Anahata (The Heart Chakra)Location: Heart centre/ chest
Colour: Green Organ Association: Heart, lungs Element: Air Anahata meaning "unstruck" contains the deity Ishana who represents the entire system in which the phenomenon of time and space are revealed (Mookerjee, 42). The snakes around him represent the passions he has tamed (Tantra Kundalini). In this chakra lies perusa, pure conciousness (Jung, 77). From this chakra we can begin conciousness, we are awakened to pure self knowledge that, "I am that" (Jung, 77). The female deity of this chakra is Kakini who dispels fear and holds all the elements needed to attain balance (Mookerjee, 42). This is the first time we Kundalini Shakti manifest herself as a deity (Tantra Kundalini). She sits in an upward pointing triangle symbolising the upward moving force of this energy (Tantra Kundalini). This transformation from snake to manifested deity is closely linked to the idea that pure conciousness and self knowledge finally develop in this chakra. The animal associated with this chakra, the antelope, is a symbol for the lightness of physical substance (Mookerjee, 42). |
Discussion
The element air here is of the atmospheric sort, not vital breath. Air moves in different directions and relates itself to other possibilites, as does the energy of this chakra (Mookerjee, 49). Anahata is the movement away from wild implusive emotions to a more reason based process which allows one to disidentify with oneself from one’s emotions and ask, “Why am I behaving like this?” (Jung, 39). Purusa is beheld in anahata. Purusa is the
divine self which goes beyond nature, causality and emotion (Jung, 39). Jung
presents the idea that individuation begins in anahata. What he means here is
not that one becomes an ego. The self is not the ego, in fact, the ego is “a
mere appendix of the self” found in the muladhara region (Jung, 39). The self,
Jung stipulates, is objective, impersonal, part of something greater. When we
have connected to purusa, to divine self we realize that life is not our own
life but the life of “a greater one” of purusa (Jung, 40).
divine self which goes beyond nature, causality and emotion (Jung, 39). Jung
presents the idea that individuation begins in anahata. What he means here is
not that one becomes an ego. The self is not the ego, in fact, the ego is “a
mere appendix of the self” found in the muladhara region (Jung, 39). The self,
Jung stipulates, is objective, impersonal, part of something greater. When we
have connected to purusa, to divine self we realize that life is not our own
life but the life of “a greater one” of purusa (Jung, 40).