Swadhisthana Chakra Countries

Second Chakra: Swadhisthan

"Swadhisthan Chakra: The second chakra is the chakra of creativity, pure attention and pure knowledge. It is the one which connects us to the inner source of inspiration, and enables us to experience the beauty around us. The pure knowledge given by this chakra is not mental, but it is direct perception of the Reality, that can be felt in our palms and indicates our subtle blockages. Also this is the center of pure, steady attention and power of concentration."

The Swadhisthan Chakra is suspended on a cord from the Nabhi Chakra, and moves around the Void area. When the Kundalini rises, She passes into the Nabhi Chakra first and then along the cord to enlighten the Swadhisthan before returning to the Nabhi Chakra to continue the journey to the crown of the head.

In the course of evolution, humans translated their need for shelter and security into the building of homes. As this sense of aesthetics developed they continued to improve on these forms of shelter (until eventually architecture came about). This creativity evolved into abstract form, where they could imagine, project and create an image which had no previous counterpart. From this burgeoning aestheticism came the creative arts.

QUALITY

The fundamental quality of the Swadhisthan Chakra is that of creativity. It is here that the energy for our creativity is generated. After Self-Realization we discover that the true key to creativity is in achieving the state of thoughtless awareness (nirvichara samadhi) through meditation.

From this we discover that all the beauty of Creation is reflected within us like a still and silent lake. Once we locate this pool of beauty we can become the channel for it. We become the Collective Unconscious, without ego to distort the purity of art.

The process of creativity in whatever form draws on the qualities of the Swadhisthan Chakra. If this process is accomplished in a balanced state (i.e., using the energies of the central or Sushumna channel in the subtle system) then the result is spiritually enhanced.

 After Self-Realization this is emphasized, and the resulting creation can become an inspired work. We can see this by looking at the classic works from artists of the past such as Mozart and Michaelangelo who were born as evolved, realized souls. Works of this quality are immortal, and provide joy and beauty which define a whole epoch.

However, in the modern process, we can see that even where the artistic endeavor starts out  with heart,  there is a tendency for the artist to produce later works which are flat, lifeless or even exploitative. The primary cause of this tendency is the ego of the artist. As the artist becomes more successful, he or she works harder to maintain or grow this success. This requires more exhaustive use of the right channel (the Pingala Nadi or Channel of Action). 

A by-product of this channel becoming exhausted is that the ego of the artist becomes inflated. Note that in subtle terms the ego is actually situated at the end of the action channel (in the balloon-like shape on the left-hand side of the head). If one is confused by an inflated ego, the excessiveness drains the central channel of energy and exhausts the right side. In addition, the connection with the ego can take the attention away from the Spirit. As the artist starts to believe that he is the creator of all his works (thus eliminating divine inspiration) the process is accelerated and the ego expands to such an extent that the spiritual content of the work is removed completely.

The Spirit, which resides in our heart, is the real reservoir of creativity, and artists and people who think excessively or are obsessed with fame or success will usually suffer a weak Swadhisthan Chakra and tend to be off-balance personalities. Their ambition to be superior to others or to be acclaimed by them for their talents comes from their ego, which is connected to the left-side of the Swadhisthan Chakra through the right channel. Their spontaneity is lost in this ambitious and competitive effort to create, and this explains why most modern creation in any aspect lacks Spirit.

TRADITION

The presiding deity for the Swadhisthan Chakra is Shri Brahmadeva. He represents the Creator, and has as His power Shri Saraswati, who is the Goddess of music and arts. He bestows purity, creativity, Pure Knowledge, and cuts the Knot of Maya (material attachment) and frees the seeker from earthly desires.

"All these desires lead you ultimately to a destruction, because there's no Joy, there's no happiness. For example, now I want to have a sari, so I want to buy the sari all my attention will be how will I get that sari; I must get that sari, this thing, that thing. The attention becomes polluted, disturbed for a nonsensical thing like sari. The attention, which has to enjoy the spirit which has to nourish the Spirit becomes disturbed because of desires.

In the first place attention is disturbed because we are not in the center. In the second place the attention gets into turmoil because we have desires. . . .

So whatever you desire, if you start working it out, desiring for something aesthetically handmade, nice thing, gradually you will find you will end up with vibrations, because all beautiful things have vibrations, and to have the vibrations you have to go to pure Desire. So this desire which is madness, which makes you mad, which is so much dull and boring becomes pure Desire, because you have to dissolve all your desires into vibrations. You start desiring nothing but vibrations after some time."

GROSS PHYSICAL ASPECT

One of the most important functions of this center is to generate the energy that fuels our thinking by converting fat particles in the abdomen to replace the brain cells. Excessive thinking and planning overworks this process and exhausts the centre. The Swadhisthan also looks after the liver (along with the Nabhi Centre). If the Swadhisthan Chakra is having to cope with excessive thinking, then the other organs it is supposed to look after are neglected. The liver is particularly susceptible to this neglect.

The liver has a particular importance in that it is the seat of our Attention (chitta). Attention should not be confused with thought, which comes from ego (our I-ness) and superego (our past conditioning and upbringing). Attention is pure concentration minus thought/mental activity. For example, when we look at a flower we put our pure attention on it (i.e., we observe it). However, we will also think about it: "That's pretty; I wonder what it's called," and so on. Attention has no such associated thoughts: it is  pure concentration/observation/witnessing. A balanced liver sustains and nourishes our attention and filters it by scanning out any impurities and external clutter. From this purified attention comes the peace and stillness that we obtain in our meditation. The liver is susceptible to overheating through alcohol or other stimulants, affecting our attention, which ultimately weakens our meditation and so on.

GENERAL ADVICE FROM SHRI MATAJI

The most effective way to clear or heal chakra problems ('catch' or obstruction) is to put attention on the affected chakra during meditation and allow The Mother Kundalini to heal. Remain in the thoughtless state while you work on the affected chakra. Always remember this quote of Shri Mataji:

“Kundalini will rise and She will cleanse you completely. Kundalini will rise and always cleanse the chakras."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
Sydney, Australia, March 31, 1991

Once this is power is established no external rituals are required as catches will be healed instantly and constantly by The Mother Kundalini within. Until and unless external cleansing rituals are discarded this power will never be established. On the contrary, all these rituals only make matters worse according to Shri Mataji:

“The people who think that they can control their ego will eat less or use all types of methods to control ego. For example, someone is standing on one leg or other one on his head, all types of efforts they are doing to reduce their ego.

But with all these techniques, ego doesn't vanish. On the contrary, ego increases. Fasting, reciting the names, increases your ego. With Havans also ego increases because Agni, fire, is the right side element. Anything which is rituals increases your ego.

Human being thinks that they are alright, since they are doing these rituals since thousand years. All the wrong teachings they are still following. For this reason Sahaja Yoga is against Karma Kanda, that is rituals. No need to do any kind of Karma Kanda.

And to go to the extreme point is also dangerous. I had asked them to shoe-beat to destroy their ego and what I see that every morning all the Sahaja Yogis go in the line with their shoes for shoe-beatings. But I had asked to do this if you have ego in you.

All these rituals have entered into Sahaja Yoga. I got somebody in France with the list of the treatments of Vashi hospital. But that was for sick peoples. This is the nature of human being to follow the rituals because he thinks that he can do it."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
25 December 1997, Christmas Puja
Ganapatipule, Maharashtra, India

 Swadhisthan Chakra

The second chakra is the chakra of creativity, pure attention and pure knowledge. It is the one which connects us to the inner source of inspiration, and enables us to experience the beauty around us. The pure knowledge given by this chakra is not mental, but it is direct perception of the Reality, that can be felt in our palms and indicates our subtle blockages. Also this is the center of pure, steady attention and power of concentration.

On the physical level it looks after our liver, kidneys, and the lower abdomen. When we think too much, this center gets drained of energy and diseases like diabetes or blood cancer can occur when this chakra goes completely out of balance. 

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