2nd CHAKRA PORTAL - Desire & Discipline of the Senses & Sexes

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2nd = Sex Chakra/Water = Jupiter Signs Sagittarius & Pisces => Venus (exaltation)
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This post is divided into 4 parts related to the 2nd chakra and its astro-yogic associations:

1) The power of sublimated and purified thought

(Jupiter's rulership of the 2nd chakra raised to the 6th mind chakra where Jupiter finds its exaltation position in Cancer)

2) The desire nature related to sexuality and eroticism

(Venus rulership of the 4th love chakra exalted in Pisces 2nd chakra)

3) Tongue & Taste - Mood Food and its influence on the desire nature, drive and thoughts (water ruling the 2nd chakra makes up 70% of the body carrying the vibration of thought in subtle form).

4) The gender differences in brain sex

(Comparison between the Venus female aspects of the 4th-2nd chakra to the Mars male aspect of the 3rd-1st chakra)

1) The power of sublimated and purified thought

Thus, this post first deals with the power of thought associated with the creative and disciplined sublimation of the emotions and desire related to the water element; bringing the power of eroticism and visualisation to the level of creativity and achievement in the mind (Jupiter).

The second chakra is the "Hara" or "Swadishta" chakra and is the source of creativity, abundance and chi located at the navel. It governs the water (of life) element and is ruled by Jupiter whose sign of exaltation is cancer corresponding to the 3rd eye mind chakra.

This concept of thought transmutation and power has been popularly expressed in best selling books from "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill to the more recent addition of "The Secret"; that the power of positive thinking, faith and abundance related to Jupiter can attract good luck and expansion in all realms - material or spiritual. We know Swami says that if one climbs "the real coconut tree" of spiritual life (purity and unity of thought, word and deed), automatically "the shadow tree" of wealth (coconut) can be gained. In Vedic terminology this is called "kama" (desire) and "artha" (wealth) and can be achieved through following the law of ones nature and living in harmony with dharma (Jupiter - righteousness) and through an integrated character imbibing the powers of creation and nature for a happy and fulfilling life.

Levels of Thought

1. God - superconscious (cosmic law - consciousness) = thoughts are things

2. Character - subconscious (conscience & purity) = emotions

3. Personality - conscious (law of attraction) = body

On the Power of Thoughts

Here is what the Mother of Auroville had to say on the power of thought

"Everyone has in him, in a greater or lesser measure, the power to give form to his mental activity and use this form either in his ordinary activity or to create and realize something. We are all the time, always, creating images, creating forms. We send them into the atmosphere without even knowing that we are doing so - they go roaming about, pass from one person to another, meet companions, sometimes join together and get on happily, sometimes create conflicts, and there are battles; for often, very often, in these mental imaginations there is a small element of will which tries to realize itself, and then everyone tries to send out his formation so that it can act, so that things can happen as he wants and, as everyone does this, it creates a general confusion. If our eyes were open to the vision of all these forms in the atmosphere, we would see very amazing things: battlefields, waves, onsets, retreats of a crowd of small mental entities which are constantly thrown out into the air and always try to realize themselves. All these formations have a common tendency to want to materialize and realize themselves physically, and as they are countless - they are far too many for there to be room enough on earth to manifest them - they jostle and elbow one another, they try to push back those which do not agree with them or even form armies marching in good order, always to take up the available room both in time and space compared with the countless number of creations.

So, individually, this is what happens. Some people do all that without knowing it - perhaps everybody - and they are constantly tossed from one thing to another, and hope, wish, desire, are disappointed, sometimes happy, sometimes in despair, for they don't have any control or masterly over these things. But the beginning of wisdom is to look at ourselves thinking and to see this phenomenon, become aware of this constant projection into the atmosphere of small living entities which are trying to manifest. All this comes out of the mental atmosphere which we carry within ourselves. Once we see and observe, we can begin to sort them out, that is, to push back what is not in conformity with our highest will or aspiration and allow to move towards manifestation only the formations which can help us to progress and develop normally.

This is the control of active thought.

How many times you sit and become aware that the thought is beginning to form images for itself, to tell a story, and so, when you have become a little expert at it, not only do you see unfolding before you the history of what you would like to happen in life, in your own life, but you can take something away, add a detail, perfect your work, make a really fine story in which everything conforms with your highest aspiration. And once you have made a complete harmonious construction, as perfect as you can make it, then you open your hands and let the bird fly away.

If it is well made, it always realize itself in the end. And that is what one doesn't know.

But the thing is realized in the course of time, sometimes long afterwards, when you have forgotten your story, can no longer remember having told it to yourself - you have changed much, are thinking about other things, making other stories, and the first one no longer interests you; and if you are not very attentive, when the result of the first story comes, you are already very far away from it and no longer remember at all that this is the result of your own story....And that is why it is so important to control yourself, for if within you there are multiple and contradictory wills - not only wills but tendencies, orientations, levels of life - all this causes battles in your life. For example, at your highest level you have fashioned a beautiful story which you send out into the world, but then, perhaps the next day, perhaps on the very same day, perhaps a little later, you have come down to a much more material level, and these things from above seem to you a little....fairylike, unreal; and you begin to make very concrete, very utilitarian formations which are not always very pretty....and these too go out.

