By Dr KK
Filed Under Spirituality - Science Behind Rituals | Tagged With: ahankaar, Antidotes of the deadly five passions, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | | 2 Comments»
The 5 deadly passions are kama, krodha, lobha, moha and ahankaar. Kama denotes passion for sex, refined carbohydrate food, and wealth; krodha for anger; lobha for greed; moha for undue attachments for material things; and ahankaar for vanity or egoism.
These five vices can be removed either by willfully avoiding them, by practicing opposite virtues or by dipping oneself in silence using a primordial sound mantra called primordial sound meditation. Read more
By Dr KK
Filed Under Spirituality - Science Behind Rituals | Tagged With: Body is made up of five elements, kama, largest epic of our country, lobha and ahankaara, Navratras to Diwali, Senses are Chanchal like horses, Spiritual message from Ramayana, The Allopathic Ramayana | | 2 Comments»
Navratras to Diwali is the season of revisiting the messages from Ramayana, the largest epic of our country which was once classified as one of the Puranas.
One can understand the story of Ramayana as the story of mind, body and soul and the story of causation and prevention of a disease. In the mind, body, soul concept the soul is represented as Rama and the physical body as Sita. Body is made up of five elements with earth being the predominant. Sita was the daughter of earth (prithvi).
Soul and body can only unite in presence of a determined mind holding them together. Determination menas “aim” and in Hindi it is called “lakshya”. The mind with a defined aim, therefore, represents “Lakshmana”.
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, therefore, represent the union of mind, body and soul. The three will stay together as long as one has his or her ten 10 senses (five motor and five sensory) under control. Senses are Chanchal like horses. Chariot of two horses is called Rath and chariot of ten (das) horses is called “Dasharatha”. Therefore, mind, body and soul will be together with the resultant health only if the body is ruled by “Dasharatha” by controlling all the ten senses.
The next part of Ramayana talks about the causation of disease and worries. The causative factors are “kama, lobha and ahankaara”. In Ramayana kama is depicted by Kaikeyi, lobha by Mareech and ahankaara by Ravana. If any one of them was not there Ramayana would not have happened. The sum total of the three is responsible for any disease or miseries in life.
When Kama (Kaikeyi) predominate senses (Dasharatha) has to die. When moha (Mareech) dominates the mind (Lakshman) gets diverted and when Ahankar (Ravana) takes over it controls the body (Sita) and makes the mind (Lakshman) and soul (Rama) wander.
The next part of Ramayana is how to win over ego or Ravana. The first step is to win over the mind by controlling the prana Vayu component of the body by indulging in Pranayama. In Ramayana context it means winning over Hanumana, the son of Vayu. Once he is controlled, all the thoughts representing as the Vanar Sena (Chanchal natures) gets controlled.
The next step is to control the intellect (King Sugriva). He can only be influenced by killing lust (Bali), who is living with Sugriv’s wife. Lust cannot be killed from front and has to be killed from behind and that is what Rama does to Bali. Killing of the lust from behind is depicted as Pratyahara in Yoga and means living a disciplined satvik lifestyle.
The next step is to follow “one point contemplation” or living in the present. In Ramayana context it represents one point determination or “the war over Lanka”. Once that happens firstly the tamas (Kumbkaran), than the rajas (Meghnad) and finally the ego (Ravana) dies. Both tamas and ego dies automatically by the consciousness (Rama) but for killing the rajas one has to conquer it with the mind (Lakshmana).
Once this happen the Satwa or Vibhishana takes over and the mind, body and soul are reunited leading to inner happiness again.
Lastly when Rama, Lakshman and Sita goes back to their journey of life, back to Ayodhya, Hanuman goes with them as in Ayodhya Dasharatha is no more.
If you cannot control your ten senses by yourself you need to continue Pranayama or carry Hanuman with you for life.
These are what the spiritual message from Ramayana.
By Dr KK
Filed Under Spirituality - Science Behind Rituals | Tagged With: Aadhidaivik, Aadhyaatmika, kama, krodha, lobha, moha and ahankar, Why do We Say Aum Shanti Thrice | | Comments Off
It is believed that trivaram satyam – that which is said thrice comes true. For emphasizing a point we repeat a thing thrice. In the court of law also, one who takes the witness stands says, “I shall speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”. Triple Talaq is a Sunni Islamic procedure whereby a husband can divorce his wife by saying to her “talaq, talaq, talaq” (“I divorce you”, three times).
Prayer is to get something for which we have an intense desire like Shanti which means “peace” or inner happiness.
There is only love in the universe. Hatred is withdrawal of love. It follows the same principle of light and darkness. There is no darkness in the universe it is only absence of light. Similarly there is only peace in the natural environment (both external and internal). Peace naturally exists in a place until someone makes noise (external or internal).
Internally peace underlies all agitations and negativity of the mind. When negative thoughts end peace is the only happening as it was already there. Peace is there but coved and controlled by kama, krodha, lobha, moha and ahankar. It is to be earned by removing these five gateways to the hell.
To invoke peace, one meditates or chant prayers. By chanting prayers, one shifts one’s awareness from sympathetic to parasympathetic mode, a state of relaxation. All prayers end by chanting shanti thrice.
Some interpret it as if chanting first time loudest, addresses the unseen forces (Aadhidaivik, the natural disasters), second time, addresses the immediate surroundings (Aadhibhautika: external modifiable factors) and softest the last and third time addresses oneself (Aadhyaatmika)
