In yoga, chakras are often compared to flowers and their petals, with each chakra having a different number of petals.

Mooladhara: 4
Swadhisthana: 6
Manipura: 10
Anahata: 12
Vishuddha: 16
Ajna: 2
Sahasrara: 1000

These numbers are sometimes said to be symbolic, while other times, it is claimed that a specific number of nadis (energy channels) are connected to each chakra.

It seems that these numbers represent the number of things blocking the energy flow, rather than the nadis themselves. The actual number may vary, and it seems to be more than just a fixed number. It may also vary depending on the individual, but it seems to correspond to the person's stage and challenges, with the number of petals representing the blocks.

Generally, human emotions are divided into many stages, and as they integrate, they eventually culminate in the number 1000, which symbolizes "everything" or "infinity." This number is not literally 1000, but rather represents "a lot," which is a common expression in Sanskrit and Vedic traditions.

Personally, I feel that the lower chakras, such as Manipura and Swadhisthana, have fewer blocks, while the upper chakras, such as Ajna and Vishuddha, have more. This may be because the areas where a person has challenges are more prominently recognized.

It is important to remove these blocks, but ultimately, the focus should be on ensuring the flow of energy in the body, rather than simply "opening" the chakras. The opening of the chakras is a result of this energy flow. Therefore, it is more important to focus on balancing and facilitating the flow of energy, rather than just trying to open the chakras. However, it is also said that the lower chakras are dependent on the upper chakras, so opening the upper chakras is important for the lower chakras. The amount of energy and the chakras are closely related, and it is a chicken-and-egg situation.

However, in recent spiritual trends, there are many scams where people claim to "open" chakras for exorbitant prices, such as 1 million yen. These "chakra opening" sessions are often temporary and quickly revert to their original state. While cults claim that these sessions are permanent, in reality, they are often not permanent or have limited effects. Although these experiences may not be entirely useless, they are often more harmful than beneficial, as they can mislead people and create more cult followers.

Therefore, it is often a waste of time and money to believe in exaggerated claims from cults or spiritual groups, and it can even hinder personal growth. It is better to make steady progress in a straightforward manner. However, it is rare to find places that teach the correct information. Many people fall into traps of cults that claim to teach the right things or say things that sound right. Ultimately, one's own judgment is essential to avoid making mistakes.

In studying various teachings, it is often the classical texts that have been vetted over generations that survive.

Cults often borrow the authority of these classical texts to extort money from their followers. However, these are just superficial imitations. Even when I try to explain this, it often doesn't reach the followers of cults, and they may even criticize me for not understanding anything. Therefore, it is best to leave the followers of cults alone, even if they sometimes come up with trivial things.

There are cults or spiritual teachers who claim to "open" chakras or "awaken" people and charge hundreds of thousands or even millions of yen for these services. These merchants may see true knowledge as a threat to their business. Organizations and groups that talk about initiation or ancient brotherhoods have been appearing and disappearing like mushrooms after the rain. This is probably just a trend. Originally, knowledge should not be bought or sold with money, but that is the current reality.

In most cases, true knowledge is just trivia because the person is not ready for it.

First, your perception is tested. Then, your actions are tested. Your knowledge and understanding are tested. Only then does the chakra open. However, many cults and spiritual teachers claim that by paying a large sum of money, rituals, training, or initiation-like ceremonies will open them. But in most cases, unfortunately, these are meaningless, and at best, they serve as a slight trigger.

The teachings about the "petals" of the chakra are likely expressed metaphorically because they are difficult to understand and can be misinterpreted. I think so. Chakras are not opened by rituals or initiations, so I think it's important not to misunderstand that they were taught by a guru who was nearby and guiding you.

The feeling of energy flowing through the nadis is similar to the feeling of petals opening from a bud, which is why chakras are likened to petals. It's like slowly opening petals, and that feeling is quite similar to the sensation of energy flowing through the nadis, so it seems that the poetic and aesthetic expressions of the past are often quite accurate.

The sensation of opening a chakra is like that, but in most cults and spiritual rituals, the focus is on adjusting the surrounding aura, and that's usually all (there's almost nothing more). In that case, it quickly returns to its original state. While you may be temporarily satisfied with such a fleeting experience, is it worth spending tens of thousands or even millions of yen on something that will quickly disappear? It seems that the reality is that very few people can diligently practice and meditate for more than 10 years without being deceived by cults that promise short-term results.

Some people also seek temporary comfort and rely on healing that adjusts the surrounding aura. In either case, it's only an adjustment of what they believe to be the chakra, and it seems that few people actually reach the point of truly opening the chakra.

On the other hand, chakras are energy nodes, so they are open to some extent in everyone. The problem with cults is that they exaggerate and claim that simply adjusting the surrounding aura is "opening" the chakra. In reality, true chakras are something that most people don't understand, so it's one approach to simply not worry about it for the time being until you understand it. Yoga practitioners tend to do this; when they learn about chakras, they put it on hold because it's a realm they don't yet understand. On the other hand, cults tend to become overly confident and think they understand it. There is such a difference. I think a humble attitude is necessary for spiritual practice.