2) The desire nature related to sexuality and eroticism

The second part of this post deals with the issues related to the planet Venus' exaltation here (in Pisces) in the 2nd chakra of sexuality in astro-yogic physiology and ruling the 4th chakra of love and relationships.

Sex, Relationships & Sublimation (in the context of Swami's teachings)

This is an excerpt from a TALK given to Sai youth at a Canberra conference in 1995. It has not been adequately edited into a written format but felt it worth sharing just to provide some material to contemplate with reference to the 2nd chkra. For more information on these type of topics reading material from Swami Sivananda on Brahmacharya to sexuality in relationships by Mantak Chia can be read.

THE TALK

It is about an issue that is pertinent to all youth and a topic that we're not all particularly confident to discuss about with parents/adults as youth and vice versa. This extract does not claim to know all the answers but hope that it may address the topic generally in the light of swami's teachings and thereby handle some of the issues or conflicts we're all faced with.

To start of with, what do we all want and search for in life,....happiness, good time, contentment. Where do we look for it. In other people; in relationships with our mother, father, siblings, friends, but, there is one relationship that often 'fascinates' many youth above all others and that is the relationship with the opposite sex.

Therefore, this extract (talk) concentrates on sexuality and relationships.

Baba has given us a quote "art is on the outside, heart is on the inside". In this context what does 'art' conjure up in your minds? To me, art is only physical, superficial and skin deep. For example, when we walk into a disco what do we look for but art, beauty, attraction. It is our first impression that counts but Baba wants us to get to the heart of the matter. How are we to get there?

Baba has often explained that unless there is self-confidence (love for the True Self) how can we love each other. Therefore self-confidence leads to self-satisfaction (ones relationship with oneself) and subsequent self-sacrifice (love of others) and finally self-realization. In relationships, we're looking for acceptance and confidence in others and this usually begins with acceptance on a physical level. This is especially so in our society where the media and television bombards us with what "beauty" (goodness) is supposed to be and therefore makes us that think we've got to have a certain image or look a certain way to be attractive.

This is a common problem of appearances or self-conscious atttitude faced by youth. We go out to socialize and to be accepted, liked and popular as well as for attraction to the opposite sex. Yearning to get to the heart of another, wanting confidence, acceptance and a relationship, it is natural for physical attraction to arise first but, we can't be sure it will continue to go from the physical to emotional/mental to the spiritual (heart). If the projections of media, and so on, influence one's decisions, art might well be mistaken for heart, but if our decisions and choices arise from self satisfaction (beyond physical perceptions of self and others) and lead to sacrifice in a relationships the goal of true love may be realized which is beyond purely the 'art" and packaging For example, even if one goes out with the most beautiful girl, how long does it take before the physical becomes less and less significant and the person's nature more and more attractive and important.

Whilst in the Sai organization, in talking about and practicing the ideal even the goal of service to others is still service to self is service to God. In other words, relationships although of the highest level is still service to self but there is a change of perception of self from body level identification to heart centred identification (in which state we are one).

Even though we understand this it doesn't solve our problems or prevent mistakes being made. Eager to go out and have a good time when we are young, underneath all the excitement there is often a genuine romantic desire to feel complete within oneself; the male and female principles within oneseelf coming together so that one is complete and centred. From this self-confidence and satisfaction, love is generated from a point of independence and not from a point of (co-)dependence, which in our society is emphasized and promoted with masculinity expressed at one extreme (i.e. boys shouldn't cry) and feminity at the other. This is especially developed by projecting sexuality as sexiness and, in turn, as all beautiful. As a result divergence takes place in our gender principles from the balanced independence within. As it becomes harder and harder to find independence from externals and confidence within so too it becomes increasingly less likely to go beyond the body identification.

Let's take an example. When we go to a discoteque and we're about fourteen years old or more, parents might shower us with love, but we also have a need for our sexuality to be accepted and liked. This leaves us with two choices as to what we can do with our sexuality and it's accompanying energy.

Firstly, we can succumb totally and absolutely to art. What I've noticed and Baba reiterates is that desire feeds desire. This leads to a certain restlessness and dissatisfaction as we have more and more art in one's head to see the separation in us, more and more art to get confused by. To help us Baba has, therefore, brought about the programme of "Ceiling on Desires". This is for our own happiness and to avoid mistakes we might later regret.

The other option of the two choices mentioned is to wait, find your heart one, find the freedom and independence from basic desires. This is not suggesting anything in particular! (as Baba is very black and white on this topic - I'm not going to say anything to get me into hot soup!)

Basically, how are we going to resolve this frustration in dealing with art until we find the Heart?; not confusing the two in process. In the first place, we need to acknowledge that it's O.K. not to be or, not to want to be in a relationship. We often find ourselves in a relationship we don't want to be in, with a person who does not speak to our hearts and really can feel trapped due to misplaced idealism, expectations and attachments. Often the reasons for staying in a relationship can be due to peer pressure, not wanting to hurt another's feelings, social norm or curiosity; curiosity being the biggest issue when it comes to hormones. The first things never have any impact but with repetition it is curiosity that invests all one's energy into a relationship. This might distort the truth of the relationship and its motivation.

