World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 121

colour. Some Sufis compare it with Kitab-e- Marqoom the divine codices. The invocation or activation of this latifa leads to the realm of unification with ultimate reality.
Latifat-al-Akhfa ( Secret of the secret and unfathomable):
The term Akhfa or ikhfa means most arcane, deeply mysterious, or obscure, subtlety. Its location is deep inside the brain or on centre-top of the head. The colour of this centre, according to some, is green, to others, it is violet. It is called the Nuqta-e-wahida (point of unity) in every human where the Tajalliat (beatific visions) of Allah are directly revealed. It contains information about Ilm-al-Gaib the hidden knowledge of the universe. By entering into this point, the human being enters the system of the universe and laws governing the universe and he understands the meaning of "for you, We (Allah) have revealed whatever is in the earth and the heavens". This center is associated with deep perception. The last center or subtlety is accessible only to those who have developed the others, and belongs to the real sage.
Akhfa and khafa make up "Rooh-e-azam" (the great soul), also called sabita. It is a brilliant ring of light in which all the mysteries pertaining to the manifest and unmanifest cosmos is inscribed. The Attributes of God that have been transferred to the existents and have become parts of the mechanism of the universe are collectively known as the Incumbent knowledge (Ilm-e-wajib). Knowledge of the Incumbent means knowledge that has been transferred to the existents, that is, it refers to those Attributes of God with which existents enjoy affinity and correlation. The Knowledge of the Incumbent is also known as the Knowledge of the Pen (Ilm-e-Qalam).
In Hinduism these Lataif are known as Chakras. The word Chakra is a Sanskrit word which means the wheel. The entire energy of the cosmos is flowing in circular motion. Everything that is on earth and in heaven is described by seers in cyclical motion. The human energy as it is also considered divine energy also flows from one stage to other stage in a cyclical motion but upwardly. The Chakras in human bodies are located at several places starting from mooladhar to ajna that is forehead and above the head. There is originally a concept of Sadchakra in Indian religio-spiritual tradition but generally seven chakras are describes. The Sahasrar chakra is beyond the corporeal body the Indian Seers thought of Sadchakras. The number six is very much important in Hindu religious traditions. There are Sad-darshanas, six systems of philosophy, Sad Chakras (Six wheels of energy rooted in the human body), sadrasas (Six tastes of balanced food) and Sadgunas(Six attributes ). Seen in this way we can come across the same concepts in other religions. In Islamic Sufism there is a concept of Lataif-e-sitta (Six subtleties), Sad Leshyas (Six states of mind).
These Chakras are considered as energy centres or energy store
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