Contd from Part 5
In overcoming fear, one should be honest in accepting that there is fear and all kinds of fears are caused due to conflicts. Conflict is nothing but a difference of an opinion. Because of these differences of opinions, we as humans undergo through many emotions and these emotions effect our bodies in various ways.
In the Indian scriptures there is a lot of discussion on the mind - body relationship. Based upon our thoughts and the resulting emotions from those thoughts, our bodies get effected accordingly. The Vedic mantra from Rigveda 1.89.1 states about how one should have an attitude as far as thoughts are concerned. It says "May noble or auspicious thoughts come to us from all directions - Aano bhadrah krtavo yantu vishwatah -आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः ." This clearly emphasizes the importance of thoughts and its effect on human bodies. This is also an indication that since we get various kinds of thoughts which can effect the human body in various ways, if selectively noble or auspicious thoughts come to us, then the human well-being becomes more of a possibility rather than by chance. Here, it is an indication that purposefully human beings should be able to selectively think or choose auspicious or noble thoughts so that the effects of those thoughts will lead to human well-being.
The invocation sloka or verse by Shri Vāgbhatāchārya श्री वाग्भटाचार्य in Sutra Sthāna of Ashtānga Hridayam is as follows:
rāgādirogān satatānuśaktā,
naśeṣakāyaprasṛtānaśeṣān,
autsukyamohāratidānjaghāna
yo'pūrvavaidyāya namostutasmai।
रागादिरोगान् सततानुशक्ता,
नशेषकायप्रसृतानशेषान्,
औत्सुक्यमोहारतिदान्जघान
योऽपूर्ववैद्याय नमोस्तुतस्मै।
This sloka even though is an invocation sloka clearly emphasizes the causes for diseases in the body. The one that creates suffering to mind will also create suffering to body. As ऋजन्ती इति रोगाः. ṛjantī iti rogāḥ - the one that creates disturbances in body and mind is roga or dis-ease. The one that creates suffering to mind are rāgadvesha (attachment and aversion). These can be further divided into arishadvarga – kāma (craving or longing), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (infatuation, delusion) mada (pride due to ignorance) and mātsarya (malice, jealousy).
Findings from one of the recent studies are agreeing to the eastern philosophy of influence of thought process on the human body. These studies have indicated that there are very close relationships between emotions and the bodily experiences. Emotions or feelings will give rise to changes in physiological reactions and vis-a-vie the physiological reactions such as the cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous systems and their somatosensory feedback mechanisms trigger emotional experiences.[1]
The royal physician Heo Jun (1539 – 1615) in his book Dongui Bogam categorized emotions into seven different groups:
In an other study the subjects were asked to undergo visualization of certain emotions and the changes in their physiological organs have been observed and the studies revealed close evidences of the different kinds of emotions relating to different organs in the human body. These are as follows:
Understanding Emotion and its effects on body
Nature is prakriti प्रक्रुति and being away from nature is vikruti विक्रुति. Human beings should lead their life as close to their true nature as possible instead of living in the self created, or societal created life of environmental influences. Because, most of the societal created environment has given so many unnecessary fears that has led human beings away from their true-nature. We should utilize every opportunity to move close to our true nature of peace and tranquility.In overcoming fear, one should be honest in accepting that there is fear and all kinds of fears are caused due to conflicts. Conflict is nothing but a difference of an opinion. Because of these differences of opinions, we as humans undergo through many emotions and these emotions effect our bodies in various ways.
In the Indian scriptures there is a lot of discussion on the mind - body relationship. Based upon our thoughts and the resulting emotions from those thoughts, our bodies get effected accordingly. The Vedic mantra from Rigveda 1.89.1 states about how one should have an attitude as far as thoughts are concerned. It says "May noble or auspicious thoughts come to us from all directions - Aano bhadrah krtavo yantu vishwatah -आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः ." This clearly emphasizes the importance of thoughts and its effect on human bodies. This is also an indication that since we get various kinds of thoughts which can effect the human body in various ways, if selectively noble or auspicious thoughts come to us, then the human well-being becomes more of a possibility rather than by chance. Here, it is an indication that purposefully human beings should be able to selectively think or choose auspicious or noble thoughts so that the effects of those thoughts will lead to human well-being.
