RETURN TO SPIRIT
 

Book VI
 
BALANCE
 

   
Designed by Hiranya
















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© Barbara Stone, 2005  

"Awakening, healing and empowering the soul are all undertaken in the first part of the spiritual journey; the second part involves the dissolution of soul in Spirit."

-- Frances Vaughan


In the usual Yogic tradition, you are requested to take full responsibility for your life.  That means the recognition that whatever may emerge from working with these lessons is part of your life and, therefore, is your responsibility.  We all receive the lessons we need from one source or another, and our only choice is whether we attend to them or not.  So, if you find yourself with this guidebook in hand with the intention to make your way through it, it is because you are meant to do this kind of self-investigation.

This material is not intended to be, nor to take the place of, psychotherapy.  It is designed to assist psychologically healthy adults to more fully understand themselves and their spiritual journeys.  These guidebooks do not diagnose or treat psychological disorders.  If you are engaged in psychotherapy already and have doubts about whether you should work with them, please consult your psychologist and follow his or her advice.


The author, Hiranya Barbara Stone, EdD, is a transpersonal psychologist with specialized training in Yoga psychology, Buddhism, Sufism and Spiritual Guidance.  She taught Developmental, Educational, and Social psychology as well as  the Psychology of women at Drew University for 18 years and is presently a mentor for the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.  Hiranya has had training and experience in human relations development and group dynamics at the National Training Labs Institute and in the development of high trust community with the late Jack Gibb.  She spent a year at The Naropa Institute, a Buddhist graduate school, teaching and studying in their Contemplative Psychotherapy program.  Hiranya is a Yoga teacher certified by Yasodhara Ashram in Kootenay Bay, B.C. to teach Raja, Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, Kundalini, Hatha and Japa Yogas.  She recently completed a training program in The Art of  Spiritual Guidance at the Silver Dove Institute in Burlington, VT under the leadership of Atum O’Kane.  She was the founder and director of House of Spirit Yoga and Retreat Center in Cedaredge, CO and is now residing in Lee, Massachusettes.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction        

Unit I.     Ajna Chakra Themes     

Unit II.    Polarities    

Unit III.    Balance     

Unit IV.    Pure Mind    

Unit V.    Consciousness    

Unit VI.    Light    

Unit VII.    Presence

Unit VIII.    Healing the Soul    

Unit IX.    Bindu    

Unit X.    Healing Ideas

TABLES



Table  6-1.    Power and Life    

Table  6-2.    Tattva Relationships     

Table  6-3.    Differences Between Psychosis and
                           Enlightenment     

Table  6-4.    Stages of Sabija Samadhi    

Table  6-5.    Bhutas and Indriyas    

Table  6-6.    Stages of Manifestation of Bhutas and
                           Indriyas    

Table  6-7.    Triads of Presence    

Table  6-8.    The Law of Three    

Table  6-9.    Gap (Separation) vs Unity Consciousness    

Table 6-10.    Healing Therapies 

 
FIGURES


Fig. 6-1.    Ajna chakra    

Fig. 6-2.    Chakra form    

Fig. 6-3.    Mandala    

Fig. 6-4.    Double Triads


Book VI. Balance

It is with a great deal of humility and gratitude for Guidance that I begin this new guidebook.  The higher up the scale we go, the more subtle and elusive the experiences are and they also become more resistant to verbal description.  So the intellect I’ve been so proud of all my life is now beginning to be an obstacle to further progress on the path.  It is no accident that, at the sixth chakra level, one must give up attachment to ideas, thoughts, and intellect as well as the other renunciations we will be discussing later on.  The mind is in the heart, after all.