We're going to end this part of the post with some practical ways to deal with one's excess energies.

(l) Like in anger control, Baba's recommendation of taking a glass of cold water or have a cold shower can calm one down. Therefore, when hormones are running wild you can do the same thing. This doesn't mean that if we're back at the disco again we should ask for whisky on the rocks as an excuse or expect that there's going to be a shower built in at the discoteque for a dip - maybe in the Golden Age!

(2) Sports and exercise: sexual energy is just energy; it is neither good nor bad - it is just what you do with it. In fact, sexual energy is God energy - one and the same thing; it is one's thinking that creates how you see it. Therefore, what do we do with it? I used to find marathon running effective. You can't epect sometbody young and energetic to sit cross-legged chanting "OM"! How do you tell youth to meditate when our educational system doesn;t teach us self-enquiry, introspection or mind control (but instead more confusion by inquiring into the diversity within the unity and not unity within the diversity. One minute you're sitting there eyes closed - the next minutes lights are out - you're asleep. I used to run and concentrate on breathing, at the same time bringing exercise and meditation together.

(3) The food we eat is very important, whether it be satwic, rajasic or thamasic food; it is very subtle to understand that what we eat is going to affect our minds and mould our thinking and character. We think it just energizes us, and the rest is left to be re-cycled! Baba bas emphasized that satwic food is an essential ingredient to our peace, happiness and well-being.

What constitutes satwic food? It should leave us feeling refreshed, revitalized yet calm and chilled out! half an hour to two hours after consumption (from my experience). One shouldn't feel drained, i.e. like in an unhealthy relationship in which the person leaves you feeling sapped mentally and/or physically. Or, correspondingly tamasic food that leaves you feeling much the same way. Or, if you come away feeling restless and like you "can't get enough", it's probably rajasic feel that's influencing you, or, a relationship based on lust - a rajasic quality.

(4) Fear of Aids. I think this speaks for itself. It's fear driven but it's real and it's out there.

(5) Unexpected and unwanted pregnancies. This gives rise to irresponsible and uncaring parenthood with an unfulfilling childhood and deprivation of love and role models. It's something that deters youth but it's not solving the issue of self-control.

(6) How would you like your children to be like you when you are having these debasing thoughts and you think about how pure and vulnerable they are. You've heard of father's warning their daughters about their boyfriend's intentions....because they know what they used to be like when they were young! How would you like your children to be? Maybe that will motivate your behaviour.

(7) You're in a discotheque and everything is all over the place - all that excess energy and you're just excited. It's a combination of everything - head, heart and hoolahoops! How are you going to control that to go beyond the art to the heart. Perhaps if you imagine Baba next you, would you think the same thoughts? Or if in the person you're seeing try to imagine Baba as being in that person.

(8) And last resource - pray! I haven't tried this one but giving "advise", perhaps it'll motivate me to put this into practice - not that I'll reach that stage, of course! Of course, matras such as the gayatri mantra also ahve the metaphysical effect of substituting thoughts to a higher vibration and drawing in much needed clarity and the light of discrimination to make wise choices.

(9) And if the energy get too overwhelming and imagery to erotic, to avoid repression and enhance subliminal transmutation of the minds thoughts perhaps the the mantra can be used again or the full release of the vital forces stopped from culminating into a complete experience by gradually resisting earlier and earlier the amount of gratification from the amount of the orgasm . The orgasm has the strange and paradoxical effect of granting intense physiological pleasure with an almost spiritual experience of ego intensification simultaneously with its death and self forgetting - the mystery of the life force in the body that permeates as the sweet essence that makes up the bliss in consciousness. Unhealthy or excessive sensual gratification when done for purely personal purposes strengthens the mis-assocaition of the inherent bliss in consciousness with the limitations of the body and its identification - the anti-thesis to the goal of spiritual life.

In addition, habits such as masturbation adds new desires and images to the subconscious that creates a greater split between the real conscious world and subconsious fantasy life creating more superimposed projection of multiplicity and diversity in the phenomenal perception of the world rather than the underlying unity based on love. The conflict between what is attainable and pure fantasy can also contribute to more repressive tendencies of the mind and unhealthy forms of introversion into a private psychic world in isolation from any real or meaninglful realtionships of actual life.

Without the love, unity and purity that Swami advises this might, overall, work against the spiritual life by increasing attachment to the objects of the senses through the memory and habit. By raising and directing the minds imagery at this point the mind can be guided more gently away from the old associations to higher emotions and love. A lot of techniques found in Tantra (the Indian science of devotion and transformation through ritualistic techniques) aim at understanding the nature of the mind and divinising the minds habits to lead to greater unification of polarities within the person as well as with the polarity of energies experienced through the opposite sex; particulary charged during the act of sexual intercourse. Anyway, a bit about Tantra is mentioned a little later in this post.

Continuing on with sexual energy, though not being good or bad, it the same life force that has the power to create.