The invocation sloka or verse by Shri Vāgbhatāchārya श्री वाग्भटाचार्य in Sutra Sthāna of Ashtānga Hridayam is as follows:
rāgādirogān satatānuśaktā,
naśeṣakāyaprasṛtānaśeṣān,
autsukyamohāratidānjaghāna
yo'pūrvavaidyāya namostutasmai।
रागादिरोगान् सततानुशक्ता,
नशेषकायप्रसृतानशेषान्,
औत्सुक्यमोहारतिदान्जघान
योऽपूर्ववैद्याय नमोस्तुतस्मै।
This sloka even though is an invocation sloka clearly emphasizes the causes for diseases in the body. The one that creates suffering to mind will also create suffering to body. As ऋजन्ती इति रोगाः. ṛjantī iti rogāḥ - the one that creates disturbances in body and mind is roga or dis-ease. The one that creates suffering to mind are rāgadvesha (attachment and aversion). These can be further divided into arishadvarga – kāma (craving or longing), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (infatuation, delusion) mada (pride due to ignorance) and mātsarya (malice, jealousy).
Findings from one of the recent studies are agreeing to the eastern philosophy of influence of thought process on the human body. These studies have indicated that there are very close relationships between emotions and the bodily experiences. Emotions or feelings will give rise to changes in physiological reactions and vis-a-vie the physiological reactions such as the cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous systems and their somatosensory feedback mechanisms trigger emotional experiences.[1]
The royal physician Heo Jun (1539 – 1615) in his book Dongui Bogam categorized emotions into seven different groups:
- anger,
- happiness,
- pensiveness / serious thoughtfulness,
- sadness,
- anxiety,
- fear, and
- surprise.
- anger relating to liver,
- happiness to heart,
- pensiveness / serious thoughtfulness to spleen,
- anxiety to lungs,
- fear to kidneys, and
- surprise to gallbladder.
One of the heavy influences of the human system in today's civilized world is anxiety. We are anxious of everything. We are anxious of our achievements and non-achievements. We do not have any clarity on what to achieve and what not to achieve. We get so much influenced by the advertisements and the corporate, societal lies that we want everything that is being projected by these external influences and most of the individuals thought process has got corrupted so much that if these external influenced achievements are not achieved, then there is no life at all and they are not living life. But, in reality when we look at this whole scenario and reflect, it clearly shows that all these societal influences, things, objects are simply unnecessary and not at all required. Human beings have come to that extent that they have succumbed to nervousness because of all these fears and the anxiety that is born because of constant thought process of achieving the unnecessary necessities or achievements.
Nervousness is the disease of civilization. - Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, in "Journey to Self Realization."
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (The Trigunas)
The Sānkhya Yoga divides the life's attributes into three qualities: sattva, rajas and tamas.
- The quality of Sattva is mainly balance. It represents the balance of both Rajas (activity) and Tamas (inertia). Hence, it provides the qualities of high and pure thinking, being compassionate, wise, enlivening and enlightening;
- The quality of Rajas is activity - being dynamic. Too much of activity will lead to various ailments both physiologically and psychologically. While the Rajas provides the energy for the metabolism, it also provides the heat and too much of activity makes an individual restless and selfish. Hence, one needs to have an appropriate amount of Rajas quality. Not too high which leads to restlessness and not too low which leads to lethargy. One of the beneficial quality of Rajas is learning and adapting to the wisdom driven activities;
- Tamas represents all that is inert, still, dull, unconscious, sluggish and ignorant. An individual with Tamas quality would be dull, lethargic and would like to perform mostly inauspicious activities.