I have a particular identification with the developmental stage that will be relevant in this chakra as I am aging and must confront some of the challenges and choices that are peculiar to this age group.  Not the least of these is the call to elderhood.  
At what point do we surface and acknowledge that we might be wise by virtue of our years and experience if not by anything else?  Do we dare to try to guide others who are younger or less experienced than we are?  Certainly deep humility and a sense of responsibility are called for.  Yet, as I have matured, more and more it has become clear that advice and “help” are not always helpful.  Rather, what is useful is to be able to ask the right questions, so that others can find their own way.  Advice and “help” imply that others are not capable of dealing with their own lives and problems.  Furthermore, it sets one up as a rather self-righteous judge and/or parent figure.  That automatically triggers resistance in most folks.  I know I still squirm when someone is telling me what I should do.  So I am approaching you with an invitation to walk beside me through this chakra on this part of the journey if it calls to you.

Sometimes spiritual literature seems obscure, or it may appear to be overly simplistic or ordinary, maybe even uninteresting to the curious mind.  This is no accident.  Often the most provocative truths are buried in an article or story, so that we have to mull it over and give it a chance to manifest itself.  Sometimes, if we are not ready, the truth may evade us completely.  That is a protective measure since preparation is necessary in order to make full use of esoteric information.  This explains, in large measure, why much spiritual teaching is still handed down by word of mouth or in mind-to-mind transmission.  Because much of what is learned has to do with energy, often at high frequencies, the bodymind must be purified and grounded in order to sustain the volts, so to speak.  For lack of this preparation, many people have suffered a spiritual emergency or a kundalini psychosis.  Both of these are often mis-diagnosed, and, as a result, the client does not receive the support and encouragement needed to weather the storm.  This is not meant to scare you but to explain why the material in this guidebook may not meet your expectations.

Can you remember that delicious space just before falling asleep or just before waking up completely when the mind is not yet in gear and the soul seems to float in a kind of ecstasy in which there is no irritation, interruption or challenge to do or be something other than what you really are?  The body is relaxed and lazy as if it were burrowed deep into a quilt in winter.  Maybe a favorite animal or partner snoozes nearby.  It is dark and quiet.  No one else is abroad and you are alone with your Self.  And conscious.  With practice, if you wake from sleep and need a bathroom run, you may even be able to take care of this without jarring out of this space.  However, you may have noticed that if you allow yourself to think about anything, you lose the grace of that moment and return to your ego self who just may not be able to go back to sleep.

A similar state can be reached in meditation when the mind and senses are quieted.  A mood of peace and equanimity steals over you enabling you to relax and recharge your batteries.  Nothing outside of yourself seems to matter.  You have retreated into your soul system where a whole different set of rules apply.  All of your personality aspects are asleep.  So is the ego and the mind.  My teacher used to say she told her mind to “go sit in the corner, that it was not needed now.”  Isn’t it interesting that mindlessness leads to wholeness and balance?  That is one of the topics for examination in this set of lessons.

We will begin with an examination of the sixth chakra and its symbols, then move into each of those in more depth.  Symbols are the language of intuition.  So the farther we explore away from what can be described in verbal terminology (a tool of the mind) the more relevant symbols become.  You may find that you have to introspect to find your own personal associations with these symbols in order to make them meaningful to you.  I will be offering you their conventional meanings, but symbols are infinitely faceted.  Furthermore, they may interact to produce even more complex variations on a theme.  So, if you find yourself unmoved by the Yogic system, then attempt to translate the symbols into something more meaningful to you.  In all spiritual traditions, symbols are used to communicate directly with the soul.  And, if you dig deep enough, you will find they all teach the same things regardless of external orientations.

The topic of this guidebook is Balance.  At the sixth chakra between the eyebrows, the three major nadiis, ida, pingala and susumna come together and end.  So, with our consciousness established in the sixth chakra and the mind and senses quieted, we have the end of polarities or opposites in worldly experience.  It’s feels a little like taking the phone off the hook.  That does not mean that polarities cease to exist in the world.  It means that we do not perceive them anymore.  Or, if we perceive them, they are no longer particularly relevant and we have no emotional responses to them.