We create children with this energy - hopefully consciously! (see (5). It is very vivid, very powerful because this very same power can create anything in our lives that we want to change,. It is power - the power (fuel) of the mind; the power of visualization.

Baba materializes things/objects. I've heard Baba call devotees into interviews and said "You too can do the same". I'm not saying that this power is important but that this power, whilst it can be for material gain, is actually the power of transformation and will. If you want to be something in life and say "I want to be the best sportsman, the greatest at what I do or learn", then, realize that, that same energy can form in time and space awaiting actualization. (i.e. what goes around comes around) so whilst we think of Baba's teaching of karma and Einstein's time and space principle, you can begin that change now through sublimating that excess energy by re-orientating one's imagination to a higher goal. (This concept has been clearly expressed in the above extract * by 'The Mother' from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram press ).

(9) Finally, if (1) - (9) don't work, always listen to your conscience. When you're in a relationship and you don't feel good about and you're doing things you don't feel good about remember, how are you going to feel the next morning when you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror,. It's the big and final one, at the end of the day its conscience. Baba gives us the confidence to forgive ourselves and move on when we make mistakes., Even whilst one is making mistake one of the reasons why we often ca get messed up about them afterwards is that during them we hear our conscience and do not obey with it just got duller and duller with us aware of it getting dull. That becomes dis-ease and sickness with ourselves.

So, how do we deal with the situation when we're young and idealistic until we find the perfect relationship, if we want a relationship? Now, Baba has always said tha marriage is a very sacred bond. He has, in the story of Rama and Sita, in which Rama is the embodiment of Truth and strength and Sita the embodiment of love and compassion )I'm not saying that these are absolutes, but that these are attributes and ideal principles) that:

"If you want a husband like Rama - you have to make yourself like Sita and, if you want a wife like Sita you have to make yourself like Rama".

In essence, if you want these things in your life, you have to work with yourself first. Searching for the ideal relationship like a bull in a china shop and thinking Baba would find and present before one the wife-to-be. can happen before we are mature enough or ready. It's easy for us to get involved in a transitory relationship and be happy temporarily, but then we come back down to earth and realize it's just art....it's not deep enough

On this matter I would just like to share that I heard somewhere that swami often advocates young men not marrying til they have finished their studies and have got a job at about 25 years of age. This makes complete sense to me. Up until 25 years old our brain cells are still developing after which there begins their gradual decline until our death. By this age our education and memory is getting hard wired and all our physiological and neurological development has been maxamised into allowing the full development of ones potential and enhanced strengthening of our capacities. This in turn has the effect of even strengthening ones control as well as capacity to enjoy a more powerfully enriched sexual and married life of love, bliss and greater pleasure. In Ayurveda there are 8 parts and steps to the developments of the constitution. These are called dhatus. the 8th dhatu is called "sukra". This means bright and pure and also means happiness as well is the name given in vedic astrology for the planet Venus, which governs love, pleasure and happiness. It also govern the spritual seed and semen in a man and its transmutation led to the higher powers of Venus - divine love and devotion. The 8th dhatu or sukra is the final essence of eating food that permeates the body as the subtle bliss of consciousness. Through the blood and finally into the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain, it is the "juice" that provides the neurochemistry for the neurotransmittors that allow optimal brain function. By engaging in sexual habits too early and through too many tempting thoughts, this essence through the erotic power gets congealed into the reproductive glands and organs to produce the seminal fluids and seed that builds up the need for release. Of course, with the strength and temptations of youth along with hormonal changes, these pressures can go on subconsciously and be difficult to direct at the "bud" before becoming repressive. That is why controlling food and all the senses becomes an all important discipline in spiritual life in these formative years that forms the foundation for a moral and meaningful life.

3) Tongue & Taste - Mood Food

The 2nd chakra is also related to the tongue and taste and ties in with the earlier post on the 5th chakra related to the palate and speech that explained the effect of the subtle essence of food on the mind and lead onto an excerpt on the power of thoughts by Sri Aurobindo's Mother; such as the purity of mind, that thoughts are things and the law of attraction as has been promoted by the book "the secret". Noteworthy, on the whole topic of yogic sex control, Kundalini and transmutaion are the works of Swami Sivananda (the practice of Brahmacharya) and Gopi Krishna (Kundalini).

Tongue - Mood foods Jiva menu 5 levels of food

Dual nature of tongue = connection of food to mind (including sex) to speech (1) speech (purity & unity of TWD = power of the word). (2) food = diet, vegitarian, Ayurveda (dosha & guna), mood foods (see 5 levels on Jiva menu = nutrition, dosha, guna, element & planet).

Essence of food becomes thought .....ie. satwic food... pure and powewrful thoughts

Mukti Menu Meals Management

Menus will have 5 types of emphasis for meals such that clients can choose knowing their preference for health matters... ie. eating becomes interesting and enlightening as well as healthy and tasty.

