Chakras of Responsibility I
Vortices of Earth Consciousness
Teachings of the Sea Gods
The Adept and the Path
By
Valerie Bonwick
And
Jonathon Bigras
Chakras—Vortices
Psychic Centers of Consciousness
The three lower chakras sound the chord of Life force, Energy and Intellect. All three respond to stress by expressing drive and purpose. In fulfillment of this expression, each chakra expends a different kind of heat, whether or not you are aware of it. Remember, there is nothing on the physical plane which appears to be quite as chilling as a physical form the life force has abandoned. Therefore, treat these chakras with respect, because you depend on their smooth function to sustain and support you during the term of your life span. You also rely upon their qualities of positivity as you awaken the next higher triad of chakras. Therefore, it is incumbent upon an Adept in training, not to waste these energies in futility, which is a lesson that must be mastered while treading the Path of Initiation.
The chakras of Responsibility are located below the diaphragm, but they can represent the highest expression of Earth Consciousness in the Questors training. Retain, in the forefront of your mind, the symbolic interdependent levels of sustenance governing the growth of the Lotus. Its roots in the mud (Earth Consciousness) and rises up through the water (Ocean Consciousness) to greet the sky (Celestial Consciousness). Reflecting upon this symbol may remind you to fulfill those duties and responsibilities which are your karmic inheritance on the physical plane. Do not neglect them in order to pursue or use it as an excuse, the pursuit of seemingly more exalted activities associated with the work of your Teachers, before you are trained, before your contribution is requested and before you are ready.
The practice of Earth Consciousness reminds you that to function soundly in the areas of expertise represented by the next higher triad of chakras—the Chakras of Equilibrium, you need to keep your feet on the ground, metaphorically speaking of course. It is essential to master the steps of service associated with each of the chakras in your own life, for they provide a safeguard which insures that your path will lead you honorably to your highest goals.
Three Levels of Realization
Each of the exercises to be practiced is concerned with three levels of realization—that of the chakra waiting to be energized, its corresponding area in your physical form which will benefit from the normality of increased vitality and its related psychic center of consciousness. In the early days of Ethereal Man’s presence on Earth, the psychic centers of consciousness fulfilled the approximate function of expression that your physical vehicle does for you today.
Some Questers may already perceive the reflection of their chakras energy expressed as the Light in the Head while they are meditating, but whether you do or you do not, makes no difference to the success of these exercises.
Those of you, who are at the beginning of your spiritual task, may lack confidence concerning your success and the technique of visualization, but there is no reason to doubt your skills. Most of you have already experienced the mechanics of your image-making faculty. Watch the flame of a lighted candle in a darkened room for a while, close your eyes and you will very likely continue to see the flame, even from behind lowered eyelids—you are experiencing the mechanism of your imaging-making faculty at work. You may experience the same effect after staring at a sunlit window from inside a shaded room, continuing to see the sun lit window impressed upon your inner vision after you close your eyes. Your image-making faculty is related to your imagination and when allied with the instrument that is your memory, success is assured.
Visualization and cleansing techniques involve your creative imagination, which responds by attuning to the frequencies of each of your chakras as you meditate upon them and reflects a factual imprint of results upon your inner vision. Eventually you will acquire full proficiency in your visual response when meditating upon the chakras.
Questors should not encounter too much difficulty in achieving proficient visualization, because it is not new, generally speaking. Your grandparents were someone adept at the practice in unexpected ways. They were not joking when they suggested one should try “counting sheep jumping over a gate, “ to induce a sleep state. It seems to have worked for them, which implies that they had mastered the technique of visualization without difficulty.
The precise moment and stage of your training when your image-making faculty, stirred into activity by your exercise of visualization, merges into actual confirmatory reflection of your energized center of consciousness upon your inner vision, varies from Quester to Quester.
The light in the Head however, which announces its presence by lightning-like flashes of brilliant white light, may also signify specific levels of consciousness which are expressed symbolically. It makes itself known once your brow chakra is energized and you have awakened your Crown Chakra, ensuring that the Arc-Light of wisdom is unimpeded.
Our Teacher’s instructions concerning the length of time the Quester should devote to each of these exercises are liberal and geared to common-sense. Some of you may prefer to prepare yourselves before meditation by listening to suitable music (music that works for you) or reading compatible written matter, but excluding preparatory work, it is suggested that you allow five minutes for awakening and cleansing each chakra. This may not sound like a long time, but success is measured by quality not quantity.
