TANTRA YOGA (Part 7): Chakras - Visuddha Chakra

The following is the seventh installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new 

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CHAKRAS (continued)...

(5) Visuddha Chakra (throat chakra)

The location of the visuddha chakra is near the throat/thyroid gland area in the physical body. Its principle is ether, and it is identified  with hearing and it relates to voice/vocal cord and the ears. The visuddha chakra is directly related with sahasrara chakra, the highest point of human's awareness. The function of vissudha is to purify the poisons occuring in the body and poisons coming into the physical form from the outside, and to increase metabolism in order to be able to live for a long time. In other words, you can maintain your physical body for a long time. In my opinion, by awakening up the visuddha chakra completely, HIV can be totally purified from the system. It can also completely control food and liquids. So you can live without eating for a long time. The visuddha chakra is able to transform the energy of the mental (causal) dimension into a physical dimensional energy such as oxygen and protein, to substitute for food to maintain the physical body. Many of you have heard the story of yogis buried underground for several days or even weeks without any food and water, who do not die. This is the siddhi from awakened visuddha chakra and it is known as "underground samadhi". The siddhi of this chakra is one of becoming extremely sensitive towards the vibration of people's thought; in other words, the ability of telepathy. It is said that the manipura chakra receives otherselves' thoughts, but the reality is that visuddha picks up the vibration and transmits it to the manipura and then to various centers in the brain to recognize. The supreme siddhi of this chakra is the ability to completely understand the Veda, the oldest holy text of the truth of the universe.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 6): Chakras - Anahata Chakra

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CHAKRAS (continued)...

(4) Anahata Chakra

This is my favorite chakra and is known as the heart chakra or heart center. The meaning of anahata is "never stop" or endless. Nonphysical, transcendental, endless, beginningless sound, anahatanada exists in anahata chakra. Its location in the physical body is near the heart and cardiac plexus. The space of the heart in the physical body is very small, but the space of the heart in the astral dimension, which is anahata chakra, is very large and formless, and everything occurs from there.

The 3 chakras, from muladhara to manipura chakra, relate to the maintenance of the physical body---the senses that connect body and mind. Therefore, they are strongly related with worldly matters; in other words, cause and effect (karma) is very dominant. The lower three chakras are always related to karma. At the muladhara and svadisthana chakra state, the practitioner is completely governed by karma accordingly. At the state of the manipura chakra, the practitioner is still tied up with karma, but partially transcends karma and is able to control his life with will rather than be controlled by karma. Most people are born, grow up, and do various human actions through karma. Basically, anahata chakra is not influenced by karma which influences the lower three chakras.

Yogis who have attained anahata chakra know that karma is a reality, but are able to transcend and be free from it. The function of anahata is to transcend this wordly dimensional karma, so one who has developed anahata chakra is free from karma and at the same time is able to control the world of karma at his will. In other words, he can accomplish anything which he desires in this karma world. There is a great difference in functions and siddhis up to manipura chakra and from anahata chakra. Up to manipura chakra, the practitioner is just receptive of his karma, but at the anahata the practitioner is able to accomplish any kind of desire he wishes. The anahata charka's function of "accomplishing anything desired" is a function of kalpavriksha. Kalpavrikhsa is a tree, the evergreen tree, known as the tree of hope inside anahata chakra. This "tree of hope" is in everybody's anahata chakra, but it only appears and functions in those who have awakened the anahata chakra completely. By the way, yogis who have awakened the anahata chakra are able to accomplish any desire or wish in life, but whether his wish is good or bad, it will be accomplished equally. Therefore, yogis who have awakened this chakra and yogis who attempt to develop this chakra must be selfless (no ego), maintain positive attitude towards life, and have a good personality. Otherwise, he will create disharmony in society (one individual can destroy the whole world). Hindus believe that the absolute one, the creator God, Brahma (macrocosm) is living in the anahata chakra as Atman (microcosm). Basically, Atman (self, soul, spirit, God-within, etc.) is Brahma (God, creator). Atman is always one with Brahma. This experiential philosophy is at the core of the Hindu religion. The principal element of this chakra is air. Therefore, siddhis occuring from this chakra are for the control of air and wind. Nonpersonal but universal love will be awakened and become eloquent with poetic genius. Desires and wishes come true. Increasing of healing power, such as prana healing by placing one's hand on a patient and and send prana (ki) to heal otherself.  Otherself? Yes, you are "yourself" and other people besides you are "otherself". The word "otherself" is used by Dogen Zenji (Zen Master Dogen). Dogen Zenji has attained this high consciousness of myself and otherself through zazen meditation. Basically everything is oneness. I am you and you are me and I am everything and everything is me. This is the reality. But you simply could not see it that way. Simple because this is the state (level) human beings are at. This level is needed to evolve to "oneness" level. No matter what, we are going to be there anyway. In several hundred millions years time everybody will be there. We are in the middle of the evolution of the universe.

