Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

HEART

A symbol of the causal-body as a centre of being on the higher mental plane, and the receptacle of atma-buddhi, the spirit within. The heart also signifies the love principle and the higher affections.

"The heart—the heavenly city of Brahman." — Mundaka Upanishad, 2, 7.

"God who is concealed within the heart. . . . O man meditate on the Name under the Guru's instruction, and thou shalt be happy in the temple of thy heart (Nanak)." — MACAULIFFE, The Sikh Religion, Vol. I. pp. 317–8.

Sakalya said: "And in what does the True abide?" Yagnavalkya said: "In the heart, for with the heart do we know what is true, and in the heart indeed the True abides." — Brihad. Upanishad, III. 9, 23.
(Footnote: "Heart stands here for buddhi and manas together." — S. B. of E., Vol. XV. p. 146.)

"My heart, my mother! My heart whereby I came into being. May naught stand up to oppose me at my judgment; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him that keepeth the Balance! Thou art my double (ka), the dweller in my body. Verily how great shalt thou be when thou risest in triumph." — BUDGE, Book of the Dead, Ch. XXXB.

The causal-body is the "mother" whereby the ego comes into being on the lower planes. It is the cause of the series of incarnations. In the "weighing of the heart before Osiris" the development of the causal-body is judged by its balance against the personality. The causal-body is the "double" on a higher plane of the personality, and when perfection is reached, the two Selves, lower and higher, become one and rise in triumph to the buddhic plane.

"The heart lies in seas of blood which dart in opposite directions; and there most of all intelligence centres for men, for blood about the heart is intelligence in the case of men." — Empedocles, FAIRBANKS, 327.

The "heart," or love principle, is in closest contact with the life essence (blood) which flows, or energises, in opposite ways, or to "pairs of opposites"; in other words, the life essence is directed toward objects which this conflict may involve opposite relationships. And through this conflict intelligence develops from the awakenment of the emotion principle. The life essence concentrated in the causal-body and higher affections gives intuition when it is united with the mental principle.

"The heart was considered to be the source of all life and thought, and it was the part of the body that was specially taken care of in mummifying. Sometimes the heart (amulet) is human-headed, with the hands crossed over it, and sometimes a figure of the soul, in the shape of a hawk with outstretched wings, is inlaid on one side of it." — BUDGE, The Mummy, pp. 262–3.

The causal-body is perfected by the purification of the personality (mummifying). It is the immortal soul—the seat of the Higher Self (hawk).

"As the Eolian harp vibrates to the wind, so does the heart of man everywhere to the true message of God." — J. BRIERLEY, Studies of the Soul, p. 168.

"The soul is often called the heart of man, or that, in and by which things, to either good or evil, have their rise; thus desires are of the heart or soul; yea, before desires, the first conception of good or evil is in the soul, the heart. The heart understands, wills, affects, reasons, judges, but these are the faculties of the soul; wherefore, heart and soul are often taken for one and the same. 'My son, give me thine heart.' (PROV. xxiii. 26). 'Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,' etc. (MATTHEW xv. 19; 1 PET. iii. 15; Ps. xxvi. 2)." — J. BUNYAN, Greatness of the Soul.

Both the symbols "soul" and "heart" have higher and lower meanings in accordance with the duality of manifestation.

"By the word heart, of course, we here mean not merely 'the seat of the affections,' 'the organ of tender emotion,' and the like: but rather the inmost sanctuary of personal being, the synthesis of its love and will, the very source of its energy and life." — E. UNDERHILL, Mysticism, p. 85.

"God's Spirit is throned in the heart, He walks with us as a friend, He breathes into our spirit the inspiration of power, and love, and a sound mind. In the secret places of our trial and our doubt, in the hour when our nature trembles on the verge of fall, in the hour when our being asserts its immortal righteousness against a base temptation, He is with us, inspiring us with the memory of Christ, calling on us to be worthy of our calling, pouring life and energy into the affections which raise us above our selfishness, into the aspirations which make us despise our sin; kindling hope in the midst of our despair, and faith to try again when life has failed." — STOPFORD A. BROOKE, Serm., Pentecost.

"The fact is that the 'Heart' is a symbol of the central life of the soul and the manifestations thence proceeding, for the Scriptural writers as well as for the Classical writers generally." — A. CALDECOTT, Phil. of Religion, p. 89.

See Also

AB
BALANCE
BLOOD
CABIN
CAUSAL-BODY
EMBALMMENT
HAWK
HEAVEN
INCENSE
JUDGMENT-HALL
KA
LOTUS
PROCESSION
PYLONS
QEBHSENNUF
QUETZALCOATL
SHENIT
SHRINE
*SOUL
TEMPLE
VISCERA
ZAGREUS