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Tilak
Tilak is a mark on the forehead
applied to remind us and others the seat of Intellect. In this web
page, you have several read times that it the intellect that
draws us closer to awareness. Tilak is applied at the Ajna
Chakra, the space between the two eyebrows to indicate the third
eye. Third eye is the spiritual vision, through which you understand
that you are that immortal soul (atman) and not the mortal body. You
should remember this third eye every time you apply a Tilak.
Applying Tilak in
the morning is to remind us the whole day that we have to be aware of
our Self. The very touch on the area between the eye brows brings the
awareness. Touching the area before meditation helps the wandering mind to
stay as a feeling connected to the area of the body. When cool
sandal wood paste is applied before meditation, it facilitates the attention
stay on that area and avoid the mind going away from the body thought.
Purpose of life and spiritual practice is
to realize Self. This is achieved by reflection and
contemplation in prayer room. But we have to leave the prayer room
for our routine worldly duties. So when we leave the prayer room,
the tilak in forehead is a remembrance that all our actions in the
world is dedicated to the Self. Fore head is the seat of
memory. The mark on the head also reminds other person whom we meet
to remind of his purpose of tilak, which is to understand that all
our activities are oriented to the realization of the Self.
The fingers used for applying Tilak are as follows:
The ring finger is the finger
representing mind and so when one applies tilak to another person
the ring finger is used to denote emotion. The base of the ring
finger is the mount of sun and so it represent light. Thumb is the
finger representing Brahman and so it is also used to apply tilak to
denote god’s grace. Since marriage is the emotional binding of two
individuals , the groom applies the tilak to the bride with his ring
finger, the finger representing mind.
Three major colors of tilak
These are the yellow white and red Viz, sandal wood paste, ash of
cow-dung or kumkum (tumeric mixed with lime stone).
 The
white ash (Bhasma) is applied on the forehead to remind us that everything
that gets created in time and space finally goes into a formless
state (awareness) indicating mortality of our body.
The sandalwood paste (Chandan)
is applied to indicate the sweet fragrance of the Self in the form
of intellect in us.
The Kumkum, a red tumeric powder to denote the energy
manifestation of Consciousness in this universe. According to Vedic Astrology,
Mesh Rasi or the House of Aries is on the forehead. The Lord of Mesh
is Mars and His colour is Red. This is why Red Chandan and Sindoor
is placed as Tilak on the forehead.
Tilak is sometimes
applied as three horizontal or vertical lines indicating the three
Gunas, Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas and also the body, mind and
intellect that we haveto transcend in order to realize our True
self.
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