5 Types of Categories

i) Bio-chemical and nutritional value - minerals, vitamins, enzymes, proteins, carbs,
calories according to part of cell, organ and system

ii) Ayurvedic/TCM (doshas according to vata/prana/chi, pitta/tejas/yang, kapha/ojas.yin &
which of teh 8 Dhatus) => Pancha(5)karma treatment

iii) 3 Gunas (Satwa, Rajas, Tamas => vibrational)

iv) 5 Element - predominance (correspond to 5 lower chakras and Mahapurusha planets)

v) Planetary = special meals for each day of teh week according to 7 planets / chakras
(Saturn base to Sun crown)

4) The gender differences in brain sex

The last post covered the 3rd Mars chakra where Sun get its exaltation and is governed by the fire element and is related to the masculine principle of sexuality, effort and goal orientated drive; exalted in the next 1st chakra (Capricorn) of duty and work.

This post will also briefly look at the issue of sexuality, love and relationships and later try to make some contrasts between the sexes, Mars 3rd chakra with Venus 4th chakra, as well as the general differences with "brain sex". The aspect of the psychology of sexes has been well covered by writers Robert Johnson (He, She & We), Robert Bly's (Iron John), Steven Bidulph (Manhood), Alex Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) and more recent books on the power of the female intuitive brain (Dr Mona-Lisa Schulz - The New Feminine Brain).

As far as Swami goes, there is lots of material on it. He promotes the highest ideals for both and seems to make use the Ramayana to depict and extol the virtues of boths sexes. ... Rama as the ideal man - the Solar Hero who always kept and acted on his word and respected all with a fundamental discrimination of each character's role and dharma (despite being God Incarnate) and Sita who maintained her chastity against the onslaught of Ravana's tirade and torture. And if woman find his expectations on them as too submissive he reminds us that women are more inherently spiritual with 7 vitues against man's 3! Anyway, here are some more interesting contrasts made by Sri Aurobindo's Mother of Pondicherry. For a more western evaluation of relationships in a spiritual context perhaps one should read more of Eckart Tolles thoughts in his book "the Power of Now".

The differences between the genders

"FOR WOMEN - on slavery.

No law can liberate women unless they liberate themselves. What makes them slaves is:

(1) Attraction towards the male and his strength

(2) Desire for home and its security.

(3) Attachment to motherhood.

MEN also have three slaves:

(1) Spirit of possession, attachment to power and domination.

(2) Desire for sexual relation with women

(3) Attachment to the small comforts of married life.

If they get rid of these slaveries, they can truly become the equal of woman."

Whilst there are exceptions and specifics within overall trends, there are obvious general differences between the brain anatomy, physiology and psychology between the sexes such that men are more linear, mathematical, and mechanistic (right brain dominant) whilst women are more right brain dominant, intuitive and better at multi-tasking with more nerve connections between the hemispheres (via the corpus callosum). In fact, research into the neuro-anatomy between the sexes is gradually revealing the differences between brain structures and wiring that explain fundamental differences between the sexes. eg. the amygdala related to anger is larger in men than women. It will be interesting one day is scientists will be able to use the research methods explained in earlier posts to make correlation studies between the planets and brain neuro-anatomy. ie. whether Mars is related to the Amygdala and Venus the Substantia Nigra, as has been suggested by Jyotisha researchers at the Maharishi Institutes.

Anyway, this contrast between brain sex reminds me of an interesting survey conducted whereby a group of people were asked to draw a bicycle without revealing their sketch to anyone else. On returning the drawings to the facilitator it was found that all the men only drew technically accurate bicycles with its seat chain, axle etc.. whilst all the women drew incomplete bicycles but with a person riding on it. This reveals a lot about the outlook and psychology between the sexes.

And if we look at the sacred geometry of men's bodies as compared to women, the very anatomy between them reveals natures intelligence in its design. Men tend to be more angular, linear and polarised in their makeup - operating very much between the head and the tail! Interestingly, the two signs ruled by Mars governs the head (Aries) and the generative organs (Scorpio). Women on the other hand, are more curvateous and artistic to look at with the two signs of Venus (Taurus and Libra) related to heart chakra and ruling the throat and kidneys.

This also reminds me of another interesting documentary I saw that compared the attraction between the sexes and the sense of smell. The sense of smell is very much connected to the oldest part of the brain, the limbic or emotional brain, and that smell is very tied up with our memories and something like 70% of our taste or enjoyment of food. Just ask people who have lost there sense of smell, it can be very traumatic on their enjoyment of life as well as memory and emotional well being.

Anyway, apparently, pheromones (sex hormones) can be detected through our sense of smell, and the make up of our hormones varies with our genetic material. A study was conducted that took the worn clothing of 5 people with varying degrees of genetic similarity to the person being tested and each was put into 5 different closed containers. The testee was asked to smell the 5 items and rate them in order of preference of smell. Interestingly, the person's favorite choice of clothing began with the jar from a person with the least similar genetic material via the pheromones and continued in order of increasing similarity between genetic material. Thus, the least preferred smell or clothing came from a person with the most similar genetic material. This, it was concluded, was natures way of making sure people are attracted and choose partners; notably women, with a greater and better combination of genes for their off-spring for the Darwinian survival of the fittest.

