Chakra (subtle body)

For other uses of this term, see cakra.

A Tibetan illustration of the subtle body, showing the three main channels (nāḍī) and five chakras along the central channel.

Chakra (Skt. cakra; T. tsa khor/’khor lo; C. lun 輪). According to Buddhist tantra and traditional Tibetan medicine, the channels (nāḍī) of the subtle body intersect at various "nodes" which are called chakra (Skt. cakra; literally "wheels").

The number of chakra along the central channel vary according to different tantric traditions. For example:

• the Chakrasamvara Tantra enumerates five chakras
• the Kalachakra Tantra enumerates six chakras
• the Lamdre tradition, which is connected to the Hevajra Tantra, identifies eighteen chakras (including 12 at the body's principal joints)

Chakra are also fundamental to Kundalini yoga, which identifies seven energy centers along the body's central axis.

Five chakras

Diagram showing the three main channels (nadi) of the subtle body, along with five chakras at the head, throat, heart, navel and genitals.

A system of five chakras is common in Buddhist tantra and Tibetan medicine. These five main chakras are denoted at the head, throat, heart, navel and genitals. (See diagram.)

The chakras are typically represented by lotuses, with the number of pedals of the lotus indicating the number of smaller channels that branch out from the central channel at a specific chakra. Each chakra is also typically associated with a Sanskrit seed syllable, a particular deity, a color, one of the five elements, and so on.

For example, the following associations are made within the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition of Tibetan medicine:

• crown chakra

  Tibetan name: dechen

  lotus: 32 petals

  color: white

  sound: OM

  location: "located inside the head, it corresponds to the spot in the midline between the eyebrows."

  function: "it is the point where the sexual energy and the mind joining during sexual union."

• throat chakra

  Tibetan name: long chod

  lotus: 16 petals

  color: red

  sound: A

  location: "located in the area of the seventh cervical vertebra."

  function: "here the vital energy collects during sleep, causing the mind to produce dreams. It allows the experience of six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) and it influences the vibration of the word."

• heart chakra

  Tibetan name: cho

  lotus: 8 petals

  color: blue

  sound: HUM

  location: "located near the sixth thoracic vertebra."

  function: "here remain the vital energy and the mind during dreamless sleep. The heart chakra allows the proper functioning of sensory perception and the different qualities corresponding to the levels of consciousness."

• navel chakra

  Tibetan name: trul pai

  lotus: 64 petals

  color: orange

  sound: SO

  location: "located at approximately the third lumbar vertebra."

  function: "it is in this center that life-force is generated as a location of digestion. This chakra is where the energy and the mind are vital during the waking state."

• base chakra

  Tibetan name: dekyong

  lotus: 32 petals

  color: green

  sound: HA

  location: in the genital area.

  function: "it is the place of reproductive functions. Together with the head, it is the chakra where the vital energy and the mind joining during sexual union."

Formation of the chakras

According to traditional Tibetan medicine, the chakras are formed during the development of the fetus.

Dr. Nida Chenagtsang states:

The chakras are formed during development of the fetus. In the fifth week of gestation, at the level of the third lumbar vertebra, the naval chakra (trul pai) and it's four branches like a mandala form. This development is very crucial for the development of the baby – giving the very essence and energy for the rest of its life.

From the sixth week, from the naval chakra, the channels are formed, followed by the base chakra at the genitals, and then the heart chakra. In the seventh week, the throat chakra forms, and finally the head chakra.

In Sowa Rigpa, there are also four minor chakras in the body: (1) The wind chakra located at the elbows, (2) The water chakra in the knees, (3) the fire chakra found in the palms of the hands, and (4) the blood chakra on the soles of the feet.

Sources

• Baker, Ian (2019), Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, Inner Traditions 
• Chenagtsang, Dr. Nida (2016), The Tibetan Book of Health, SKY Press 

External links

• Chakra, Wikipedia
• chakra, Rangjung Yeshe Wiki