THE MIND AND THE HEART
Dialogue 30P: So far our discussions have been related to the mind and its problems. What
we have not discussed is the movement of the heart.
K: I am glad you have raised that.
P: Is the movement of the heart a different movement from the movement of the
mind? Are they one movement or two movements? And if they are two
movements, what are the elements which make these two movements different? I
use the words ‘mind’ and ‘heart’ because these are the two focal points around
which certain sensory responses appear to focus. Are the two movements in fact
one movement?
K: Let us begin. What do you mean by ‘movement’?
P: Any kind of emotional response which we call love, affection, goodwill,
compassion, seems to ripple, to move from a focal point which we identify as the
region of the heart. These ripples affect the heart, make it physically beat faster.
K: This is the physiological movement of the brain cells.
D: Or is it the nerves which have an impact on the heart?
K: It is a response of the nerves, the heart, the brain, the whole psychosomatic
organism. Now, is the movement of the mind separate from the movement of
what is generally called the heart? We are not speaking of the physical heart, but
of the emotions: the sentiments, the anger, the jealousy, the feeling of guilt—all
the emotions that make the heart throb and beat faster. Are the movements of the
mind and heart separate? Let us discuss it.
P: In the context of what we have been saying all along, that is, of stripping the
mind until nothing except the movement of survival remains, the only factor
which would distinguish man would be this strange movement of the heart.
K: I think this division is artificial. First of all, we should not start that way.
P: While we have been discussing with you, there has been a silencing of the
brain cells, there has been a tremendous clarity, yet there has been no response
from the heart; there have been no ripples.
K: So you are separating the two: There is the movement of the mind and there is
the movement of the heart. Let us question whether they are separate. And also,