Glands and Sub-Glands

There are many underdeveloped creatures which have no nerve cells and behave according to their instincts only.

Human beings possess nerve cells and nerve fibres, but they also behave according to their instincts.

For example, very young children smile and keep their hands closed because of their instincts. They are not goaded by intellect or by any intellectual inclination in this respect.

The innumerable nerve cells in the human body can be divided into 2 types:

1. The central nervous system

This runs from the brain to the spinal cord.

2. The peripheral nervous system

This runs from the spinal cord to the skin and going within the body.

There is also a collection of nerve cells in the cranium that is made up of fat [that is, the hypothalamus]. This has a special inborn power or a vibrational speciality, which is:

• sometimes synthetic [sympathetic]
• sometimes apathetic [parasympathetic].

In Sanskrit the region across the top of the head above the ears is called snáyupet́aka “a basket of nerves”.

A vibration from any part of the body takes one two-hundredths of a second to reach the cranium.

Suppose an insect bites your hand. The sensation will travel through your afferent nerves to the brain. Immediately an order, which will travel through the efferent nerves, will be given to remove the insect.

• “Afferent nerves” mean “sensory nerves” in Latin, saḿjiṋá nád́ii in Sanskrit
• “Efferent nerves” mean “motor nerves”, ájiṋá nád́ii in Sanskrit

The nerve cells are active and work directly in the conscious (jágrata), subconscious (svapna) and unconscious (suśupta) states of mind, although the Sanskrit and English terms for these three states are not exactly synonymous.

When the nerves do not work properly, sometimes people experience a condition which may be described as feeling unnerved.

For example, if a person is hit on the head and the balance between their afferent and efferent nerves is lost, the person may forget everything, lose his or her discrimination and be unable to decide what to do.

The same condition may occur after a nightmare. If a man dreams that he is being chased by a ghost and falls down and knocks his head, he may suddenly wake up covered in perspiration, suffering from the same symptoms as if he had actually been hit on the head while awake. In such a condition we say he is feeling unnerved.

The Chakras

Múládhára cakra

The central point of this chakra is the mid-point nerve centre of the last vertebra of the spinal column.

The whole body is balanced on this cakra [plexus]. It has 4 propensities:

1. Dharma [psycho-spiritual longing]
2. Artha [psychic longing]
3. Káma [physical longing]
4. Mokśa [spiritual longing]

Svádhiśt́hána cakra

This is situated on the spinal cord directly behind the root of the genital organ. It has 6 propensities:

1. Avajiṋá [belittlement of others]
2. Múrcchá [psychic stupor, lack of common sense]
3. Prashraya [indulgence]
4. Avishvása [lack of confidence]
5. Sarvanásha [thought of sure annihilation]
6. Kruratá [cruelty]

Mańipura cakra

This is located at the navel. It controls 10 propensities:

1. Lajjá [shyness, shame]
2. pishunatá [sadistic tendency]
3. Iirśá [envy]
4. Suśupti [staticity, sleepiness]
5. Viśáda [melancholia]
6. Kaśáya [peevishness]
7. Trśńá [yearning for acquisition]
8. Moha [infatuation]
9. Ghrńá [hatred, revulsion]
10. Bhaya [fear]

Anáhata cakra

This is situated in the centre of the chest. It controls 12 propensities:

1. Ashá [hope]
2. Cintá [worry]
3. Ceśt́á [effort]
4. Mamatá [attachment]
5. Dambha [vanity]
6. Viveka [conscience]
7. Vikalatá [mental numbness due to fear]
8. Ahaḿkára [ego]
9. Lolatá [avarice]
10. Kapat́atá [hypocrisy]
11. Vitarka [argumentativeness to point of wild exaggeration]
12. Anutápa [repentance]

Vishuddha cakra

This is located in the throat region. It controls 16 propensities:

1. Sad́aja [sound of peacock]
2. Rśabha [sound of bull or ox]
3. Gándhára [sound of goat]
4. Madhyama [sound of deer]
5. Paiṋcama [sound of cuckoo]
6. Dhaevata [sound of donkey]
7. Niśáda [sound of elephant]
8. Oṋm [acoustic root of creation, preservation, dissolution]
9. Hummm [sound of arousing kulakuńd́alinii]
10. Phat́ [practication, i.e., putting a theory into practice]
11. Vaośat́ [expression of mundane knowledge]
12. Vaśat́ [welfare in the subtler sphere]
13. Sváhá [performing noble actions]
14. Namah [surrender to the Supreme]
15. Viśa [repulsive expression]
16. Amrta [sweet expression]

When any theory is put into effect, the process of practication is made effective by chanting the sounds hummm, phat́, vaośat́, vaśat́, sváhá and namah.

Ajiṋá cakra

This is located between the eyebrows, which controls 2 propensities:

1. Apará [mundane knowledge]
2. Pará [spiritual knowledge]

Cakra is a Sanskrit term. “Plexus” is the Latin term.

Aside from the main nerve centres at each cakra, there are also sub-centres where sub-glands are located.

These sub-glands influence and control the propensities attached to each cakra. This science is largely unknown today.