The Higher Heart Centre
The Ocean of Existence
The entire creation is a great drama in which all forms externalise, exist for a certain time and dissolve again. The Vedic seers visualised the phenomenon of creational activity as a big coiled serpent moving on the ocean of existence, surrounded by millions and millions of ripples. Everything is brought by the serpent of time from out of the most subtle to the grossest planes, and also devoured again into THAT. Existence, however, is eternal, within and outside creation, just like we also exist throughout the day and the night.
The Scriptures poetically say that the whole time Lord Narayana is resting on a bed of serpent. The serpent Sesha holds 1000 hoods over him. This number key means that the One (1) permeates the three planes (000). Sesha means, “That which remains”. It signifies that which will remain when all will be dissolved again; and it is also the first which opens again the door to a new creation. The future creation is symbolically represented by a lotus, a sphere coming out of a point which is called the navel of Lord Narayana.
Narayana is the universal consciousness. He is also called the Master of the Universe. His name denotes the up- and downward movement of the etheric waters of space. It is a cyclic movement in nature and in us, whereby the spiritual energies descend into matter and matter ascends again into spirit. Narayana stands for the pure existence, which unfolds to all that exists in creation.
The Connection with the Origin
There is a place in us which represents the embodiment of pure existence and is linked to the point of emergence; yes, it is our connection with the origin. It is the higher heart centre which is also called the Narayana centre or the eight-petalled lotus. This is the spiritual centre in us; it is located between the throat and the generally known twelve-petalled heart centre or Anahata located in the middle of the chest. The higher heart centre is not only higher by its location, but also in the sense that it is more subtle. It says that we experience bliss in the heart, but that the bliss at the higher heart centre is 100 times stronger.
This most sacred centre is not known by the normal yoga. Its secret can hardly be understood and is only revealed to the higher initiates. The source of all existence, however, also exists in us as the unknown centre that makes us wake up each morning. Just like creation receives the impulse to start from the innermost of be-ness, this innermost be-ness every morning evokes our consciousness, makes us experience the day and re-absorbs us into sleep in the evening.
On the ascending path the seat of Capricorn is in the higher heart centre, whereas in general astrology it is related to the knees. Esoteric astrology, however, tells us that from Sagittarius onwards the ascending path leads via the higher base centre, the higher heart centre, the higher ajna centre to the jewel in the lotus of the 1000-petalled head centre. From the head centre the soul descends to incarnate according to time and the Plan. During the hours of wakefulness its seat is in the Ajna centre; during sleep it withdraws into the higher heart centre, while the lower heart centre is the seat of Buddhi. Capricorn is the dawn of the year, the dawn contains everything in potency, the day and the night, and thus also Lord Narayana. He is worshipped in the eight-petalled lotus with the eight-syllabled mantram OM NAMO NARAYANAYA. The intonation of this mantram creates the link to the higher heart centre.
The State of Samadhi
The Narayana centre is the seat of the state of Samadhi, the 8th step and goal of Patanjali. In the 5000 years old Vishnu Purana it says that in Samadhi “a master is sleeping and at the same time not sleeping.” He sleeps only latently, just like fire is latently contained in a wooden stick without being visible. Thus the eyes of a sleeping Master of Wisdom are only partly closed, 10 per cent are open, 90 per cent are closed. In Samadhi we are withdrawn into the higher heart centre where we exist as nothing other than THAT. At any other time the soul is active, even when it stays in the Sahasrara.
The state of Samadhi in the eight-petalled lotus stands for the 8th plane which goes beyond the seven planes of creation. But also the highest of the seven planes, the seventh sub-plane of the seventh plane, is called the plane of Narayana or Vaikunta, the cosmic sub-plane of the cosmic consciousness. These descriptions can only be expressed in words with great difficulty. Vaikunta literally means the plane which excludes imperfection.
The 8th plane is beyond, it is also called the plane of GO, of the Jupiter energy, of Christ or Krishna, the basis of our existence. Master CVV also came down from out of it. Jesus Christ spoke of it when he said, “I shall now rise and go to my Father”.
In “Secret Doctrine” the first 8 verses of the Book of Dzyan describe this state from a cosmic perspective. To raise ourselves to higher states of consciousness it is recommended to read this stanza daily before sleep and to intonate the mantram OM NAMO NARAYANAYA. It says that the rulers of all planes of existence sing this mantram to remain in tune with the divine plan, whatever happens in creation.
The Gayatri mantram with 24 syllables consists of the same number key (3 times 8). The 24-syllabled “Vishnu Gayatri” also enables to link up with the centre of Narayana: NARAYANAYA VIDMAHE VASUDEVAYA DHIMAHI TANNO VISHNU PRACHODAYAT. It means, We meditate upon Vasudeva, the indwelling Lord of the Universe, to realise (vidmahe) Narayana (God Absolute) and to be alerted of Vishnu (God as form). The mantram is sung in multiples of 8, invoking the deep blue colour and its variation up to violet in the higher heart centre. The geometrical figure of this mantram is the symbol of perfection (the sign of the WTT).
The Door to Higher Life
Blue represents the perfect man; manifestations of God happen through a blue auric envelope which imprints man in the heart. Particularly in the month of Capricorn we should connect to the higher heart centre in meditation. This doesn’t happen by itself, we have to do something for it. The morning and evening prayer are meant to observe the One in all. We offer ourselves to Him and see what happens. The prayer is the offering; then the rest happens without our doing.
At Cancer and Capricorn full moon Sun and Moon face each other. In us they meet at Capricorn full moon in the higher heart centre, when the Sun stands in the higher heart and the moon in the Anahata centre. Thus, the solar and lunar energies are very close to each other. We should feel this closeness, visualise the Sun and Moon light in us and withdraw if possible from outer activities into the inside.
The Vedic seers realised creation in layers, and the most far-reaching division is the threefold existence of matter, force and consciousness. These planes of existence are symbolically called “Vishnu”, “Vasudeva” and “Narayana”. Vishnu is all that appears in shape, colour, number etc., the light that penetrates the entire creation. Vasudeva is the centre of the indweller of all units of consciousness; he has his seat in us in the twelve-petalled lotus. And Narayana is the Lord of the eight-petalled lotus, the one background of all units of consciousness, the synthesis of existence.
To attain the state of existence and to get absorbed into it we should observe in us the inhalation and exhalation. Then we experience that not we, but the Narayana consciousness breathes in and breathes out. The moment we are aware of Him, we are connected to Him. Through this centre we are connected with everyone as “I AM in everyone”. At that point all is One. Thus, the link up to Hierarchy also happens through the higher heart centre. Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, first guides us through strict discipline; then he leads us beyond conditionings. Therefore, Capricorn represents the door to the higher life, and the entrance leads through the heart.
Sources: K.P. Kumar: Mantrams. Their Significance and Practice / notes from seminars. E. Krishnamacharya: Vishnu Sahasranama. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India.