Chinese Star Signs Q & A

Chinese Animal Signs : are the basis of Chinese astrology. Below you will find a number of common questions and answers relating to these animal signs. The following text also gives an indication of how the Chinese animal sign of an individual can be worked out.

When and where did Chinese Astrology originate?

Chinese astrology originated in ancient China and is at least 2000 years old. By AD 618-907, during the time of the Tang dynasty, a whole encyclopedia had been written about the art of Chinese astrology and the practice of delivering personal astrological readings.

Why was Chinese Astrology and the Chinese animal signs developed?

In the first instance Chinese astrology was used as a means of foretelling the future of a nation. Practitioners of astronomy and astrology were often present as advisers at the Imperial Court. However by the beginning of the Christian era the system had been more highly developed to incorporate a means of giving the individual a reading.

Is Chinese Astrology still practiced today and if so where?

Today Chinese astrology makes for an interesting alternative to Western Astrology and the art is still widely practiced today in China and a number of other Asian countries such as Japan and Vietnam. As a result of this widespread geographical use Chinese astrology is often referred to as Oriental Astrology.

What is the main purpose of Chinese Astrology today?

Chinese astrology is used today to help people interpret and understand their lives. It offers a means of finding out about an individual’s personality traits and the type of friends and partners who may or may not be suited to them. It can also give an indication of what generally might be in store for the year ahead depending upon the Chinese animal ruling that year.

What is the basis of Chinese Astrology?

Chinese astrology is based around twelve symbolic animals, which in turn have one of four natural elements, one of five dominant elements (planetary based) and either yin or yang ascribed to them.

Is Chinese astrology like Western astrology?

There are certainly a few similarities, for example Chinese astrology has 12 symbolic (animal) signs and Western astrology also has 12 symbolic (star) signs. In both Chinese and Western astrology these signs each have one of four natural elements which represent general characteristics relating to them; for example the Chinese sign of the rat is a water sign and the Western sign Cancer is also a water sign. The four Chinese natural elements are: water, metal, fire and wood, and with a slight difference the four Western natural elements are: fire, earth, air and water.

Chinese astrology, however goes on to expand upon this and each symbolic animal is also ascribed a dominant element as well as a natural element. Four of the dominant elements are the same as the natural elements, i.e. water, metal, fire, wood. However there is an additional one earth, thus making five dominant elements on top of the four natural elements.

Possibly one of the major differences between Chinese and Western Astrology is that most things are worked out simply from the year of birth of an individual; as opposed to Western astrology which relies on the relative positions of stars and planets. Also in Chinese astrology an animal sign is assigned to a whole year instead of the Western star sign which relates to a month within the year. The Chinese signs are also assigned Yin or Yang and this has a positive or negative bearing on each one of the five elements allocated to that sign.

Can Chinese astrology be used in conjunction with, or used to complement Western astrology?

Yes, the personality traits assigned to a Chinese animal sign can be combined with those of a Western star sign to obtain a greater insight into the personality and character of an individual. You could have for example a ‘Taurus Goat’, a Scorpio Horse or a Sagittarius Rabbit and so on.

What are the twelve signs in Chinese astrology and where did they originate?

Each sign in Chinese astrology is an animal. There are twelve in total and they always appear in the following order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar.

The origin of the twelve animal signs is the stuff of legend. There is one legend which suggests that a “semi-mythical” figure called “The Yellow Emperor” created the signs around 2637 BC. Another legend has it that the Buddha (c. 563-483 BC) invited all of the animals to visit him, but only 12 bothered to turn up. As a token of his appreciation he assigned each animal a year which would be dedicated to that animal alone for posterity. The order in which the animals arrived was said to dictate the allocation of the years and their order within the twelve year cycle. Hence the animals always appear in the same order.

Are the planets used at all in Chinese astrology?

Yes, they do play a part, but only a small one, unlike Western astrology which relies heavily upon the movement of the planets and the stars. In ancient China the astronomers of old could only observe five planets which became they linked to the five dominant elements in Chinese astrology. The five elements and their planets are as follows:

Water (ruled by Mercury)
Metal (ruled by Venus)
Fire (ruled by Mars)
Wood (ruled by Jupiter)
Earth (ruled by Saturn)

Again, as already mentioned, depending upon whether or not an animal sign is Yin or Yang, will have a bearing on whether the effects of the element work to positive or negative effect in an individual.

