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THE ANATOMY OF THE TANTRAS
251
thetic cords join together or whence they take their origin. [Vide Ashby's Notes on Physiology, Article Medulla oblangata). The mystic Mount Kailasha [Shiva Sanhita, Ch. V, p. 154] is certainly the brain.
PADMAS AND CHAKRAS.-Great difficulty arises. in identifying these Padmas and Chakras. What are these structures one is tempted to ask ? Are they real or they do only exist in the imagination of the Tantrists? Though we are unable to satisfactorily identify them we nevertheless believe that the Tantrists obtained their knowledge about them by dissection, These terms have been indefinitely used to designate two different nervous structures viz.nervous plexuses and ganglia. But it may be questioned, how are we authorized to identify the Tantric : Padma and Chakras with either the ganglia or plexuses of the modern anatoalists ? Our reasons for doing so are the following
1st.-The position of some of these Padmas and Chakras corresponds with that of the plexus or ganglion of the modern anatomists.
2nd,--These Chakras are said to be composed of petals. designated by certain tetters, which clearly point to either the nerves that go to form a ganglion or plexus, or the nerves distributed from such ganglion or plexus.
3rd. Certain forces are said to be concentrated in these Chakras, thos identifying them with the plexuses
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