Our minds and senses are programmed to perceive the world in terms of dualities, as in positive and negative electricity or the on and off of neural firing.  Many brain cells are set up in columns that enable categorization .  And the neurons are threaded through a field of cells that provide a context and modify their conductance (Pribram, 1971).  Likewise, in the physical body, there is a subtle body that contains the energy fields and channels (nadiis) that conduct pranic energy.  Acupuncturists make use of these channels to treat their clients.  The chakras are points in the system at which the nadiis cross each other thus creating a vortex that can be open or closed to passage of the charges.  So, activity in the subtle body is maintained by valence.  This enforces separations in every aspect of life from ego vs the world to neural transmissions.

Now, at this point in the journey, we are offered the chance  to achieve equilibrium of these forces, sometimes called equanimity.  It is possible to rise above the stresses of duality into a space of psychological and spiritual peace and harmony.  This is sometimes called bliss probably because it is so different from our everyday lives.  The experience is one of wholeness, unity and balance.  Because there is no longer any opposition, there is no stress.  We will see how this can be achieved in the following units.

Objectives

1.      Experience the release of polarity perceptions.
2.      Study and master the concepts of differentiation and dissolution.
3.      Study the Holy Ideas and apply them to your own life.
4.      Learn how to make a mandala and to apply its principles to your own life.
5.      Explore the meaning of the unitive life.
6.      Balance intellect and intuition.
7.      Discriminate between knowledge/wisdom and information.
8.      Develop a mind-training practice.
9.      Develop a tonglen practice.
10.    Develop a maitri practice.
11.   Confront the Bodhisattva choice.
12.   Integrate bodymindspirit.
13.   Become familiar with the stages of development of consciousness.
14.   Study the stages of samadhi.
15.   Become familiar with the modes of transformation.
16.   Examine the Rudra Granthi.
17.   Accept divine identity.
18.   Figure out what needs to happen in order to live a sanctified life. Plan remediation.
19.  Discriminate differences between absolute and relative reality and note the implications for daily              life.
20.   Work toward singlepointedness of mind.
21.   Discriminate the different forms of light and learn how to apply them.
22.   Develop presence.
23.   Extend awareness.
24.   Investigate more ways to surrender.
25.   Learn how to live in the present.
26.   Achieve a deeper understanding of the meaning of death and immortality.
27.   Subdue mind, ego, and personality into service to a Higher Power (mastery).
28.   Practice selflessness.
29.   Examine karmic debts in this and (if necessary) other lives. Plan how to       satisfy them.
30.   Nourish development of the Light-Body.
31.   Do a self-assessment (purpose and ideals), revise it and come to closure.
32.   Develop more clarity.
33.   Think about what the Return means for yourself.
34.   Discover new ways to heal your soul.
TEXTS
BOOK  VI.  BALANCE
 
 The following list of books is arranged by Unit and is cumulative (book is listed only in the first unit in which you will use it), so you can see which ones to secure first.  They are listed in the order you will need them rather than alphabetically.  You may want to leaf through the exercises or outline if you are in doubt about how much each book will be used.  At this writing, most were under $10-15 at amazon.com. If you prefer not to buy all of them, it is fine to borrow them through library loan at your local library.  However, if you do this, be sure to give the librarian some lead time to find and get them there.  Several of them you will already have if you have been working right through these guidebooks.  They are marked with an asterisk (*).  Some of my books are old, so you may find newer editions of them.  This is fine.

Unit I.  Ajna Chakra Themes

Johari, H.  (1987).  Chakras: Energy centers of transformation.  Rochester, VT:       Destiny Books.*

Unit II.  Polarities

Vaughan, F. (1995). Shadows of the Sacred: Seeing through spiritual illusions.       Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.

III. Balance

Cunningham, B. (2002).  Mandala: Journey to the center.  New York: Dorling       Kindersley.

Bopp, J & M., Brown, L. & Lane, R. (2004). The sacred tree.  Twin Lakes, WI:       Lotus Press.

Roberts, B. (1985).  The path to no-self: Life at the center.  Boston: Shambhala.