So there could be a natural law to attraction tied in with the causal "karmic" level of science via genetic material to the symptomatic level of metaphysics and sacred geometry reflected in the matrix and symmetry of the cosmos and astrology via the mathematics of time and space, the golden mean and fibonacci number in the nature. The vedantic balance of the gunas (tamas and rajas) in the harmony of nature, the cosmic relationships between planets Mars and Venus to the yogic physiology of the chakras to the proportions and symmetry of the male and females forms, its is the attraction of complimentary opposites recognised and externalised through the "other". This "other" on the level of sexuality is the unassimilated polarity within the individuals psyche reflected through the opposite sex.

Of course, on the level of specifics and the individual, other factors such as age, profession, culture all contribute to this aspect of sexuality. And there is the natural subconscious recognition of fertility related to health as well as symmetry of features and anatomy that also works much like pheromones in sexual attraction. Men with their musculature, bone structure and (facial) hair all paint the picture and signs of an underlying psychic fabric and potency that speaks for itself just as does the complexion, voluptuousness, curvaceousness and gracefulness of the feminine form.

In Jungian psychology, this "other" is terms the anima (male) or animus (female) and one relationship to these can be seen through the astrological chart. The Moon and Venus in a man's chart indicates the mother complex and feminine ideal respectively and often indicates through their sign placement the type of females we are attracted to in order to find this completion within through relationship. In the females chart, this is reflected through the Sun, Jupiter and Mars placements - the Solar Hero and father figure to the guru and guide to the male sexual counter part that adds to drive and fire to the female.

Tantra

Interestingly, in tantra, women are considered water yet their yoni (vagina) or reproductive fluids produce fire in the form of the blood letting process via the menstruation. Alternatively, men are considered fire but produce and release semen that are considered cooling and water in nature. So there is some alchemical process that happens in the act of union and psychic transmutation through relationships and love making. A lot of the left hand path of tantra; the Indian science of love; commonly and simply understood through the texts of Kama Sutra and Ananga Ranga as well as the Taoists books of sexuality (ie. books by Mantak Chia) deal a lot with how to maximise this art of alchemy through cultivating male or female sexual energy; not for its dissipations but rather its transmutation through disciplined retention and sublimation.

In the Taoists art of "riding the tiger" the idea is to increase the creative energies of the 2nd chakra through sexuality and a loving relationship of the heart to raise and control the erotic powers of the mind to the level of the sublime. In the process the partner or other is divinised and assimilated into oneself; thereby becoming psychically whole and complete within oneself. In this process, the energies become unified and purified and a tantric relationship with less and less of the grosses physical actions are required to attain the same bliss of union. This also allows the same loving relationship to be extended to others without the taint of lust and the union can reach the mystical level of union with all nature (as represented astrologically by Venus' exaltation in the oceanic and last "moksha" sign of Pisces).

To me it seems a shame that all couples are not educated in the art and science of Tantra before marriages to help them not only understand the psychology of sex and their partner but also enjoy a more complete and blissful union in marriage and love making. It seems in ancient India, this aspect was well acknowledged and even included in the science of jyotisha and astrology. Whilst today, often the astrologers are inadequate in their ability to read this sacred science and often influenced to give a insufficient requirement for compatibiltiy, one of the sacred purposes of the science was in marriage synastry and making sure that the couples are compatible according to their nature. Thus, over and above the reasons explained above, astrology allowed other facts to compatibility to play a part, such as temperament, karmic influences and evolution and spirituality of the soul as well as the sexual compatibility. They truely seemed to have a holistic approach to marriage.

Today, this science is still used and more and more marriages are still often arranged using this guiding science but parents in India are allowing couples to meet to make sure that they choose their selected partners using the earlier mentioned factors along with astrology and the parents wise counsel. The idea seems that the mother knew best, understanding the temperament of their offspring and was keeping in conformity with the caste system. Often this approach kept the unity in the fabric of society when it was practiced wisely with the culture being maintained but with a more and more globalised and modern age, this science has adapted to deal with the new karmic culture of modernity where profession often determines caste and the greater interaction and exposure and demands of youth have altered the system of marriage to be more intere-active with the parents. The positive effect, of the arranged marriage seems to be that the youth are not blinded so much solely by romance and sexual attraction at the expense of deeper spiritual compataibilty and allows for the marriage to grow into love and romance without the same expectations of the western system where romance and temptations often take their toll as time passes and initial high passions cannot be sustained. In astrology, it is often the aspects between a Women mars and man Venus positions that determine this level of animal magnetism essential for sexual attraction where as the Indian system looks more at the relationship between a man Venus and a women's Jupiter for more ethical compatibility with the goals of spirititual transumutation through wisdom offererred by a well balanced man.

But then if one reads Styeven Bidulphs books on Manhood and the crisis after the industrial age, it seems quite clear that this alientating effect of the industrial world have divorced men from the usuql tribal initiations into manhood that a son got from a mentoring father and led to the dysfucntional expressions of men through aggression vented ontthe feminine. This leading to an imbalance has lead women to react and imitate and compete with men in the same industrial world and seems to have contributed to the psychiological imbalances in society with gender confusions of roles. This is not to take a chauvainistic view, but rather suggest that a lot of the natural strength of men and have women have been diempowered through post generational abuse. The reorientation and balance of the male and female psyche within seems required for there to be more harmony and understanding between the genders in their sharing of their natural attributes in relationship born of knowledge and trust.

