The theory of the soul

Often thought of as mysticism by non believers the spiritual energy system that flows though all of us is much like any other system in our body. For example: Our digestive tract regulates the amount of nutrients our body stores and eliminates, our bloodstream carries oxygen to our muscles and organs and our brain receives messages from all over our body telling us how to react or move about our day. These examples are no different than the way our chakra system tells us how to feel emotionally and keeps our body's working in tip top shape.

Without our chakras we would only be organic robots going about our lives with no emotional connection to the world around us. Humans as a species have pondered life questions like, what it is that makes us love somebody or hate somebody else, where do we get our intuition, and why do we have such strong individual personalities? Some people will say that God is our creator there for he has given us our souls. Others will say that our soul is held in our brain or hearts. In reality there is no proof of a man sitting in the clouds handing out personality and our organs have a job to do - they don't have the capacity to govern our emotions.

I believe that the chakras are the answer to the question of where our emotions, and to a greater extent our souls come from. It is no coincidence that people will say that “your soul comes from deep within your heart”, they are not talking about the heart muscle but the heart chakra that flows through our chest. The proof for my theory is this: A Nadi (plural: Nadis) is an energy channel in which prana (life force) energy flows connecting each chakra.

Nadis also are responsible for extrasensory function of empathic and instinctive responses. They were first thought to extend only to the skin of the body, but are now known to extend to the boundary of the aura. The Ida and Pingala nadis refer to the two hemispheres of the brain. Pingala is extroverted, and corresponds to the left hand side of the brain. Ida is the introverted, and refers to the right hand side of the brain. The two nadis are stimulated through the practice of pranayama, which involves alternate breathing through left and right nostrils, which is done before meditation.

In todays high stress life styles people are being told by doctors and health professionals everywhere that they need to take better care of themselves. Most people who do not meditate, practice yoga or any other relaxation techniques could be in danger of having a healthy body but drained pranas causing blockages in the chakra system. This is extremely detrimental to the long term life of your soul.

Wheel of Dharma

The wheel or wheels of Dharma are the tools in which Buddha uses to teach us how we can reach enlightenment. Physically there are eight spokes on the wheel of Dharma and each spoke is a representation or reference point to the eight fold paths to enlightenment. When each of these paths is followed continuously through out a persons life then they will finally have inner peace.

The meaning of the word Dharma is protection. When a person follows the eight fold path they will be protecting themselves from suffering and other problems of this earth. As humans we strive every day of our live to reach a point where we no longer have to come up against metaphorical walls, or problems, but because from the beginning of time, we have created more and more chaos around ourselves there is no way we can run. Everyday during our lives, we as a race are ignorant, we chose not to see this even though it will never go way on it's own. By practicing Dharma we can finally find the means to an end.

Our quality of life is dependent on or inner peace and happiness, not the items we own or our status in society. External development and material things have blurred our view of what is truly important in life. The only way to improve our quality of life is not to go subscribe to corporate greed but to practice Dharma and get control of our inner selves. Think about it, do you really need a big fancy TV or a big expensive house? Even if those things do make you happy for awhile, how long does the feeling last? The point is not give these things up completely but to live life in moderation. Buddha can teach us how to find pure, lasting happiness by using Dharma as a guide!

When we decide that it is truly time for a change, and accept Buddha's teachings into our daily way of life we can over come the obstacles of greed and use each problem we encounter as a gift to learn and grow. Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. When we can control our thoughts and minds by following spiritual paths then outer peace will flow naturally into our lives.

Turning the wheel of Dharma

It took Buddha a whole lifetime to discover and refine the secrets to enlightenment, but a meager forty-nine days after reaching enlightenment he was asked to teach all he had learned. Buddha rose without question from his deep meditation to help the monks in there quest for knowledge. The lesson Buddha taught when he rose from meditation was first the wheel of Dharma.

Among these teachings of the first wheel of Dharma is the sutra of the four noble truths... 1. This is suffering, 2. The causes of suffering, 3. Suffering can end, nirvana is peace, 4. The true path or eight-fold noble path. These truths must be realized and accepted in order to move on to the next stage. This is also the source of the Hinayana known as the lesser vehicle of Buddhism.

