The heart chakra
The portion of the body identified with the Buddha family is the Chest and Heart. These belong to the heart chakra.
The Heart Chakra contains an 8 petalled lotus. There are 4 main channels in the heart chakra that come together at the central channel and, from there, the 8 petals representing the sub-channels all flow out from the three central energy channels of our body.
The heart chakra represents the seat of consciousness. It is said to be where consciousness settled during the process of conception. During conception, the consciousness in the in-between state enters the crown or mouth of the male, descends through his central channel and then enters the womb of the female with the sperm. These then unite with the egg and the consciousness settles in the centre of the fetus.
In the centre of the fetus, the heart and lungs are created. These organs are the two organs that are very basic to life and experience. The more that they function on their own, the the greater the physical separation between the child and the mother.
The heart and lungs both have a rhythm. There is an arising and a passing away. The breath goes in and then out. The heart squeezes and relaxes. These rhythms then measure out the duration of our lives. Without the beating of our heart and in and out breathing, all other life experiences within this realm are impossible. These then represent the very basic life experiences from which all others start.
It is at the heart centre that we experience our sense of aliveness. It is also at the heart centre that we feel our sense of understanding or confusion.
