I have written up the following as a brief introduction to the chakra system and its relevance. Entire traditions — through ancient texts, lectures, and lived practice are devoted to exploring each chakra in all its depth and subtlety. This 101 overview barely scratches the surface (I’d have to include a dissertation if I really wanted to make a mark), yet what follows serves as a foundational entry point into the subtle world of the chakras, offering orientation, context, and clarity.

Between dissolution and emergence lies a threshold. This threshold is a quiet space, neither past nor future, where endings dissolve and beginnings take shape. It is here, in this subtle in-between, that the bardo reveals itself — a place of possibility, transformation, and awakening, but above all, presence in the stillness of the in-between.

I first encountered this poem many years ago when my Classics professor recited it during my Liberal Arts studies back in College. He gave each of us a printed copy, and I’ve treasured it ever since. Till this day, this poem remains magnetized on my fridge, shared at dinner parties or in deeper intimate dialogues — whenever the moment feels right to bring it back to life.