Om,! The Sattvic Life - Atman Nityananda

The Sattvic Life

by Atman Nityananda

Sattva quality (guna in Sanskrit) is the guna of light, intelligence, happiness and harmony and the foundation of virtues and higher abilities of the mind such as clarity, discernment, stability, calmness, dispassion, concentration, kindness, devotion and compassion. Sattva and sattvic qualities make the mind able for deep meditation and samadhi. That is why sattva is the foundation of the spiritual path and a life full of peace, light, love and harmony.

Sattva guna makes the mind calm, clear, serene, concentrated and introverted and causes us to aspire for truth, peace and bliss. Discernment, dispassion, concentration, meditation and Self-inquiry flourish and are effectively practiced when the sattva guna predominates in our minds. On the contrary, due to rajas guna, the mind becomes extroverted, attached to sense pleasures, agitated, distracted and disturbed, and thus it hinders concentration and deep meditation. And under the influence of tamas guna, the mind becomes inert, indecisive, clouded, drowsy and therefore very difficult to remain attentive, to perceive clearly and to be able to learn and understand.

Therefore, by increasing the sattva guna in our minds, we create the foundation upon which all the necessary abilities for deep meditation and Self-realisation can easily flourish. Therefore, one of the fundamental goals in spiritual life and practice is to increase the sattva quality in our minds. A sattvic lifestyle along with spiritual practices is the means to achieve it.

 The sattvic life

Sattvic lifestyle means focusing on sattva in all aspects of our life (e.g., diet, music, books, activities, entertainment, etc.) in order to increase the quality of sattva in our mind. It means maintaining sattvic contacts and interactions at all levels of existence and practicing meditation, Self-enquiry and other spiritual practices.

The increase of the sattva quality, like everything else we want to increase (to both material and psychological things), is based on the law of 'like increases like'. That is, for example, heat increases heat, cold increases cold, and respectively anger increases anger, fear increases fear, sattva increases sattva, rajas increases rajas and so forth. So, if we want to increase the heat in our body, we should be close to a heat source (fireplace, radiator, cooker, etc.), if the cold then we should be close to something cold, such as air conditioning, ice, etc. Similarly, to increase the quality of sattva in our mind, we should seek as much as possible to be in contact through our body, senses and mind with things, people, impressions or anything else that is of the sattva quality. When we are in contact with something of sattva quality, our mind is infused and nourished with sattva vibrations and, consequently, the sattva quality gradually increases in our mind. 

More specifically we can increase the sattva quality:

•      selecting sattvic sensory impressions* (sounds, images, tastes, smells),

•      eating sattvic foods and beverages (foods and beverages are classified according to the three gunas, as sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. For example, fresh juice is sattvic and concentrated juices with preservative tamasic, fresh seasonal foods are sattvic, canned tamasic),

•      reading sattvic books (spiritual books, self-improvement books, sacred texts and scriptures, etc.),

•      listening to sattvic music and songs (classical music, mantra, kirtan, hymns, sacred songs, etc.),

•      maintaining relationships with sattva people,

•      engaging in sattvic activities,

•      cultivating positive, luminous thoughts and feelings,

•      Living in a sattvic environment (city, home, work),

•      putting pictures and paintings of a sattvic nature on the walls, such as pictures or photos of nature, sacred symbols, pictures of enlightened beings, etc.,

•      Creating a sattvic atmosphere in our home, using sattvic colours, using natural incense, essential oils, etc.,

•      practising regularly meditation, Japa Nama and other spiritual practices, 

•      being in contact with spiritual teachers,

•      practicing in spiritual centres,

•       living and practising in sacred places and centres of enlightened beings

•      frequently visiting and living for some time in nature (nature is sattvic).

Comment

with sattvic sensory impressions*: sensory impressions are the food for our mind and that is why it is crucial to be of sattvic quality.

The sattvic way of action

In addition to the importance of associating with sattva at all levels and all aspects of our life, the way we do things is equally important. In other words, our mental and emotional attitude and state of consciousness are also important when we do something. 

It is one thing, for instance, to eat anxiously, in a hurry, looking at your mobile phone or tv, talking, being careless (i.e., rajasotamasic way) and another thing to eat calmly, carefully, with gratitude, praying, repeating bright thoughts, the name of God or a mantra (i.e., sattvic way). 

The same applies to any other activity and our work. It is one thing to work calmly, concentrated and in a spirit of offering (sattvic way) and another to be careless, bored, greedy or in a spirit of obligation (rajasotamasic way). So, to increase sattva, we must choose whatever has a sattvic nature and also learn to do things in a sattvic way.

Spiritual practices increase sattva quality

Spiritual practices (meditation, worship, hymn singing, repetition of mantra, pranayama, Self-enquiry, studying of spiritual books, etc.) being of sattvic nature are the primary means to increase the sattva and eliminate the rajas and tamas qualities from the mind.

The sattva treatments 

It is also important to treat our body and psychology principally with sattva treatments and only, when necessary, with chemical medicines. Ayurvedic remedies, sattvic diet, herbal medicines, shiatsu, reiki, Bach flowers, Hatha Yoga asanas, pranayama and in general most natural remedies are sattvic and can restore the balance vital energy (Prana) and the three bio-energies (Dhosas in Sanskrit: Pitta-Kapha-Vata) which are the basic factors of health, and well-being.

Comment

the three Bio-energies (Dhosas in Sanskrit: Vata-Pitta-Kapha): The three bio-energies determine our temperament on the physical and psychological levels. Maintaining the balance of these three bio-energies is a prerequisite for good health, well-being and psychological harmony, happiness, mental clarity and peace.

The resistance of the lower rajasotamasic ego 

Undoubtedly, the lower rajasotamasic ego (with its selfish tendencies, desires, mental and emotional patterns and habits of life and body) will, by all means, resist our effort to change ourselves in order to continue experiencing, expressing, behaving in the same or similar ways as before. The ego, at the beginning of our journey, will strongly resist the changes we want to bring about. And herein lies the importance of a spiritual guide, a spiritual centre and teacher and spiritual practices. With their help, we can overcome obstacles, resistance and the inertia of subconscious habits and patterns.

I would like also to point out that we cannot change everything at once and from one day to the next our mind becomes sattvic and meditate uninterruptedly and deeply for many hours. This can be achieved gradually by following a well-organized sattvic lifestyle and practicing regularly, systematically, diligently, sincerely and with determination for several years. It also requires a good deal of perseverance, endurance and patience until we see quality sattva prevail in our minds. 

However, by practising with regularity, diligence, sincerity and determination, we can overcome all barriers and obstacles that prevent us from transforming ourselves and enjoy the higher vibrations of sattva and the peace and bliss of our divine nature.

Guided relaxation ~ Atman Nityananda

 

Guided relaxation

We relax the body by passing slowly our attention like a scanner from the toes to the head. We can do this one or more times if necessary.

While we pass our attention from each part of the body we stay there for a while and we say mentally ''my toes for example are relaxed or loose and relaxed''. All tension is letting go my toes. My toes are loose and relaxed.

My toes are loose and relaxed, my feet are loose and relaxed, my ankles are relaxed, my legs are relaxed, my shins are relaxed, my calves are relaxed, my knees are relaxed, my thighs are relaxed, the buttocks are relaxed, my lower back is relaxed, my abdomen is relaxed, my pelvis is relaxed, my waist is relaxed, my spine is relaxed, my back is relaxed, my neck (back) is relaxed, my shoulders are relaxed, my arms are relaxed, my forearms are relaxed, my wrists are relaxed, my palms are relaxed, my fingers are relaxed, my belly (navel, solar plexus, stomach) is relaxed, my chest is relaxed, my throat (front) is relaxed, my chin is relaxed, my mouth is relaxed, my jaws are relaxed, my cheeks are relaxed, my eyes are relaxed, my forehead is relaxed, my temples are relaxed and my head is relaxed. Repeat the above process more than once if we deem it necessary, until the body feels relaxed. As we feel the different parts of our body and become aware of their condition the tensions relaxes.

