62 Spirituality Studies 10-2 Fall 2024 to our happiness or satisfaction, and to dislike, hate, be averse to or fear whatever we believe to be in some way or other detrimental to our happiness or satisfaction, so what we all ultimately like, love and want is to be happy or satisfied. In the present article I do not intend to discuss the definition of ego. It is a huge topic and deserves dedicated focus. I just wanted to note that the likes and dislikes James lists are always based on emotional reaction, whether primary or secondary. By primary emotions I refer to the basic ones which can appear without being prompted by thoughts (fear or anger). By secondary emotions I refer to feelings that are motivated by thoughts and are more complex (sadness or doubt). Consciousness includes these emotional reactions and thoughts, plus other sensations coming from the material dimension (like pain, heat, cold or hunger) and from the upper dimensions that bring in glimpses of other ways of experiencing life. What is also true is that the ego is not a consistent “entity”, and each of us experiences the glimpses of upper dimensions to a different degree and with changing frequency. As James and Maharshi explain, ego is consciousness related to an object, and I completely agree with that view. I also agree that the direct approach suggested by Ramana Maharshi is most valuable, however, my independent passage involved distinctive stages. I realized that separating the emotion from my thoughts – an intuitive notion that served me in the most difficult moment – was crucial for my successful process. Since emotions and thoughts belong to different dimensions of perception, it is important to approach them individually. My assertion that the second chakra holds only emotional charge is not in accordance with the traditional view of the second chakra as not just emotional but also sexual and creative. As I explained in the previous articles (Rebelle 2021; 2023), I consider the second chakra energy to be solely emotional. It is Kuṇḍalinī itself that assumes attributes of survival, sexuality and creativity and maintains them throughout one’s lifetime. Since the distinction I propose, as far as I know, has never been made before, the notion of separating emotions from thoughts has not been clearly exposed either. In my observation, the phenomenon of emptiness is the result of cleansing the second chakra of emotions. In studies of spiritual practices and processes of ascension, the mention of emptiness is often present. In the Buddhist Mahāyāna tradition, the issue of emptiness is brought to the forefront by considering the emptiness to be the goal of practice. The Buddhist approach focuses on releasing both emotions and thoughts, as much as on letting go of the body. Interestingly, the teachings of Atiyoga describe the Three Bodies of the Buddha (Sa. trikāya) as emptiness, clarity and all-pervading compassion (Thondup 1989). This categorization relates very well to my observation of dimensions of perception. In my understanding, by removing the emotional charge from second chakra one arrives at emptiness, sweeping clean third chakra from lingering thoughts one achieves clarity, and when focusing on the fourth chakra one finds the all-pervading compassion of the dimension of universal love. Michael Singer (2007, 169) considers the principle of Tao as “hollow, empty. Like the eye of a hurricane, its power is its emptiness.” It is noteworthy that as much as emptiness is acknowledged to have such important function, it is also considered a partial and temporary stage in approaching and uncovering consciousness. This aligns with my view that arriving at the stage of emotional emptiness is a crucial step on the path to further discovery of higher dimensions of perception. The definition of emptiness varies to large extents in spiritual traditions, but overall, the state of emptiness is either the main goal or an important stage on a spiritual path. Ramana Maharshi (2001, 396), teaching the direct, non-dualistic method of self-investigation states: “The state of emptiness has been the bone of contention in all philosophies… Who sees nothingness or emptiness?” Thus, he let the concept of emptiness remain in the nature of the ego, where the observer who sees the emptiness is still considered real. This statement is in full agreement with my observation of emptiness being revealed during the passage of Kuṇḍalinī rising though the second chakra. I understand that Ramana Maharshi is not referring to chakras or emotions in this regard, but he points at the state where relation to any concept or possible object of awareness (including emptiness or nothingness) is already transcended, and pure consciousness is all there is. My point here is that at the stage where Kuṇḍalinī moves through the second chakra one has a chance to acknowledge the state of emptiness (or emotional void) and consciously use it to direct focus towards the chakra above. For Kuṇḍalinī to enter and thoroughly clear the second chakra, the chakra needs to be free of emotional charge, which means that emotions need to be brought to non-existence.
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