignorance, the darkness that enshrouds it. There is so much to our being and reality. We are not just few thoughts, we are not just few feelings, we are not just this body – this is only an instrument. There is vast infinity within us. There is much of oneself which one is unaware of. There is the world of thoughts – infinite; there is the world of feelings – infinite. There is the world of inspiration – infinite, and so on.

And this legacy is yours, just like it belongs to anyone and everyone, because you contain it within yourself. Modern societies are ignorant societies run by ignorant people. They know not the Reality and are running the show for the others. Although now of course you see in the world people are turning to this as a mass however superficial it may seem, however small the commitment may be. They are turning towards it for the sake of health – physical health, or therapy for mental health, de-stressing, or whatever. It does all that, but it takes you even further into the realisation of the Truth that you are and all that is,and what life is.

Then life becomes divine, it does not remain ordinary anymore. Then your relationships also are not ordinary, they are divine. Everything that you do is a divine expression. So from humanity, you have to rise to divinity, just as humanity rose from the animal. Evolution – it does not stop at humanity, and in fact now you hardly see much of humanity; lot of it is all ‘animality’, however sophisticated it may be. And at times you can see it is demonical also – all this extreme violence – hurting each other… perverse. It all exists in the consciousness. When you observe, you will find everything in you; you will find the animal, you will even find the anti-divine, the demon. And you will find humanity, you will find divinity. Then you have to observe and act through divinity. That is how you create and develop a personality. You make an opening for ‘That’ therefore.

So in Jagriti kriya – it is a meditation – we work with the centres; we direct the sound of ‘Om’ down to the first centre to begin with there to open and awaken the force that abides there. Three minutes each centre working our way upwards through all the centres all the way to the top of the head, the seventh centre and above into the sky as high as we can go. We stop there for some time and then we come down with ‘Abhishek’, anointment. If you see in the temples they do this, symbolically. They bathe the Image, anoint the Image with Ganga water, other fragrant waters, milk, yoghurt mixtures, sandalwood paste and other pastes, ash and various other things, finally with flowers. It is a very beautiful experience. For us here we do the same but the anointment bathing is with the descent of Light, Peace, Silence –Grace from above.

First with Jagriti, Awakening, you go upwards through the centres beginning with the first centre seeking to awaken the Force – it will rise upwards – and you connect to this infinity above in the sky, connect to God and His Grace – the Light, the peace, the Silence. With Abhishek, Anointment, you come downwards passing through each centre all the way down to the first centre and even further below down into the sub-conscious as far as you can go, with the Grace, feeling it, and you bathe, as it were, inside and outside; you feel it in the body, you feel it on your skin, but you also feel it inside – you feel it as energy. Inside you will see it as light, you will feel it.
So in this way we open out to the Truth that is Light, Peace, Silence – Grace. This is our meditation, kriya – Jagriti – ‘awakening’ and Abhishek – ‘bathing, anointment’, the Ascent of the Force and the Descent of the Grace. The centres are like lotus flowers opening out by the Grace.

The more they open out, the more you can live the magnitude that is potential in them. Now, there is only little magnitude that you are living through them. You open yourself to higher and higher levels of consciousness, and therefore living. Ordinarily, otherwise, it is mostly if not only below the navel that people live. Food, things, procreation – that is all. Observe objectively and you will see through the twenty-four hours where you are at in your consciousness to understand the whole spectrum and play of your consciousness. Where is the focus and attention of your mind and how you spend your time, and in what?

Sometimes there is a moment of inspiration and you have a great idea but then the inspiration is not always there, is not always available. Whenever it is there great works are done and you wish it was always there. All great works in the world whenever they have been done by someone it is because of him stepping aside of the ordinary existence and rising into moments of inspiration and people have clapped ever so loudly (he claps his hands) and complimented this guy for carrying humanity one step further – and why, because for a few moments in his/her life he/she has risen above himself/herself into a higher level of consciousness and existence.

But what if this was available to you at will? The geniuses of the world, so to speak, have had moments of inspiration, but it has not been a continuous one – one moment, a flash, a glimpse. Otherwise most of humanity is living only the ordinary existence. There is much they do not know of themselves.It is very little of the consciousness and magnitude of life that is lived. And even so you get exhausted so quickly. Then you have to drop this body, take on another one. But when you live with sadhana, meditation your body also rejuvenates, your life-span increases, and it can be carried to the point in the future where you can rejuvenate the body to such an extent that it does not have to pass away. This is future, very very far ahead.

AryaVihar Ashram
16 April 2006

Excerpt taken from the meditation: IN THIS BODY THE WHOLE UNIVERSE (JAGRITI MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS)