The power of Sri Yantra
Have you ever heard of the Sri Yantra? Symbol of the cosmos, sacred symbol, meditation and yoga tool , energy healing tool, the Sri Yantra is all of these. Incredibly, the tradition of drawing and contemplating yantras dates back over 2000 years!
It's also known as Sri Chakra or Shree Yantra. This powerful and ancient meditation tool is a gateway to higher levels of consciousness. Contemplation of the Sri Yantra is in itself a symbolic journey, with each step in the construction of this geometrical form taking us to the center, towards the spiritual goal of unity (like symbols in general).
This sacred symbol, used in India for thousands of years, is a symbol of cosmic energy. It is considered the world's most powerful meditation tool. In this article, you'll discover a study that has been carried out on the subject. That's why it's often used in personal development practices.
In this article, I take you on a journey of discovery of this age-old symbol, used in meditation and yoga. You'll discover the meaning of each component of this symbol, how it can be used and what its benefits are.
Yantras (Sri Yantras): what are they?
The Encyclopaedia Universalis gives us the following definition:
Linear diagrams (geometric figures) or images of landscapes, animals or people, used by the Indian tradition, both Hindu and Buddhist, as meditation aids.
The attentive contemplation of yantras is supposed to force the mind to concentrate on forms whose metaphysical significance the intuitive intelligence (buddhi) gradually (or instantaneously, depending on the school) grasps. Tantric texts most often give the name maṇḍala to the most elaborate figures, and yantra (a Sanskrit word meaning "instrument of mastery") to those that are more strictly geometrical.
The most famous of the latter is the shrī yantra (śri means "splendor", " good fortune ", " prosperity "). A square outer enclosure with four doors, opening onto the four cardinal points, encloses a triple circle that is most often given the appearance of a lotus successively unfolding eight, sixteen and thirty-two petals.
The central part of the figure (the heart of the lotus) comprises nine interlocking triangles in the manner of a " Solomon's seal ": five triangles pointing downwards, four triangles pointing upwards.
Finally, the exact center is marked by a dot (bindu).
The symbolism of this set is highly complex: it's essentially a representation of the Universe, with Earth (the square), Space (the doors opening onto the orients), Heaven (the concentric circles), the unfolding of phenomenal manifestation (the lotus petals), the forces of life (the upward-pointing triangles represent the male principle, the downward-pointing ones the female element); finally, the transcendence of the absolute (Brahman) is suggested by the central point.
Knowledge of this symbolism is obtained through the practice of dhyāna ("meditation", one of the most advanced stages of yoga), which is learned under the guidance of a guru ("spiritual master"), after the adept has received initiation from him.
Yantras are therefore neither "auspicious signs" nor amulets, although some Indians tend to use them as such; as the name suggests (the word is formed from the root yam, "to master", "to tame"), they are means, tools enabling the adept to practice perfect meditation, thanks to which he will succeed in awakening within himself thes piritual energy (shakti) whose union with his soul (ātman) constitutes salvation.
In the Buddhist religion, a yantra is a mystical diagram that illustrates the various concepts and aspects of the world.
There are countless yantras, but they all include the basic geometric figures: square, circle, triangle. Whatever their complexity, they all serve the same purpose and leave their mark on the art of India, Nepal and Tibet, including architecture (where many temples are built on plans that are, in fact, yantras).
Meaning and symbolism of the sacred symbol Sri or Shri Yantra
In Hinduism, a yantra symbolizes a truth, a quality of the world: universal love, supreme truth... It is a visual medium used in meditation, just as the mantra is a vocal medium. Meditating on a yantra is said to give access to unity with the concept linked to it. Its shapes - triangles, squares, circles - convey conscious content through their known meaning, but they also appeal to unconscious psychic structures. These compositions of proportioned, centered geometric signs are reminiscent of mandalas.
In traditional Indian mystical symbolism, the meaning of these geometrical figures is as follows:
- The point, Bindu, energy, center where creation takes place (in Tantrism, the bindu is also a chakra);
- The equilateral triangle points downwards, Shakti Kona, feminine aspect, water;
- The equilateral triangle points upwards, Shiva Kona, masculine aspect, fire;
- The circle, Chakra, air;
- The square, Bhupura (or Bhur in Sanskrit), earth, also known as "the citadel of the earth";
- The lotus flower, Padma, purity.
A yantra is always circumscribed within a generally square structure.
