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298 SPIRIT AND THE MIND
man’s lower emotional make-up then, and are the area of focus of modern psychology. It is not until the level of the fourth chakra that the specifically higher human qualities of personality are awakened. This is the level to which religious themes speak and which gives rise to religious symbols and archetypes.
Chakra number four is called anahata, meaning “that which is ever new.” This energy center, whose symbol is the circle, is located at the level of the heart, and the chief psychological quality associated with it is love. The behavior, motivations, personality characteristics and thought patterns related to this chakra are those seen in the saints, who are dedicated to selfless service and acts of compassion—a level of consciousness manifested perhaps in its purest form in the life of Christ. This is an extremely important developmental stage, the dynamics of which seem to be the focus of contemporary psychology’s humanistic approach.
Following will be a deeper look into the symbol’s associated with this chakra, to help us appreciate the depth of inquiry given by the yogis to each of these centers. It will also give us an idea of the number of different approaches and techniques that might influence their development. In the future when the deepest mysteries of these symbols are known, they may direct us to new approaches in research and treatment and bring a more profound understanding of human development. The source of most of this material is Lead- beater’s The Chakras. (A diagram of the 4th chakra is on the next page.)11
The lotus of the fourth center has 12 petals of an orange-crimson hue. It has been suggested that each of the different petals of this lotus represents a moral quality, and that the development of that quality brings the center into activity. For example in the Dhyana- bindu Upanishad, the petals of the heart chakra are associated with such apparently dissimilar qualities as devotion, laziness, anger and charity.
The mantra or holy sound of this center is so-hum. It is associated with the eighth cervical vertebra and the cardiac sympathetic plexus and is related to the thymus gland. Its outstanding psychological quality is a pure love which vibrates outward like the ever-expanding circle which is the symbol of this center.


































































































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