It is also very important to note that the Chinese calendar is based upon the lunar year (orbits of the moon around the earth), whereas the Western calendar is based upon the solar year (orbits around the sun). This results in the two calendars not corresponding exactly, it is therefore imperative to ensure that if the birthday of an individual falls in January or February extra care needs to be taken when calculating an animal sign. It is important not to fall into the Chinese year before as the personality traits would then be wrong for that individual.

What exactly is required to calculate an individual’s Chinese animal sign?

To obtain your animal sign and its additional components you require the following information:

Your date of birth, (including the year), if possible the hour of your birth to the nearest couple of hours and finally some Chinese animal sign tables (these tell you which animal belongs to which year, making it possible to locate the animal that belongs to the year of your birth).

What can this information yield?

By providing the above information the following can be obtained:

* The animal sign of the individual and the personality traits associated with it.
* The natural element that pertains to the individual’s animal sign and the additional info this gives.
* The dominant element that pertains to the individual’s animal sign and the additional info this gives.
* The Yin or Yang of the individual’s animal sign (whether or not the element traits play a negative or positive role in the life of the individual).
* The individual’s inner companion (another animal sign and its traits which serve as a balancing force or voice of conscience to the traits of the individual’s animal sign).

Exactly what can be found out about an individual by the culmination of all of the above information?

* A general forecast for the coming year ahead can be obtained, this depends upon the animal ruling that year.
* On an individual more personal level insights can be obtained into the personality and character of the individual.
* Insights can be learned about the type of relationship will be had with other individuals.

How do you find out your Chinese Animal sign and can you give an example of how the whole thing works in practice?

Following is an example of how the system works. It is listed in easy to follow steps, starting with the calculation of an animal sign for a given year of birth. The birthday used in the following example is 28 October 1967 with a birth hour of 10am.

1). The first step is to find out which Chinese animal represented the year 1967. By looking this date up in the Chinese sign tables it is possible to see that 1967 was ruled by the year of the Sheep (sometimes referred to as the goat).

2). The second step is to find out the natural element which belongs to that animal sign, namely in our case the Sheep. Below is some information which can help to locate this. It can be seen from the table below that the year of the Sheep has the natural element of fire.

The elements and their signs are as follows:

Water - Boar (sometimes referred to as the pig), Rat, Ox.

Wood - Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon.

Fire - Snake, Horse, Sheep.

Metal - Monkey, Rooster, Dog.

3). The third step is to work out which one of the five dominant elements apply. The dominant element can be looked up in Chinese sign tables. It can be seen from these tables that 1967 was the year of the Sheep, but it was also the year of the Sheep with a natural element of Fire (this does not change as seen above) and a dominant element of Fire. Expressed thus far the year 1967 translates into The Sheep - Fire animal of Fire.

4). The fourth step is to use the hour of birth to calculate the inner companion of the 1967 year of the Sheep. In order to do this the hour of birth is required. In the example we said that the birth hour was 10am. The following information shows which animal rules which hours, so from this following information the inner companion to someone born at 10am in the year of the Sheep can be found. The time 10am falls between 09am and 11am and by following that time it can be seen that the inner companion on this occasion is the Snake. As such the personality traits of the Snake will have an internal balancing effect upon the traits of the Sheep. The inner companion therefore gives just that little bit more of an insight into the individual.

11pm - 01am Rat
01am - 03am Ox
03am - 05am Tiger
05am - 07am Rabbit
07am - 09am Dragon
09am - 11am Snake
11am - 01pm Horse
01pm - 03pm Sheep
03pm - 05pm Monkey
05pm - 07pm Rooster
07pm - 09pm Dog
09pm - 11pm Boar

5). The fifth and final step is to determine whether an individual’s sign is one of Yin or Yang. The Yin or Yang of an animal just like the natural element does not change. Following are the Chinese animal signs and their Yin or Yang. It can be seen from following info that the Sheep is a Yin animal therefore the elemental qualities of that sign namely Fire, will express themselves negatively.

Rat -Yang
Ox - Yin
Tiger - Yang
Rabbit - Yin
Dragon - Yang
Snake - Yin
Horse - Yang
Sheep - Yin
Monkey - Yang
Rooster - Yin
Dog - Yang
Boar - Yin

The 1967 birth year with a hour of birth of 10am can now be expressed in its entirety as:

The Sheep - Yin Fire animal of Fire (with an inner companion The Snake).

How are the personality traits of an individual worked out from all of this?

There are a couple of ways in which you can find out about an individual based upon their Chinese animal sign. The first and simplest way is to buy a good book Chinese astrology book that contains not only the necessary animal sign tables and additional information, but one which clearly states the type of traits for any combination of animal sign.

The other method is to try to work out the whole thing from scratch, you will probably still require some kind of reference to the different personality traits linked to each animal sign, yin or yang , natural element, dominant element and inner companion. For example:
Some of the personality traits of our Sheep sign are: creativity, eccentricity, imagination, vulnerability, peace loving and naivety. The Sheep sign is always allocated the natural element of fire and from our previous example, the year 1967 also has the dominant element of fire. Some of the fire traits are: cheerfulness, destructiveness, passion, cruelty, honour and impatience. We also know that the animal sign of the Sheep is a Yin animal and thus all of the element traits will express themselves negatively, so as well as being creative, eccentric and imaginative as is inferred by the animal sign a Yin fire Sheep of fire would also display: destructiveness, cruelty and impatience. To find out how more extreme traits would be balanced is to look to the inner companion. In our previous Sheep example the inner companion (working from a time of birth of 10am), was a Snake. From here the personality traits of the Snake would be examined to see how they might balance out those of the Yin fire Sheep of fire.

Where is the best place to find out about Chinese astrology?

Just as with Western astrology there are a number of good books which have been written about the subject, containing all of the information you require to do a personality reading. These are available from most good book stores. For those on a tight budget and with internet access there are a number of good websites out there, including this one http://www.paranormality.com/chinese_star_signs.shtml Is is possible to calculate manually without looking up in a table your Chinese animal sign and its dominant element?

Yes, it is possible, however care is needed if your birthday falls in January or February as the Chinese lunar year does not correspond exactly to the Western Solar year. Otherwise to manually work out your animal sign you need to know the following:

The animal signs always follow the same set pattern, namely: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar. Therefore if we know that the year of the rat was in 1901 (as it was) then the next year of the rat would not come round again for another 12 years, making the next year of the rat 1913 and the next year of the rat after that 1925 and so on. From here if 1901 was the year of the rat then we know that because the signs always follow the same order, then 1902 would be the year of the ox. Twelve years on from that would make 1914 an ox year and twelve years on again would make 1926 an ox year and so on. From here if 1901 was the year of the rat and 1902 the year of the ox, then 1903 would be the year of the tiger making 1915 the next tiger year and twelve years on again 1927 the next one, and so on. you would continue this pattern all the way up until the whole table was worked out until the present day and into the future.

The dominant element however rotates on a five year cycle as there are only five elements so from here it is possible to see that as every year is ruled by one of the 12 animal signs it is possible to calculate that each combination of animal and element occurs only once every 50 years (12 x 5 = 60). Using our example of the fire sheep we know that the first fire sheep last century was in 1907, the next one was as in our example 1967 and the next fire sheep will not now occur until the year 2027.

How does Western astrology feature in all of this?

Using the previous Sheep example, someone born on 28 October 1967 does not just fall under the sign of the sheep, they also fall under the Western zodiac sign of a Scorpio. By marrying up the two signs a Scorpio - Sheep is formed which in turn will possess its own unique set of traits and characteristics. These can then be added together to gain a more in depth analysis of an individual’s character.

What was last year’s Chinese animal sign and what is it this year and what can we expect from it?

Last year was the year of the water sheep 01 Feb 2003 to 21 Jan 2004. The forecast for that year was as follows:
A year that will be a time for caring, bringing out creative talent, imagination and emotion, whilst remaining, calm, smooth and slow. “Harmony with moderation” are the key words with a warning about the danger of negativity.
This coming 2004 year is the year of the wood monkey 22 Jan 2004 to 08 Feb 2005. The forecast for this year is as follows:
A year where absolutely anything and everything is possible, a year when things that appear impossible will succeed. With all of this success around no-one will know what they are doing. A haggling and shamming it year full of luck and one where no-one will accept no for answer.

source:- http://paranormality.com/chinese_star_signs_faqs.shtml

Frequently Asked Questions On Palmistry

Do you look at the right or left hand?
People often ask “which hand do you look at?”. You have to study both hands. In traditional palmistry, if you are right handed, they say “the left is what the gods give you, the right is what you do with it.” This is a bit simplistic and misleading - we were given both hands, the lines on both hands change, so we do something with both hands! The hand you write with is your dominant or active hand. It reflects the conscious you, your public face, you ‘out in the world’, what you have actively developed. The other hand, the passive or minor hand, is more about the subconscious, your private face, the inner you, your instincts, your latent abilities. So we have to look at and compare both hands to see the ‘whole’ person.

Aren’t the lines on the palm just creases formed by hand movement?
People who are sceptical about palmistry & hand analysis say that the palmar lines are just folds or creases in the skin where the hand moves, grasps and bends. Even scientists call the lines ‘creases’ - but they are not simply caused by folding of the hand!

