Practice and sources
Sri Sri Thakur's Chakra Photo
A careful guide to the Chakra Photo used by many followers of Sri Sri Thakur: what published sources describe, how it relates to Naam and Dhyan, and where certainty ends.
What it is called
Among followers of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, the devotional image is commonly called the Chakra Photo, Chakra picture or meditation picture. It should not be confused with Agya or Ajna Chakra, the traditional name for an eyebrow-centre used in several systems of meditation. In this setting, the Chakra Photo is an external image used for concentration; Agya Chakra names an inward point of attention.
Terms readers may encounter
These words are used in overlapping ways by different writers. This page uses them in the narrow sense stated below, so that a devotional image, a bodily point of attention and a practice are not treated as the same thing.
Chakra Photo
The printed radial devotional image described in Be Ye Peaceful, Volume XVI. Later versions may include a portrait of Sri Sri Thakur at the centre.
Agya or Ajna Chakra
A traditional term for the eyebrow-centre. It is not the name of the printed Chakra Photo itself.
Naam and Dhyan
Naam means the Holy Name; Dhyan means meditation. In the Satsang context discussed here, both are understood in relation to the Ideal.
Ishta or Ideal
The beloved Ideal. The sources reviewed here place loving attention on the Ideal, not the geometry alone, at the centre of the devotional meaning of meditation.
Fixation
A word used in the Medium article's commentary for the preliminary effort to retain an inner image. It is not presented here as a direct, verified instruction of Thakur.
What the published record says
The most specific account located is Srijeeb Karmakar's article, “A scientific analysis of the principles of meditation,” in Be Ye Peaceful, Volume XVI, published by Satsang America. It describes an original Chakra Photo as a ray diagram with alternating black and white rays, attributes that design to Thakur, and says that Satishchandra Joardar later introduced Thakur's portrait at its centre with Thakur's reluctant permission.
The same article explains meditation in terms of attention to the beloved Ideal, repetition of the Holy Name and service. It quotes The Message-2, verse 170. An existing English edition of Satyanusaran similarly describes Dhyan as sustained engagement with a single thought, and places Naam and Dhyan within the wider framework of attachment to the Ideal. These sources give devotional context; they do not establish one fixed visual technique for every practitioner.
What can be said about its history
The available record is informative but limited. The distinction below is intentional: it helps a reader see what is documented, what is reported by a later publication and what remains to be found.
- Published account
Alternating rays
Volume XVI says that Thakur designed a ray diagram of alternating black and white rays. The account appears on printed p. 37 / PDF p. 38.
- Published account
Portrait at the centre
The same article reports that Satishchandra Joardar later introduced Thakur's portrait with reluctant permission. It presents the portrait as helping create an emotionally focused atmosphere.
- Still needed
Primary design record
We have not yet located an authorised original drawing, a dated production record, or a page-specific instruction from Thakur that resolves the history of every version in circulation.
A careful practice orientation
We have not located a page-specific primary instruction that authorises this site to prescribe one universal Chakra Photo method. If you have received personal guidance at initiation or from a recognised Satsang authority, that guidance comes first. The following is a gentle orientation, not a substitute for authorised instruction.
1. Sit simply and alertly
Choose a steady, comfortable posture. Place the image where it can be seen without lifting, tightening or straining the eyes.
2. Let the image gather attention
Rest attention on Thakur's image at the centre, if your Chakra Photo includes it. Let the radial design remain a visual field rather than something to analyse.
3. Remember the Ideal and the Name
Continue the Holy Name as you have received it. When attention wanders, return without force to the Name and the image.
4. Turn inward gently
Some practitioners describe retaining the image inwardly at the eyebrow-centre. Do not strain the eyes, forehead or breathing to produce an inner picture. A vivid image is not a test of success.
5. Carry it into conduct
The devotional meaning presented in the sources joins meditation with attachment to the Ideal and active service, not a private visual experience alone.
If visual focus causes headache, eye pain, dizziness or distress, stop and rest. This page is devotional and educational information, not medical advice.
Why followers use the Chakra Photo
Within the Satsang devotional frame, the Chakra Photo can be a stable support for ekagrata, or one-pointed attention, remembrance of the Ideal and continuity in Naam and Dhyan. The account in Volume XVI connects the later central portrait with an emotional atmosphere favourable to focus. The Medium article's cited passage likewise places repetition of the Holy Name and loving attachment to the Ideal together.
These are devotional purposes and practitioner interpretations. They do not guarantee a particular visual experience, mood, insight or physical result. A person may use the image as a gentle support, find the inner image vague, or simply return to the Name. None of those experiences is a measure of spiritual worth or attainment.
Useful secondary reading - with limits
A 2017 Medium article reproduces a passage it attributes to Katha-Prasange, Vol. 1, ch. 3, dated 20 Pausha 1342 (Bengali era), in an English translation credited there to Dr. Binodanand Jha. The passage develops the relationship between loving attachment to the Ideal, repetition of the Holy Name and the growth of steadiness. It is useful context, but the article is not a substitute for consulting the cited edition.
The same Medium post includes a later commentator's distinction between “fixation” of Thakur's image at Agya Chakra and sustained meditation. That can help readers avoid treating a momentarily vivid mental image as a measure of spiritual success. It remains commentary, not a verified instruction of Thakur.
An anonymous 2009 blog post attributes guidance on rhythmic Naam, an inward point of gaze, an alert upright posture and returning from distraction to “the Holy Book.” Because it does not identify the work, edition, page, translator or speaker, this site does not use its specific recommendations about duration, breathing, physical strength or promised outcomes as a published instruction. It is a lead for source verification, not an authority.
What the Volume XVI article proposes
The article is valuable because it makes its explanatory model visible. It should be read as a proposal by its author, not as proof of a Chakra-Photo-specific medical mechanism.
