Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Yoga Chakras

A while back, I wrote how Darwin's theory of evolution seems to be codified within the ten avatars of Vishnu in Hindu scriptures long before Darwin was even born. The point was that we need to take a closer look at our respective ancient scriptures and texts with a more serious outlook without dismissing them outright as irrelevant.

Yesterday, I came across another instance where I think what the Western world had identified is something that has existed for ages - it's just that nobody bothered to take it seriously in modern times.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Case in point is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. I have come across the hierarchy a few times in popular science non-fiction books on psychology and brain function. Postulated by Abraham Maslow in 1943 after observing different types of people, it lists 5 types of human needs, stacked one atop the other. The theory is that one cannot move to the next level in the pyramid unless all the needs below it are satisfied. Here's a quick snapshot of the hierarchy.

For example, one does not worry about safety and morality when survival is at stake. Similarly love flourishes when one is secure. Finally, one tends to think about self-awareness only when the other needs are first taken care of.

Yoga Chakras
Maslow need not have wasted his time on research. The same concept, in an even more expanded form, is codified in the Hindu scriptures in the form of Yoga Chakras.

Chakras, as described in the Yoga Sutra (Sutra = Scripture) is embodiment of various forms of energy stored in a human body. The concept of chakra is mentioned in the Rig Veda, one of the most ancient Hindu scriptures, and were later made popular by the Sankhya philosophy (of which Buddhism has its roots). The scriptures state that a body needs to ensure that the energies are balanced at all times, failing which various forms of ailments (mental and physical) may arise. Channeling the energy properly (also described as channeling the 'chi' in Chinese spiritual texts) can help one attain enlightenment or freedom from this material world.

Now, how does this compare to Maslow's hierarchy? Let's first take a look at the chakras.

Each chakra is associated with certain qualities which represents the corresponding energies. They are

1. Muladhara: Located at the end of the spinal cord, this deals with survival instinct.
2. Svadhisthana: Located in the lower abdomen, this deals with feelings and sexuality.
3. Manipura: Located near the stomach, this deals with self-power or basic intellect.
4. Anahata: Located near the heart, this deals with love.
5. Visuddha: Located near the throat, this deals with learning and expression.
6. Anja: Located between the brows, this deals with self-awareness and insight.
7. Sahasrara: Located at the top of the head, this deals with enlightenment or wisdom.

Looking at the two hierarchies side-by-side, you can see some amazing similarities:

Muladhara and Svadhisthana are related to Maslow's physiological needs.
Svadhisthana and Manipura are related to Maslow's Safety needs.
Anahata maps to Maslow's need for love and belonging.
Visuddha maps to Maslow's need for self-esteem.
Anja and to an extent Sahasrara maps to Maslow's self-actualization.

Unlike Maslow's needs, it does not stop there. Like most other aspects of Hindu literature, the chakra has multiple facets embodied in one simple codification. Here are two other facets to the chakra that are even more amazing.

Each of the chakras are located next to or are associated with a hormonal gland or organ in the body that has close correspondence to the activity described in the hierarchy.

Another explanation is that each chakra is associated with a light spectrum component, essentially spelling out the colors of the rainbow.

Apart from these, the chakra is also associated with a representation of the lotus flower, with each chakra having different number of petals. I am not sure what the numbers represent though, but am curious to find out. The overall chakra concept is also represented in the Kundalini form of yoga, which deals with channeling the energy through these chakras to achieve enlightenment.

I wonder how many other symbolisms are embedded in our ancient scriptures that we have since dismissed as heretic or irrelevant based on the bias and prejudice we have developed over the last few hundred years. I only hope that we have the sensibility to wipe the slate clean and look back with an open mind.

As the Zen philosopher Shinryu Suzuki said, "In a beginner's mind, there are many possibilities. In an expert's mind, there are few."