Contemplating and stabilizing the higher qualities, following awakening and cleansing may be prolonged, but your dedicated practice of expressing the positive qualities associated with each center of consciousness may continue twenty four hours a day.
Practice each exercise several times a day if you wish, but it is sensible to acquire facilities in visualizing one chakra before attempting to visualize others. Once you have set your meditations securely in place, you may work with each chakra in turn( from #nine, Root Chakra to #three Crown Chakra) as long as you maintain the correct order. Do not attempt to energize any chakra in isolated concentration unless you have already awakened the lower centers of consciousness which precede it in practice. It remains a productive form of meditation, to begin with the Root Chakra and moving up the spine, meditate with each center of consciousness in turn.
The Quester Prepares
Throughout the exercises in Part Three, the method of sounding the Om to begin your meditation will be personal, interiorized technique explained earlier. The Orison to complete your practice should be chanted or repeated softly, imprinting the essential ideology expressed in each sentence on your consciousness as you do so.
When you meditate, sit comfortably in an upright position, do not lie down to practice these exercises and if you have not already mastered the postures of Hatha Yoga, do not attempt to do so now, because your efforts will only cause a distraction.
Next, consider the location of your chakra, posit your attention and concentrate upon the point between and just above your eyebrows. Visualize your chakra, perhaps as a flower which represents the color Ray with which you are meditating. Contemplate calmly the expression of the highest rates of character which are associated with it, become one with them, stabilize them in your consciousness, then energize your chakra by dedicating your life-effort to their expression in your personal life-pattern.
It must not be thought that because a positive quality of life-expression is associated with the correct awakening of a specific center of consciousness, that its practice is precluded before that chakra is awakened. Rather, it suggests that unless you have integrated such quality into your personal life-effort, its lack may present a block to your further progress on the Path or prevent you from acquiring the attributes related to that particular level of aspiration.
The results of this practice are quite subtle. Awakening a chakra does not necessarily imply that you will experience a dramatic surge of energy; this is not what is wanted at this time.
Visualization employs your imagination—the image making faculty, but do not be deterred if your visualization is somewhat weakened at first through the lack of practice. Refresh your memory before you begin, by studying a photograph of the flower you have chosen for study, memorizing every petal until you are almost able to smell its perfume.
Questors who sometimes find the first exercise difficult are those who suffer physical debility related to a faulty circulatory system, but who benefit positively from this practice.
We suggest that you bathe in the light of a particular Ray, knowing that colored light bulbs are not too difficult to find, you are also encouraged to design some interesting lit environments for yourself according to your personal taste, these can be equally correct and effective.
The first two exercises involving the Root and Splenic Chakras are sometimes easier for Questers with strong emotional natures to perform successfully, but because they need to be on their guard against arousing unwanted sexual drive, we would like to repeat some words in that respect concerning “pranayama“-the science of the breath.
Science of the Breath
The exercises which we share with you now are specifically designed for self-monitored study. We do not advise the practice of unsupervised rhythmic breathing exercises while working with the two lowest chakras until their activity has been brought well under control, with the Brow Chakra awakened and energized.
During the early stages of study and development, it is possible to stimulate unwanted sexual activity that is disruptive and equally difficult to control or channel towards the sought-for spiritual goals. It is imperative that one avoids this situation because uncontrolled energy renders a chakra unprotected and open to negative influences, until harnessed by the Questers will.
The Quester need not be anxious about recognizing the above situation if it should occur. It is registered physically as a very definite whirring, spinning sensation at the location of the lower chakra and is combined with unprovoked sexual stimulation.
Of course, the above experience was recognized as being not uncommon among devout seekers of religious bent from very early times. A very simple and effective method of closing the chakra in question to influence from negative vibrations is to apply equal compress of cold water, as cold as is practical, to the affected center of consciousness in question.
Root Chakra-Muladhara—Fire Rose
The Root Chakra is also called the Basic Chakra. It is located near the Coccygeal center which developed in its proximity when Man’s physical vehicle became more solid. Known for thousands of years by its Sanskrit name-“Muladhara,” our own people had given it the name, Fire Rose, long before that time, all of these titles being somewhat self-explanatory.
This center of consciousness is located near the base of the spine. “Near“ is a more accurate description of this saying “at“ the base of the spine, because when an individual has not gained self-control and has concentrated, perhaps for several incarnations, upon gratifying the negative aspects related to the Root Chakra’s energy its influence when unwisely energized, increases out of all proportion to its importance in the life-pattern of the little self. The Root Chakra then encompasses the Splenic Chakra which is closest to it within its area of influence.
