The Seven Centers of Energy (Chakras)

July 26, 2013

Boone, North Carolina

Gurudev, is sexual energy and meditative energy the same energy?

Sri Sri: Yes, it is only one energy in the body, but it manifests in different forms, in different chakras. Sexual energy, love energy, intellectual energy, sharpness, awareness, anger; all these are related.

You would have heard about the seven chakras (energy centers) ; it is One Energy that manifests itself in various forms.

In the first chakra (Muladhara), at the base of the spine, the energy manifests as enthusiasm or inertia.

When the same life force energy comes to the second chakra (Swadhisthana), it manifests as sexual energy or creative or procreative energy.

The same energy goes up to the navel region, the third chakra (Manipura), and manifests in four different forms, which relate to four different emotions - greed, jealousy, generosity and joy. That is why all these four emotions are depicted through the tummy. 

Jealousy is an emotion that one feels in the stomach. Generosity is depicted with a large tummy, e.g., Santa Claus. Joy is also depicted with a big tummy, e.g., Lord Ganesha and the Laughing Buddha.

The same emotion comes to the fourth chakra (Anahata), the heart chakra; manifests as three different emotions which are love, hatred and fear.

When this energy rises to the fifth chakra (Vishuddha), at the level of the throat, it symbolizes grief and gratefulness. When you feel grief, the throat chokes, and when you feel grateful also, the throat chokes.

The same energy then goes in between the eyebrows to the sixth chakra (Ajna), and manifests as anger and alertness. Anger, alertness, knowledge, and wisdom are all related to the third eye centre.

The same energy goes to the seventh chakra (Sahasrara), at the top of the head and manifests as sheer bliss. That is why in any sanctuary experiences, when you feel total bliss, the mind immediately goes to the top of the head. Something shoots up to the top of the head and you feel blissful.

So, the upward movement and downward movements of energy are all the emotions in life.

Gurudev, I want to learn how to pray. Can you say a few words about how to pray?

Sri Sri: Prayer is a spontaneous thing. It happens on two occasions, when you are very grateful, and you are expressing your gratitude. And when you are totally helpless, and you beg for help.

Prayer just happens, you cannot cultivate it. At the most what you can do is, look back at your own life and see where you were and how you have moved. Alternatively, look at other people’s lives and see how many people on this planet are miserable, and how fortunate you are! This gentle awareness will make you prayerful or thankful.

Prayer is the beginning, and meditation is its culmination. Prayer is thanking God for all that is given, and meditation is to be there, ready to listen to what God is saying. Meditation is a matured form of prayer.

Gurudev, I wonder why fearful and bad thoughts come even in the most positive of places, and sometimes even while praying. Please help.

Sri Sri: Never mind. Thoughts are thoughts. As long as you are aware that these thoughts are coming, you are very safe, because these thoughts come and go.

Negative thoughts come due to several reasons: 

1. Lack of good circulation in the body, and improper proper breath or not enough oxygen supply to the brain. 

2. Lack of good bowel movement; if you are constipated, you can notice negative thoughts coming. 

3. Low prana or no energy.

The remedies for this is: 

1. Improve circulation. Get up, do your exercise, sing, dance, do yoga, meditation, pranayama; all these will help. 

2. Do some cleansing once or twice a year. If you have not done Sri Sri Yoga Level II, where you learn to drink water and cleanse your whole system through Kunjal (cleans the throat and the stomach) and Shankha Prakshalan (cleans the complete elementary canal, from mouth to anus), you should do it. 

When you drink a lot of water and do a set of exercises, the water will cleanse your body and flush out the entire system. This is the reason why yogis advised these kriyas since ancient times. It has helped many people to clear thoughts. 

3. Keep good company. Company can also pull down your energy.

In spite of all this, if you get negative thoughts, never mind, as they come they will go. If you get scared of them, they will stay with you. If you are not scared, they just leave you.

I am not discouraging you from praying. Prayer can precede meditation. You can pray, and then sit and meditate.

Gurudev, when we say become a witness, what exactly do we mean? How do we balance being a witness and participation, to ensure correct action?

Sri Sri: If you stand near the highway and watch all the cars pass by, or if you sit in the dining hall and watch everyone eating, that is being a witness. It means not participating, but just observing what is happening. 

Similarly, you are already witnessing many thoughts that come inside you. You don’t participate in all the thoughts; otherwise you will go crazy.

Gurudev, what is the role of Artificial Intelligence in the evolution of humanity? Scientists say that Singularity will soon come; meaning a point when artificial intelligence will exceed human intelligence and dominate the planet. Should we worry?

Sri Sri: No, you don’t need to be concerned about it at all. My only concern is why people are not using their intelligence. Everybody has been bestowed with intelligence, and the biggest problem is that they don’t use it!

Dear Gurudev, if God in the end is the doer, then how come a living being is responsible for karma, or results of action?

Sri Sri: See, doership goes with enjoyership. If you are not the doer, you are not also experiencing the consequence. You can’t say, ‘I am not the doer; God made me eat more food but I am having a tummy ache.’ 

I would say, 'God is having the tummy ache. Where are you in the middle?' 

If you have eaten, you have the tummy ache; if God has eaten, then the tummy ache is also for God. It is not you who is suffering from indigestion. Do you see what I am saying?

I think we have misinterpreted this whole philosophy. Every individual has a certain amount of freedom, and certain things are beyond his power. 

Life is combination of both, your free will and what is destined. Some things are in your control and some other things are not. You cannot say that nothing is in my control, and you can’t say that everything is in my control either, both are incorrect. 

For example, you have no control on whether it rains or not. However, if it is raining, whether to get wet or not, is in your control. Raining is destiny, but to not get wet is your free will. Put on a raincoat or take an umbrella and you will be dry.

Dear Gurudev, is the desire to become enlightened an impediment to enlightenment? Is the desire to be enlightened a bad thing?

Sri Sri: No, it need not be an impediment. Feverishness about it could be an impediment, but desire is okay. If it is there already, then what do you do?