Compare the lines on the palm to other ‘crease lines’ on the body e.g. elbow / back of knee / wrist. These ‘crease’ lines aren’t as well defined as the lines on the palm. If you stretch out your arm the elbow crease becomes fainter, but stretch your hand and the palmar lines appear stronger. There are no markings on the elbow or other creases such as we see on the lines of the hand - (how could the markings be caused by folding?). There are lines on the hand where the skin doesn’t fold, and places where the hand folds but there is no distinct line.

If the lines were caused by folding, why do most of us have two “transverse creases” (Head & Heart lines) on our palms instead of one (Simian line)? Manual workers, who use their hands a lot, usually have fewer lines than people who do sedentary jobs. Also, most of us have more lines on our passive hands the one we don’t write with) yet it is used (moved / folded) less than the active hand.

The main argument against them being crease lines is that the lines on the palm are all present by the time the foetus is 3 months old. The lifeline forms at 7 - 8 weeks gestation, heart & head lines at 9 - 10 weeks, but the muscles needed for movement of the hand don’t form until 11 weeks, when there are the first reflex movements. Voluntary hand actions don’t start till 23 weeks. The nerve endings, which stimulate the muscles, are forming around the same time as the lines. So the lines are there before even reflex movements are possible and long before voluntary muscular movement of the hand exists.

Another myth is that elderly people have more lines than young people. Although we do tend to develop more lines as we get older, especially on the fingertips, some elderly people have very few lines and some young people have lines all over their palms! The number of lines on the palm differs according to the temperament, health etc of the individual.

Can palmistry tell how long I will live from my lifeline?
No, the life line does not foretell length of life, so don’t worry if you think you have a short lifeline! It tells us a lot about your health, energy and lifestyle. A short line may mean that you need to use your energy in short bursts with rests in between. More common than a short line is one which stops and re-starts, usually with the two lines overlapping for a while, this shows some kind of change in your lifestyle.

Can palmistry predict my future?
Although the fingerprints never change, the palmar lines and markings change throughout life. If our future was all mapped out for us, surely the lines would stay the same. When looking at a hand, we see the person as they are NOW, bringing their past with them and sowing seeds for the future. Although many palmists do make predictions, any prediction from the hand is only potential. Most prediction is based on the direction you are going in now. It is not set in stone - we all have free will to make choices and changes in our lives, that will affect our future and alter our “fate”, and our lines will change accordingly.

Can you tell me how many children or marriages I will have?
This is the palmistry question that I get asked more than any other!
The origin of the child lines and ‘marriage’ lines (also known as ‘lines of union’, ‘affection’, ‘attachment’ or ‘relationship’ lines) goes back to palmistry manuscripts dating from the fifteenth century. These lines are located on the ulna or percussion edge of the hand, on the Mercury mount, underneath the little finger. When I get a scanner, I will show you!).

The relationship lines are horizontal lines - you might see them more clearly if you form your hand into a fist, and you should see some creases at the side of the hand, below the little finger and above the heartline. The number of lines was supposed to represent the number of marriages.

The child lines are small vertical lines that sit in top of, or cross, the relationship lines. In old-fashioned palmistry, a strong line was supposed to represent a boy and a weak line a girl. Some palmists say a straight line is a boy and a slanted line is a girl. HOWEVER…….

These days, most palmistry experts agree that the marriage lines and child lines are not reliable with regard to the number of relationships / children. I have seen distinct child lines on the hands of women over childbearing age who never had any children. Some palmists believe that child lines can show children you feel close to, so could include of course adopted children, also nephews & nieces, step-children, grandchildren etc. Others say that these lines can represent pets that you love dearly. There are lots of ways that these lines are interpreted by different people. To me, all this confirms that the child lines do not necessarily represent whether you will be a parent, nor how many children you will have. Maybe the ‘child lines’ show a willingness to nurture others?

Some people have several “marriage lines” (these days we would say “relationship lines”) but have never married or lived with anyone, or had only one marriage type relationship. Although many palmists still read these lines, (and sometimes get them right!), any prediction about children or marriage from the hand shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as very often it is not accurate.

Do you have to be psychic to read hands? Is it ‘a gift’?
No, anyone can learn palmistry. Hand analysis is not to be confused with mediumship, clairvoyance, or anything ‘paranormal’. Hand reading is a skill like map reading, or cracking a code, or doing a jigsaw. You learn all the basics of what each feature of the hand might represent, then you put all the pieces together to build up a picture of the person. No two hands are the same, so each combination of features is unique to that person. The more readings you do, the more your natural intuition can increase, but you are still using the analytical techniques to reach your interpretation of the persons hands. The only mystery is why it should work at all!