Everything came from nothingness and emptiness and became somethingness. Then why "somethingness"? To go back to emptiness! So blockage of this chakra causes inability communicate.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 5): Chakras - Manipura Chakra

The following is the fifth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new 

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CHAKRAS (continued)...

(3) Manipura Chakra

This is the third chakra from the bottom. Its location is around the navel area, or solar plexus. The muladhara and svadisthana chakras are at an animal-like, instinct dimension. The principle of this chakra is fire. Therefore, awakening this chakra will bring loss of fear towards fire and the ability to control it. The siddhis that occur from awakened manipura chakra are clairvoyance, clairaudience, and control of strong passion and will power. At the state of muladhara and svadisthana chakras, the personality of the practitioner is still not completely purified, so the practitioner will demonstrate siddhis, but also demonstrates his egocentric self. In the state of the manipura chakra, the practitioner starts to see things that he's never seen before and understands them. In this way of understanding, the muladhara relates with the physical dimension; svadisthana is in between physical and spiritual; and manipura is in the spiritual dimension. Therefore at this state, the practitioner will leave the consciousness of the personal and emotional. Also concentration on this chakra will increase digestion.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 4): Chakras - Svadisthana Chakra

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CHAKRAS (continued)...

(2) Svadisthana Chakra

The location of this chakra in the physical body is near the sexual organs. Svadisthana chakra is a chakra of the subconscious. The subconscious mind is a foundation of human existence. It is a strong force, more powerful and active than our conscious mind. When the awakened Kundalini reaches svasdisthana, the practitioner will be influenced by the subconscious mind all the time. Most of human action is controlled by the subconscious mind, but our conscious mind is not aware of it most of the time. In our everyday life, our conscious and unconscious actions, useful and useless, meaningless actions, all our actions are automatically inputted and stored into the subconscious center is svadisthana, and also the karma of the process of evolution to human being.

This chakra's principle is water, and it is related to taste. It relates with the tongue, sexual organs, kidney and metabolism. When svadisthana chakra awakens, metabolism increases, so rejuvenation occurs, increasing reproductive power, long life, overcoming the fear of water, receiving knowledge of the astral body and karma or past lives. Blockage of this chakra causes jealousy and perversion. When chakra is evolved one step up, higher level chakras govern lower chakras. So that at muladhara, animal-like (instinct) karma is still active, but at svadisthana it is still a chakra of the subconscious, but it can govern muladhara chakra.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 3): Chakras - Muladhara Chakra

The following is the third installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new 

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CHAKRAS

The word "chakra" comes from Tantra yoga and belongs to the astral body. It is the center of psychic energy which is a higher level of ability in human beings, known as siddhis (extra superability, ESP, and/or psycho-kinesis ability). There are seven chakras in our body. These chakras are related to certain parts and organs of the physical body and also have a deep relation to the center in the brain. Many parts of this center in the brain are still undeveloped and not utilized or activated. In order to activate and develop these centers completely, it will take humans several million years to complete the process of evolution. The whole universe is evolving. We have evolved this much (...minerals ---> plants ---> animals ---> man). We are in the middle of a process. It is possible to complete evolution in one lifetime or several life times. In other words, developing the chakras will help process the evolution of mankind. Tantra already knows where we are going to evolve to the level of Buddha, the level of Jesus Christ, level of Jain, etc. They completed the evolution of mankind about 2000 years ago. In other words, they are several hundreds and thousands of years ahead of everybody. They are our examples of the way. Buddha, Jesus, Jain, Mohammed... they are not the only individuals that have attained enlightenment. Hundreds of yogis, Zen masters and various religious, spiritual practitioners have attained self realization. Therefore, there are many Buddhas and gods. Another meaning of Buddha or Christ is no different from Atman, the eternal self or soul. In this way, someone who lives next door to you could be a Buddha, or, everybody is God.