The second wheel of Dharma teaches us the perfection of wisdom sutra, which is a profound saying paying homage to the holy Perfection of Wisdom! The third sutra or wheel of Dharma is about discriminating the intention, it is a long conversation about abandoning our self-cherishing personalities and cherishing only others we can begin to experience true peace and happiness.. These two wheels of Dharma make up the Mahayana, or the great vehicle of Buddhism.

The Hinayana teaches us how we can attain liberation from suffering for ourselves, no one can do it for you and it is not for you to force anyone else to follow Buddha's teachings. Wisdom is the end to suffering. In Buddhism wisdom can refer to conventional and ultimate wisdom, these cannot be forced on anyone who does not accept it into their hearts. The Mahayana teaching explains the way to reach full enlightenment or Buddhahood as it is sometimes called for the sake of others.

In Asia, where the Buddha grew and learned both the Hinayana and Mahayana traditions flourished. It started in India and then over time spread in to other surrounding countries like Tibet. Gradually these teachings are spreading in to the west.

The origin of chakras

The Chakras are the energy center or node in the human body, they were first discovered when practicing spiritual beliefs and practices. The word comes from the Sanskrit "cakra" meaning "wheel, circle", and it is sometimes referred to the "wheel of life". Today the Chakras and their energy is channeled by most “New Age” healers, holistic medical practitioners, they are commonly used in alternative medicine like reflexology, reiki, and yoga.

In Hinduism, meditations would be done on a particular chakra in order to tap into its spiritual energy systems. Each energy system is vibrating at a different frequency than the others, therefor it is responsible for different aspects of the physical and emotional body. People who practice yoga and other related eastern cultural traditions know full well that each chakra holds a unique set of energy's, and when one is blocked it effects all other parts of the body.

The chakras are known- when properly used- to vitalize the physical body of anything from headaches to blood clots and are also associated with interactions of mental nature like depression so schizophrenia. They are considered loci of life energy, or prana, which flow among them along pathways called nadis much like the neropathways in the brain.

There are seven main chakras and many smaller more specific chakras, each is recognized as a three dimensional sphere aligned along the body in an ascending column from the base of the spine (root) to the top of the head (crown). Each chakra is associated with a certain color from red at the root through the spectrum to violet at the crown. Each has multiple specific functions depending on where it is located in the body and which organs it is attached to. They are associated with an aspect of consciousness, a classical element (earth, air, fire or water) and many other distinguishing characteristics.

The chakras are very powerful elements in our bodies that most people do not recognize, they are in control of every aspect of our lives and perhaps hold the secret to our souls. Until humans can scientifically understand the chakra system we will have to trust that it is there and take care if it like we would take care of any other part of your body. We can do this by meditating each day, going for regular check ups, getting plenty of rest. It is important to cleanse your soul, so be sure to take the time on a regular basis to do something for your happiness.

The gifts of Buddha eyes

Buddha Eyes are often referred to as Wisdom Eyes they are a symbol of all the wisdom and knowledge that Siddhartha collected through his privileged life growing up as a child in a palace with a wealthy father, then into his youth when he discovered how sheltered he had been and finally in adulthood made the decision to make a change for the better. Siddhartha traveled across Asia learning and living with ordinary people, meditating in solitude in order to find an end to the worlds suffering.

The two eyes are obviously just that, the eyes of the Buddha, and even though the eyes carry a great significance so to do the symbols that can be above and bellow the eyes. The small dot or swirl just above and in between the eyes is a representation of a third eye or brow chakra which symbolizes inner wisdom and all the knowing. The squiggly line that looks a lot like a question mark is the Nepali character for the number one, which is a symbol for the unity of all things, with the idea that all things are one in the same.

Wisdom eyes are most commonly seen on stupa's also known as Buddhist shrines in the country of Nepal. The eyes are located on all four sides of the tallest tower where they can stare or gaze out above the city. Buddha Eyes symbolize the all-seeing omniscience of the Buddha who has transcended into enlightenment. They are so prevalent in Nepal that they have become a national symbol.

In the end after practically starving himself to death Siddhartha discovered that there are many paths to follow, but the best way to live a fulfilling life is to follow the middle path. Every time you look into Buddha Eyes they will reassure you that there is a means to an end and that even though life is full of suffering if you can achieve enlightenment by giving everything you have and expect nothing in return you can attain liberation from suffering.