Ajna

The Ajna chakra is positioned in the brain, directly behind the eyebrow center. Its activation site is at the eyebrow region, in the position of the 'third eye.'

Ajna (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, IAST: Ājñā, English: "command") or third-eye chakra is the sixth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.

Location

The Ajna chakra is positioned in the stomata, directly behind the center of the forehead. Its ksehtram, or superficial activation site, is in the eyebrow region at the position of the "third eye."^[1]

Appearance

Ajna is white in color, with two white petals. Inside the pericarp is the Shakti Hakini. It is depicted with a white moon, six faces, and six arms holding a book, a skull, a drum, and a rosary, while making the gestures associated with granting boons and dispelling fears.^[2] The downward pointing triangle above her contains a moon-white lingum. In some systems the deity Ardhanarishvara, a hermaphrodite form of Shiva-Shakti, symbolising the primordial duality of subject and object, resides within the lingum. Above that triangle is another smaller triangle containing the bija mantra, Aum.

Bija or Seed mantra

The seed syllable is Aum, or "Pranava Om," the supreme sound.^[3]

Petals

Ajna has two white petals, said to represent the psychic channels (nadis) Ida and Pingala, which meet the central Sushumna nadi before rising to the Crown Chakra Sahasrara. The letter "Ham" is written in white on the left petal and represents Shiva. "Ksham", written in white on the right petal, represents Shakti. These two petals also represent the manifest and the unmanifest mind, and are sometimes said to represent the pineal and pituitary glands.

Ajna has a petal dedicated to the sun, the other to the moon.

Function

Ajna translates as "command", and is considered the eye of intuition and intellect.^[4] When something is seen in the mind's eye, or in a dream, it is being seen by Ajna. It is a bridge that links gurus with disciples, allowing mind communication to occur between two people. The sense organ and action organ associated with Ajna is the mind.

As Hindus believe that spiritual energy from the environment enters their body through this gateway, they take great care to protect it with spiritually positive protecting forces. The various religious marks on the foreheads of men and women belonging to the Hindu faith (like holy ash, namam, vermilion etc.) are the blessed spiritual prasadam of their respective forms of the Hindu gods.

Meditation upon Ajna supposedly grants siddhis, or occult powers, to quickly enter another body at will and to become omniscient. He realizes unity with Brahman; and he has the ability to create, preserve, and destroy the three worlds.

Manas chakra

Manas chakra is responsible for sending sense perceptions to the higher chakras. The petals change color depending on the sense

Directly above Ajna is a minor chakra known as Manas, or mind. It possesses six petals, one for each of the five senses and one for sleep. These petals are normally white, but assume the color of the senses when activated by them, and they are black during sleep. This chakra's function is sending sense perceptions to the higher chakras.

Association with the body

The parietal eye (very small grey oval between the regular eyes) of a juvenile bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Ajna is associated with the third eye on the forehead. It is also sometimes associated with the pineal gland, which regulates the circadian rhythm, and is related to an actual light-sensitive 'third eye' (Parietal eye) found in some lizards, amphibians, and fish. It is also sometimes associated with the pituitary gland, the master of all endocrine glands, whose secretions control all the other endocrine glands.

Practices

In kundalini yoga, the practices said to stimulate the Ajna chakra include: Trataka (steady gazing), Shambhavi Mudra (gazing at the space between the eyebrows), and some forms of Pranayama (breath exercises).

Comparisons with other systems

In Tibetan buddhism, this chakra is at the end of the central channel, which runs up the body to the top of the head, and then over and down, terminating at the forehead. The two side channels continue onwards towards the two nostrils and end there. This center is frequently depicted in artwork as the third eye, and is used in various meditations.^[5]

The Ajna in human design is a part of the mind where you find Thoughts, Answers, Opinions, Insights, Ideas, and Conceptualizing, as well as the not self thinking of pretending to be certain when anything can happen. The ajna is where the personality crystal is located after birth. When you are born your spirit enters into your vehicle and sits in the ajna. It is here that one finds themself internalizing thoughts and ideas. The ajna is not a motor center meaning it cannot actively operate the design. When stuck in your head, just be weary, for too long in the void of openness can lead you to putting valuable energy into thinking about things that don't matter. Thus, not living your design, but stuck in the two head centers where no physical action can happen, the Not-Self.^[6][7]

There is also a forehead centre above the third eye, which corresponds to the position of Manas, one of the ten chakras in the Mahayoga tantra traditions.

In Qigong, the highest Dantian is located at this position. This is one of three furnaces that converts the different sorts of energy in the body. In this Dantian, the spiritual shen energy is converted into wuji, the infinite space of void.^[8]

Within the system of Lataif-e-sitta there exists a Lataif known as Khafi, or arcane subtlety, in this same position, and is related to mystical intuition.

According to the Kabbalah, there are two sephiroth located on the sixth level, associated with the left and right parts of the face. They are called Chokmah (wisdom), and Binah (understanding); it is at these points that the two side pillars of mercy and severity terminate, while the central pillar carries on rising to kether, the crown.^[9]

Alternative names

• In Tantra: Ajita-Patra, Ajna, Ajna-Pura, Ajna-Puri, Ajnamhuja, Ajnapankaja, Bhru-Madhya, Bhru-Madhya-Chakra, Bhru-Madhyaga-Padma, Bhru-Mandala, Bhru-Mula, Bhru-Saroruha, Dwidala, Dwidala-Kamala, Dwidalambuja, Dwipatra, Jnana-Padma, Netra-Padma, Netra-Patra, Shiva-Padma, and Triweni-Kamala
• In the Vedas, Upanishads: Ajna, Baindawa-Sthana, Bhru Chakra, Bhruyugamadhyabila, and Dwidala
• In the Puranas: Ajna, Dwidala, and Trirasna

See also

• Fontana della Pigna
• Kundalini (serpent power)
• Pineal gland
• Parietal eye
• Third eye

References