Locations and Functions of the Chakras

(7) Sahasrara Chakra (crown chakra) - top of head

(6) Ajna Chakra (third eye) - center of forehead

(5) Visuddha Charka ((throat chakra) - throat area

(4) Anahata Chakra (heart chakra) - center of the breast

(3) Manipura Chakra (navel chakra) - navel area

(2) Svadhisthana Chakra (2nd chakra) - sexual organ

(1) Muladhara Chakra (root chakra) - perineum area

(1) Muladhara Chakra (root chakra)

This is the 1st chakra. The meaning of Muladhara is Mula (root) Adhara (foundation or base), therefore, Muladhara Chakra is the basic foundation of the seven chakras.

Mula = Mulaprakriti.

Mulaprakriti is the transcendental orgin of nature. Nature, the phenomenon world that we see, everything came from mulaprakriti, and everything resolves to mulaprakriti. Therefore, mulaprakriti is the origin of nature's evolution. Mulaprakriti is basically responsible for the physical, material, psychological, and emotional --- everything that occurs in the human body. Muladhara chakra exists as a transcendental, non-material source in material (flesh) body, and it is supposedly fully developed and functioning in the future.

Muladhara chakra belongs to the earth principle; this principle is related to smell. Therefore muladhara chakra relates with smell, nose, and earth. The location of the muladhara chakra is at the perineum (in between the anus and the sexual organs) for man and at the neck of the womb (cervix of uterus) for woman and/or at the base of the spine and is the seat for the great dormant power, Kundalini Shakti.

There are seven more chakras below muladhara chakra, atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, rasatala, mahatala, patala --- they belong to animal dimensions. Muladhara is the highest level chakra of these seven chakras, but is the lowest in the level of human existence. In muladhara, animal-like instinct and passion are dominant but sacred shakti also exists here. Therefore, this chakra is highest in animal dimension and lowest in human existence. As the highest chakra in the animal kingdom, uncountable experiences at the level of the animal state before human is stored in muladhara as abilities and as karma. For example, sleeping, eating, feeling, sexual behavior, etc. We obtained these abilities while we were in the animal state in the process of evolution. It is still working at the human level and is a function of muladhara chakra. So muladhara chakra is an origin of our conscious (mind) and unconscious activities.

For regular people, Kundalini Shakti rests in the muladhara chakra. This serpent power is in a sleeping state. When Kundalini Shakti awakens, it will raise up the sushumna nadi (astral nerve tube in the spine) and open up each chakra. Awakened Kundalini power will bring siddhi (supernatural powers) to individuals. When Kundalini awakens, it activates the muladhara chakra. In other words, muladhara chakra is activated by Kundalini Shakti. One will receive the abilities of increased memory, strong will power, mystical power of sense of smell, astral travel, beginning state of clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc. Blockage of this chakra causes fear of death, fear of abandonment. This chakra is the dimension of the physical, egocentric (ego-oriented). Therefore, the yogi (practitioner) obtains siddhis but is still in the realm of the egocentric.

Kundalini Shakti

• Kundalini Shakti is the life force which carries superior abilities.
• The cosmic force called Kundalini Shakti is the greatest energy in man.
• Kundalini Shakti brings people's spirituality to a higher level. Successful activation will bring siddhis.

