The colours of emotions

When the word HEART is used in yoga, it does not refer to a part of the body, but is used to mean the subtle centre where both positive and negative emotions arise. Here, emotions exist in their primal form. When emotions reach the level of Ahamkara, or ego, of the intellect (Buddhi), of chitta, and of manas, the emotion has been transformed. The emotion is then sorted according to the particular region of the mind in which thoughts, desires, and feelings manifest. When emotions arise above the level of the heart, before they are reflected in the mind and alter your mood, they carry a strong, primal form of energy. This energy is so powerful that it can sweep you away. Anger, attraction, jealousy, and hatred are all manifestations of this primal energy.

In the context of emotions, yoga regards the mind and the heart as separate entities. The heart plays a far greater role in directing extraverted feelings toward the inner soul.

When the heart comes into contact with the external environment, certain reactions arise within it, caused by its interaction with objects attractive to the senses. Primal emotions are entirely pure in their original form. They are pure energy, completely free from material desires and pursuits. In their primal state, they resemble a crystal block — clear, transparent, and colourless. But what happens when you place that same crystal block upon an object?

If you place it on red fabric, red will appear within it. If you hold it against black fabric, black appears, and if you hold it against blue fabric, blue appears. The crystal has no colour of its own, but takes on the colour of whatever it is placed upon. The same is true of our emotions. Fundamentally, they are colourless, but when they come into contact with some event, idea, or object, they take on that same colour, and that colour, in turn, influences our psychological behaviour.

Suppose you are walking down a road and suddenly you see a bag full of money lying by the roadside. You cannot ignore it. What feeling arises in you as you look at this bag of money?

Greed — had you not known about this bag of money, greed would not have existed within you. The moment you saw it, a reaction occurred in the mind and in the heart. The mind says, "Take it, it's just lying there," and the emotional energy of the heart takes the form of greed. But alongside greed, compassion for someone else could also arise, depending on the mind. It could even happen that, out of compassion, we go looking for the money's owner, and then, out of expectation and the lack of any reward, that emotion may shift into disappointment or anger, or even jealousy.

What emotions arise when you see a small child? A feeling of affection comes naturally. We don't need to force this sentiment. Likewise, when you see an unpleasant object or person, the natural reaction is disapproval and dislike. When you see your partner, the natural reaction is attraction and desire.

When the mind comes into contact with the various sensory objects of its surroundings, specific emotional reactions are experienced. Emotions take on different colours, even though in their natural state they are colourless.

Piyush Mittal

Nirmala.pl Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda

from a lecture by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati