The 6th element

[Sloppy Zhang]

would it be possible for me to choose the heart as my "root chakra" and build up from there. would i get to crown and beyond quicker?

would there be bad consequences from trying this?

 

yeah i know. and i think many folks start from kundalini and work their way up.

and i have heard of others who find it easier to work from 3rd eye or crown downwards.

i just wondered if anyone has ever started from the middle chakras.

 

Looking at my own development, it seems to have followed the archetypal images and meanings of the chakras. So I'd say trying to start from the middle or the end is like trying to build a window first when trying to build a house- you just can't do it unless you have walls and a floor (at the very least). It's not like you are necessarily TRYING to do any one thing, it's just that by the time you reach the point where you are able to put in a window, you've already got what you need to do it.

 

But the chakra archetypes are just one way of looking at a progression (and looking at it in these ways are very subjective to begin with), there are also things like The Fools' Journey from the tarot.

 

yeah i know maybe someone else can adress this?

you ever notice all these guys are blue?

 

I've heard a variety of reasons, I dunno what to make of them. Someone should probably ask someone from a Hindu or a yoga tradition.

[Dagon]

[manitou]

Dagon - that picture makes my heart smile.

[Marblehead]

Dagon - that picture makes my heart smile.

 

It wouldn't if you were that tiger.

[manitou]

It wouldn't if you were that tiger.

 

Actually, it's all One and the tiger was just thrilled to give up his entrails for the purpose of a cushy sitting place for the deity, lol. Good point, Marbles. I was putting way to much emphasis on the deity, not enough on Tigger.

 

I like the fact that all the background on the right side of the picture has to do with the Source. The water, the fountainhead, the inference that the source from the fountainhead goes directly to the mind of the man (I don't understand the glyphs, so I'm not sure which tradition this fellow hails from). He has new growth springing from his head.

 

The left side of the picture appears to be the manifestation side. Both kundalini snakes are facing to the left side of the picture, an indication to me that the kundalini snake guides his actions. His right hand is raised in a symbolism of action of some sort (as seen through the glyph of his own structure that he acts through). The castle on the upper left is the result of his manifestation, his kingdom, his treasure.

 

What does the gold vase infer? His treasure with him at all times? I don't know. I'd like to know the specifics on the trident too.

[Marblehead]

Actually, it's all One and the tiger was just thrilled to give up his entrails for the purpose of a cushy sitting place for the deity, lol. Good point, Marbles. I was putting way to much emphasis on the deity, not enough on Tigger.

 

Yeah. In my younger years my thoughts would never have gone to the tiger. Of course, I wasn't a Taoist in my younger years either.

 

And I do love the artwork of the Hindus and even the Buddhists.

[Dagon]

Here is an interpretation of it.

 

http://www.koausa.org/Gods/God9.html

 

The unclad body covered with ashes: the unclad body symbolizes the transcendental aspect of the Lord. Since most things reduce to ashes when burned, ashes symbolize the physical universe. The ashes on the unclad body of the Lord signify that Shiva is the source of the entire universe which emanates from Him, but He transcends the physical phenomena and is not affected by it.

 

Matted locks: Lord Shiva is the Master of yoga. The three matted locks on the head of the Lord convey the idea that integration of the physical, mental and spiritual energies is the ideal of yoga.

 

Ganga: Ganga (river Ganges) is associated with Hindu mythology and is the most sacred river of Hindus. According to tradition, one who bathes in Ganga (revered as Mother Ganga) in accordance with traditional rites and ceremonies on religious occasions in combination with certain astrological events, is freed from sin and attains knowledge, purity and peace. Ganga, symbolically represented on the head of the Lord by a female (Mother Ganga) with a jet of water emanating from her mouth and falling on the ground, signifies that the Lord destroys sin, removes ignorance, and bestows knowledge, purity and peace on the devotees.

 

The crescent moon: is shown on the side of the Lord's head as an ornament, and not as an integral part of His countenance. The waxing and waning phenomenon of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. Since the Lord is the Eternal Reality, He is beyond time. Thus, the crescent moon is only one of His ornaments, and not an integral part of Him.

 

Three eyes: Lord Shiva, also called Tryambaka Deva (literally, "three-eyed Lord"), is depicted as having three eyes: the sun is His right eye, the moon the left eye and fire the third eye. The two eyes on the right and left indicate His activity in the physical world. The third eye in the center of the forehead symbolizes spiritual knowledge and power, and is thus called the eye of wisdom or knowledge. Like fire, the powerful gaze of Shiva's third eye annihilates evil, and thus the evil-doers fear His third eye.

 

Half-open eyes: when the Lord opens His eyes, a new cycle of creation emerges and when He closes them, the universe dissolves for creation of the next cycle. The half-open eyes convey the idea that creation is going through cyclic process, with no beginning and no end. Lord Shiva is the Master of Yoga, as He uses His yogic power to project the universe from Himself. The half-open eyes also symbolize His yogic posture.

 

Kundalas (two ear rings): two Kundalas, Alakshya (meaning "which cannot be shown by any sign") and Niranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal eyes") in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyond ordinary perception. Since the kundala in the left ear of the Lord is of the type used by women and the one in His right ear is of the type used by men, these Kundalas also symbolize the Shiva and Shakti (male and female) principle of creation.

 

Snake around the neck: sages have used snakes to symbolize the yogic power of Lord Shiva with which He dissolves and recreates the universe. Like a yogi, a snake hoards nothing, carries nothing, builds nothing, lives on air alone for a long time, and lives in mountains and forests. The venom of a snake, therefore, symbolizes the yogic power.

 

A snake (Vasuki Naga): is shown curled three times around the neck of the Lord and is looking towards His right side. The three coils of the snake symbolize the past, present and future - time in cycles. The Lord wearing the curled snake like an ornament signifies that creation proceeds in cycles and is time dependent, but the Lord Himself transcends time. The right side of the body symbolizes the human activities based upon knowledge, reason and logic. The snake looking towards the right side of the Lord signifies that the Lord's eternal laws of reason and justice preserve natural order in the universe.

Rudraksha necklace: Rudra is another name of Shiva. Rudra also means "strict or uncompromising" and aksha means "eye." Rudraksha necklace worn by the Lord illustrates that He uses His cosmic laws firmly - without compromise - to maintain law and order in the universe. The necklace has 108 beads which symbolize the elements used in the creation of the world.

 

Varda Mudra: the Lord's right hand is shown in a boon- bestowing and blessing pose. As stated earlier, Lord Shiva annihilates evil, grants boons, bestows grace, destroys ignorance, and awakens wisdom in His devotees.

 

Trident (Trisula): a three-pronged trident shown adjacent to the Lord symbolizes His three fundamental powers (shakti) of will (iccha), action (kriya) and knowledge (jnana). The trident also symbolizes the Lord's power to destroy evil and ignorance.

 

Damaru (drum): a small drum with two sides separated from each other by a thin neck-like structure symbolizes the two utterly dissimilar states of existence, unmanifest and manifest. When a damaru is vibrated, it produces dissimilar sounds which are fused together by resonance to create one sound. The sound thus produced symbolizes Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which can be heard during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada is the source of creation.

 

Kamandalu: a water pot (Kamandalu) made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu has deep spiritual significance. A ripe pumpkin is plucked from a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleaned for containing the nectar. In the same way, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu.

 

Nandi: the bull is associated with Shiva and is said to be His vehicle. The bull symbolizes both power and ignorance. Lord Shiva's use of the bull as a vehicle conveys the idea that He removes ignorance and bestows power of wisdom on His devotees. The bull is called Vrisha in Sanskrit. Vrisha also means dharma (righteousness). Thus a bull shown next to Shiva also indicates that He is the etemal companion of righteousness.

 

Tiger skin: a tiger skin symbolizes potential energy. Lord Shiva, sitting on or wearing a tiger skin, illustrates the idea that He is the source of the creative energy that remains in potential form during the dissolution state of the universe. Of His own Divine Will, the Lord activates the potential form of the creative energy to project the universe in endless cycles.

 

Cremation ground: Shiva sitting in the cremation ground signifies that He is the controller of death in the physical world. Since birth and death are cyclic, controlling one implies controlling the other. Thus, Lord Shiva is revered as the ultimate controller of birth and death in the phenomenal world.

[Dagon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halahala

 

This is the significance of the blue color.

 

Halāhala (Sanskrit हलाहल) is the name of a poison (as per Hindu mythology) created from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned the sea (see Samudra manthan ) in order to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality.

 

Fourteen different ratnas (gems) were recovered in this exercise mostly retained by Gods after Demons tried to cheat them. But before Amrita were recovered, Halāhala ("the most vicious and venomous poison of universe") was produced which started killing both sides. As no one could bear the poisonous fumes emitted by the poison and both Devas & Asuras began to collapse due to asphyxiation. They ran for help to Brahma, who looked for advise to Vishnu. Vishnu said that only Shiva could digest the deadly poison. So both parties, went to Kailasha and prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Shiva chose to consume the poison and thus drank it. His wife Parvati, alarmed, stopped it in his throat with her hands thus earning him the name Viṣakaṇṭha (the one who held poison in his throat). The poison made his throat turn blue. Hence he is also known as Nīlakaṇṭha[1] (the one with a blue throat). Gosaikunda lake is believed to have formed from the digging of the land by the Trishul (holy three-pointed spear, similar to the western trident) of lord Shiva. As after he drank the poison, he desperately wanted cold water to quench the thirst generated due to overwhelming heat of the poison.