Unit IV. Pure Mind

Chodron, P. (2001).  Start where you are: A guide to compassionate living.        Boston: Shambhala.

Walsh, R. (1999).  Essential spirituality: The 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind.  New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Unit V. Consciousness  

Taimni, I. (1975) The science of Yoga: The Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali in Sanskrit     with transliteration in Roman, translation in English and commentary.  Wheaton, IL: The Theosophical Publishing House.  [Note: There is a newer addition than mine and may come from another publisher.  Amazon.com has it.]

Tyborg, J. (1970).  The language of the gods:  Sanskrit keys to India’s wisdom.         Los Angeles: East-West Centre.

Unit VI. Light

Khan, Pir V.(1998).  Light and ecstasy: The grand illumination.  New Lebanon, NY: Sufi Order International.  [You may have to order this directly from the Sufi Order as it is not in book form.]

Radha, Sw. S. (1987).  The divine light invocation: A spiritual practice for realizing the Light within.  Kootenay Bay, BC: Timeless Books.

Unit VII. Presence

Tolle, E. (1999).  The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment.  Novato, CA: New World Library.

 Unit VIII. Healing Soul

Almaas, A. (2002).  Facets of unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas.  Boston: Shambhala.

Villoldo, A. (2005). Mending the past and healing the future with soul retrieval. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.

Plotkin, B. (2003).  Soulcraft: Crossing into the mysteries of nature and psyche. Novato, CA: New World Library. [optional]

Unit IX. Bindu

Blofeld, J. (1978). Bodhisattva of compassion: The mystical tradition of Kuan Yin.  Boulder: Shambhala.     or

Palmer, M. & Ramsey, J. with Kwok, M. (1995).  Kuan Yin: Myths and revelations of the Chinese goddess of compassion.  San Francisco:       HarperCollins.

Braden, G. (2000).  The Isaiah effect: Decoding the lost science of prayer and prophecy.  New York: Three Rivers Press.


Unit I.  Ajna Chakra Themes

CONTENTS

1.  General characteristics
2.  Symbolism
3.  Psychological development

Materials needed: Journal, crayons or colored pens

Books needed: Chakras: energy centers of transformation*

Exercise: Diagram of Sixth Chakra

*If you have been working with these guidebooks before, you may have this book
The word Ajna means to command.  There are several senses in which this definition is relevant to this chakra.  One way to interpret the word “command” is as a control center.  This is the point at which the three major nadiis come together to provide a launching pad for higher consciousness.  It is a place of unity of manifest and unmanifest energies the output of which lights up the entire subtle body and all the chakras.  The higher mind incorporates all the lower branches of mind.  And the guru can command the disciple through mind-to-mind communication.  

At this chakra, the dualities are neutralized and come together into wholeness and balance.  The mind becomes capable of direct knowledge or perception sometimes called wisdom or prajna.  We will also see how the mind is the sixth sense.  The element here is consciousness.   And the makara point is here which is the choice point for liberation.

Symbolism              
                                                                                                    Fig.6-1. Ajna Chakra                   
This is the Ajna chakra.   It consists of a circle with two petals.  Inside the circle or pericarp is a triangle with a lingam inside it and the sanskrit letter Om superimposed on it.  Above these is a crescent moon, a dot and a flag.  To see a rendering of the deities in this chakra, see your Johari (1987)book.

Circle

The circle is a universal symbol for wholeness and unity.  It is perfection at its highest level.  It is often manifested as a mandala which is a circular picture that draws the viewer into the center for an experience of unity.   Another way of thinking about the circle is the uroboros, a serpent that is eating its own tail.  Since serpents shed their skins as they grow, this can be taken as representative of transformation or transcendence.  In a circle which is not divided in some way, we find non-duality and balance all of which are relevant to the sixth chakra work.  Finally, the circle can be seen as the Candra-mandala or full moon which is part of the gateway to liberation.       

