Why you must enhance Sattva and how to do it

 

 

 

Why you must enhance Sattva and how to do it

Sattva, the balancing force is associated with purity, intelligence, awareness, alertness, harmony, balance and equipoise. The quality is to remain extremely light in the mind, writes RAVI VALLURI

Mahanama despaired at his spiritual anguish and the distraught state of his mind. Buddha analysed the pangs of his cousin and devotee’s problem and attributed it to the latter’s unfulfilled sexual desires and his struggle with sensuality. Lust and obsession, attachments and entanglements play havoc with the mental state of many a human and correspondingly the levels of ‘Sattva’ drop several notches. These act as a roadblock in the path of a layman or a seeker in search of bliss or the truth.

Let us imagine or visualise an individual with a resplendent, radiant face, a bright pair of eyes, sporting a beatific smile, thick black mane, and in absolute harmony and sync with his self and nature. The visualisation is probably akin to observing a rainbow in the sky, snow-capped mountain peaks or perhaps a tranquil river or lake. Such evocative images impact the human mind or chitta, enveloping it with robust positivity. This adumbration conjures a positive disposition and increases the aura. Individuals possessing these unblemished qualities act as magnets to attract people.

Usually we associate such dynamic qualities with only elevated souls perhaps dressed in saffron or whites, who exude enormous serenity and calm. It is not essential that only sages or spiritual masters possess these quintessential pristine qualities. Any individual has the potential to enhance these characteristics.

‘All actions of “Sattva”, a modification of Prakriti, characterised by light and happiness, is for the soul. When ‘Sattva’ is free from egoism and illuminated with pure intelligence of Purusha, it is called the self-centred one because in that state it becomes independent of all relations’, said Swami Vivekananda.

As per the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, there are three gunas or traits present in humans and the creation -‘Sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’. ‘Sattva’ is associated with purity, intelligence, awareness, alertness, harmony, balance and equipoise. The quality is to remain extremely light in the mind. This is the hallmark of the awakening of the soul, a springboard of spiritual awakening. ‘Rajas’ denotes that energy which invariably causes imbalances. It represents change, constant activity, restlessness, passion, disequilibrium resulting in the fragmentation in the thought process of an individual.

‘Tamas’ is the attribute which reflects dullness, darkness, despondency, inertia, lack of awareness, decay, disintegration and long periods of sleep in the individual. The colour white, associated with purity and harmony, represents ‘Sattva’, while red is symbolic of excessive action and passion which is a metaphor for ‘Rajas’. ‘Tamas’ is delineated by black which also exemplifies darkness accompanied with disintegration.

A ‘Sattvik’ individual is unwavering in his dealings and does not engage in mental chatter. Such individuals are vigilant, adept in quick decision making and are circumspect by nature. But they are truly joyous and radiant. For them life is a celebration.

Persons with predominant ‘Rajasik’ qualities are lustful, full of passion, constantly attached to activity and get intertwined with various attachments and entanglements. ‘Tamasik’ individuals exhibit emotions and actions of anger, disruption, pride, putrefaction and ruination.

But it is well-nigh impossible for everyone in the universe to be of ‘Sattvik’ disposition as the Gods like variety. They do not eat only Okra. If there is a Buddha, Mara would also be lurking in the corner. It would be discernment on part of individuals to constantly grow in ‘Sattva’, than to begin in the winters of their lives. Humans can then harness their true potential and develop the qualities of equilibrium, equanimity and equipoise. The Swadishtan Chakra entails and exhibits the qualities of both lust and creativity. We will gain by expanding our consciousness and focussing on the attributes of creativity than be merely lustful in nature.

The human mind is immensely impacted by the food we consume, the company we keep, events which take place in our lives, places we visit among others. We have to live with some ‘Karma’ but can obliterate malefic effects of certain actions by practising holistic techniques.

To begin with, humans should concentrate on the food consumed. Occasional indulges apart; it is sagacious to partake of ‘Sattvik’ vegetarian food which is easily digestible and reduces craving and avarice in our minds. Breathing practices like Vipassana and Sudarshan Kriya expatriate toxins from the body make it vibrant and oozing energy. Further it is always profitable to practice yoga, pranayama and meditation.

The human mind is cannonaded by innumerable thoughts. We make it even more miserable by clinging on to gizmos, becoming prisoners of technology. Our sacred space has been destroyed and occupied. This space has to be reclaimed. Man is always known by the company he keeps. To increase and buttress our ‘Sattva’ we should attend satsangs and undertake selfless ‘seva’. By actively working on these areas humans can mitigate negative influences, ebb the ‘Karmic’ bondage and uplift the level of ‘Sattva’.