However, everything from the practical aspect of culture, profession and looks to the character, spirituality and sexual compatibiltiy can be assessed using a holistic approach incorporating astrology. Jyotisha astrology, usually uses the Moon as the most important indicator for compatabiltiy. The Moon is the indicator of the mind and our bodies are made up of 70% water and affected most by the phases of the Moon. The 2nd chakra is the water chakra and astrolgoy uses 18 factors of the Moon's placement in a Nakshatra and sign to determine compatability. This includes sexual factors and even size of the sexual organs to find a perfect match. But a full astrological synnastry also involves a look at the Ascendants, 7th house of marriage and its planetary lord and placements to reveal more about relationships as well as the positions in the Navamsa (the divisional 9th harmonic chart for marriage). Along with this it should also combines the classical western method of aspectual relationships bweteen natal positions of important planets; especially the Sun and Moon when looking at character compatibility, Venus and Jupiter for love relationships and Mars and Venus for sexual chemistry and Rahu, Kethu and Saturn for Karmic influences. Then there are other fine tuning factors like the dara karaka in jaimini astrology and the Upapada lagna. A full assessement with the correct analysis and prioritising of influences need to be made to indicate a harmonious match. And jyotsih also understands that there is a timing for everything under the sun to live in harmony with nature's time cycles, and can help couples not only arrange the most auspicious time for maxamising the best influences of the Moon according to the Panchanga (5 aspects of day, Nakshatra, waxing or waning Moon, sun-moon relationship and distance for light, night and day timing and tithi, phase of the Moon) whereby activities such as arranging the date of marriage to love making can maxamise the happiness gained from the universal forces, light and nature. Certain constellational nakshatras such as Rohini, Mrigarsira, Purvgaphalungani and uttaraphalungani etc.. are very auspicious for romance drawing on the cosmic rays from certain stars reflecting through the Moon and mind of man.

SWAMI on MARRIAGE

As far as swami goes, He seems to adviocate understanding and adjustment in order to lead to harmony in a marriage. A wife should surrender to her husband but in return He must meet all her needs not allowing even a tear to drop from her eyes. He also likes to refer to the husband as the Hus-bend; meaning that the wife must learn to adjust to the man's ego whilst to men He often calls the wife "life" or "knife" or as an acronmy for wisdom invited for ever or worry invited forever. He often also seems to like riduling marriage sometimes saying taht its it 23 hours 55 minutes worry and 5 minutes happiness. He also, I ahve heard, warnd women that they tend to gossip too much whilst men tend to "wander"..?!

CHILDREN

With regard to astrology, in addition to arranging and timing marriages, often a yogic preparation through prayer, food and abstience can also be tied in with this understanding of time cycles to attract a divine child into the womb, influenced by the combined influences of the vibration at coitus determined by the parents genetic material, food eaten, thoughts and auspicious moment of fertilisation. Later, this science will can also choose the appropriate naming of the child related to the birth time Moons Nakshatra position related to the sacred resonanting sounds of sanskrit to the genetic structure and yogic phsysiology of the child birth.. ie. each Nakshtra has a sound corresponding to the childs Moon position and nadi petals in their bodies specific geomety and chakra orientation.

In astrology, Jupiter is the indicator of the 2nd chakra and this fertility for growth related to the creation of children as well. It is related to the 5th house and this creation can also be reflected inhe chart as gifts and creations of teh mind. The Moon and face is is the index of the mind and often we can read a person mind through their face and in fact teh chines superimnpose the body onto teh face to reveal the sub structure of teh peron in teh face. Thus, the Forehead become teh head, the eye brows the arms, teh eyes the nheart a, teh nmose the back bone and its tip teh sexual male energy and the motuh teh femal, with teh legs to the feet reveal the jaw to the chin. A male face has the angluar and sqaureer qualities of AMrs and teh Sun where as the female teh curvateous, rounder qualities of Venus and teh Moon. The symmetry between the left and right side os teh face can often inidicate teh integration of male and female forces and even disharmony between the parents is reflected by this psychic dysmmetry.

Even in astrolgy, Mars to mercury/Moon - science vs Venus to mnercy ... graphlogy etc.. to vastu .. NE Jupiter and prayers.. macro vs Feng shui .. larger bodies... body to house to temple to spacve 9closeduniverse) to Jupiter ruling Nakshatra related to central Sun .... at Sagitarius... brahma as emerging out of teh navle of Vishn in mythology... our solar system emerges out of cosmic sun of God

Moon .. Mother Nature .... Right hand (mother worship - 1o Vidya of hinduism eg. Ramakrishna and kali worship as personifiation of nature vs left hand Heroic path and sexuality