The Root Chakra is the first center of consciousness to which all Questers must turn their attention. No matter how intellectual or not you may be and irrespective of how strong or weak your health, a greater understanding of this chakra will at the very least, add to your objective study of mankind. For many of the bravest warriors and legion are those scholars possessing brilliance intellects, who carried flawed character traits caused by their inability to control the energy of this Chakra to the end of an unsatisfactory incarnation.
The careers of many diplomats and professional careerists in all fields alike, have been ruined in times past, because they wantonly ignored the fact that the source of their problems and control of their fate lay within the limits imposed by their own self-control or the lack of it, failing to recognize that this pattern was within their own power to determine and to change.
Signature of the Red Ray
Red is the color note sounded by this chakra, Brilliant in tone and luminous in its intensity. While it is true that there are many shades of red which express the lower side of man’s nature, the true red of the Ruby is probably closest to the vibratory tint sounded by the Quester who has mastered his or her lower instincts. The bright red berries of the Holly associated with Christmas festivities, are also easy to visualize. By using these as a color guide, you will be able to substitute your favorite flowers for visualization if you prefer to do so.
There are many positive qualities of character associated with the Red Ray, therefore there is no reason to denigrate the pure tints of this Ray just because it can express qualities which are low on the slide scale of mankind’s spiritual quest. When pure water is discolored by mud one should not blame the water.
Work with the here and now, remember that the Root Chakra is deeply integrated at this time in the needs of a healthy physical form. How you use that form is your own responsibility, a responsibility which governs your chakra’s field of expression and is reflected by your personal level of spiritual evolution, positively or negatively. It is certainly expressed visually in your auric signature, whether you are aware of it or not.
The sense of well-being you acquire through attuning your consciousness to the pure tints of the Red Ray, applies to every chakra’s Color signature.
Ethereal Man-creative and manifestation
The entry of Ethereal Man into the sensory impingement of life-forms which expressed a lower vibration than his own, combined with his practice of emphasizing without self discipline, eventually led him to the practice of empathetic negativity.
The gift of empathy, originally inherent in Man’s psychic consciousness, had been intended to protect him from the pitfalls of arrogance when his intellect began to flower. Unfortunately, when he turned his practice of positive empathy into one of negative empathic experience, he exposed his conscious being to humiliation and spiritual decline.
One of the results of diverting the chakras incoming vitality to reinforce Man’s creative expression on the physical plane was that his form became more dense in substance. Eventually, even when he concentrated his thought upon higher levels creative effort, he found it difficult to shed habits which had been initiated by his coarse behavior and this remains a continuing problem to this day.
The Root Chakra was the second of two lowest chakras manifested by Man himself within his form. Many of the difficulties in relationships which present problems today can be traced back to the development of this center of consciousness and to the intense energy which is concentrated within it.
For instance, the power streaming through this chakra when called upon to support you in crisis requires the positive aspect of this energy, but even so, it must be controlled and disciplined by your intellect, to avoid situations or repercussions that could result from the unleashing passion unchecked and projecting anger unwisely.
The Root Chakra was manifested in response to man’s creative visualization. It channeled the vitality and energy he needed to express his desire-nature more efficiently. This desire-nature was formulated and initiated by the expression of the Splenic Chakra, the first center of consciousness manifested by man himself.
We are fortunate today, that by following the guidance of Masters who have exemplified the positive qualities associated with the Root Chakra, it has been possible to transform its physical drive into life-qualities of lasting value.
Naming the Fire Rose
Our forefathers named this chakra or vortex out of the fruits of their own experience. Fire is your friend and ally, when it warms you, but you can also be burned by it if you do not treat it with respect, it can even cause your death. The Rose as the symbol of true love was also chosen to symbolize one of this chakras attributes. Like the rose, you are born. Like the bud that opens, your creative drive intensifies as you arrive at puberty. In maturity you flourish like the rose in full bloom. The rose produces hips, you conceive children and eventually, your physical drive the urge to procreate diminishes. The pattern is repeated cycle after endless cycle of incarnation.
From personal experience, we find that when raising our consciousness to higher levels, it is most useful to do so while the vitality of the Fire Rose wax’s strong and its drive is sufficient to sustain us during our spiritual quest. We would advise our fellow Quester to do this also, rather than wait until the chakras energy has waned due to the weight of passing years, hoping to achieve control of that energy by default due to age.