According to Tantric texts, the purpose of pranayama (yogic breathing technique) is to awaken the Kundalini Shakti. You understand that Kundalini Shakti is the most sacred, superior energy in human beings. But a wrong approach will create great danger to your life. Only a pure, sincere approach will bring its superior benefits. Great yogi Swami Devananda explained this matter in his literature this way:

"Only advanced yogis could take Kundalini to the highest center. That is to the Ajna Chakra situated between the eyebrows and above it to the brain center and retain it for a long time. Only few yogis can awaken Kundalini and take her at will to the anahata chakra or heart center for a short period. Some students of yoga who often speak of Kundalini only stumbled upon that power, and know either how to take her to the higher centers at will, nor how to retain her in the highest centers. Nowadays we can see many such people who, after stumbling upon that force, pose as teachers and claim to know everything. It is said that one should become completely desireless and be full of dispassion before attempting to awaken Kundalini Shakti. Otherwise, the awakened power will be uncontrollable and inflict a terrible feeling of pain and heat upon the entire body. No doctor can diagnose  or cure it, because there will be no noticeable external symptoms. When purity of mind is attained through devotion and selfless service, pranayama, and meditation, then alone does the awakened Kundalini move upward and impart different kinds of experience, powers, and ananda (or bliss)."

"With the help of pranayama and the chanting of mantras, the sleeping Kundalini power is roused and moves to the next higher center, Sivadhisthana. From there onward the student with great effort carries the power to the next higher centers in regular ascending order: manipura, anahata, visuddha, ajna. Only when the power reaches consciously the ajna center in between the eyebrows may it be said that the practitioner has obtained success in controlling and manipulating the Kundalini Shakti, which appears like a brilliant flash of lightning. Even to reach this state, one has to work hard for several years and follow the method and contemplation taught by one's teacher. Nowadays, we can see everywhere pseudo yoga teacher who claim on public platforms that they can awaken Kundalini with their yogic powers if students can afford to pay a large amount of money. Yogic students are warned again and again that Kundalini can never be awakened by the power of such teachers, except through long and steady practices of meditation, chanting and breathing. A true teacher never expects anything from his students, and awaits the proper time --- perhaps years --- before he teaches everything to them."

 

 

TANTRA YOGA (Part 2): Traditional Religion and Esoteric Religion

The following is the second installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new installment comes out.

In traditional religion the understanding of God, Buddha, or an absolute being is always related to this world. In other words, God appears in the form that we can understand. For example, God appears as Buddha, Kanzeon Bosatsu, or, in Christianity, as Jesus Christ, and, in Shintoism, as the god Amaterasu Omikami (sun), to protect peace on earth. So, traditional religion, basically, centers, on this world, relates to this world and worships God or Buddha who saves this world.

Esoteric Religion

The center of esoteric religion is not of this world. The center is God or Buddha, not this world (us). The main purpose of esoteric religion is to transcend being human and become Buddha, God. In other words, unite one with God. We have evolved this much (to human beings) but are still not completed. In other words, we are in the middle of our evolution. The practices taught by esoteric religion is for human beings to evolve to be above the human being. Tantra yoga is certainly an esoteric part of yoga. Generally speaking, you can consider that Hinayana, Mahayana, Jodo sect, Nichiren sects, etc., of Buddhism as traditional religions while Vajrayana, Shingon, Tendai sects, etc. as esoteric. Zen Buddhism? Zen Buddhism is part of Mahayana tradition so it is supposedly a traditional religion. But when you look deeper into its teaching and practice, you'll understand that its practice is a supreme form of Tantrism. And in Christianity, Protestantism = traditional religion and the esoteric part of Catholicism is Tantrism.  Generally speaking, yoga has various styles and you can separate them into two categories: classical yoga and Hatha (esoteric) yoga.

Traditional Religion/Classical Yoga

To control or destroy the three dimensional, wordly desire of human beings in order to make this world holy/sacred---this is known as classical yoga.

Hatha Yoga

To use positive physical and spiritual practice, to reform consciousness rapidly, to make holy and sacred the third dimensional world view (outlook of the third dimensional world) to become one with God---this is known as Hatha Yoga. Therefore, Hatha Yoga is part of Tantrism, an esoteric religion.

So, classical religion = traditional religion, and Hatha Yoga is esoteric ( Tantra) yoga. Actually, Hatha Yoga is the root of Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Chineze Zen and Japanese Vajrayana (Shingon) Buddhism.

An important characteristic of Tantrism is the emphasis on actual practice and technique rather than philosophy. Therefore, a Guru (master of Tantric technique) becomes very important.

