The Upanishads, sacred texts that form the basis for Hindu philosophy and doctrine, were composed from 600 to 300 B.C. A collection of stories, hymns, metaphors, and dialogs, the focus or lessons of the Hindu texts are the concept of: an interior place, which is the source of being; enlightenment; and cosmic consciousness. The Upanishads teach that the divine resides in the cave of the heart, which is the great fulcrum of the universe where atman (spiritual self) meets brahman (holy power).
The Hindus also created the text, the Kama Sutra, which is more than a handbook; “it is a guide for keeping the principle of desire alive and balanced in the human heart and therefore the cosmos at large“ (Goodwin, 2001). Kama, one of the four goals of life, has to do with “the enhancement of pleasure, the enjoyment of the gifts of the earth, and close attention to things and people” (Goodwin).
Chakras, the Hindu mystical physiology of energy points in the body, are wheels of energy. Of the seven chakras, the fourth or heart chakra is called anhata. It is related to relationship, compassion, and balance. Anhata’s element is air; it’s symbolic animal is the gazelle. If one attains the heart chakra through the practice of yoga one can experience atman connecting with brahman.
Heart chakra: anhata