Guna means virtue and each one of us is blessed with three gunas. They emerge from Prakriti creating the essential aspects of all nature—matter, energy and consciousness. These are tamas (darkness and chaos), rajas (activity and passion) and sattva (beingness and harmony). These gunas are constantly in flux and they are responsible for creating maya (illusion). As human beings we can consciously alter our levels of gunas in our body and mind. Continue reading
During the 9 days of worship of the Mother Goddess, the triumph of the divine feminine trinity of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi occurs. In the course of this festival of Mother worship, respect is shown to young girls, married women, young learned boys, elephants and cows. Navratri represents the internal conquest of negativity. Continue reading
It is a sweeping statement. However, it is possible. Our body is made up of five basic elements – the panch tattva. The five fingers of our hands are regarded as representative symbols of the panch tattvas. Continue reading
The lotus is the most powerful symbol of spirituality, beauty, fertility and prosperity. According to Hinduism within each of us is the spirit of the lotus. It is the Anahata chakra or Hrit Padma (heart-lotus), which is the gateway to our soul. The Anahata chakra is described as blue. Continue reading
Modifications in our consciousness.
“Each day watch the colors of your mind.
Until the light shines clearly
And you see straight through
The craving of your senses.
Thus, you will win freedom from experiences
Which carves you to its form
Release from desire which eats you from within.” Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
In Hinduism, colors play a very significant role. Some of the main colors are red, yellow (turmeric), green from leaves and white from wheat flour.
Red is the color used most frequently for auspicious occasions like marriages, birth of a child, festivals, etc. A red mark is put on the forehead during ceremonies and important situations. As a sign of marriage, women put red powder (sindhoor made from turmeric and lime juice) in their hair parting. Red powder is applied to statues of deities, during prayers. It is also the color of Shakti’s strength. A red dress is put on Gods who are charitable, merciful and protective against evil. A married Indian woman is wrapped in red, when she is cremated.
Saffron expresses fire, abstinence and celibacy. Wearing this color also means searching for the light.
Green characterizes peace and happiness.
Yellow is the color of knowledge and learning and it symbolizes happiness, peace and meditation.
White is a mixture of seven colors, and therefore depicts the qualities of each color. It typifies purity and cleanliness. It is also the color of mourning for Hindus. The deities always have a little bit of white on their clothes.
Blue is a color which is everywhere in nature. It is a color which demonstrates stability and strong character. Rama and Krishna are colored blue because they protected mankind against evil.
Violet is associated with oneness with God, peace and wisdom. The lotus flower is of many colors but violet is considered the most sacred.
Last but not least, black is a color which is used to ward of the evil eye. According to Astrology if you wish to harmonize the planetary influences, then black is the color to be worn on Saturday. Black color is offered to the fiercest form of mother. In this color she absorbs everything that she has created.
Prakriti, the Goddess is described as having three gunas. Purity, passion and inertia. Knowledge arises from Sattwa; greed from Rajas; delusion, heedlessness and ignorance arise from Tamas. The Gunas are represented by three colors, Sattwa is harmony and purity, and is therefore white. Rajas is energy and passion and is rendered as red. Tamas is inertia and ignorance and is depicted as Black.
Close your eyes. Breathe in and out of your nostrils eleven time. Now visualize your breath, while inhaling going in through both nostrils and meeting at the eyebrow center. While exhaling visualize the breath descending form the eyebrow center out of both the nostrils. This is triangular breathing. Do this fifty-four times. See a color in the Chidakasha, the space behind the eyebrow center. Ten minutes stay with the color, if the color changes, no worry. End the practice with becoming aware of the normal breathing process.
All the colors are very powerful in their energy. Do not push to see a particular color.
Aim Hrim Klim
The Maya tree sprouts out of the seed from the vrittis (modification) of the mind. In the soil of enjoyments of the world, attachment, and desire water the Maya tree of illusion. Karmas are the fruits while lust, anger and greed are its sprouts. Continue reading
Vishnu is worshipped in Vaishnava Tantra. He is the preserver of the world. He is said to manifest in human form in every era (Yuga), to relieve the world from suffering by evil persons, who being destroyed by him also attain their moksha. In Sattva, his Narayana form, in Rajas, his Narsimhan form, and in Tamas, his Varaha form is worshipped. Continue reading
We have three gunas. Gunas are traits with which each one of us is born with. Tamas is being dull and immovable like a rock. Rajas is being ambitious and egotistical. Sattwa is being rational, and non judgemental. Continue reading
…as described in Devi Gita.
The Goddess explains the first kind of vedic worship to her devotees. Continue reading
We all have to join together and rid the universe of evil and destruction. In the Shastras it is written that the easiest way to experience God in these troubled and turbulent times is by worship. We need not go into a complicated philosophical discussion. All we have to do is to bow our heads before the deity, who is greater than any other power of the world. Aradhana (prayer) starts from this act and progresses gradually towards bliss and love. Begin with the deity, one loves and adores (it can be the elements, chakras, and yantras), and one rises progressively above the form and merges into the supreme atman. Continue reading
We are all familiar with an agitated and distracted mind. As children we were made to stand in corners or put our fingers on our lips. We were told that our attention span is that of a gold fish’s (five seconds). As adults, we continue give in to our frantic thoughts and try to fight them. Even in a Yoga class, we will fidget. It is not unusual at all. And now we wish to practice meditation. How should we go about it? We could not sit still as kids and this habit persists. As adults we can now be compared to having a monkey mind. It is really frustrating as some of us are not aware of our ineptitude. Continue reading
Kali Ma is both the auspicious Ambika and the terrible Kali. Kali is the relentless power of time, which in the end consumes everything. Kali represents the energy of the universe. She is Shakti. Continue reading
We must learn and understand the practice of Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. What is Karma Yoga? The word karma is used freely and frankly and all our misfortunes are blamed on our bad Karma. Karma is the real desires created in the mind. When we wish to possess, it is karma. Karma is a movement that takes place within the mind, body or emotions. Continue reading
Shakti existed before the creation of time and space. Shakti is also called the pristine matter or Prakriti (nature). Prakriti expresses herself in three different forms as the power of the universe. These three qualities are called Gunas. The Mother now creates the universe based on the Gunas. The Gunas are sattwa, rajas and tamas. Continue reading
How can we commune with the powers of the universe. We live in a cosmos which is permeated by powerful sources.There are deities everywhere, whether they are in the clouds, forests, waterfalls, mountains, planets, sand or an atom. We have to connect our heart with them and we will feel their presence. We are part of the divinities as these are aspects of our deeper self. We are comprised of three gunas, Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa. They are our basic energies and their complex interactions create the physical universe. Continue reading