Liberate Your Spiritual Genius
Through Chanting
CHAKRA MANTRAS
By Thomas Ashley-Farrand
Reviewed by Angela Hutchinson
Spirit-Works.net
Chakra Mantras is a tolerant and educational book containing many life affirming and life altering mantras used to develop spiritual practice and enhance one’s experiences. Thomas Ashley-Farrand has gathered a vast amount of information for the reader to absorb. He is exceedingly knowledgeable of the body’s spiritual system of Chakra points and energy processing. There are indeed more than 7 levels of Chakras, the author introduces the more intricate esoteric chakras and the specific purposes they serve. We are also introduced to the concept of mantras and how they benefit our spiritual progression. “Mantra is a Sanskrit word that describes a spiritual formula. This formula is exact and has been tested by the ancient rishis (sages) of old India. Mantra formulas work in specific ways, bringing energy and consciousness into the spine, the shushumna, and to the chakras located along the spine for a specific purpose, producing a specific effect.”
The author begins with mantras specific to the first chakra at the base of the spine which deals with “survival and security” issues. I found it quite helpful that Ashley-Farrand offers mantras regarding fear and abundance first knowing that these issues are primal and must be dealt with before further progression. This book simply overflows with helpful information based on Eastern philosophy.
The Second chakra in the genital center focuses on “pleasure and sexual identity”. “The energy of the second chakra is extremely powerful. It can be harnessed and developed for extraordinary healing capabilities. Or it can be used to inflict insidious psychic damage to others.” Mantras are presented for addiction, weight loss, and depression or anxiety.
The third chakra located in the solar plexus deal with personal power and karmic changes. This is a fascinating period of self awareness which brings individual issues of courage, peace of mind, marriage, childbirth, health, intelligence, etc…into our conscious experience.
The fourth chakra just below the heart presents “issues of soul destiny and the form (or nonform) of the Divine Beloved”. “…God is the essence of our own eternal being. God is the source of all the religions always leading us closer to divine truth.”
The fifth chakra located at the throat addresses “will and spiritual authority”. “In the spiritual approach to things, the power of words becomes immensely strong the further along one goes. The higher the stage of develop, the more powerful the words. In fact, in the higher chakras, one needs only say a thing or think a thing and it will manifest.” The Ajna Chakra is between the eyebrows and focuses on individual expressions of Divine Will.
The Soma Chakra located above the roof of the mouth deals with immortality.
The Kala Chakra addresses the final disciplines taught by the Buddha.
The Guru Chakra is just under the Sahasrara Chakra at the top of the head. Advanced spiritual teachers can activate this chakra. This is when one must address “The Great Decision”, do we move on to the Sahasrara chakra where our individual existence will cease to be or will we delay the progression and help other conscious beings?
The author thoughtfully offers spiritual tools to utilize when we need to correct a habit of our ego-mind. Chakra Mantras can be used as a guide or simply as a stop along the way to gaining many views of the spiritual path. The author also writes of gurus and teachers past and present in great depth. He writes of what to look for in a true teacher.
We learn the spiritual process all comes down to Love. We create our own “spiritual mosaic”. “As we tune and practice, we may have profound spiritual experiences. Some of them may be so overwhelming that we feel we have FOUND IT. By all means be grateful. Gratitude is a powerful spiritual state in which to be. But please resist the temptation to extrapolate your personal experience into an immutable universal imperative. Truth has many roads and byways leading to and from it.”
Thomas Ashley-Farrand impressively presents his knowledge and experience within the pages of Chakra Mantras and we, the readers, benefit in extraordinary ways as we search and create our own spiritual mosaic. The wonderful words in this book acknowledge the many paths to the Divine and the many forms the Divine may take. This is a real journey with real experiences that meet us where we are at. Chakra Mantras is an intelligent and nourishing place to visit…and sometimes it may serve as a map. It is an excellent read for those interested in Eastern thought and gaining greater insight into the Chakra system.