First Row

The Child, The Elemental Stage

The first stage is that of an attention demanding, selfish baby. The child really “knows no other”. She only knows herself. When she closes her eyes in her palms, she believes that no one can see her.

The first stage is that of the six enemies of man, the six emotions that make us weak. These emotions are like babies. They demand attention, they are very selfish, and they draw us towards themselves. If we indulge in “rearing” these emotions, providing for them and helping them grow within us, we will never be able to live for our true selves.

The player, in this stage, experiences herself as a child, as a “self-centered” being.

There are no easy paths (ladders) out of this stage. The dilemma of this stage is understanding desire, need and abstinence.  While attachment, greed and desire are all fundamental elements for survival, you must abstain from indulging in them.  Abstaining allows the growth of the rational, the human and the divine self. By overcoming this stage, the player becomes open to knowledge and no longer asserts herself as much. She learns to “abstain”.

This is also the stage of the 1st chakra (mulādhāra), which is located at the base of the spine, between the anus and the genitals. The element of the first chakra is earth and the colour is yellow. The dominant sensory experience is smell. The sleeping posture associated with this stage is the “freefaller” (on the stomach) for 10 to 12 hours nightly. Tāntric texts suggest that mastering this chakra gives the yogin the power to make herself invisible.

This row, therefore, represents the most familiar awareness of the human being in our “yuga“.  We perceive desire, anger, greed, attachment, avarice and pride as our natural behavior.  Our indulgence in them is tempered only by the “opportunity” to do so in our domain of experience.