How to do palmistry? How to read hands?
This question comes up a lot on the search engines. Or “palm lines, what does it mean?”, ” “how do palmists interpret hands?” etc. The answer is to read every palmistry book you can find, maybe go on a course, gather as much info as you can, try it out, test it on lots of people. Then you will gradually learn how to do it. It isn’t something you can learn overnight. In fact you never stop learning. There are so many different palmistry traditions, hand reading theories, scientific discoveries to learn about. Everyone is unique so there are always new combination of features to look at on people’s hands. The combination are the important thing. You have to look at every feature in conjunction with everything else on the hand. Don’t get too hung up on signs and symbols, like “I have a star on my Luna Mount” etc. I don’t believe that such markings are omens. In fact most aren’t independent stars at all, but lines crossing at a central point, so interpret the lines and you may get an idea what the ’star’ represents. If you want to learn, there is plenty of info out there - look up internet sites , read books . Have fun ! It is a fascinating subject to study!

Is handreading a science?
I wish I could answer “yes” to this, but the fact is that interpreting character and temperament from the hand has not been “scientifically proven” - yet! Despite the fact that hands have been studied for over 3,000 years, it was less than 150 years ago when scientists discovered that the hands are connected to the brain! Since then, thousands of research papers have been written about hands, see ‘research’ page

Not many scientists are expert hand readers and vice versa ! In the past there has been a great divide between the two, with the image of hand readers or palmists as ’superstitious fortune tellers’, to the detriment of advancing serious research. Modern hand analysis has moved well away from that approach, and scientists are starting to discover that maybe there is something scientific to be understood from this hand reading ‘art’, so the gap is closing. The good news is that these days, some scientists and hand analysts are beginning to work together. We can learn from each other. There are many things in life which science cannot yet explain, but I have great faith that many more aspects of hand analysis WILL be proven in the future !

SUPERNATURAL POWERS

Q: What are the ‘Ashta siddhis’, can you please elaborate?

Maharshi Patanjali has said that all spiritual aspirants should overlook these siddhis with renunciation. Sometime siddhis become a hindrance for spiritual aspirants. Fascination about siddhis makes them fall short of achieving their destined goals. The ultimate aim of an aspirant is not the achievement of supernatural powers but in the realization of the supreme self, the master of all siddhis.

PRAYERS

Q: According to you, what is the best means to advance on the spiritual path?

We should only pray and leave the result or the success of the prayer in the hands of the Almighty. Prayer is a mean of spiritual advancement. One can realize God by constant and sincere prayers. If you look at the lives of great ones like Mirabai, Narsinh Mehta or Tukaram, they used the prayer as a medium and achieved the vision of God.

Q: What gain does an ordinary person derive from prayer?

A: Prayer gives confidence and courage to face adverse situations. It helps the mind to remain nonchalant in all kinds of emotions. When a favorable result is achieved due to prayer, love for the God increases manifold and one’s mind and heart becomes purified.

MEDITATION

Q: How does one perform Meditation?

Q: My mind does not concentrate while performing meditation. What is the reason for this?

A: Samadhi. After regular and constant practice of meditation, one submerges into the divine - the eternal force and loses the consciousness of body and mind. One loses awareness about all external objects – one’s surroundings, place, time etc. That is the ultimate result of meditation.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

Q: What happens to a soul when it leaves a physical body?

A: There are various illustrations about this phenomenon in our ancient spiritual scriptures. Depending upon one’s karma, the soul goes to heaven or hell (righteous path or elsewhere).

Q: Do those who leave the physical body take birth again?

A: Those who have latent desires or worldly and material wishes will again take birth and assume a physical body.

Q: Do those souls take birth immediately? If not, how much time elapses before their re-birth?

A: There is no fixed rule in this regard. Some souls immediately take birth and assume a physical body while others take birth after some time.

Q: Is it possible to contact such souls? Is it advisable?

A: Yes. It is definitely possible to contact such souls. If one tries and does contact ordinary and pleasure loving souls, it does not serve any purpose. If the contact is with some extraordinary saint or sages, then it is useful for marching forward on the path of divinity.

Q: Does this mean that there is no benefit by contacting ordinary souls?

A: Even if there is a benefit in contacting such souls, the advantage is not noteworthy. One gains nothing by having contact with such souls. If one can communicate with other souls, why not attempt to contact the extraordinary and divine souls?

