You might have heard of the Chakra system that denotes metaphysical energy disks within our body, the balance of which holds the key to our general well-being. Yet, there is a lot that you might still not know about chakras.
- For example, who invented chakras?
- How far back in time does the origin of chakras go?
- Moreover, are chakras Hindu or are chakras Buddhist?
- What religion does chakra come from?
If you have such questions in your mind, you have come to the right page.
What Is The Origin Of The Chakra System?
A lot of scholars believe that chakras originated somewhere between 1500 and 500 BC in India, at least that is what the early scriptures in the Vedas show them. However, you might be surprised to know that chakras originated way before this era.
Is that even possible if there is no text to prove it?
Well, yes, because in olden times, any kind of wisdom, be it chakras or something else, was passed down to the next generation by word of mouth, from teachers to disciples, from parents to children, and so on.
How do we know this?
Now, this information can be deemed true because there still exist generations that have such great wisdom about the various types of chakras that no one can even find in the ancient books.
The word “chakra” means wheel, which originally is spelled “cakra”. The oldest reference of these wheels is that of the chariot wheels of cakravartins, hailed as the earliest rulers of the universe.
Can you now imagine how old chakras are?
The mind boggles to even think of it, doesn’t it? But now, let us move on to what we know or how the scholars interpret the origin of the various kinds of chakra systems.
Read on to find out more.
Origin Of The 7 Chakra System
Despite the lack of clarity on the absolute origin of the chakra system, we have got to admit that the chakra system that has become the most popular in the western world, namely, the 7-chakra system, has a written base.
Here, I must mention the researcher Sir John Woodroffe, whose early works on the chakra system included the book “The Serpent Power“.
This book has sort of been the holy grail of the western chakra philosophy.
But where did Sir Woodroffe fetch the information that he laid out in his book?
To understand this, we must look back again to the authors of ancient India.
A 16th-century book written by an Indian sage Swami Purananda formed the primary basis of Sir Woodroffe’s work. The book, called “Shri-Tattva-Cintamini“, included a chapter known as Sat-Cakra-Nirupana.
Here, he mentioned in detail the six centers or chakras, including how to realize the power of each chakra, how to stimulate them, and how to attain the state that gives rise to kundalini (the serpent Goddess).
But wait, there is more to the story.
Sir Woodroffe’s work was not the only one that interpreted the old Indian texts to bring the seven-chakra system to the Western world, as we know it today. Significant contributions were made by British-American theosophical author Alice Bailey.
Bailey based her work on chakras from her communications with Tibetan master Djwhal Khul, among other sources. All of these sources have given rise to the 7-chakra system that is hailed by the theological and esoteric communities of the world.
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How Many Chakra Systems Are There In The Original Tradition?
Okay, so the 7-chakra system seems to be the most popular one. Does that mean other chakra systems may even be better than this?
Well, yes, there are several other chakra systems, and no, there is no way to say whether one system is better than the others.
In the original tradition itself, many chakra systems arose from different branches of tantrism. For instance, in traditional Buddhism, monks often practice the 5-chakra system.
And of course, you don’t even have to segregate the chakra systems by religion. From Hindu sources themselves, many different systems, such as the six-chakra system, the nine-chakra system, the twenty-one-chakra system, and more have evolved.
So, why are there so many different chakra systems? Are there truly so many chakras within our bodies?
The answer is not that simple, but let me try to get it as plainly as possible to you.
Chakra systems are different because chakras are not physical objects. They are more to do with feelings and emotions that exist on a different plane within your physical being.
Chakras cannot be seen; they can only be felt as fluid sources of energy. Naturally, the number of chakras that one person deals with will be based on how they evaluate their feelings.
Having said that, three chakras are common in all kinds of chakra systems. One is the crown chakra, or above the head (again, we are just talking about metaphysical positions). The second one is the heart chakra, which, as you may have guessed, governs the heart area. The third…
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