A healthy person smiles and laughs, is cheerful and happy. Health is a gift from Mother Nature, the power behind life. Health is your birthright, not disease. It is as natural to be well as it is to be born.” - Swami Sivananda
Being a human being we should have a balance of the three attributes of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. It is up to us, how much we should have these three attributes and in what proportions. While the highly sattvic body and mind has its high well-being, the others have low well-being. Hence, it is very scientific and wise also to choose the appropriate attribute in leading our life towards our overall well-being.
We as human beings undergo through many emotions through out our whole life from birth to death. It is up to us to balance these emotions so that when we leave our bodies and this world we leave contented and fulfilled.
The word emotion has its Latin origin as emotere which means energy in motion. Hence, if we define energy in motion as emotion then that means we should be able to detect this motion of energy in its budding stage and choose to channelize it appropriately so that instead of resulting in unnecessary fears and anxiety, it can be used for our overall well-being.
Every emotion triggers a stimuli in brain which sends energy into the body's nerves or various energy channels and a constant trigger of these emotions will result in anxiety and nervousness which finally results into various other diseases.
The best way of dealing with these energies in motion is to self reflect and observe or introspection. One should have open-minded presence and open-heartedness in performing this exercise. Once we know the origin of our emotions then we can channelize it accordingly by regulating our breath and using some breathing exercises or by practice of prāṇāyāma प्राणायाम.
Now let us look into the three attributes (sattva, rajas and tamas) as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ १८-२०॥
sarvabhūteṣu yenaikaṃ bhāvamavyayamīkṣate ।
avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi sāttvikam ॥ 18-20॥
That by which an individual perceives the one imperishable divine existence as undivided and equally present in all individual beings, know that knowledge to be Sāttvik.
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् ।
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥ १८-२३॥
niyataṃ saṅgarahitamarāgadveṣataḥ kṛtam ।
aphalaprepsunā karma yattatsāttvikamucyate ॥ 18-23॥
That action which is ordained by the scriptures, and is not accompanied by the sense of doership, and has been done without any attachment or aversion by one who seeks no return, is called Sāttvik.
वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १८-२१॥
pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṃ nānābhāvānpṛthagvidhān ।
vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi rājasam ॥ 18-21॥
The knowledge by which individual cognizes many existences of various kinds, as apart from one another, in all beings, know that knowledge to be Rājasik.
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः ।
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८-२४॥
yattu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ ।
kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tadrājasamudāhṛtam ॥ 18-24॥
Action that is inspired by longing for satisfaction of desires, or performed with egotism and colossal effort, is said to be Rājasik.
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८-२२॥
yattu kṛtsnavadekasminkārye saktamahaitukam ।
atattvārthavadalpaṃ ca tattāmasamudāhṛtam ॥ 18-22॥
Again that knowledge by which individual clings to one body as if it were the whole, and which is irrational, has no real grasp of truth and is trivial, has been declared as Tāmasik.
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् ।
मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते ॥ १८-२५॥
anubandhaṃ kṣayaṃ hiṃsāmanapekṣya ca pauruṣam ।
mohādārabhyate karma yattattāmasamucyate ॥ 18-25॥
The actions that are undertaken through sheer ignorance, without regard to the consequences or loss to oneself, injury to others and one's own resourcefulness is declared as Tāmasik.
Whilst the Sātvik attributes are close to the soul and result in peace, harmony, stillness and silence, the Rājasik and Tāmasik attributes take the individual away from the soul and results in disharmony, disturbance, restlessness and noise. Hence, it all depends upon an individual and the choices one makes on how much time one has to spend in each of these attributes.
Hence, an individual need to be balanced all the time and attain equanimity under all circumstances. Each individual has to develop the wise mind which is a balance of both the emotional and logical brains. Then, and then only an individual can live wisely, understand the purpose of life and fulfill the actual purpose of taking birth.
