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The
Anahata Chakra.
Chakra
4
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In Tantra,
the Anahata ("Unstruck Note") chakra is said to have twelve petals
of a red or white hue, while the central part is a smokey colour.
It is associated
with the element or tattwa of Air, and is the seat of the
Divine Soul or Higher Self, the Jivatman, represented by the image
of a motionless golden lamp-flame.
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Deities
within the Anahata Chakra.
Clockwise
from the bottom:
Vayu, Isha, Kakini.
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Table
for Anahata Chakra 4.
Terminology |
Tantric |
anahata, anahata-puri,
padma-sundara, dwadasha, dwadashadala, suryasangkhyadala, hrit padma,
hritpatra, hritpankeruha, hritsaroruha, hridambhoja, hridambuja,
hridabja, hridaya, h'idayambhoja, hridayambuja, hridayasarasija,
hridayabja, hridaya kamala, hritpankaja |
Vedic (late
Upanishads) |
anahata, hridaya
chakra, dwadashara chakra, fourth chakra |
Puranic |
anahata |
Position |
externally,
heart region |
Petals |
number |
twelve, arranged
from right to left |
colour |
deep red,
shining red, shining vermilion, yellow, dark blue-yellow, white |
Matrika-letters |
on petals |
twelve in
number; Kang Khang Gang Ghang Nang
Chang Chang Jang
Jhang
Ñang Tang Thang, arranged from right to left |
colour |
vermilion,
deep red, shining red, white |
Vrittis |
on petals |
twelve in
number, arranged from right to left |
name |
1 lustfulness;
2 fraudulence; 3 indecision; 4 repentance; 5 hope; 6 anxiety;
7 longing; 8 impartiality; 9 arrogance; 10 incompetency; 11 discrimination;
12 an attitude of defiance |
In
the pericarp |
hexagonal
'air'-region |
colour
of the Air Region |
smoke-coloured,
black |
Air-bija
in Air Region |
Yang |
colour
of Air-bija |
smoke-coloured |
Form
of Fire-bija |
deity Vayu |
Concentration
form of Vayu |
Vayu is smoke-coloured;
four-armed, holding an kusha; seated on a black antelope |
In
the bindu of Yang |
deity Isha |
Concentration
form of Isha |
Isha is shining
white as pure crystal in colour; one-faced, or five-faced, three-eyed;
two-armed, four-armed, or ten-armed; making the gestures of granting
boons and dispelling fear; clad in tiger's skin or silken raiment |
Presiding
divinity |
power Kakini |
Concentration
of Kakini |
Kakini is
shining yellow, shining red, moon-white or white in colour; one-faced,
three-faced or six-faced; three-eyed; four-armed or two-armed; holding
a noose and a skull; a trident, a drum, and a noose; a noose, a
trident, a skull, and a drum; a skull and a trident; a trident,
a bow, and a skull; the Weda; making the gestures of granting boons
and dispelling fear; the gesture of dispelling fear; the gesture
of granting boons; clad in white raiment, black raiment, or yellow
raiment; seated in a red lotus |
In
the pericarp |
a triangle |
colour
of the triangle |
lightning-like,
golden |
Within
the triangle |
Bana-linga |
colour |
golden, shining
red |
In
the pericarp |
Jiwatman |
Concentration
form |
motionless
flame of a lamp, shining gold colour |
Further
Associations.
Astrologically,
there is no doubt that this centre corresponds to the Sun (although
Ann Ree Colton makes the strange association that it is linked with
Venus, perhaps because she wishes to reserve the sun for the "Tenth
Chakra" [Kundalini West, p.298]. Colton reflects her
Christian bias by locating "Jesus" in this chakra; in fact it is more
likely that the Jesus-impulse is accessed through the front Heart
chakra, not the rear will centre. Rudolph Steiner however associates
the Sphere of the Sun spiritually with the "Cosmic Christ" or "Spirit
of Form"; the Divine principle behind the Human Christ, and cosmic
and human evolution. In the Kabbalistic linear series of Sefirot,
the Anahata/Sun Centre corresponds to the Sefirah of Tifaret, representing
the first stage of the initiate or adept, in which one recieves revelation
from one's Higher Self or "Holy Guardian Angel" (represented by Keter,
the highest Sefirah).
According to
Tibetan Buddhism, the white, eight-petalled Heart centre is the meeting
place of the Red and White Drops, and the seat of the "Very Subtle
Mind" and "Very Subtle Wind (Chi)" that are immortal and pass from
life-time to life-time [Clear Light of Bliss, p. ]; equivalent
to Ann Ree Colton's heart "permanent atom" [The Third Music,
p. ]. The Tibetans also describe this centre as the seat of
the Dharmakaya or Buddha-nature Truth-body, which is of the essence
of Absolute Reality (in Hindu thought, the equivalent term would be
the Paramatman or Supreme Self).
In Kabbalah,
this Centre corresponds to Tifaret, located in the very Centre of
the Tree, on the central pillar between Yesod and Daat. An alternate,
Medieval Jewish represntation of the Tree has Tifaret connected by
eight paths to the other sefirot [see left]; this recalls the eight
spokes or petals of the Tibetan Heart-wheel.
In Taoism, this
centre is located at the top of the central "Thrusting Channel", and
is identified with the heart and the "House of Fire". It is
counterpole of the Lower Tan Tien or "House of Water", and the yogi
is advised to shuttle the chi between these two centres, but not going
above or below them [Taoist Yoga, pp. ]. Note that in
Tibetan Buddhism (influenced no doubt by Indian Tantra) it is the
Navel Centre (a little above the Lower Tan Tein) that constitutes
the "Fire" Centre.
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