Petals

Petals represent powers that work together and they often refer to speech, self-expression or vibration.  Fewer petals means less need for speech because telepathic communication or ESP is possible.   Furthermore, the need for self-expression is gone since one’s most important experiences cannot be expressed in words.  In terms of vibration, more petals generally means higher frequencies of vibration.  In this chakra, fewer petals may mean the vibrations have been dissolved into only two entities: Shiva and Shakti.

Here we have the mind functioning in two worlds: manifest and unmanifest; intellect and intuition, subjective and objective, memory and concepts/reason, right and left hemispheres of the brain.  The pineal gland is held to be symbolic of the subjective mind and memory while the pituitary gland refers to the objective mind, concepts and reason.  This is interesting because there is some evidence that, on a physical level, the pineal gland receives light into the body.  And the pituitary is often called the master gland because it programs all the others.

The two petals flanking a circle also suggests the unification of the polarities.  All things work together for the good of the whole.

The conventional yogic interpretation also says the full moon with two petals represents the nectar and ambrosia that are divine, spiritual food.  They come down from the sixth chakra when Shiva and Shakti are united there.  Nectar and ambrosia are intuitive insights.  To receive them we need to avoid judging, focus attention on spiritual matters, accept and let go.

Letters on the petals

The letters on the petals are Ham (or Ha) and Ksha (or Sa).  Ham is masculine and means “I am That.”  Ksha is feminine and means “That I am.”  Taken together we have an androgynous Hamsa or Soham either of which can be used as a mantra to promote both unity and purity.  Hamsa is the sanskrit word for swan, a symbol for purity.  These two letters are related to breathing as the inhalation sounds like Sa and the exhalation like Ham or Ha.  Taking this a step further, Sa represents Shakti or Kundalini and Ha represents Shiva.  So, the two taken together give us the union of Shiva and Shakti or wholeness which is called Visarga.  Shiva is power unmanifest and/or consciousness in the form of Purusha.  Shakti is power manifest and/or creation in the form of Prakrti.  Unity of these two is the Ultimate Reality or all that is. For a reminder of how all this goes together, see Figure 3. Notice the pyramidal form of the diagram.  When we bring the dualities, opposites or lower level elements together, we go up to the next level of generality to a container that includes all of the elements.  This is transcendence, folks.  And it could happen to you.

Golden triangle

The golden triangle is a yoni which represents a womb, so it means life as well as Shakti who is the mother of creation, sometimes called Divine Mother.  Here is all the manifested creation of the universe.  An offspring of this idea is one which links women to containers.  They hold us in their wombs before birth and in their arms after birth to feed and nurture us.  And they often hold us in death.

Itara Lingam

The phallic symbol inside the triangle is called a lingam and represents the male sex organ.  This stands for Shiva who has infinite powers and who is pure, unmanifest energy often represented by light or lightning.  This is the spark that ignites the creative energy of Shakti.  So we find it inside the yoni in a position that augers for creativity.  However, at this level, the creativity is purely spiritual.

Shivashakti

The union of Shiva and Shakti lights up the Chitrini nadi and thus all the chakras from one to six.  This releases the siddhis or psychic powers.  The central nadiis are (from inside out): Brahma nadi, Chitrini nadi, Vajra nadi and Susumna nadi.  There is a diagram of these nadiis on page 25 in the Johari (1987) book.  A more detailed and somewhat clearer explanation of the nadiis can be found in Joan Harrigan’s (2002) book, Kundalini Vidya.  Kundalini energy can be channeled upward through any of these nadiis, but the usual one is susumna.  Outside of the central channel are ida and pingala nadiis.  Ida is the left channel and pingala the right one.  Ida is yin and feminine carrying lunar currents.  Pingala is yang and masculine carrying solar currents.  You can see the relationship to Shiva and Shakti.  Keep in mind that Kundalini is the energy of Shakti.  You can read more details in the Johari book.