Q: Can such souls provide guidance to spiritual aspirant? If yes, how?

A: If we wish, they can direct us. They can even give us mantra-diksha (bless us with a holy name to recite). They can give their divya-darshan (appear before an aspirant in divine form). They can provide their valuable guidance to solve any problem that an aspirant may face on his journey towards the divine.

Q: Have you met anyone who have such experiences?

A: Why merely ask about it? Attempt to have such an experience yourself. Pray for their grace. You will also be blessed by the most extraordinary souls.

KUNDALINI

Q: What is Kundalini?

A: Kundalini is a type of power which exists within our body. It has been described extensively in our Yogic scriptures. Accordingly, Kundalini resides in the Muladhar chakra at the base of our spinal cord.

Q: Does everybody posses Kundalini power?

A: Of course. It exists in everybody but it is in latent form. Not only do we have to awaken it but we also have to ascend the energy, passing it through all the chakras and finally stabilizing it in our top most chakra namely Sahastradal. When we do that, we attain Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Q: Is it necessary for all aspirants to awaken the Kundalini?

A: No. Those who follow the path of Yoga must take steps to awaken the Kundalini, while for seekers of Gyan path, it is not mandatory. In fact after a certain stage of sadhana, though an aspirant may not be aware of it, the Kundalini awakens.

Q: What are the means by which Kundalini can be awaken?

A: Some Asanas like Shirshasana (Head stand), Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand), and Pashchimottanasana (Seated forward bend) helps in the awakening of Kundalini. Performance of Bhastrika pranayam (A breathing exercise wherein the air is inhaled and exhaled like in bellows), some of the mudras such as Tadagi Mudra and Shanmukhi Mudra aid in this as well.
Purity of heart and recitation of holy name also play an important role in awakening of Kundalini.

Q: Can Kundalini be awakened externally by another person?

A: Sometime during the process of initiation, a Guru may awaken the serpent power of the disciple. However such incidents rarely occur as very few individuals are blessed with such powers. It is equally true that many disciples are not ready to receive that kind of grace.

There are descriptions in our ancient scriptures about such dikshas wherein merely by a touch or a sankalpa (determined thought/resolve) a Guru would awaken the Kundalini of his disciples. But in such cases the disciple also has to practice rigorously, otherwise the awakened Kundalini would become latent again.

Q: Is it possible that once awakened Kundalini can again become serpent?

A: Of course. If the sadhaka becomes careless and discontinues practice, then Kundalini will once again become dormant.

Q: What kind of experience does one have when the Kundalini is awakened?

A: These experiences are very unique and are difficult to describe. For instance all the atoms of the body become enlightened, all kinds of laziness disappear, and sometimes one experiences a sensation synonymous to row of ants ascending the spinal cord. Sometimes a special knocking sound (like knocking on the door) is heard coming from region of one’s back etc.

Q: As the kundalini rises through different chakras, what kind of experience does an aspirant undergo?

A: While passing through different chakras, sadhaka enjoys many unique experiences. For example, while Kundalini enters the Nabhi chakra from  Muladhar chakra divine knowledge is obtained as well as the ability to transcribe that knowledge. While the Kundalini power passes through Manipur chakra and Swadhistan chakra ‘Nad’ is heard and one achieves control over one’s hunger, thirst and even one’s excretion system. The face becomes radiant and the mind becomes nonchalant towards worldly objects.

While Kundalini passes through Agya chakra, one can comprehend the past, present and future effortlessly.  One can have association with great sages merely by samkalpa (determined thought).  When Kundalini further travels to Brahmarandhra chakra, one experiences Nirvikalpa Samadhi and unity with the eternal power.
Q: Have you experienced anything from all that you just described?

A: Whatever I say, I say it on the basis of my personal experiences. What I just described; I experienced it during my sadhana, otherwise I would not be able to elaborate on the topic in such detail.

Q: Is it true that awakening of Kundalini results in experiencing the divine light?

A: Some aspirants may have such an experience but not everyone undergoes through same phenomenon on awakening of their Kundalini power.

Q: In which way does awakening of Kundalini affect the progress on the spiritual path?

A: After the awakening, the process of sadhana becomes stimulating and exciting. The mind’s ability to concentrate increases manifold; it does not engage easily in worldly objects during meditation.

KHECHARI MUDRA

Q: What is Khechari Mudra  ?

A: ‘Kham’ means sky and ‘Char’ means to move. ‘Khechari’ thus means to move in the sky. The sky may be an outside one or the one that is inside human body. It is said that a yogi who has mastered Khechari Mudra can move anywhere in the sky. That’s why it is given the name ‘Khechari Mudra’.

