The deer in the heart- Anahata chakra

A few months ago I was meditating in the Ashdown forest with some others disciples of Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov. It was just before dawn, I was waiting for the sun to rise when I noticed a couple of deer a few metres away.  It was a magical experience- I stayed absolutely still and watched them from a distance. They stared back at me for several seconds before taking off in leaps through the trees. I felt  there had been some sort of communication between us. A few weeks later I was walking alone in the forest and again I saw deer, this time with  a young fawn. These dawn encounters touched my heart deeply and I began to try and interpret the message from nature. What do the deer symbolize?

anahata diagram

 

In the Hindu system of the chakras (subtle energy centres), the heart chakra, Anahata is represented with green or green and pink petals and there is the image of a deer or antelope underneath the Sanskrit letter. Apart from shyness, deer represent gentleness to me- the doe have such gentle eyes. (Could also be memories of my favorite childhood film- Bambi!) For the master, Anahata is the centre of universal love, the vast and disinterested love which awakens intuition and true intelligence. He recommended meditating on the image of the heart chakra and even wearing it on clothing as that can help our spiritual development.  Chanting the Tibetan mantra OM MANI PADME HUM also acts very beneficially on the heart chakra. This mantra was given to human beings by the Buddha Avalokiteshvar as a means to help us overcome the suffering of our earthly existence. It’s a way to eventually attain the Buddhic state of consciousness- the same state  that represents the birth of Christ within the human soul.

heart chakra

This image originally posted on: paintingsilove.com

The video is a really beautiful version of the chant and was created by Patricia Saez Campos on youtube, sung by Imee Ooi.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcKea-10–E

The qualities of gentleness and humility are extremely important ones for a disciple as they act as an antidote to two psychic enemies of the spiritual life: pride and anger. The following extract is taken from Spiritual Alchemy:

Pride and anger are two violent poisons and humans do not know what antidote to use against them. Chemists know about antidotes to chemical poisons but on the psychic level they are unknown. Initiates are the only people  who have ever concerned themselves with finding remedies against pride and anger, and they are gentleness and humility. On the astrological level Saturn and Mars represent great Evil and petty Evil, whereas Jupiter and Venus represent great Fortune and little Fortune. And when Jesus said, ‘Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest— for I am meek and lowly of heart’, he was extending a helping hand  to all those who are in the grip of these two great tormentors: anger and pride. Meekness, or gentleness and humility are the two indispensable virtues of disciples for they can resolve all their most difficult problems.

anahata-opening-joyce-huntington

Image originally posted on rootofyourheart.blogspot.co.uk

Those who are gentle and humble are not weak, as people often mistakenly think. On the contrary they are in possession of the warmth of a spiritual heart and the light of a spiritual mind and their feet are set firmly on the path of power. All those who believe that if they cultivated the virtues of gentleness and humility they would have to be door-mats for everyone else to walk on are very much mistaken. Those who are gentle and humble have accumulated great reserves of strength: they are always safe, for the scriptures tell us that God puts down the proud and exalts the humble.

Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

And here’s a poem about deer by Thomas Hardy which I absolutely love. The deer is silently observing human beings, unseen. For me, this symbolizes the fact that everything we do, think or feel is recorded by the silent observer that dwells within us, in our higher Self. The poem also reminds me that animals have their own consciousness, their own intelligence, if you like. According to the master, an animal body can occasionally be inhabited by an evolved spirit. This is why several cultures in the past gave sacred status to certain animals, such as cows in India and cats in ancient Egypt. Who knows what the deer at the lonely house saw as it observed the human beings unseen?

My encounter with the deer in the forest was a reminder to me of the importance of the feminine qualities of gentleness and love.

The Fallow Deer at the Lonely House

fallowDeer

One without looks in to-night
Through the curtain-chink
From the sheet of glistening white;
One without looks in to-night
As we sit and think
By the fender-brink.

We do not see those eyes
Watching in the snow;
Lit by lamps of rosy dyes
We do not see those eyes
Wondering, aglow,
Fourfooted, tiptoe.

Thomas Hardy

The image is taken from http://casterbridge.blogspot.co.uk/

Front Image credit (deer in forest)  : yoga-linx.de

Thanks for visiting.

4 thoughts on “The deer in the heart- Anahata chakra”

  1. Hi …

    I read about your experience. i have something to add. I do not know whether you are familiar with Valmiki Ramayan or not. But there is a incident in it. When lord Rama was searching for Mother Sita in forest at one stage Shri Ram start weeping and hide his face behind his palm. Shri Lakhmana asked why you are crying brother. Shri Ram told that a deer baby if forest was running after seeing us but his mother stopped him and told do not run son. These guys are behind golden deer not us. Actually it is believed that a deer can read heart intention of human and they run away from such people. So if you have love in your heart they will come near you.

    Rgds,
    Amit

    Reply
  2. Oh my gosh, this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in a long time–the encounter with those deer, and that stunningly beautiful chant. Thank you. The deer is my chakra animal–that’s how I found you. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story with us. My deer-heart needed this–it feels much better now. <3

    Reply
    • Hi Susan
      I am really happy you found the post and received something beautiful from it. Actually, your comment prompted me to re-read it, which was good as the message about gentleness and humility is aways relevant!!
      I will enjoy taking a look at your sight, too.
      Love and joy
      Susan

      Reply

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