Yantra and Cakra in Tantric Meditation
Madhu Khanna
Asian Traditions of Meditation October 31, 2016 DOI: 10.21313/hawaii/9780824855680.003.0004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that the Śrīyantra's symbolic universe, comprising mantras, deities, cosmic categories, and psychological traits, creates psychocosmic identities that unify the meditative object and the meditator, preventing their dichotomy. |
Abstract
In Hindu Tantric meditation, yantras are visual meditative tools composed of concentric linear shapes centered on the Bindu, a dimensionless point. This essay discusses the Śrīyantra, the symbol of goddess Tripurasundarī, which represents the meta-worldview of Śākta Tantra. The Śriyantra is composed of nine circuits, which are identified with nine psychic energy centers of consciousness along the vertical midline of the visualized subtle body. The meditative process commences from the gross levels of consciousness represented by the peripheral circuit and moves toward the subtle and transcendent consciousness of the center (=bindu). The symbolic universe of the Śrīyantra consists of mantras, deities, cosmic categories and psychological traits. These symbols form the interpretative frame for inducing psychocosmic identities without which the meditative object, the yantra, and the meditator will remain dichotomized and disconnected.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |