Spoiler: The Seven Gifts of Enlightmentment
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Proponents of the Seven Wheels believe that opening the spiral of tenketsu that are alleged to exist, which is done via mediation and physical and philosophical exercises, as a number of benefits for physical and mental health. And spiritual health, in those of more spiritual or religious persuasions.
Clinical evidence suggests that, regardless of the truth of the existence of the Wheels, the exercises do have some tangible benefit.
The Seven Gifts of Enlightenment, however, have no such tangible evidence.
A Fringe belief even among proponents of the wheels, the Seven Gifts are supposedly overt supernatural powers. Milestones achieved that mark one's progress on the path of enlightenment via the work to maintain the wheels.
There is no evidence that they exist, but allegedly one unlocks these Gifts by first making progress on opening the Wheels and then working toward ensuring that each Whel becomes open permenantly. This is, naturally, a more involved process than mere exercise and meditation. Each gift supposedly adjusts the positions of one tenketsu and meridians to allow better flow in the chakra circulatory system and bring the Wheels into alignment and is supposedly accompanied by changes to the physical and spiritual body of the aspirant. Additionally, each Gift supposedly comes with Insight into the
Supposedly, each Gift is achieved in sequential order and each is harder to achieve than the last, with each gift being harder to achieve than merely opening and maintaining its associated wheel.
The Strong Roots Run Deep is the first gift, associated with the Wheel of The Root. Once one has opened the Wheel in question, they must seclude themselves in nature and meditate on their fears and insecurities. They must confront and resolve all sources of irrational anxiety and discover the strength and stability that comes from overcoming such feelings. Supposedly, one who does so finds that they are now unshakable, able to stand by their convictions no matter what while retaining the flexibility to change or compromise by choice, and to recognize when their anxieties are irrational and cast them aside. Spiritually, supposedly a network of intangible "roots" will form, unseen, connecting the aspirant's chakra network to the flows of natural energy and ambient chakra in the earth and atmosphere around them, drawing it into the chakra circulatory system and causing a reaction that produces more vital, spiritual, and natural energy than was started with. Some of this is consumed to improve the users health and vitality, while the surplus is returned to the earth and atmosphere, which over time makes the area more vital as the air, land, and sea of the area become cleaner and more fertile from the influx over time. Physically, the aspirant's body becomes fitter and is rarely dirty for long, as if the soil itself refuses to disrespect them by clinging to the body.
Afirmation of the Self associated with the second wheel is achieved by first opening the Wheel of Where The Self Is Established and then secluding themself somewhere where they feel happy and meditate on their mistakes and regrets, confronting their guilt and shame and resolving it. Look at that which was not their fault and let it go, apologize for that which they bear responsibility for, and ultimately move on to a life without pointless regrets. Philosophically, this gift grats exactly that, while one is not incapable of regrets of various forms, they no longer are dominated by the traumas of the past. Furthermore, they find themselves able to always find joy or pleasure in everyday tasks, which gives them a boost to motivation and lets them enjoy pleasures both simple and refined on a deeper level without really thinking about it. Spiritually, the user's chakra flourishes, growing more potent as the aspirant's newly found appreciation of life stimulates them in both body and spirit. Physically, the imperfections in the aspirant's appearance are corrected, scars fading or vanishing, though only the ones that the aspirant dislikes even after riding themself of needless shame.
The Crucible Within The City of Jewels, the third gift associated with the Jewel City Wheel, is achieved when one has opened the wheel in question and then secludes themself in their private sanctum, somewhere devoted only to them, and confronts their image of themself. Only when one sees themself for what they are and accepts themselves, warts and all, does the Aspirant achieve this gift. Philosophically, one's willpower becomes as hard as a diamond and as strong as the finest steel and one gains a true appreciation of one's self, self-esteem that cannot be broken, yet is not tainted by arrogance or narcissism. Additionally, one becomes able to perfectly process, and thus control, their emotions and so direct even the most negative feelings to a healthy and constructive end... Or their positive ones to a destructive one, should the situation call for it. Spiritually, as one becomes better able to process their emotions so to does the crucible where one refines their vital and spiritual energy into chakra to become cleaner. From the moment the gift is achieved the purity of the user's chakra will improve until it is completely free of any imperfections and contaminants, with any such things introduced artificially being quickly purged. Physically, the Aspirant need never fear food poisoning or ingested toxins, as they can safely eat or drink any substance and digest it... Though it must be at least technically edible to get any nutrition from it, this won't let you live off of dirt or mercury. Toxins and pathogens are quickly and easily, with minor infections and the like no longer having a noticeable effect.