Om           

Om is the universal sound which includes all the others.  It is intoned as A-U-M which begins in the chest and rises to the top of the head.  That makes an interesting connection between the heart and head.  Consistent and determined practice of this mantra is said to bring one to liberation.  Om is represented by the symbol in the center of the chakra that looks like a “3” with a tail on it.  It represents many things.  The most important is probably the Atma or pure mind/intelligence or buddhi.  It refers to the infinite Divine One within us or the Higher Self.  The universal mind or Mahat dissolves all the lower forms of mind which yields prajna or direct knowledge and intuitive perception.  Dissolution is a process which occurs reliably in evolution.  Think of involution as the divine One descending into form; evolution is a return to the Source.  This return requires dissolution of all that is name and form (nama-rupa).  So does death.  Note that what we are referring to here includes so-called ego-death.

Nada

The little flag-like thing at the top of the chakra is called nada.  Basically this means the power of sound to create as in “In the beginning was the Word. . .” (John 1:1).  This means the first manifest output of the Creator, Its first thought of the universe.  So we are talking here about superconsciousness, awareness without an object . . .yet.  Swami Radha (1978) pointed out that “The Power that has created the eye can see” and “The Power that created the mind is beyond mind” (p. 316).   So we can conclude from this that the Absolute Reality has all the powers potentially within It.  

Superconsciousness brings with it new psychic powers: Trikaladarish or going beyond time and space, increased awareness, bodiless consciousness - one can leave the body at will, an unmanifested condition beyond form.  Sometimes superconsciousness is called Paramasiva.  Parama means Supreme.  To reach this state, one must break through the Rudra-Granthi.  This is a knot or entanglement of subtle nerves that blocks the free flow of spiritual forces.  In the sixth chakra, it is found in the cap of the lingam.  It is formed by our attachments and can only be loosened by various spiritual disciplines.

Crescent moon

This is cool, white light as opposed to hot, solar light or lightning.  Here it signifies presence and essence, beingness, aloneness, purity and detachment.  It is a colorless and formless supreme light which is all-seeing.  It illuminates the mind and provides a medium of communication between minds.  It is receptivity to pure consciousness.  There are no more obstacles to the Divine.  This is the all-pervading Light that Pir Vilayat refers to.  It sees rather than being seen.

Bindu

This is a point.  Called sunyata in Buddhism, it signifies the formlessness and emptiness of the Great Void.  It is the decaylessness of supreme light which is formless.  It is the causal essence of consciousness.  Absolute detachment.  As such it is the threshold of liberation and gateway to the seventh chakra.  Here is the boundary of the subtle body and entry to the causal body or sheath of bliss (anandamayakosa).  Here is the makara point from which the kundalini can ascend into the seventh chakra where she can complete her work of purification and restoration (Harrigan, 2002).

Exercise: Diagram of Sixth Chakra
In the Johari book, find and read the materials on Ajna Chakra (p. 76-80).  Consulting the colored diagrams or the figure in this document, color the chakra.  You may use the diagram in your book or trace it onto another sheet of paper in order to do so.  Consider the differences between the two diagrams and colors, and see if you think they are significant.  If so, why?  Why do you think the chakra colors are not graduated according to the rainbow as depicted in some of the popular books about the chakras?  Make some notes in your journal about what you have learned from that process and from studying this unit.

All of these symbols will be developed more fully in succeeding units.  This is just by way of introduction and to give you a feel for what is coming.  But first, we need to make a connection with developmental psychology.

Psychological Development

Aging

The last stage of life before death is aging.  Here the body is beginning to decline, aches and pain surface and there is an awareness that our time on earth is limited to the near and foreseeable future.  This means, if we haven’t already, we must confront our mortality and the certainty of death.  This may or may not cause consternation depending upon what kind of life we have led, what our philosophy of life is and what our religious or spiritual beliefs have become.  Erikson (1968) says that the crisis in this period is between integrity and despair.  If we have weathered the developmental stage successfully, we may feel whole and individuated - identified with the Higher Self.  We know ourselves to be an important contributor to life itself regardless of whether we have become famous or not.  We have developed a strong but subservient ego that negotiates our interactions with the outside world without becoming an obstacle to our spiritual journey.  We know how to give service and we do it wholeheartedly without expecting acknowledgement or recompense.  We are able to view our infirmities with humor and grace and without imposing them upon others.  We have learned the uses of solitude and the value of love.  Things of the world no longer attract us and we are capable of detachment from physical, emotional, mental and spiritual “goods.”  We can stand alone in our Higher Self and witness the passing parade.  We can enter it or not.  We feel like we have made a contribution to society whether in work or in family life.  We are able to love.