Q: Which other siddhis can one obtain besides moving in the sky with the practice of  ‘Khechari Mudra’ ?

A: With Khechari Mudra, a yogi can be blessed with some other siddhis such as knowledge of the past, present and future; ‘doordarshan’ (ability to perceive things far-off) and ‘doorshravan’ (ability to hear sound far-off) as well as Nirvikalpa Samadhi (The highest spiritual state in which all thoughts, attributes and description subsides).

Q: How does one perform Khechari Mudra ?

A: First, one has to lengthen one’s tongue and for that one has to resort to friction or ‘dohan’. After the tongue has been elongated by such practices, one has to invert the tongue upside down and touch the top of the mouth known as ‘talu pradesh’ (nasal cavity at the base of the palate). In this position the mind becomes easily focused and one loses body consciousness and ultimately enters into the Samadhi.

The process of lengthening the tongue is an extremely painful process so I do not advise all the aspirants to perform Khechari Mudra. The concentration of mind, the state of losing body consciousness and ultimately entering into Samadhi can be achieved by other means as well. Meditation, japa or other methods are less difficult or painful so a spiritual aspirant should take recourse to such methods.

Q: What should an aspirant with a long tongue do in order to progress on the path of Yoga?

A: An aspirant, who is blessed with a long tongue should thank god and try wholeheartedly for the attainment of Samadhi by means of Khechari Mudra. He should regularly sit in meditation and perform Khechari Mudra primarily to achieve the ultimate goal of life.

F.A.Q. On FASTING

Q: How does fasting aid in one’s sadhana?

A: The first direct benefit of fasting is on the health of an individual. Fasting facilitates in the reduction of laziness and lethargy. For example, one does not feel sleepy when one refrains from eating at night. Fasting not only affects the body but the mind as well. The mind is able to focus without much effort. One can say that fasting assists the mind to concentrate thereby serving as an invaluable aid in one’s spiritual practices.

Q: Can one take fruits during fasting?

A: It is best to perform a fast by taking only water or milk, but those who are unable to fast in this way can take fruits. However, fruits should be taken only once and in limited quantities. The amount of fruit one eats should be limited as not to create a sense of heaviness in the body. Normally, most people take fruits in large quantities while fasting thereby defeating the very purpose for which it is performed. Such fasts, performed merely for the sake of fasting become ineffective and do not aid in one’s spiritual progress.

Q: Can you throw some more light on the subject of fasting?

A: Those who fast should give utmost attention towards the purity of mind and in making their mind pure and virtuous. While fasting, they should follow certain disciplines such as avoiding any wrong deeds - one should not lie, one should not become angry nor betray anyone. One should not hurt anyone’s feeling in any way by his conduct or do injustice to anybody.

Thereafter a person should try to follow all of the above on the days on which he is not observing a fast. Their life will thus become pure and they will progress rapidly on the path of spirituality. If fasting is performed in this manner then it will have spiritual value otherwise it will just become a traditional or custom and will not be of much use in an individual’s spiritual progress.

Q: Why can’t we behold God?

A: Many people ask me this question and I have elaborated on it so many times. Anyhow, I will repeat it once again.

The most essential component, the unquenchable thirst for the manifestation of God has not arisen in you and that is the reason you are unable to have the vision of God. One can definitely manifest the eternal power which sustains this universe if such a thirst awakens within one’s self; if one prays earnestly and cries wholeheartedly. But where is such longing? Most people in the world are preoccupied chasing worldly gratifications. Their hearts are filled with lust and desires for material pleasures. One has to purify his heart and then invite God in with utmost love and devotion.

Who has lost peace of mind and sleep in pursuit of God? Worldly duties make a person worried; even in their dreams people visualize worldly scenes. Has it ever happened to you that you could not sleep because God would not appear before you? The ardent lover of God cannot sleep peacefully; he cannot eat properly for days together without the vision of God. Has that ever occurred to you? Have you ever become mad in yearning for God?

In reply to your question, I would say that an unquenchable thirst and infinite love for the Divine is required in order to have His vision. The day such emotions will manifest within your self, God will not be able to stay away from you.

F.A.Q On JAPA

Q: How does one perform japa? Which method is the best?

A: Mainly there are three types of japa: (1) Vachik japa - One that can be performed by speaking or reading the holy name (2) Upanshu japa - One that can be performed by uttering the holy name in such a way that no one but oneself is able to hear the words and (3) Manasik japa - One that can be done internally without any external expressions.

