Anahata Chakra

In kundalini yoga, anahata chakra is a center of great importance. This is because although awakening from manipura is constant, kundalini has to remain in anahata for quite a long time.

It is said that in this present age the consciousness of mankind is passing through a phase of anahata. It means that in many people anahata chakra has started to function, but there is a difference between functioning and awakening. In most people, anahata is not completely active, but it functions slightly. Mooladhara on the other hand is very active and almost awake in the majority of people today. The word anahata actually means ‘unstruck or unbeaten’. And this center is known as such because of its relationship with the heart, which throbs, beats or vibrates to a constant unbroken rhythm. It is said in many of the scriptures that there is a sound which is non-physical and non-empirical, which is transcendental in nature, and this sound is endless and unbroken in the same way that the heart beats faithfully and continuously from before birth up until death.

The location point

Anahata chakra is situated in the spinal column on the inner wall, directly behind the center of the chest. The kshetram is at the heart, and although anahata is known as the heart center, this should not be misinterpreted to mean the biological heart, the muscular pump within the chest. Although its physiological component is the cardiac plexus of nerves, the nature of this center is far beyond the physiological dimension. In yoga the heart center is also known as hriday-akasha, which means ’the space within the heart where purity resides’. This chakra is a very delicate center, for it is directly connected with that part of the brain which is responsible for all the creative sciences and fine arts such as painting, dance, music, poetry, etc.

Traditional symbology

Although most of the tantric texts say anahata is a shining crimson color, like that of the bandhuka flower, my experience is that it is blue in color. It has twelve petals and on each a letter is inscribed in vermilion: kam, kham, gam, gham, anga, cham, chham, jam, jham, nyam, tam and tham.

The inner region is hexagonal in shape, representing the air element, vayu tattva. It is made up of two interlaced triangles, symbolizing the union of Shiva and Shakti. The inverted triangle is the symbol of creativity, Shakti; and the upright triangle represents consciousness or Shiva. The vehicle, located within the hexagon, is a black antelope, which is known for its alertness and fleetness of foot. Above it is situated the bija mantra yam, which is dark grey in color. Within the bindu of this mantra is the presiding deva, Isha (Lord in an all-pervading form), who is lustrous like the sun. With him is the devi Kakini (benefactress of all), who is yellow in color, three-eyed, four-armed, auspicious and exhilarated. In the center of the pericarp of the lotus is an inverted triangle, within which burns the akhanda jyotir, unflickering eternal flame, representing the jivatma or individual soul. Some of the tantric texts say there is a shivalinga inside the triangle. It is called the bana linga and is like shining gold. Below the main lotus of anahata is a subsidiary lotus with red petals, which contain the kalpa taru or wish fulfilling tree. Many saints have recommended visualization of the kalpa taru or of a still lake within the anahata hexagon. Upon this lake there is a beautiful blue lotus. You may have seen this symbol because several ashrams and spiritual missions utilize it. Anahata belongs to maha loka, the first of the immortal planes. Its vayu is prana, which passes through the nose and mouth, and its tanmatra is feeling or touch. The gyanendriya is the skin and the karmendriya is the hands. Anahata chakra represents manomaya kosha, controlling the mind and emotions. Vishnu granthi, the second psychic knot, is located at this heart center. It represents the bondage of emotional attachment, the tendency to live one’s life making decisions on the strength of the emotions and feelings rather than in the light of the spiritual quest. Vishnu granthi is untied as the emotions harmonize and enhance, rather than oppose the spiritual awakening. It is said that he who meditates on the heart lotus is foremost among yogis and adored by women. He is preeminently wise and full of noble deeds. His senses are completely under control and his mind can be engrossed in intense concentration. His speech is inspired and he has the ability to enter another’s body at will.