Keynote of the Fire Rose
Life force is the quality expressed by the Root Chakra, which our people call the Fire Rose. Above all else, the exercise of self discipline is of basic importance in the life pattern of the Quester who is energizing this center of consciousness. Self-discipline not only serves as a protective keynote in your personal life, it is a practice to which is essential in order to energize the higher chakras safely and reinforce the alignment of your physical, emotional and mental vehicles as you climb the ladder path.
Regrets
It is unlikely that there are any Questers whose Root Chakra is not active at this time, therefore, the following exercises are directed to raising your consciousness to the practice of the highest standards possible, channeling your vitality into the most positive expression of life force.
As your practice of awareness sharpens your skills of self analysis, you perhaps experience regrets at having fallen short of the standards you wish you had expressed, but this is a very healthy examination of character which will lend itself to constructive purpose. It should not be a cause for either depression or anxiety on your part.
When you find your courage challenged and doubt invades your mind, it is sometimes helpful to bathe for ten minutes or so in the light of the Red Ray.
Quest for Attainment—Ritual
It may not appear obvious at first glance that working with the qualities of the Root Chakra provide many opportunities for spiritual growth, until you consider the expression of the identifying quality of the Ray energy that is channeled through it, which is ritual, also expressed as a ceremonial function.
Study the expression of ritual on the physical plane and you will arrive at a much deeper understanding of your fellow man. Many vocations depend upon a ritualistic foundation, the military and the legal profession’s for instance, even the civil service in many countries.
Ritual associated with organized religion comes to mind immediately, but it is possible to be respectably ritualistic without expressing sincere spirituality within almost any religious establishment, of course, even the sex act is ritualistic in character.
Study the hidden meaning behind appearance at this time. It will not only add to your appreciation of individual life-patterns, but your awareness of ritual as expressed by the forces of nature will heighten your comprehension of the creative energies expressed by the Indwelling Intelligence.
Some Questers in their eagerness to awaken the higher centers of consciousness wonder if it is really necessary to restore the highest qualities of the lower chakras to their potential positivity. “Why waste time on them,“ they say, “why not begin by awakening the highest centers of consciousness?“
It is quite true, that to concentrate upon any center of consciousness lower than the Brow Chakra is unwise if is singled out for particular concentration and isolated from the rest of the chakra system. Yet, to ignore the existence of the lower chakras is to abnegate their positive energies which are needed to sustain and support you in your attainment of the highest spiritual goals. It is also certain that if the lower centers of consciousness are not energized, the higher centers may never awaken.
Meditation—Root Chakra
Awakened by Meditative Concentration
Cleansed by Visualization
Stabilize by Contemplation
Energized by Dedication
Begin your meditation by sounding the Om
Once you have stilled your restlessness, concentrate attention upon the location of your Root Chakra. Close your eyes and focus your gaze above and between your eyebrows and meditate until you are able to visualize your chosen flower successfully. Imagine the flower revolving slowly at first, then becoming faster until it appears to be a disc. With a little practice you will be able to register the purity of its color as it spins.
If the color tint you are concentrating upon deviates from a true ruby, visualize it clearing to the exact tint you wish. This involves two independent steps: the First step is the realization that there might be a flaw or a weakness expressing itself in your personal life, which may be related to negative qualities associated with this chakra, the second step is your inner decision to eliminate this flaw, which is signified by returning the chakras shade to its purest tint, accompanied by the act of your own will, using your visualization as an instrument.
Always sip cold water when you are clearing discolored tints from your visualization and remember, this cleansing exercise proceeds most quickly when accompanied by a commitment to the highest values related to the centers of consciousness concerned.
Stabilize the results of your cleansing technique by contemplating the positive qualities related to the perfect expression of the Red Ray. They include courage, which is needed at all stages of the Path, bravery, which is sometimes called into action at the most unexpected times in the Questers life and-heroism, closely linked to the successful expression of your ideals. Heroism is often misunderstood in its application to the Questers life-efforts.
Many Questors equate heroic effort with calls upon one in times of crisis, but in truth, it may just be just as heroic, although undramatic, to fulfill the responsibilities of an exhausting job year after year without respite, in order to create a better life for others. It may help and comfort you to remember at such times, that true love finds its expression on this Ray as well as physical well-being and stamina, which are also important if you wish to ensure the full positivity of Red Ray.
Energizing by dedication is concerned with building into your consciousness the positive qualities associated with a perfectly attuned chakra and the practical application of those qualities to your everyday life.
Complete your meditations by repeating the Orison.
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