How Sri Yantra Can Transform Your Life

What is the Sri Yantra? How can it help you to improve your health, your financial stability, your relationships, and your entire life?

HINDUISM

To understand the Sri Yantra, we must first discuss Hinduism. Hinduism is a traditional way of life which has been practiced in the Indian region of the world since before history was recorded. In modern times it has been adopted by people from around the globe. It is now the third largest religion in the world. Its primary tenets, to greatly simplify, encourage believers to act ethically, work diligently, enjoy life, and to appreciate how one fits into the larger world.

One key aspect of Hinduism is that every living creature - from large to small, from wealthy to poor - has an equivalent soul. We are all connected to each other and are each fundamentally as important as each other. This then impacts how we treat each other and all the life forms around us. Just as Christianity has many sub-groups with shades of belief which differ from each other, so does Hinduism. One of these sub-groups is Sri Vidya, also known as Shri Vidya or Shree Vidya. Even within the Shri Vidya group there are sub-groups. A core belief of the Sri Vidya is a focus on the all-encompassing goddess who has a thousand names. It's important to note that in Hinduism a main underlying tenet is that all forms of life are joined and equal. So studying Sri Vidya is not "subordinate" to the mentor helping her nor the goddess herself. All are different aspects of an overarching whole. A key purpose of studying Sri Vidya is to come to understand this fundamental truth. Also, while the word "goddess" is often used with Sri Vidya, the goddess represents all life forms of all genders, not just females. This is similar to the Judeo-Christian God being at his core genderless and representing all life forms, not just male, even though our limited language often has us refer to God as "he".

TANTRAS AND YANTRAS

Like many religions and ways of life, Hinduism has traditions and practices which help those who follow its way learn more deeply about its message. In Hinduism these techniques are known as "tantras". There are many different types of tantras created for a variety of training and understanding purposes. The use of yantras - or diagrams - is one such tantra. In a historic era when many people were illiterate, diagrams and drawings became a powerful way to share and communicate meaning. In much the same way that stained glass illustrations in churches could help Christian followers learn the stories of their religion, the yantras of the Hindu way of life could convey information in a way which all participants could understand. Yantras have the additional benefit of providing a common way of sharing ideas even when the practitioners spoke different languages. Yantras have been found in India dating to over 11,000 years ago. Some yantra designs are meant to help a meditator retain their focus. In other cases they can represent a concept such an achievement, just as a proud college graduate might hang their diploma on a wall to inspire them. The colors used to showcase the yantra often have specific meanings. For example, white represents purity - for much the same reasons that many young women today choose to wear a white wedding dress.

SRI YANTRA

So we understand that Sri Vidya is a sub-group of Hinduism which guides believers to understand their part in the interconnected web of life. Yantras are designs which help practitioners understand concepts important to their chosen path. The Sri Yantra - also known as the Sri Chakra - is the design which helps Sri Yantra practitioners better understand their interconnected world view. The design of the Sri Yantra begins with a central point - this is the bindu. This core dot represents the unity of all things. Many Hindu wear a dot on their forehead to remind them of this tenet. Around the bindu are nine interlocking, interconnected triangles. Triangles are found in many major religions to represent a person's relationship with the larger world. The triangles, overlaid on each other, then form sub-triangles, reminding us of how everything is related to each other. The layout of these nine triangles is quite thought-provoking and complicated. The triangles are not simply the same size or of even sizes. Rather, the innermost triangle is wholly equilateral. Every side is equivalent to the other two. And second, any time a trio of lines cross, they must do so all at the same point. While this might seem like simple geometry, it is actually quite challenging to have this happen with nine different triangles on top of each other. It showcases just how powerful this yantra is - and how carefully it was researched and drawn all those thousands of years ago. Around the outside of these triangles are shown lotus flowers, representing the creation of all. And at the very edges of the design are straighter lines which represent the Earth temple itself opening out onto the full universe.

Yantras are often thought of only as flat, two-dimensional representations, and indeed this is how they are commonly portrayed as floor decorations or wall hangings. However, a yantra can also be created in a three-dimensional form. The Sri Yantra as a three-dimensional object has a pyramid style of shape. In either case, its purpose is to help followers meditate on its interconnected design and to realize how this represents our universe in which we live. Most practitioners of Sri Vidya do not think of the Sri Yantra drawing as "magical" any more than most Christians think of a stained glass window as "magical". Rather, the Sri Yantra drawing is a way for practitioners to think about and understand their chosen path in life. It gives them a visual shape to meditate on and ponder, as they consider how interconnected all of our lives are. It is a symbol which connects us today with our ancestors over 12,000 years ago. It reminds us that we are all on this planet together, all holding the same fears, hopes, and dreams within us. Study after study finds that the more we are able to meditate and focus our mind, the more efficiently our brain learns to work. We build compassion and empathy for others around us. Our skills at working with others and pursuing our goals improve. To some who have struggled for years with interpersonal issues and with making progress on their dreams, these results might seem "magical". But they are proven results which make complete sense. Just as eating healthier foods tends to give us a healthier body, participating in healthier mental activities tends to give us a healthier brain. The Sri Yantra provides a powerful message to us all. Every life form matters.

Every life form is interconnected. We are all a part of the web of life and we each have an important part to play. Through focus and meditation we can learn to harness our energy, focus on our path, and take steps toward fulfilling our important mission in our world. This is a practical, powerful message which each of us can benefit from. By embarking on this effort, each of us can improve our relationships, our financial stability, and our path toward our dreams.

Namaste.