THREE BODIES OF HUMAN BEINGS

Tantra Yoga was founded by God, Lord Siva. According to Tantra, man is a totally "free being", almighty being. In the process of becoming God (evolution of mankind), we have three different dimensional bodies and minds. Step up one by one and realize and awaken the existence of a higher dimension of your body and mind and go to the land of God. Or be one with God or become God or return to God or enlightenment, self-realization or whatever you want to call it... finally, you'll be free from these bodies and minds... you are not body or mind, then who are you? ...I am not this body and I am not my astral body, I am not my mental body and I am not a mind. Then who am I??? You are eternal soul. You are spirit! Priests will tell you so (because the Bible said so...) Yes, we are eternal soul and spirit, there are many names for it. (Different religions have different names for it. Many names of one same thing. So don't fight over the different names). Body and mind is not you. You are the eternal soul. Opposite of eternal is temporal. So here unbalance occurs. Soul is eternal (beginningless, endless). Body is temporal. Our body lasts about 100 years, but the soul is eternal. Then where do you go after you die and lose your body? Unless you attain enlightenment (self-realization, to realize that you are an eternal being, realize that you are the God, realize who you really are), you will keep receiving new bodies, and this is called reincarnation.

THREE BODIES AND MINDS

1. Physical body and its mind (mind that is related with material body).
2. Astral body and its mind (emotional sense).
3. Mental (causal) body and mind (intuition).

In these three bodies and minds, the physical body and mind exist and function in this phenomenal (material) world. In the surface area of Yo (Yang), while it is supported by the astral and mental body, In (Yin). The astral and mental body cannot be observed by the five physical senses and mind.

Physical Body (Material Body)

The soul (self) is beyond the physical body. The physical body is just a vehicle for you.  The physical body is the place to experience happiness (good karma) and misery (bad karma) and is made up of five elements. You obtained this body as the result of your past karma. All the problems (or suffering) in life comes from ignorance (I am the body consciousness), in this way almost everybody is ignorant (I am the body consciousness).

Astral Body. This is your second vehicle.

The astral body is made up of life-force or prana energy (also known as "ki" in Japanese or "chi" in Chinese), senses and mind. The astral world is also known as the 4th dimension. The physical body functions in this material (physical) world, likewise we use our astral body for activities in the astral world. Dreams come from the astral dimension, and when you practice your meditation, you are stepping into the astral dimension.

Our senses and mind are in the astral dimension, and when people die senses and mind still exist. Everybody has an astral body (or rather, the astral body has every body).

Mental (Causal) Body.

This is your third body, or 1st body rather.

The mental body is the cause of astral and physical body. The causal body is the cause of the mistake of "I am the body" consciousness.

These three bodies and mind exist in different dimensions. But the three bodies make one complete human being. Like there is no tree without roots. 

These three different dimensional bodies interrelate with chakras. Chakras function as a center of the three different bodies and it mediates prana (ki energy) from the different bodies. It converts the physical prana to astral energy or converts astral energy to physical energy to vitalize the body and mind. Therefore, activating and developing chakras will bring people into a higher level of consciousness and also be able to support the lower level of existence.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 1)

The following is the first installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new installment comes out.

YOGA

The purpose of Yoga practice is to become one with sacred objects or God. What is a sacred object? Examples are chakras, mantras, mandalas, etc. as in Tantra Yoga teaching. It is simply to concentrate (deep concentration) on a sacred object or God and to become one with it. In order to be one with God or a sacred object, denial of "self" (egolessness) is necessary.

Oneness with an object happens upon complete denial of the existence of "self" (subject), which is opposed to the object. At that moment, the practitioner will transcend subjective/objective understanding or knowledge. Subjective understanding is just subjective understanding and objective understanding is just objective understanding and not complete understanding. Subjective/objective understanding is the dimension of our modern science. Scientists (subject) study or observe objects. The scientist never becomes the object or tries to understand the object. No matter how much you observe and study, objective understanding is just objective understanding. In science, basic understanding of objectivity depends on sense organs which belong to the physical body which exists in the physical dimension.