Fate and freewill

In the tantric scriptures it is said that anahata chakra is where the thoughts and desires of the individual are materialized and fulfilled. There are basically two ways of thinking - dependently or independently. Up to manipura chakra the first approach holds true, but once the shakti pierces anahata, the second approach takes precedence. This means that as long as the consciousness is centered in the lower chakras, you will remain completely dependent on what is already enjoined for you, your fate or destiny. This is called prarabdha karma. Even the awakening of the lower chakras does not make much difference. Once the consciousness ascends through manipura chakra, you become master over some of the situations of life, but you are still influenced and bound by your prarabdha karma. You know that you can escape it, but you don’t know how.

The lower chakras belong to the empirical world of body, mind and senses. People who accept their fate as inevitable have not yet transcended rnooladhara and swadhisthana chakras. Manipura is still considered earthly, although it lies at the boundary between mortal and immortal planes. Those who actively shape their own destiny through strength of will channelled in a positive direction, which leads to realization and achievement, are in the realm of manipura. Anahata chakra is almost completely beyond these empirical dimensions. Here, one realizes that fate is of course real, but still one can go totally beyond its dictates. It is like throwing something into the sky. If you are able to hurl that object right out of the gravitational field, then it will no longer be pulled down by the earth’s magnetic forces. Just as a rocket is launched at tremendous speed in order to go beyond the gravitational pull of the earth, so the consciousness is accelerated in anahatato the speed of freewill in order to transcend the pull of latent samskaras. It is only when you reach anahata chakra that you become a yogi. Up until then, whether you are in mooladhara, swadhisthana or manipura, you are a yoga practitioner. In anahata you become a yogi because you are completely established in yogic consciousness and you depend solely upon the power of your own consciousness rather than on anything that is external or concerning faith. Wish fulfillment In anahata chakra, the freedom to escape from a preordained fate and to determine one’s own destiny becomes a reality. According to the tantras, at the root of anahata there is a wish fulfilling tree known as the kalpa taru or kalpa vriksha. When this tree starts to fructify, whatever you think or wish comes true. Ordinarily, we have so many wishes but they rarely assume more than the air of a daydream. However, if they were all to become realities, we would quickly start to question whether we want our wishes fulfilled at all. Most people prefer to depend on fate rather than take responsibility for creating their own destiny, and well they should. There is a fine story which is often told to illustrate this: Once a traveller was sitting underneath a tree. He was feeling very tired and wanted to have a drink. So he thought of a clear stream, and immediately he heard the trickle of water flowing beside him. After drinking some water, he thought he would like to have a little food to satisfy his hunger, and that appeared beside him also. Then, as he was feeling tired and thought he would like to rest, there appeared before him a nice bed, and so he went to sleep. The foolish man did not know that he had come to rest beneath the wish fulfilling tree. In the evening when he awoke, the sun had already set and night had fallen. He got up and the thought came to his mind: ‘Oh, it is terribly dark, perhaps the tigers will come and eat me’, and so they did. This is what can happen to anyone who awakens the wish fulfilling capacity without sufficient preparation. If the consciousness awakens in anahata, but you do not know the powers of your mind, or you possess negative, pessimistic attitudes, dark approaches to life, apprehensions, fears and many other negative mental tendencies, then you will immediately fall prey to them. If this happens, you risk the possibility of falling back from anahata. And if you fall from anahata, there is hardly any chance of making a second start. To avoid a downfall at this point, it is necessary to always remain as alert as the antelope, which is sensitive to each and every sound. The antelope is the vehicle of anahata for this reason; it is not the symbol of restlessness, but of alertness. When whatever you wish for comes true, this makes you very happy, but at the same time, it is necessary to constantly analyze your attitude towards yourself and others. You have to be very careful of doubting thoughts. For example, if you develop a few palpitations of the heart and think: ‘Perhaps I am developing angina pectoris’, or a pain in the abdomen and think: ‘Now I have appendicitis or gall bladder disease’, such thoughts may bring many problems and disorders in their wake. You must also guard against doubts concerning