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The Psychology of Enlightenment
the universe or macrocosm. There is a deep innate relationship between the microcosm and macrocosm, and we are capable of building a deep harmony between the two. Those who know how to build harmony are going to remain in balance, and those who are in balance enjoy health of mind and body. Sickness is nothing but imbalance, so where there is harmony, there is health.
Ancient cultures understood this relationship between mankind and the universal elements. They recognized the universal earth element as the soil, the ground, the foundation on which we sit and walk and grow. When they searched for man's own corresponding foundation, they found a point at the bottom vertebrae where we sit. This point is referred to in Sanskrit as mulādhāra. Mula means "root," and adhāra means "support." It is the root by which the structure is supported. In other words, the whole structure is balancing itself on that support which is the lowest point of our spinal column.
This is the first point of awareness from which we can transform our feelings of insecurity into a solid foundation of self-reliance. Here we come into contact with the earth element and the earthly desire to acquire, to hoard. In the old days it was common for people to bury gold coins for safekeeping. Times haven't changed! Recently, a gentleman casually mentioned to me, "I trust gold so much that whenever I save some money, I buy guineas and hide them away somewhere!"
What is this desire to hide, to bury, to hold onto things? What makes a person think that way? Insecurity. Man is insecure even when he has abundance. People fear that
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