—Katha Upanishad
The Katha Upanishad is a unique and powerful teaching on the heart. It is the story of an ardent student who gets to have a yoga private with the greatest guru ever named Yama, the Deity of Death. Yama, who at first is out making his rounds, agrees to give instructions on how to avoid his grasp. “The one who knows yoga is freed from the jaws of death” he says. He tells the young boy that the way to avoid his snare is to cut through the knots tangled in his heart. This knot, of course, is more psychological than physical. In the language of the chakras, the knot is known as a granthi — a thickened, bulbous bundle. In Ayurveda, the word refers to a tumor or cyst. When there is toxic emotion, like from the classic three poisons of greed, delusion and anger, cysts develop around the heart. They can grow in size or spread throughout the whole body. Today, many people suffer from such energy cysts and psychic tumors. The primary way to reduce these knots in the heart is through the medicine of tolerance, loving kindness and empathy. When the medicine of compassion flows, it can reduce the size of any abscessed growth. Don’t let ill-will contaminate your heart. Each day take your heart medicine, loosen the knots that bind you, and so embody undying love.
Photo: Emmanuel Ikwuegbu for Unsplash
