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Lotus flower with 1,000 petals of rainbow colors, arranged in 20 layers, each layer approx. 50 petals
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Seventh Chakra – Sahasrara, सहस्रार "thousand-petaled", "Crown Chakra", "Pure Consciousness", Thousand Petal Lotus, The Guru Within
Element: "formless", Color: indigo, Syllable: void or ॐ om, aum; including all pure soundsLocated at the cerebral plexus, cranium, crown of the head, it's a chakra of pure illumination, the highest spiritual consciousness, the center of Samadhi.
Sahasrara or Sahastrar is related to the crown of the head. It is typically associated with the fontanelle (soft membranous gaps) and the intersection of the coronal and sagittal sutures (connective tissues) of the skull.
Various sources will relate it to the pineal gland (endocrine gland), hypothalamus (link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland), or the pituitary gland (hypophysis, an endocrine gland) although these are often given instead as locations of Ajna Chakra.
Associated Chakras
There are several more chakras at the top of the head, which are all closely related.
Bindu Visarga – is located at the back of the head, in a place where many Brahmins keep a tuft of hair. It is symbolized by a crescent moon on a moonlit night, with a point or bindu above it. This is the "white bindu", with which yogis try to unite the "red bindu" below (meet in heart chakra). It is said to be the point through which the soul enters the body, creating the chakras as it descends, and terminating in the coiled kundalini energy at the base of the spine. It is often described as the source of the divine nectar, or amrita, though this is sometimes said to come from either Ajna chakra, or Lalita chakra.
This nectar falls down into the digestive fire (samana) where it is burnt up. The preservation of this nectar is known as "urdhva retas" (literally: upward semen). The "white drop" or bindu is associated with the essence of semen, while the "red drop", is associated with menstrual fluid.
This chakra is sometimes known as the Indu, Chandra, or Soma chakra. In other descriptions, it is located on the forehead – white, with 16 petals.
Mahanada – the name of this chakra means "Great Sound", and it is in the shape of a plough. It represents the primal sound from which emanates all of creation.
Nirvana – this chakra is located on the crown of the head. It is white in color and possesses 100 white petals. It marks the end of the sushumna central channel. It is responsible for different levels of concentration: dharana, dhyana and savikalpa samadhi.
Guru Chakra – is located above the head, just below Sahasrara proper. It is white, with 12 white petals, upon which is written guru. It contains a circular moon region, within which is a downward pointing triangle containing a jeweled altar, with the crescent moon below and circular bindu above. Inside the bindu is the seat, near which are the gurus footstools, upon which are the gurus feet.
This position is considered very important in Tibetan tantric practice of deity yoga (yidam), where the guru or deity is often visualized as above the crown, bestowing blessings below (for example in the Vajrasattva purification meditation).
Higher levels within Sahasrara:
Within the triangle begins a series of ever higher levels of consciousness: Ama-Kala, the First Ring of Visarga, Nirvana-Kala, and Nirvana Shakti, which contains the Second Ring of Visarga. From here, Kundalini becomes Shankhini, with 3-and-a-half coils. The First Coil of Shankhini wraps around the Supreme Bindu, the Second Coil of Shankhini wraps around the Supreme Nada, the Third Coil of Shankhini wraps around Shakti, and the Half-Coil of Shankhini enters into Sakala Shiva, beyond which is Parama Shiva.
Ama-Kala – is the experience of samprajnata samadhi.
Visarga – is symbolized by two small rings, one of which is inside Ama-Kala, and the other of which is below Supreme Bindu, which represents the transition from samprajnata samadhi to the oneness of asamprajnata samadhi.
Nirvana-Kala – here Kundalini absorbs even the experience of samadhi, through the power of supreme control (Nirodhika-Fire).
Nirvana-Shakti to Parama Shiva – here Kundalini passes into the supreme void, which is the experience of asamprajnata or nirvikalpa samadhi, and becomes Shankhini. Shankhini wraps around and absorbs the Supreme Bindu, which is the void; then the Supreme Nada; then Shakti; and then unites with and absorbs Sakala Shiva; before finally being absorbed into Parama Shiva, which is the final stage of nirvikalpa samadhi.
MEDITATION:
Seventh chakra is clear, receives cosmic energy and is connected to cosmic consciousness. This state of consciousness perceives the Universal love, and the all-knowing true self. This reawakens ability to perceive the patterns of cause and effect, and the light matrixes that create the illusions of the holographic physical reality. Fully opened crown chakra perceives a sense of well-being, unity with all life, open mindedness, faith, and connection to everything in the Universe. It is "the higher self assisting in reprogramming the mind to the daily acceptance and integration of its own divinity".