Freedom Of The Unstruck comes next. The Aspirant must not seclude themself, as this comes from the Wheel associated with Love. Be it a friend, a lover, or something else the Aspirant must mediate in the presence of a person, or persons, who truly love them, and whom they love in return. They must meditate on grief, on anger, on betrayal, upon all of their losses. Only when one achieves the true understanding that true love is eternal, that it does not die when a relationship ends but persists and leaves the foundation for new love, is the gift achieved. Philosophically, grief holds no sway over the Aspirant. No matter how sudden the loss or how poorly things go, the aspirant's pain will not be able to blind them to good times. Conversely, they will never experience 'foolish' love, love that binds them to someone who does nothing but harm them. Finally, their heart unclouded by anger or grief, each and every breath becomes a meditation, Spiritually, their chakra will begin to grow passively both from their constant meditation and because as they breathe in ambient energy is drawn in with the air and circulated by the heart, growing more pure and potent as it travels through the body, and is then exhaled with the surplus produced by the process remaining within the body. This growth is slow, more a supplement to that gained from training than a replacement, but it is constant. Physically, the Aspirant's breathing and circulation become perfect, being at the ideal resting rate at all times unless they are engaged in strenuous activity in which case they rise to the exact perfect rate for that activity and then instantly return to their ideal resting rate once such activity ceases.
Purest Of Voices is the fifth gift, associated with the Purest Wheel. At this point, the Aspirant need no longer seclude themself, they must merely meditate. Once more they must mediate upon themselves, but this time they must focus on the lies they tell, the lies they tell to themself and about themself. Only by achieving true and total honesty with themself can the Aspirant permenantly open the Tenketsu of this Wheel and gain its gift. Philosophically, the Aspirant can no longer delude deliberately themselves, they see everything their senses pick up as it is and their cognition of events cannot become distorted. At least in a mundane sense, they are not immune to Genjutsu. Spiritually, their ability to use their chakra, the voice of spirit, becomes perfect. Their use becomes absolutely efficient and their ability to control it and use it in all regards takes a quantum leap with perfect chakra control and absolute mastery of the different transformations becoming an achievable goal. Physically, small changes begin to occur in the memory centers of the brain, granting perfect retroactive memory without distortion and with perfect indexing. Nor can the Aspirant's memories ever be tampered with. Now and forever, they will remember their entire life since they first became aware as it happened and with perfect clarity.
Command Of The Third Eye is the Penultimate Gift. Now that the Aspirant can no longer deceive themself, now they must turn their gaze upon the world, meditating on the deceptions and illusions set force. Seeing through the little lies doesn't cut it, only when the Aspirant truly understands and accepts the truth of how all things are ultimately connected does the Wheel open permanently and grant its gift. Philosophically, the Aspirant becomes gifted at judging the long-term consequences of their own actions and those of others as well as intuiting the relationships between even seemingly unrelated people, places, and things. Spiritually, their chakra itself becomes perceptive. Chakra sensing, intent perception, emotion sensing? The Aspirant gains prodigious talent with them all and any abilities along those lines they already possess are enhanced, though they still need training to use such abilities to their full potential.
Thousand-Petaled Crown is the Final Gift. Now that they know of the connections of all things, they must free themselves from those connections. This does not mean not caring, by all means, people who achieve this tend to care more. It simply means not letting your ties to places, people, or things define you, knowing when to set your connections aside, knowing when you can take them back up again, and being able to let go when, in the natural course of things, your connections are severed. This is an immensely difficult concept to grasp, but only when someone perfectly understands it and can practice it do they permenantly open the final Wheel and become Enlightened. Philosophically, opening the Crown is its own reward. Spiritually... There's much debate. Anything from gaining the power to astral project to being able to one's chakra becoming Eternal like the Tail-Beasts, being able to either exist as a being of pure chakra or recreate their body from base elements as long as their chakra persists, their chakra becoming the seat of consciousness. Furthermore, Cosmic Energy and Cosmic Truth are believed to filter into the being to... Unknown effect. Physically, the body, now just a vessel, becomes perfect. Free of flaws down to the genetic level and in all regards conditioned to the greatest possible physical levels. Supposedly the person even gains eternal youth.