Light and reflection
The article links the alternating black-and-white design with its hypothesis about reflected light, the retina and the pineal gland. Its historical description and this proposed mechanism appear on printed pp. 36-37 / PDF pp. 37-38.
Image and attention
It suggests that a beloved portrait can support an emotional and attentional atmosphere for the practitioner, then refers to general visual-imagery research. That is a rationale offered by the author, not a test of the Chakra Photo.
Naam, sound and rhythm
It associates rhythmic repetition of the Holy Name with sound, vibration, memory, mood and circadian rhythm. The article presents these connections on printed pp. 37-38 / PDF pp. 38-39.
Timing
The author relates meditation at night and dawn to sleep-wake rhythms. This page does not turn that discussion into a compulsory timetable; personal instruction and a sustainable routine matter more than a claim of biological precision.
What the science does - and does not - show
The article cites work on lower-vertebrate pineal photoreceptors and visual imagery. Those references do not demonstrate a Chakra-Photo-specific effect in humans. It is reasonable to describe the practice as a devotional aid to focused attention for those who use it. It is not responsible to present it as treatment, to promise neurological outcomes or to replace medical care.
How to read claims about meditation responsibly
- Direct teaching needs an identifiable work, edition, translation and page or date.
- Published interpretation can be useful, but should name its author and not be rewritten as a direct saying of Thakur.
- Personal experience can matter deeply to the person who reports it, but it is not proof of a mechanism or a promise for everyone else.
- Scientific evidence needs research on the actual practice and outcome claimed. General facts about light, the pineal gland or meditation do not by themselves prove an effect of this particular image.
This approach allows the page to be devotional, curious and open to research without turning uncertain claims into fact.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chakra Photo a Sri Yantra or the Ajna Chakra?
No such identification is supported by the sources reviewed here. The published description is of a black-and-white radial image. Agya or Ajna Chakra names an inward point of attention in traditional terminology; the Chakra Photo is the devotional image used as an external focus.
Who added Sri Sri Thakur's portrait to the Chakra Photo?
Be Ye Peaceful, Volume XVI reports that Satishchandra Joardar introduced the portrait with Thakur's reluctant permission. This is reported history from a secondary publication, so it should be read as such until a primary design record is available.
Must I stare without blinking or meditate for a fixed duration?
We have not located a page-specific primary source establishing a universal no-blinking rule or a fixed duration. Avoid eye strain and follow the guidance received through your own Satsang lineage.
Does the Chakra Photo activate the pineal gland or cure illness?
No reliable clinical evidence specific to the Chakra Photo has been located. The published article discusses a hypothesis; it is not a clinical trial. Meditation should not replace medical care.
Why is Sri Sri Thakur's portrait at the centre in many Chakra Photos?
Be Ye Peaceful, Volume XVI reports that the portrait was later introduced to support an emotionally focused atmosphere around the beloved Ideal. This is the article's reported account, not a universally documented instruction for every version of the image.
Is the Chakra Photo itself an object of worship or a source of magical power?
The sources reviewed here present it as an aid to attention within Naam, Dhyan and attachment to the Ideal. This page does not describe it as an independent source of supernatural or medical power.
What if I cannot retain a clear image when I close my eyes?
A clear inner picture is not established as a test of success. The Medium article's commentator calls the effort to retain the image fixation, but that is commentary rather than a verified instruction of Thakur. Return gently to the Name and to the guidance received in your own lineage.
Can a beginner use the Chakra Photo?
A beginner can learn about the image and use gentle, comfortable attention. For personal spiritual practice, follow the guidance you received at initiation or consult a recognised Satsang authority. This page does not replace personal instruction.
Should the practice be done at dawn, at night or three times a day?
Volume XVI discusses night and dawn in relation to the article author's circadian-rhythm hypothesis. An anonymous blog attributes other timings to an unidentified holy book. Neither source establishes a universal schedule for this page; follow your own authorised guidance and a healthy routine.
Where can I learn more or help improve this page?
Read the linked sources below and consult authorised editions of the cited books. If you have an original image, a dated publication or a page-specific instruction that clarifies the history or practice, please send it through the website's contact page for editorial review.
Sources and page-specific citations
- Karmakar, Srijeeb. “A scientific analysis of the principles of meditation.” Be Ye Peaceful, Vol. XVI. Printed pp. 35-38 (PDF pp. 36-39). The historical Chakra Photo description appears on printed p. 37 / PDF p. 38. The article's proposed pineal, light-reflection, imagery, repetition and circadian explanation appears on printed pp. 35-38 / PDF pp. 36-39. Its reference list is on printed p. 39 / PDF p. 40.
- Satyanusaran (The Pursuit of Truth), 12th English edition, p. 34. The project source record identifies this page for its definitions of Naam, Dhyan and attachment to the Ideal. Check an authorised edition before reusing the wording as a direct quotation.
- The Message-2, verse 170. Quoted in Volume XVI, printed p. 37 / PDF p. 38 as part of the article author's meditation framework. Consult an authorised edition for the primary text and translation.
- Rath, Kalinga Keshari. “What Shri Shri Thakur Anukulchandra says about Meditation?” Medium, 9 August 2017. Secondary source; it reproduces a passage attributed to Katha-Prasange, Vol. 1, ch. 3, then presents separate commentary.
- “Meditation as told by Shri Shri Thakur.” Thakur Anukulchandra and his Mission blog, 21 July 2009. Anonymous secondary transcription labelled only “from the Holy Book”; no page-specific source is provided.
Editorial status: prepared for scholarly and community review. The next evidence needed is an authorised primary record of the Chakra Photo's design history and a page-specific instruction for its use.