Chpt 1 - Shake Hands With Yourself

by Tashi - Illustrations by Steve Greaves

Before any action is considered it is necessary for you 

to know something of who and what you are.

Very few men and women on this planet know who they are.

One thing is certain. It is impossible for such Self Knowledge

to be communicated in words. I could say that you are the 

embodiment of Universal Intelligence, Energy and Love. 

No doubt many of you will dismiss this as quasi mystical 

nonsense so we will commence our exploration of self with 

the concept of consciousness.

You are:

THOUGHT   CONSCIOUSNESS

In this three dimensional body, Planet, Galaxy, Universe and 

Cosmos, that is precisely how it is. Put aside for a moment your 

Theology, Biology, Sociology or Psychology. Right now whether 

you are watching the news, doing the washing up or making love, 

you are nothing else but consciousness of thought, sight, touch, 

taste, sound and smell.

Our lives are experienced as a stream of conscious sensation of 

varying kinds and degree. Waking or sleeping it is all the same.

TheYogic adept has an advantage over the likes of us in that he has 

penetrated his consciousness down to its very source and he is 

aware not only of the everyday world of sense consciousness but 

also different dimensions of consciousness containing higher 

energy levels of which the layman is ignorant.

It is these higher dimensions of consciousness and energy which 

we must utilise in order to heal and revitalise our jaded bodies.

As I said earlier it is impossible for a Master to describe Reality in 

words, but we can symbolise, in a manner of speaking, the spiritual 

forces galvanising this physical body through the spinal vortices or 

chakras where mind reacts with a self-created universe.

The diagram fig.1 known colloquially as Kundalini Man represents 

a person with all previously dormant faculties of mind fully awakened. 

Such a person would be a Buddha, a Jesus, a Milarepa, a spiritual 

genius.

The drawing is based on one by Lama Govinda but I must point 

out that the traditional Lotus posture has been retained simply 

because it is easier to draw. The importance of the Lotus asana in 

Yoga posture has been grossly exaggerated. It is merely a firm 

relaxed posture which comes naturally to those who sit cross-legged 

from birth. It has no spiritual significance whatever.

The midline of the seated Yogi represents the tiny hollow tube in 

the middle of the spine known to initiates as the Susumna. (*1)

Rising at intervals upon this midline are symbols representing the 

chakras; "wheels" or "flowers" where various levels of energised 

mind are manifested as the different qualities of matter.

The bottom three of these mind/energy complexes is where most 

of us live. Taken together they represent the level of awareness in 

which the majority of us are born, suffer, grow old and die. The eye 

drawn just above the Manipura Chakra indicates this general level 

of awareness.

The next centre, the Heart or Anahata Chakra is accessible to us 

in a peculiar way. All life situations evoking genuine compassion 

and selfless action allow some access to the wisdom of the Heart 

chakra.

The Yogi however, supplements his compassion with the practice 

of Pranayama. Pran is basic energy, the universal principle of 

movement which upholds the tangible world. Pranayama is the 

science of realising the Pran streams in our own bodies through the 

contemplation and control of breath. Activating the Heart chakra 

through Pranayama the Yogi learns to direct Pran at will to heal 

and revitalise his tissues.

All energies directed consciously from the Heart chakra stem 

from a higher dimension of mind and a higher wave-band than we 

have hitherto been able to utilise. Naturally we shall be making use 

of these in our studies.

The higher chakras are properly the province of the spiritual 

seeker. A most profound explanation of their properties can be 

found in the works of Lama Govinda and Swami Sri Yukteswar to 

name but two. For our purposes the following account must suffice.

The Anahata chakra is the centre for the enlightened condition of 

Sunyata or Satori as it is known to Zen Buddhists.

The throat or Visudha chakra is where the Yogi experiences the 

omnipotence of thought. It is the fifth sphere of mind where so 

called "miracles" are gestated.

Between the eyebrows lies the two petalled Ajna chakra or third 

eye of the mystics where a sixth dimension of infinite possibility is 

realised. Here lies the Christ consciousness latent within us all. 

Such a consumate state of mind is way beyond mere understanding. 

It is the last frontier of individual existence where the I trembles 

voluptuously before the ALL.

Last, the brain chakra or Sahasrara Padma. Here is where the 

mind returns to Godhead, the Buddha Womb totally beyond 

existence and non existence. Here is where we come from, where 

we reside and where, swiftlike, we perpetually return.

The loose double spiral descending from the nostrils of my seated 

Yogi represents the double helix of cosmic energy which constantly 

swirls down the spine bursting into the chakras to form rivers and 

streams of Pran coursing around the body. It is these nadis or nerve 

currents which are the working basis of acupuncture healing.

Each of our spinal chakras has a vibrational wave-band which 

corresponds to the frequencies of matter in its varied qualities.

The Muladhara chakra represents Earth or solid matter.

The Svadisthana chakra, where our problems arise, harmonises 

with water or matter in its liquid state.

The Manipura chakra is the wheel of fire or radiant heat which is 

constantly transforming matter from one condition to another.

The Anahata chakra vibrates with Air or matter in its gaseous state.

Ether, the no-property of space, the intangible immeasurable 

matrix in which all form appears is represented by the Visudha

or throat chakra.

The Ajna chakra is the gateway to light, intelligence and infinite 

energy totally beyond all descriptions and definitions.

Beyond life and death itself.

Now you should have some idea of what you are and also what 

you could be. Our everyday ordinary bodies have hidden access to 

a formidable amount of energy, much more indeed than we shall 

need to keep us piddling prudently.

Therefore we can proceed with optimism.

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