Dot symbolism (Bindu)
The point is the simplest and most abstract of graphic symbols. By geometric definition, it is infinitely small. It represents the first stage in the manifestation of creative energy when applied to the world of form.
From the first point of manifestation, creation develops towards a later, more complex phase, just as the circle or sphere develops in relation to its central point, in the plane or in space.
In Sanskrit, bindu means a point in a two-dimensional plane, but also a drop in three-dimensional space.
It is the first manifestation to emerge from the perfect void.
Bindu is always the starting point for the construction of yantras or mandalas, which are graphic projections used, among other things, to focus a meditator's concentration.
Each yantra is the artistic creation symbolizing the process of manifestation of the Divine plan. The yantra is created in the formal world from this bindu point at its center, and manifests from the perfect void through this first point.
The meditator focuses his attention on this point to enter the yantra and access the Divine plane that lies beneath its manifestation.
This point is a gateway between dimensions. It is therefore both the beginning of a manifestation of the uncreated towards form, and the end of a process of inner integration of form towards the spiritual plane.
Indian women draw a dot between their eyebrows or stick a small round stone, called a bindu, to symbolize their third eye, the eye of knowledge that enables them to cross the illusory veil of material duality and contemplate the Divine plane.
Symbolism of the 9
The Sri Yantra is a tantric meditation diagram made up of nine interlocking triangles around a central point, the bindu. The 4 triangles pointing upwards represent Shiva and his rising energy. The 5 triangles pointing down represent Shakti or Lalitā, with her energy descending. It's a pair of opposites (similar to the Taoist concept of yin-yang) united in the bindu. As it comprises nine triangles, it is sometimes called the Navayoni Chakra.
The nine triangles are intertwined to form 43 smaller triangles in a symbolic network of the entire cosmos, or a symbolic matrix of creation. Together, they express Advaita or non-duality. Looking outwards, the triangles are surrounded by a lotus flower of eight petals, then another of sixteen, and a square symbolizing the Earth and resembling a square temple with four doors (one on each side).
As a meditation aid, it should lead the practitioner to an acute sense of detachment from all contingencies and the veil of mâyâ (metaphysical illusion).
From the outside in, these nine levels are :
- Trailokya Mohana or Bhupara, a square with 3 lines around the perimeter and 4 doors (one in the middle of each side)
- Sarva Aasa Paripuraka, a 16-petal lotus flower
- Sarva Sankshobahana, an 8-petal lotus flower
- Sarva Saubhagyadayaka, a set of 14 small triangles
- Sarva Arthasadhaka, a set of 10 small triangles
- Sarva Rakshakara, a set of 10 small triangles
- Sarva Rogahara, a set of 8 small triangles
- Sarva Siddhi prada, a single small triangle
- Sarva Anandamaya, the central point or bindu
How to use and benefit from the Sri Yantra?
Use in meditation or yoga
As with all sacred geometry symbols, there are many ways to use the Sri Yantra. Here are just a few possible uses for this yantra:
Energize and harmonize: your water, minerals and places.
But it's true that this symbol is used so much in meditative practice, that you'll naturally be led to use it mainly for that.
1. For meditation, sit comfortably in front of your Sri Yantra painting. This symbol is a door with a key at its center.
2. Breathe in calmly to create an inner peace conducive to this journey to the center of yourself.
3. Focus your attention on the central point that created this geometric figure.
4. Gradually, your mind begins its journey beyond the image and symbol.
Mantras and yantras are frequently used in yoga as a means of concentration (as are all symbols). Meditating on a Yantra is a means of attaining knowledge of the truth and uniting with it.
Raja Yoga comprises eight stages, the first of which gradually transforms the life, body and mind of the practitioner. Concentration, called Dhyana in India, is the sixth stage of this yoga. The practice of concentration uses many supports: mantras, yantras (or various sacred images), posture, breathing, music, etc.
Each culture or religion uses its own specificity or mantra. That's how many concentration techniques there are in the world.
Concentration prepares the mind for the next stage, meditation, by controlling the flow of thoughts. At this seventh stage, there are no more techniques. Meditation is universal. After refining a state of inner silence, an awakening can suddenly spring into consciousness.
Wearing Sri Yantra jewelry
As we've seen in this article, the Sri Yantra is considered a powerful symbol of divinity and the unity of the universe. Worn as jewelry, it will help strengthen your spiritual connection, promoting greater spiritual awareness and enveloping you in a bubble of inner peace.
