{"id":656,"date":"2019-12-06T10:41:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T10:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=656"},"modified":"2019-12-06T10:41:51","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T10:41:51","slug":"the-meaning-of-touching-sacred-objects-murti-feet-etc-then-self-heart-and-head-afterwards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=656","title":{"rendered":"The meaning of touching sacred objects (murti, feet, etc.), then self heart and head afterwards."},"content":{"rendered":"

Why it is common in India to touch sacred objects and then, after that – your own head or heart? For the most people in the West it is still not clear. Let us address, first of all, the yogic<\/em> sources. For instance, in the\u00a0Ghera\u1e47\u1e0da Sa\u1e41hit\u0101<\/em>, in the description of sth\u016bla-dhyana<\/em> (6. 2-14), there are two techniques of contemplation.<\/p>\n

The first technique is a contemplation of the Deity in your own heart, usually it is a heart chakra<\/em> with eight petals, located according to the eight directions (cardinal and inter-cardinal) where east in us is located in front of us. There are various descriptions of that technique, where different Deities are contemplated in the heart, there are various features of eight petals, and in some cases it is recommended to submerge into n\u0101da<\/em> e.t.c.<\/p>\n

Another technique, described in the\u00a0Ghera\u1e47\u1e0da Sa\u1e41hit\u0101<\/em> is Guru-chakra<\/em>, which is located above \u0101j\u00f1\u0101-chakra<\/em> and at the base of sahasr\u0101ra-chakra<\/em>. Sometimes it is considered as a part of sahasr\u0101ra<\/em>, that is why they are often identified as the same phenomenon. This chakra<\/em> consists of twelve petals with each ak\u1e63ara<\/em> having a special meaning, this is nav\u0101tma-mantra<\/em>. Nav\u0101tma-mantra<\/em> includes in itself main elements (tattvas<\/em>) of the Universe (brahmanda<\/em>). That is a very common form of dhyana<\/em>, where it is recommended to meditate on Guru<\/em>, who is identified as\u00a0\u015aiva<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Actually, the practise is considered a secret, although it may seem simple to someone. But, in our age of information, there is no more secrets after the rise of the Internet. Today we have a different kind of problem \u2013 sincerity. That is why, I think, having exclusive knowledge without \u015buddha-bhakti<\/em> will get benefits for no one. And for those who are devoted to the true Guru<\/em> and Deity, the Truth will be revealed by itself.<\/p>\n

So what are these two areas, the head and the heart? In a tantric p\u016bj\u0101<\/em>\u00a0these are two places, connected with the invocation of a Deity in yourself, in your heart, where the Deity through the upper dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101nta<\/em> should descent from\u00a0sahasr\u0101ra<\/em>–chakra<\/em> to the heart. After that, using your breath, you \u2018relocate the Deity\u2019 into a flower, which is then placed in your palms. That is being done with the dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101nta<\/em>, which is located in front of your nose. We know that there is inner\u00a0dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101nta<\/em>, through which pr\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> is absorbed with the inhale into our heart. There is also external\u00a0dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101nta<\/em>, when we are exhaling and the flow goes outwards. Practises of these\u00a0dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101ntas<\/em> can be found, for example, in the Vij\u00f1\u0101na-bhairava-tantra<\/em>. In such texts as Siddha-siddh\u0101nta-paddhati<\/em>, Advaya-t\u0101raka-upani\u1e63ad<\/em>, the Ma\u1e47\u1e0dalabr\u0101hma\u1e47opani\u1e63ad<\/em>, external\u00a0dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101nta<\/em> is described as bahir-lak\u1e63ya<\/em> (an external object of contemplation). In a tantric p\u016bj\u0101<\/em>, that\u00a0bahir-lak\u1e63ya<\/em> is used for \u0101v\u0101hana<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 the invocation and the spreading of the Deity outside and placing it in m\u016brti<\/em>, yantra<\/em> e.t.c. Also, these elements are used during the completion of a p\u016bj\u0101<\/em> (worship), when we \u2018absorb the Deity\u2019 inside ourselves into the heart and it is going back to the head area, beyond the body. Respectively, these areas are the most important places of perception, and everything starts and ends with them. The same centres are used by n\u0101tha<\/em>–yogis<\/em> when they are performing \u015b\u0101mbhav\u012b<\/em> or n\u0101di-p\u016bj\u0101<\/em>, when while squatting they make a bow and bent their upper bodies. It is possible that many people who are touching sacred places, feet of saints e.t.c. are doing so automatically, without consideration of what is it about. Nevertheless, your Guru-chakra<\/em> is your temple, your heart is your temple, your palms are your temple and all external objects in which everything is invoked is also your temple. As for the lower centres, the areas of m\u016bl\u0101dh\u0101ra<\/em>, sv\u0101dhi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101na e.t.c. \u2013 these are worshipped in kaula<\/em>-, aghora-m\u0101rga<\/em> and are not for the \u2018open p\u016bj\u0101s<\/em>\u2019. Although the descent of\u00a0\u015aakti<\/em> from sahasr\u0101ra<\/em>–chakra<\/em> downwards to m\u016bl\u0101dh\u0101ra<\/em> or the ascent backwards is also a subject of internal yogic<\/em> practises. Sometimes the internal yogic<\/em> processes could be a part of external\u00a0p\u016bj\u0101s<\/em>, complementing each other. But in which cases, what and how to use it \u2013 these things are always better to learn from your Guru<\/em>, as it is not possible to transmit everything openly and publicly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why it is common in India to touch sacred objects and then, after that – your own head or heart? For the most people in the West it is still not clear. Let us address, first of all, the yogic … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,97],"tags":[133,51,132,41,131],"class_list":["post-656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deity","category-tantra","tag-bahir-lakya","tag-cakra","tag-internal-yogic-practises","tag-natha","tag-sacred-places"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=656"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":657,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions\/657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}