 

Face your fears, and overcome them

They numbered 400 and we were a mere four. The 400 comprised of widows, half-widows and orphans; all victims of the senseless violence in Assam during the period of insurgency.

Widowed in the theatre of conflict of the sylvan surroundings of Assam; the half-widows lost their loved ones and husbands in the ether of conflict. The children were numbed after witnessing the horrific bloodshed all around them.

They became mute spectators and were victims of fear. What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. It is a human response to the twin physical and emotional dangers that lurk around us. The firewall of protection gets destroyed by this primordial human emotion called fear.

Normally the emotion is quiescent, but surfaces when the windshield of protection is broken.

In unison, these 400-odd victims of terror violence seem to be echoing what the noted Kashmiri poet Lal Ded wrote:

Ill or well

Whatever befalls

Let it come

My ears will not hear

My eyes will not see

When the voice calls from within

Then in most mind,

The lamp of faith burns steady and bright

Even in the wind.

As the Brahmaputra flowed the swathes of Assam, the chilling termination of human lives took place, which rendered women and children totally rudderless.

Now the four of us were not perpetrators of any violence. We held responsible positions in government and private sector and were connected through the philosophy of the Art of Living. We had been asked by a friend, our batch mate and then DIG Law and Order, Assam, to provide succour and emotional sanity to the traumatized souls.

The beginning

Mukut Medhi, an Art of Living teacher, dropped by at my office and asked me to counsel an alcoholic who happened to be heading ITDC in Guwahati. The counselling sessions lasted a few days. One day after the session, I found myself amidst the top activists of AASU (All Assam Students Union). They were soon connected through Skype with his H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Bangalore. I was quite taken aback at the turn of events.

The mandate was simple — ultras of Assam were to lay down arms and report to the Bangalore Ashram for a transformation programme through Art of Living where they would undergo programmes to repair their lives and rejoin the mainstream. At the Ashram, they were to be imparted Yoga, meditation and the unique breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya.

Since I was working on North East Frontier Railway and was involved with the Art of Living activities, Mukut Medhi approached me to help with the transportation of the ultras to Bangalore Ashram. All the paperwork from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs was already executed.

In the archipelago of my mind were several insidious, fearful and negative thoughts. Yet, I took up the challenge to assist in the logistics and providing the last mile connectivity. Arun Madhavanji, a very senior Art of Living teacher was to tell me later, ‘Gurudev inspires devotees to take up unique challenges, which appear beyond their natural capacity. Yet, through his grace, the unthinkable happens.’

‘To achieve the impossible, it is the unthinkable that must be thought,’ wrote an American writer.

So, what would have been normally antithetical to a bureaucrat, I proved otherwise. Now transportation of the terrorists by trains to Bangalore Ashram of Art of Living, escorted by men in fatigues and accompanied by officials of Ministry of Home Affairs was a Herculean task. But then, in the month of December, even Santa did not come without a clause! The terrorists/militants proved to be tough customers and kept detraining at stations, giving security personnel a scare. There was a virtual bedlam at stations as trains were halted.

While recalling The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape, I was gripped with paranoia and fear. My thoughts veered around what the railway bosses would think and how they would respond.

However, there was a Divine Plan at work. After a few abortive attempts, the persuasion of the Art of Living volunteers and teachers paid off and the militants reached their destination. They returned after a few months of spiritual rejuvenation, having eschewed arms and violence and rejoined the mainstream. Today they lead normal lives.

The interim

Mukut Medhi and the three of us accepted the challenge to help out these 400 victims of violence. A three-day Nav Chetna Shibir was conducted to ameliorate the lives of the widows, half widows and orphans. After a few rounds of Bhastrika Pranayama and Ram Dhyan Meditation, an avalanche of emotions flowed through the group of 400 and they were engulfed with a tide that broke months of stony silence. My batch mate Bhaskar, DIG Law and Order, approached Art of Living post the success story of the earlier mission of transporting ultras to Bangalore Ashram and their recovery.

“Revolution needs its own children. If it goes out of your hands, you can’t do anything, you are helpless.” That is what happened to us. This saying was so true for all of us. We did not remain mute spectators. We too eschewed our fears and took up the challenge headlong.

The victims of violence also joined the mainstream after a few Art of Living programmes. They conquered their fears and we ours, through the grace of the Guru. The events described above took place during my tenure at Guwahati between 2007 and 2009.