others: ‘Maybe that man is my enemy’, ‘My son is sick, maybe he will die’, ‘My friend has not contacted me, he must have had an accident’. It is important to have a firm and alert control over the mental tendencies and fantasies of the mind. All sorts of thoughts concerning the body, children, wife, family, monetary, social, economic or political situations come to us all the time. If kundalini is asleep, these thoughts have no power, but when kundalini awakens in anahata chakra, all these thoughts suddenly become realities. Unless we are ever alert at this stage we will place our own destructive hand on our head. In the tantric text Saundarya Lahari, this wish fulfilling process is aptly described as the chintamani, or wish fulfilling gem. Here chinta applies to the ‘process of selective thought’ and mani means ‘jewel’. Therefore, chintamani means the ‘jewel of correct and positive thinking’. In this text, anahata is described as the garden of the devas. At the center is a small divine lake inside which is the chintamani. It is not necessary to obtain this jewel; as long as you can realize your proximity to it that is enough, then whatever you think comes true. Develop a new way of thinking When anahata chakra blooms and awakens, you must have very good sangha, associations. You should never associate with people who depend on their fate. Rather, you should always associate with those who depend on faith. You must have unswerving faith in the power of your own will. Even in the face of tremendous odds, be unflinching. Then you will succeed. Willpower is never the outcome of suggestion. If you are ill and you say a hundred times, ‘I am well, I am well, I am well…’, this is called autosuggestion. It is not will. Will is something more than this. ‘Even if my son is suffering from the worst disease and medical science has declared that he is about to die, I know he will not.’ This is how you have to think and use your will. The first preparation, therefore, with regards to awakening anahata is to change your entire way of thinking. If you are the type of person whose thoughts and wishes often come true, even when conditions seem to be opposed to that outcome, then it is necessary to develop a certain amount of caution along with a new way of thinking. You must become extremely optimistic and positive, always full of hope. You must never dwell in the negativity of the mind. Physically, mentally and spiritually, you must be completely at peace with yourself, with people outside and with the whole community at large. Though the world is full of conflicts, contradictions and deep animosities, you have to always feel deep peace throughout your being. Never be negative about any situation in life. Even if you meet a murderer, hopeless gambler or a debaucher, to you he is a good man. Every situation is a good one for you and the future is always bright. In all circumstances this must be your attitude. It makes no difference whether you are amidst poverty, suffering, disease, conflict, divorce, emotional crises and discord. It is all part of the good, therefore you accept it. You have to think only one thought resolutely, ‘The whole world is in me’, or ‘I am in everyone’. When you are able to develop this universal sort of attitude, the kundalini will shine forth and pierce the fifth chakra - vishuddhi, the center of immortality. This is the importance and significance of anahata. Perhaps the best mantra for the heart center is Оm Shanti. ‘Om’ is the universal cosmic vibration which permeates the whole creation and ‘Shanti’ means peace. Love without expectations Anahata chakra awakens refined emotion in the brain and its awakening is characterized by a feeling of universal, unlimited love for all beings. Of course there are many people in the world who practise kindness and charity, but they have selfishness. Their charity is not an expression of anahata chakra and spiritual compassion, it is human compassion. When you have human compassion you open hospitals and feeding centers or you give clothing, money and medicine in charity, but that is human charity. How can we tell the difference between human charity and spiritual charity? In human charity there is always an element of selfishness. If I want to make you a Hindu by giving you things, this is a manifestation of human charity. Or if I want to make you my followers I can show you great kindness, but that’s human kindness. However, when anahata awakens all your actions are controlled and ruled by unselfishness and you develop spiritual compassion. You understand that love does not involve bargaining; it is free of expectation. Every form of love is contaminated by selfishness, even the love you have for God, because you are expecting something from him. Perhaps in this world, the love with minimum selfishness is a mother’s love. Of course it is not totally unselfish, but because a mother’s sacrifices are so great, her love has minimum selfishness. The qualities of anahata chakra can be awakened by many methods. The symbol of anahata chakra is a blue lotus, and in the