As a symbol representing the balance between masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) energies, wearing Sri Yantra jewelry can help balance your internal energies, promoting harmony and balance in your life. It can also raise your consciousness by helping you connect to more subtle energies.
Contemplating the Sri Yantra is in itself a symbolic journey, as each step in the construction of this geometric form takes you to the center, towards the spiritual goal of unity.
The Sri Yantra, like many other symbols of sacred geometry, is also considered a source of protection against negative energies and harmful influences. Wearing a Sri Yantra pendant can help create a spiritual shield that helps repel harmful energies and promote general well-being. This will work even better if you place a particular intention on your pendant. Put it around your neck with awareness and ask the symbol to protect and accompany you throughout the day.
Similarly, your Sri Yantra pendant can serve as a visual reminder for meditation and spiritual practice, especially if you practice yoga. The symbol's geometric complexity and powerful symbolism can help focus the mind and deepen meditation by fixing the gaze on the symbol.
The Sri Yantra: power and benefits
While researching this article, I came across an article extolling the virtues of this symbol on the brain.
And to download the article (in French) on the benefits of the Sri Yantra.
Here's an extract.
Studies have shown that thanks to Sri Yantra's properties, it can be successfully used for the formation of specific psycho-physiological states, or for the selection of individuals with the required type of nervous system organization. Sri Yantra has also been shown to activate the brain's dominant right hemisphere, while slowing down the left, which is commonly used to achieve "mystical" states of consciousness in certain religious schools and practices.
Sri Yantra has highly complex geometric properties. However, it is also associated with the profound and precise interpretation of cosmogony and psychophysiology. This duality implies the main idea of the close relationship between microcosm and macrocosm in Tantrism.
It combines a whole range of properties that are responsible for specific physiological effects and are widely used in modern therapeutic techniques.
To test the hypotheses discussed, the Faculty of Biology at Moscow State University, Ministry of Higher Nervous Education, organized an experimental study (under the direction of D.M.Ramendik-rus.) in which subjects (volunteers) were given the color image of Sri Yantra, and asked to fix their gaze on the various yantra elements, on the experimenter's command (duration of each fixation was 1 minute). Three images were used as control images (Figure 1.): concentric circles, made at appropriate levels of the Sri Yantra, rays converging towards the center, and a colored pattern obtained by mixing elements of the Sri Yantra in on a random uniform plane (pseudo-yantra).
The aim of these presentations was to test participants' reactions to certain elements of the Sri Yantra architecture. These reactions can have a decisive impact on the stimulus. For the purity of the experiment, the subjects concerned were unfamiliar with relaxation and meditation techniques, and were informed neither of the nature of any images placed, nor of the purpose of the experiment.
In all these experiments, the reaction to the Sri Yantra was radically different in nature and intensity from the reaction to the control image. In this case, two diametrically opposed phenomena were observed. For some of the subjects, Sri Yantra produced a calming effect, and they were characterized by a rapid resumption of the alpha rhythm, indicating a decrease in the level of arousal and a reduction in human contact with the external environment.
In other subjects, for whom Sri Yantra irritated, a strong inhibition of the alpha rhythm was observed, as in an "irritated" (stimulated) state of stress, with intense eye movement, despite the experimenter's insistence on concentration. table 1 shows the average percentage of alpha rhythm in rest/with eyes closed, at the experiment during the presentation of the images, and with eyes closed after the presentation of the Sri Yantra.
I'll let you download the article if you'd like to find out more about this study.
How to draw or make a Sri Yantra?
First of all, here's the material you'll need to draw a Sri Yantra:
- A compass;
- A pencil and eraser;
- A black pen;
- An A3 sheet of paper, preferably;
- A square;
- A ruler;
And here's a video tutorial that will guide you step by step to build your Shri Yantra.
Sri Yantra mandala to print and color
We offer you a free Sri Yantra to download.
A final word
We've come to the end of our trip. I hope you've enjoyed it! Did you know that the Shri Yantra is also called the "queen of yantras" (rajayantra)? And that it's the symbol of the great divine principle of the mother, the source of all vital energy, power and creativity? In fact, Vedic traditions, in particular the Shri Vidya school of tantra, consider this symbol to represent the universe, as well as the body of the goddess, linked to the feminine principle of shakti or energy.
This makes it an excellent tool for personal growth and development, to accompany you in your meditation or yoga sessions.
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Sources
Le pouvoir des symboles, Éditions Trajectoire
Wikipedia