Concluded in Part 7.
We as human beings undergo through many emotions through out our whole life from birth to death. It is up to us to balance these emotions so that when we leave our bodies and this world we leave contented and fulfilled.
The word emotion has its Latin origin as emotere which means energy in motion. Hence, if we define energy in motion as emotion then that means we should be able to detect this motion of energy in its budding stage and choose to channelize it appropriately so that instead of resulting in unnecessary fears and anxiety, it can be used for our overall well-being.
Every emotion triggers a stimuli in brain which sends energy into the body's nerves or various energy channels and a constant trigger of these emotions will result in anxiety and nervousness which finally results into various other diseases.
The best way of dealing with these energies in motion is to self reflect and observe or introspection. One should have open-minded presence and open-heartedness in performing this exercise. Once we know the origin of our emotions then we can channelize it accordingly by regulating our breath and using some breathing exercises or by practice of prāṇāyāma प्राणायाम.
Introspection is the one activity that when properly performed and accomplished will help an individual on many aspects. Especially when it is done in a deeper way, it will bring out the deep rooted habits, attachments, aversions to the surface and the practitioner or individual can take a decision to let go most of them, there by getting rid of many unwanted emotions that might be disturbing both physical and mental health of the individual.
Now let us look into the three attributes (sattva, rajas and tamas) as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita.
The Sāttivk attribute:
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ १८-२०॥
sarvabhūteṣu yenaikaṃ bhāvamavyayamīkṣate ।
avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi sāttvikam ॥ 18-20॥
That by which an individual perceives the one imperishable divine existence as undivided and equally present in all individual beings, know that knowledge to be Sāttvik.
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् ।
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥ १८-२३॥
niyataṃ saṅgarahitamarāgadveṣataḥ kṛtam ।
aphalaprepsunā karma yattatsāttvikamucyate ॥ 18-23॥
That action which is ordained by the scriptures, and is not accompanied by the sense of doership, and has been done without any attachment or aversion by one who seeks no return, is called Sāttvik.
The Rājasik attribute:
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् ।वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १८-२१॥
pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṃ nānābhāvānpṛthagvidhān ।
vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi rājasam ॥ 18-21॥
The knowledge by which individual cognizes many existences of various kinds, as apart from one another, in all beings, know that knowledge to be Rājasik.
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः ।
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८-२४॥
yattu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ ।
kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tadrājasamudāhṛtam ॥ 18-24॥
Action that is inspired by longing for satisfaction of desires, or performed with egotism and colossal effort, is said to be Rājasik.
The Tāmasik attribute:
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् ।अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८-२२॥
yattu kṛtsnavadekasminkārye saktamahaitukam ।
atattvārthavadalpaṃ ca tattāmasamudāhṛtam ॥ 18-22॥
Again that knowledge by which individual clings to one body as if it were the whole, and which is irrational, has no real grasp of truth and is trivial, has been declared as Tāmasik.
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् ।
मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते ॥ १८-२५॥
anubandhaṃ kṣayaṃ hiṃsāmanapekṣya ca pauruṣam ।
mohādārabhyate karma yattattāmasamucyate ॥ 18-25॥
The actions that are undertaken through sheer ignorance, without regard to the consequences or loss to oneself, injury to others and one's own resourcefulness is declared as Tāmasik.
Whilst the Sātvik attributes are close to the soul and result in peace, harmony, stillness and silence, the Rājasik and Tāmasik attributes take the individual away from the soul and results in disharmony, disturbance, restlessness and noise. Hence, it all depends upon an individual and the choices one makes on how much time one has to spend in each of these attributes.
Hence, an individual need to be balanced all the time and attain equanimity under all circumstances. Each individual has to develop the wise mind which is a balance of both the emotional and logical brains. Then, and then only an individual can live wisely, understand the purpose of life and fulfill the actual purpose of taking birth.
Concluded in Part 7.
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