center are two interlaced triangles. This lotus represents the opening of man’s heart. Music, art, sculpture, literature, poetry, all these are important aids to the development of anahata chakra. And when anahata opens, your understanding of all beings changes a lot. There is a story about it. In India there is a traditional pilgrimage in which sadhakas go north to the source of Ganga, take some water from there and carry it across the continent to South India. Here they go to a temple and pour the holy water over a shivalingam. The distance they have to cover in this pilgrimage is almost 3,000 miles. Once a saint had almost completed this pilgrimage and he was carrying a container full of Ganga water. As he entered the precincts of the temple where he was to bathe the shivalingam, he found a donkey which was desperately pining for water. Immediately he opened his can and gave water to the donkey. His fellow travellers cried out, ‘Hey, what are you doing? You have brought this water from such a long distance to give bath to Lord Shiva, and here you are giving it to an ordinary animal!’ But the saint didn’t see it that way. His mind was working at a different and much higher frequency. Here is another example: Once Lord Buddha was going for an evening walk. He came across an old man and he was greatly moved by the sufferings of old age. Next he saw a dead person, and again he was moved very much. How many times do we see old men? Are we moved like he was? No, because our minds are different. Awakening of a chakra alters the frequency of the mind and immediately influences our day to day relationships with people and our surroundings. Love overcomes ego Anahata chakra can be aroused and awakened by the practice of bhakti yoga, in which there is no place for egotistical consciousness. Your devotion can be for God or guru. It is easy to practise devotion to God because he does not check your ego, or even if he does, you don’t know it. But when you practise devotion to guru, the first thing he does is ’egodectomy.’ So when you direct your devotion to guru, you have lots of difficulties. If you only meet your guru from time to time, the problems are invisible, but if you live with him, the problems are greater. Therefore, many people think it is safer to have a guru who is no longer living. Not only is ego an obstacle on the spiritual path, it is also the greatest barrier to harmony and cordiality in family and social life. Therefore, in order to treat the ego there are two very important paths. One is karma yoga and the other is bhakti yoga. Ego can never be removed by intellectual persuasion. It can never be subdued or eliminated unless you develop the highest form of love. Just as the sun removes darkness, love removes ego. These two can never coexist. So, in order to induce anahata awakening we should definitely practise bhakti yoga.When kundaliniis established in anahata there is absolute devotion and even a confirmed atheist will change. However, awakening of anahata is not only a way to God or guru, it is also a way to complete unity and harmony in family life. Therefore, in India, most Hindu women are initiated into bhakti yoga at a very young age. When they are four to six years old they are taught to practise devotion to Lord Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Durga and so on, because it is easier for women to develop anahata chakra. For this reason women are also told to use anahata as their center for meditation, whereas men are generally advised to concentrate on ajna chakra. Anahata is the seat of human love and the seat of divine love. They are not two things, they are one and the same.

Psychic propensities of anahata chakra

Prior to the awakening of anahata there may be frequent pain in the chest or irregular functioning of the heart, such as accelerated pulse. However, rather than feeling ill, one feels healthy and active and requires little sleep. One obtains complete emotional balance and the ability to communicate externally as well as internally. Voices or sounds coming from other realms may be heard, and buzzing or humming sounds and the music of a flute may be experienced.

The sadhaka may become an inspired poet, artist or singer. He may manifest clairvoyant/clairaudient or psychokinetic ability, or he may be able to conquer people by the immensity of love he emits. A person who is in anahata is generally very sensitive to the feelings of others and his sense of touch is strongly developed. He also has the ability to heal others, either by touch or by generating his own spiritual energy to other people in order to effect curative changes. Many people who perform miraculous healings do so through the agency of anahata chakra. With anahata awakening one develops non-attachment to worldly things and a constant feeling of optimism, understanding that good and bad coexist, but there is also a world beyond this duality. After ridding oneself of attachment, the mind becomes relaxed, free and peaceful. And with the discovery of true freedom, pleasures of dualistic life become meaningless.