This polarity is also the subject of Tantric psychology which unites the polarity of nature through a shamanistic path of devotion, what Carl Jung termed the animas and anima within us. By the man worshiping the sacred feminine in the form of the diety he gradually sublimates his own animus within him from the grosser animalisitc to the refined qualities assocaited with teh deity. Often in the Hindu syustem of marriage, this deification of the partner happens more so after the period of child rearing, as the wife takes on more of the role of the mother until the age of 60, when the couple enters the stage of sexual asbstinance as the energies have been sublimated upwarrds and are ready to focuss on teh inner spiritual life; with the male and female energies mroe babalnced within. In fact, even in the marrigae ceremony, there is an elaborate ritual that takes into consideration many metaphyscial aspects of this natural polarity bewteen men and women. For example, jsut as the male trends to be the solar, outgoing, left brain aspect dealing with the challenges of the structured outer world, the male is supposed to rule the right side of teh body. (this is understood in neuro-anatiomy as most fibres gross over to govern the oppostuire side ofn teh body). Thus, in the marriage ceremony the male aslwawsy stands to the right of the wife. The wife, governing the more intuitive, right brain, stand to teh left. Thus, though the couple have symbolkically become one there respective vaues and roels are respected in confoirmity with nature. OF course, this is the traditional role and is not to deny women or each others sharing of repsonsibiltiies in both departmetns of the inner (house) and outer worlds, but Vedic metaphsycis, religiona dn culture seems to already ahve had an inherent undeerstanding of factfs science is now reveraling.

Swami in "Discipline" (the senses) D for 2nd chakra

"Discipline is essential for the success of every endeavour of man, whatever the field, whether it be economic, social, education or merely material and worldly. It is even more essential for success in spiritual effort. I am insisting on Five points of discipline for teh Permanent Residents of Prashanti Nilayam:

1. SILENCE: This is the first step to Sadhana. It promotes self-control.

2. CLEANSLINESS: It is the doorway to Godliness.

3. SERVICE: It broadens your vision. It deepend your compassion

4. LOVE: Do not calculate or weigh the reaction, results or reward. Love calls, love responds.

5. HATELESSNESS: No being is to be looked down upon as secondary, inferior, unimportant or expendable"

"Disease has become rampart today becasue of the discipline regarding food, which should be balanced and limited according to the capacity of the system to digest and assimilate."

"Today the parents give unlimited freeedom to their children which is disastrous. If the children are not controlled at the tender age, they can never be controlled."

"without discipline one cannot be a devotee"

"Generally, I speak sweetly, but on this matter of discipline, I will not grant any concessions... I will insist on strict obedience. I shall not reduce the rigor to suit your level, for that will only ruin you. I pay attention for your ultimate good."

"Sense control is an essential pre-requisite for students who are in the vulnerable stage of succumbing to temptations of sensual pleasures. You must teach them how to talk softly and sweetly while adhering to truth."

"Spiritual discipline must render you calm, unruffled, poised, balanced. Make the mind cool and comforting, as moon-light, for the Moon is the Deity holding sway over the Mind. Be calm in speech, be calm in your response to malice, caviling and praise. Calmness of senses, passions, emotions, feeling, impulses; that is real peace."

"Spiritual discipline is required mostly to control the mind and teh desires which the mind chases. If you find that you are able to succeed, do not give up the discipline, but practice it more vigorously. Discipline means inner cleansliness as well as external cleansliness."

"Books on yoga say that the generative (sexual) energy, if controlled, will be converted into spiritual energy. Therefore, the first step in any spiritual practice is celibacy. There is a common proverb in Kannada language that where Rama (God) is present, Kama (lust) is not there and where Kama is present, Rama is not there"

"For Maya - constituted beings, there are two Maya-gates: the appetite for sex and the appetite for the tongue. These two have to be conquered by every man; so long as they persist, they cause sorrow. All worldy desires are comprehended by these two; so only those who ahve mastered these two can be said to have successfully waded through the world. These are the causes of all sins; and sin is the manure on which Maya thrives"

"Rama was the ideal husband. Rama's adherence to the principle of monogamy has to be properly understood. Valmiki understood it very well. One word, one arrow, one wife was the rule for Rama. What is the reason? In the body there are many organs. But all of them are animated, nourished and sustained by the heart alone. In the same manner the wife, for the husband is only one and the husband for teh wife is only one"

"During the time of union whatever thought occur in their minds, the embodied Soul of the same character enters the womb"

"You must be careful about the food you take, for the craving of hunger and teh craving for sex are the two great foes of man; the craving of hunger and sex drag you into perdition. Desist from catering to the tongue and its greed; do not be a victim of lust or taste. Have Sathwic food and eat it in Sathwic company. Be moderate in food and keep the sense strictly under control"

"Of these two capable of vast harm; the tongue and sex. Since sex is aroused and inflamed by the food consumed and the drink taken in, teh tongue needs greater attention. While the eye, the ear and the nose serve as instruments of kowledge about one particular characteristic of nature, the tongue makes itself available for two purposes: to judge taste adn to utter word symbols of communication. You must control the tongue with double care; since it can harm you in two ways. Without the control of the senses, sadhana (spiritual practice) is ineffective; it is like keeping water in a leaky pot, when the senses are given full sway."


Thoughts and the "secret" => tantra and the power of attraction & abundance => Napolean Hill - think & grow rich => Warren Buffet on factors to be rich => 1st Chakra