One transcends the dimension of relativity (subjective/objective) by denying the self (subject) which is opposed to the object and therefore no longer depending on the senses. Consciousness that does not depend on the senses, consciousness of oneness, consciousness of the absolute (non-relative = unity of subject & object) and intuition is known as super consciousness in Tantra yoga.

TANTRA

What is Tantra? I'll try to explain Tantra. Explain Tantra? ... Tantra, Zen, Tao and/or God (absolute being) are dimensions of the non-relative. It is in the dimension of the non-relative (absolute, not in the realm of subjective/objective). "Explanation," as our communication tool, is within the realm of relativity---subjective/objective dimension. Therefore, explaining Tantra means trying to explain the inexplicable. It is something like this: when you want to know about God, you'll read some holy text or go to a priest, or these days, you might turn on your computer and google some websites. They'll tell you God is like this... it looks like this... it is also like this... And they'll use many different stories and metaphors and never say "this is this". Once you say "this is this", then this (God) becomes that, and limits it to "that". God is not "that" but, rather, it can be that but it is also this and it can be this and it is like this too and so on and so forth.

Therefore, I'll use many different stories and metaphors to explain Tantra. In the process you may find conflicts among those stories and metaphors. For example, when explaining one thing using five stories, these stories may conflict with each other but do not get confused, because again it's the "it is like this, but it also is this, and it is this way too" business. And it's this way also. So your understanding towards "it" should be like this and it's like this and this way also. Although stories conflict with each other, mix it together and understand it as a whole. Also, conflicts between metaphors (teachings) occur when the same subject is discussed on different levels. Expand your understanding and consciousness.

The word "understand" is very relative---you (subject) understanding God (object). Subjective understanding is just subjective understanding, not absolute understanding (non-relative). Therefore it is not complete, it is just your understanding and it is a head trip---the dimension of modern science. You'll know nothing this way. Real understanding comes from the absolute dimension only. Therefore actual practice (experience) is emphasized (such as meditation) rather than intellectual studies. In Tantra truth is not in a Bible, truth is within you. Buddha, Jesus, God are also not in the Bible. They are within you. Also they are not in the sky or anywhere else. They are really within you. The Bible, sutras change all the time---it is a matter of your understanding---it changes all the time. The experienced practitioner will read and understand very deeply. Beginning practitioner only read the surface of the word.

For thousand of years, these sacred practices have been transmitted on this planet. Among these practices, especially, is the awakening and developing of Kundalini Shakti and chakras to bring human beings to transcend the state of human being to absolute freedom, and evolve to eternal beings. This practice is called Tantra Yoga. You can also consider that any teachings that talk about chakras, Kundalini Shakti, microcosm and macrocosm is a category of Tantrism. There is Tantrism in Buddhism known as Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism is very much influenced by Tantrism). There is Hindu Tantrism (Tantra Yoga). There is Tantrism in Jainism. You can find Tantrism in almost any religion.

Everything has In ([-] or Yin) and Yo ([+] or Yang). Everything has its surface, visible area and internal, inside, not visible parts. Take a tree for example. The visible "Yo" part of the tree you can observe - trunk, branches and leaves. The "In", the not visible part of the tree, the hidden part of the tree, are its roots. There is no tree without root or trunk. So everything is In and Yo. There is no coin without head or tail so therefore the head and tail make a complete coin.

Yo (Yang) + In (Yin) -

Siva........................Shakti

man........................woman

light.......................darkness

high........................low

positive....................negative

sun.........................moon

good.......................bad

right.......................left

out.........................in

rock......and.............roll (oh, excuse me)

One day, when I was lecturing about Yin and Yang, one of my female students had gotten very upset and said "I understand the philosophy, but why are women equated with darkness, bad, negative and low?!!! This very discriminating and is a very man-oriented teaching!" 

When the winter comes and all the leaves fall the tree looks dead. But when spring comes and starts to get warm, new leaves start to come out and it looks alive again because of the roots, the In (Yin) existence. You can not recognize "light" without "darkness". Bad does not mean bad. It is just the other end of good. Negative does not mean negative. A complete balance of negative and positive will create electricity. Human being is not man and woman, man and woman make human being.

Every religion has In and Yo parts.

Stay tuned for the next article of this blog:  "Traditional Religion and Esoteric Religion"