The opposite of the above is characteristic of those in despair.  The feeling is one of depression because life is nearly over and our goals were not reached, we have nothing to show for our lives.  We were self-centered and narcissistic.  We may have been co-dependent, not able to stand alone or take care of ourselves adequately.  We may judge ourselves excessively and feel guilty and shameful.  We have not learned our karmic lessons.  We fear death and are not ready to die.  There is no spiritual support because we have not extended ourselves to others during our lives.  Our ego is immature and fastened on self-serving activities.  Our mood is dour without humor or perspective.

Please do not equate disabilities with despair.  Some people may react to disability with depression or despair, but there is no essential connection and many of those  with disabilities have managed to rise above them to find a place of spiritual communion with the Higher Self and with others.  Probably the most reliable indicator of integrity or despair is the quality of our interactions with others.  To define successful aging, one would look for love, compassion, kindness, joy, empathy, hope, peace and all the other manifestations of wholeness and balance.

Social roles

Of the possible social roles we might elect to play in old age, the following are most characteristic of well-adjusted elderly people: teacher, leader, sage, mentor, guide, shaman, model, service, volunteer, philanthropist, grandparent, or one who takes responsible for society, the planet and the young.  This list is not comprehensive, of course, but just a suggestion of how a mature person would engage in the world after retirement.

On the more personal front, an elder might become more introspective considering how to make the transition at death or how to become more useful to society.  Some may retire to a hermitage to withdraw from the world, and these are not shirking any duty because their meditations bring blessing and joy to all of us.  There may be a more internal focus of attention and self-assessment.  A life review is relevant at this stage because there is still time to remedy mistakes or to chart a new course if one seems called for.  The form and quality of interactions with others may change as a result of self-examination and/or spiritual journey.  As we ascend the ladder of spiritual development, there are fewer people around who can really understand us and we may feel unseen and unsupported.  Loneliness may be a problem if we live alone and are introverted by nature.  

Our society seems to fear the older person, or perhaps it is the aging process that is simply denied.  We tend to warehouse older people as they become frail or sick rather than cherishing them in a home with their family.  This can be a source of real grief if not self-pity for the elder.  It also can be a generator of almost instant karma.  Our children tend to treat us as they observed us treating our parents which creates a self-perpetuating cycle.

Finally, in old age, we have to come to terms with death.  This can be handled in many ways.  Denial tends to be unfruitful since the end is inevitable.  Some take comfort in a religious community and its teachings.  Others may become overactive in order to avoid the issues.  Still others make their peace with the divine One and plan their funerals.  It is possible to learn how to leave one’s body at will and to know the time of death.  When that is the case, the transition can be planned and carried out in peace and with thanksgiving.  The certainty from experience and training that we are immortal helps a lot.  Furthermore, this certainty is available to anyone who is willing to take the trouble to pursue it.


In this unit, we have explained the meanings of the chakra symbols and looked at the developmental tasks of aging.
References

Harrigan, J. (2002).  Kundalini vidya: The Science of spiritual transformation. Knoxville, TN: Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care.

Johari, H. (1987).  Chakras: Energy centers of transformation.  Rochester, VT: Destiny Books.

Radha, Sw. S. (1978).  Kundalini: Yoga for the west.  Kootenay Bay, BC, Timeless Books.



This ends Unit I. Sixth Chakra Themes.  In Unit II. Polarities, we will examine dualities in more depth and look at their relationship to archetypes and holy ideas.

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