The sixth subtle center, the ájiṋá cakra, governs knowing the world, both objective and subjective. Its two properties, apara and para vrtti, its link with the pituitary gland, and the main means of developing it.
- Main characteristic: the unity of macrocosm and microcosm
- Animal symbol: none
- Factor: mind
- Glands: pituitary
The sixth subtle center of our body is called the ájiṋá A center of psychic energy in the body; seven major ones lie along the spine.. It is responsible for knowing the world — both objective and subjective. The ájiṋá cakra is also called the third eye. But here "third eye" does not mean the ability to see auras, something extraordinary and unusual, the past and the future (that is the domain of the vishuddha cakra); it means seeing the divine essence of everything.
When a person's ájiṋá cakra is sufficiently developed, the infinite knowledge of the cosmos — knowledge and understanding of the essence of things — becomes accessible to them. In this state, whatever a person concentrates on, flawless knowledge of that object opens up to them. For example, by concentrating on a tree, a person can learn its condition, what disease it has, which elements are lacking in the soil.
Apara A mental tendency or propensity, such as fear, longing or love; fifty are described in all. and para vrtti. Inner knowledge
Unlike the other cakras, the ájiṋá cakra has only two properties: apara vrtti (objective, extroverted, worldly knowledge) and para vrtti (subjective, introverted knowledge, knowledge of one's own "I").
Apara vrtti is marked by the movement of the mind downward, toward the lower cakras. In this case a person acquires knowledge through the sense organs. Since our capacity to perceive the world through the senses is limited by the capabilities of our nervous system, we perceive a very narrow range of the vibrations that exist. In this way of knowing there is always a knower, an object of knowledge and the process of knowing itself, and these three exist separately from one another.
In the case of para vrtti (spiritual knowledge), the knower, the object of knowledge and the process of knowing form one single whole. In gaining spiritual knowledge, a person directs their attention not outward but to their soul — the átman, the inner "I." Our soul is one with the Supreme Soul — Paramátman (the supreme cognitive Principle, the Supreme Consciousness).
Everything that happens in the universe — the drift of continents, supernova explosions, the movement of atoms in specks of dust — all of it is known to the Supreme Consciousness. So when a person turns their attention to their inner essence and unites with their átman, true knowledge opens up to them, and they can know everything that has ever happened, that is happening now, and that will happen in the future. On reaching this state, a person ceases to exist as a microcosm and becomes the Macrocosm.
The phenomenon of spontaneous absolute knowledge, when a person simply knows, is described not only in the yogic tradition but in other cultures too: in Christianity, Sufism, Buddhism and so on.
And the essence of this knowledge is this: to know everything, one must know the One (the inner, the divine); in other words, if we try to know everything with our brain, tiny on the scale of the universe, in the end we will know nothing.
The ájiṋá cakra as the controlling center
The ájiṋá cakra is connected with the pituitary gland. In our body the pituitary is responsible for producing a large number of hormones that govern the body's endocrine glands. In this way, through hormones, the pituitary governs our state and our emotions. By working on the ájiṋá cakra and influencing the pituitary, a person maintains their hormonal balance and gains control over themselves and their lower cakras. That is why the ájiṋá cakra is the controlling center for the lower cakras.
The main tools (methods) for developing the ájiṋá cakra
The first and most important tool for developing the ájiṋá cakra is meditation.
In meditation, which is in itself a deeply introverted process, we direct our cognitive faculty toward our soul (átman), our inner "I," and in this way we come closer to union with the Supreme Consciousness and to attaining absolute knowledge.
The second tool, which follows from the first, is keeping a balance between the spiritual and the worldly in one's life. Imbalance mostly reigns in our lives — they are skewed toward the worldly side. We spend a lot of time on everyday affairs — eating, sleeping, entertaining ourselves, working — but give almost no time to spiritual development and service. By meditating regularly we correct this imbalance, we discover new facets in ourselves and in the world, and a wish arises in us to be useful to this world.
The closer we come to a state of balance, the more harmonious our activity becomes (we manage to get our work done, to meditate, do A yoga posture held steadily and comfortably; it balances the glands and quiets body and mind for meditation., play sports and so on), and the further we advance on the spiritual path. With this, the ájiṋá cakra grows stronger too.
But we should not forget that the imbalance can also be toward the spiritual side.
The third tool is ásanas.
All ásanas that promote balance are suitable for developing the ájiṋá cakra. They are:
- gyanasana (the knowledge pose)
- garudasana (the bird pose)
- tuladandasana (the balance-scales pose)
- vrikshasana (the tree pose)
- bhavasana (the pose of creating an idea)