The third eye, the sixth chakra between the eye brows, also is called the Ajna chakra. It is the seat of wisdom and transcendental awareness. It opens doors to our multi-dimensional nature. Beyond our physical body, thoughts and emotions, we have a non-physical aspect that is fundamental to our existence. It is our true essence, creative potential or unique fragrance. It manifests in several forms in our life, most often as love, compassion, wisdom and creative expression.
Our consciousness or awareness is not a function of mind. It is the fundamental component of the objective reality. Quantum physics has shown us that sub-atomic particles of wave nature collapse into matter at the point where an observer is consciously observing them. It is the consciousness of the observer that is creating the observed. In a way, both subjective mind and the objective reality are a function of the consciousness or awareness. This consciousness is who we are.
We are the undivided awareness of everything we see, listen to and experience through our five senses. Similar to the five senses that are doorways to experiencing the physical reality, we have inner senses that are doorways to our non-physical reality. Intuition, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience are some examples of the inner senses we all possess. The third eye is considered a doorway, an opening, into the inner world.
In India, coconut is regarded as sacred offering to God in temples because it has three eyes. Two of them are hard and cannot be opened, but the third one is soft and tender, which leads to the inner fruit. Our third eye is the soft and tender opening into the inner fruit of our unique essence.
By being aware of the space between the eye brows, we can start experiencing the third eye, first as a tingling sensation, then as an open space and finally as oneness or pure undivided awareness. It takes perseverance and practice to open the third eye and experience the fruit of awareness.
The following stages of third-eye awareness can be experienced with practice:
- Quietness — The mental chattering will soon end as one develops the awareness of third eye. Thoughts subside and a sense of quietness can be experienced. This stage is very favorable to meditation.
- Centeredness — The third eye is the center of our existence, and being aware of third eye one returns one to the center. A sense of balance and equanimity is restored with the practice.
- Witnessing state — The third eye is the seat of witnessing consciousness, a state where one is just a witness to everything happening in their life. The witnessing state gives ample opportunity to review, contemplate and discern without being entangled and enmeshed in the samasara or the objective world.
- Oneness — Our sense of separation from the world reveals an illusion with the practice of third eye awareness. Returning to Oneness is the most valuable gift of this practice. Equality and compassion become natural expressions when one returns to Oneness.
- Wisdom — The third eye is the seat of wisdom. What is false will be shattered and truth reveals itself with the practice of being aware in the third eye. One will be able to see things as they are, accept circumstance and people in their life as they are and align life to their true nature and highest purpose.
The practice of third-eye awareness should be extended to daily life. When we use our five senses to feel and experience the world, in this process we tend to identify our self with what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. During third eye practice, the central principle is to stay with the awareness of the act rather than with the objective of the act. For example, when we see something, there is the object of seeing and the subject who is seeing. But there is also the act of seeing, which is the function of awareness. Just by being with the very act of seeing while we are seeing, we are moving closer to our consciousness. In this way, third-eye awareness beings us closer to who we are.
We are the undivided awareness of everything we experience.