Each method described above is best and gives results. Initially, when it is difficult to focus the mind an aspirant should take help of Vachik japa. After a period of time when external thoughts subside, an aspirant should take recourse of Upanshu japa.  After regular practice of Upanshu japa an aspirant would find Manasik japa more beneficial. Thus, all the three types are useful.

Q: If one performs japa mechanically, does it help?

A: Try to perform japa with love and affection. Initially it may happen that japa is performed mechanically, this will not cause any harm. Once you continue doing japa on a regular basis, your mind will begin to concentrate. Divine love and affection will follow automatically.

Q: Can one meditate while performing japa? Is this beneficial?

A: japa can be performed in two ways: 1) only reciting the holy name or 2) recitation and contemplation upon some divine form or figure.

The advantage of the second method is that one part of the mind remains engrossed in visualizing the divine form while another part is performing japa thereby preventing the mind from wavering and thus allowing it to be focused with lesser efforts.

Q: Which objects should one contemplate upon while doing japa?

A: There is no fixed rule for that.  One should select the object depending upon one’s interest and choice. If it is difficult for one to decide which object to contemplate upon, then one should take guidance from any realized saints or an experienced person.

In the end, it’s important that one should not often change the subject of contemplation . Once selected, one should adhere to it otherwise it will take longer to benefit from japa.

Q: Is it mandatory to take mantra only from a Guru?

A: No, It’s not mandatory. Those who have a Guru can take a mantra from him. If one doesn’t have a Guru, he/she shouldn’t sit idle. One has to start reciting any mantra of one’s choice.

It is not advisable to waste the invaluable time of human life in waiting for a Guru to provide a mantra. Whatever mantra one deems fit, he/she should immediately start reciting it with utmost love and faith. For those who haven’t encountered a Guru in physical form can always follow his/her own soul - an internal Guru. One should march forward without waiting for an external Guru.

Q: If one recites a mantra which has not been given by a Guru, does it help in any way?

A: There is no reason to doubt the benefit of a mantra. Believe that your mantra is given by the Guru of all Gurus – the Almighty Lord, and recite it with much love and affection. Remember that one day you will achieve the grace of God.

Q: Are there any means by which one can easily focus one’s mind?

A: If you are asking about the methods or techniques for focusing the mind, I would suggest the following:

You can also make a habit of constant recitation thereby causing your mind to be constantly engaged in reciting the mantra. Thus, your mind will concentrate easily.

Q: It has been said in our scriptures to perform a fixed number of japas in order to accomplish certain goals. Do you think such ‘anusthans’ can be helpful in spiritual advancement?

A: Anusthans can or can not be helpful. Most of the anusthans are performed for the achievement of worldly or material things. Some perform it for wealth, status, position, cure of diseases, long life, favorable solution of court cases, to have a baby boy, to marry with a loved one or to defeat enemies etc. Some even perform them for their political motives or to gain some extraordinary powers.

Rarely does one perform anusthan with the sole aim of spiritual advancement. So how can such anusthans be helpful? If one has spiritual advancement in mind then such anusthans definitely helps. There is no doubt about it. In fact the sole motive behind such anusthans should be to achieve control over one’s senses, to solidify the love for the Almighty and ultimately to realize the eternal power of the God.

Q: On average how many japa does one need to perform to focus one’s mind and to experience peace and tranquility?

A: There is no such universal number. It all depends upon an individual and his qualifications. If a person is taking recourse of japa in order to establish divine love for the Supreme Self then his/her minds will become focused comparatively easily. On the other hand if one’s japa are not aimed at establishing love for the Divine it will take longer for the mind to focus.

I would advise that instead of having interest in the number of japa one should direct all the efforts towards the purity of mind and try to do as much japa as possible. One should think that until the mind becomes focused or feels peace, the number of japa performed are not adequate and therefore one should continue this practice. With the correct state of mind, even one japa will suffice while in absence of it even millions of japa would be fruitless. It all depends upon one’s sadhana. So in answer to your question it would be unfair to tell you any definite number.

Q: How does one measure one’s progress while performing japa?

A: The simplest measure is the ability of the mind to concentrate. One becomes so engrossed in japa that one forgets the external environment, his/her whereabouts, time and place etc. When such a state is achieved without much effort, it can be said that one has made considerable progress.

Another measure is the love for the Divine.  The heart becomes pure and is filled with boundless love for the figure upon which he is contemplating. A divine joy is experienced. Sometimes japa ceases automatically and mind remains engrossed in deep emotions. Such a state is different from sleep, dreaminess or laziness. This is also an important sign of progress.