After relaxing the body through the above process, we can remain in this state of relaxation without doing anything other than remaining aware of the body, mind and inner silence.

Alternatively we can focus on the breath (the rhythm of our breathing) and stay in the breath or repeat the mantra ‘Om, 'Om Nama Shivay' (or some other mantra) in combination with the breath if we will. We can also repeat phrases-affirmations related to our true Self (e.g., ‘I am Brahman, Om Brahman’) or make positive affirmations in relation to a virtue or quality we want to develop (e.g., peace, love, patience, will-power, tranquility, etc.)

Om! DESIRE AND LUST FOR SEX PLEASURE (lasciviousness) - Atman Nityanada

Sexual desire (lasciviousness) is the most fundamental desire. The desire for sexual pleasure  is satisfied by various means and ways, (natural or perverted) and most  psychological disorders (perhaps all) have to do with sexuality directly or indirectly. Sexuality influences our behavior in many ways. (Watch the video "The science of lust").

Gurgieff a great spiritual teacher once said: 

"At the same time sex plays a tremendous role in maintaining the mechanicalness of life. Everything that people do is connected with 'sex': politics, religion, art, the theater, music, is all 'sex.' [..] One thing only. Sex: it is the principal motive force of all mechanicalness. All sleep, all hypnosis, depends upon it. 

Paramahansa Ramakrishna said about lust:

 Lust is like the root of the tree, and desires are branches and twigs.". 

Swami Sivananda said about lust: 

"This whole world is a play of ego. Ego, sex and world are inseparable."

" Passion reigns supreme in all parts of the world. The minds of people are filled with sexual thoughts. The world is all sexy. The whole world is under a tremendous sexual intoxication." 

"A man has a thousand and one desires. But the central strong desire is the sexual desire. The fundamental desire is the urge for a mate. All hang on this central basic desire. The desire for money, the desire for a son, the desire for property, the desire for houses, the desire for cattle and other desires come later on.” 

"If lust, which is the source of all enjoyments in this world, ceases, then all worldly bondage, which has its substratum in the mind, will cease."

SEX & ADVERTISEMENTS

Burger ad

The companies know very well how functions the emotional and desirous mind, that's why they use a lot of sex in their Ads. They want to cause an association between the desire mechanism (related to lust) and their product. Once this association has happened then we are at least positive with their product, and in the appropriate circumstances we will buy it. In relation with the cheap products that we can get easily in order to experience pleasure (like beers, chocolates etc.) the ads have great succeed. Most of the consummation of these products is due to ads. Since the majority lives identified with the desirous vital ego and hypnotized by it (and especially the kids and adolescents which they haven't developed their intellect and intelligence) they become very easily victims of the propaganda of the advertisements. The funny thing (not funny at all), is that young people think that they do what they like while are only imitating what they see, which is what some want to see. Young people are brainwashed by what they see in the media. 

Desire and Buddhi (intellect)

Fortunatly the desire mechanism is not the unique factor that functions in us. From our Soul comes the impulses and aspirations for happiness, love, intimacy, freedom, creativity, Truth, immortality etc.

Every human being is a field in which play all lower and superior powers and energies of the universe. Our lower self clings towards pleasurable exhilarating experiences which give short term satisfaction and sense pleasure and our Soul impels us find everlasting happiness , freedom, love, peace etc.

The intellect is between the lower self and the soul. If the intellect is hypnotized by the illiusive power of desire then we become victims of desire and suffer in various ways. If the intellect clings more to the deeper aspirations of the Soul then it becomes our faithful servant and the powerful instrument by which we can free our mind from the desire mechanism and all its modifications The desire modifies or expands as greed, attachments, addictions, likes-dislikes, attraction-aversion and also as impatience, fear, anger, envy, disappointment, depression, etc. and then to all mental and emotional distortions.

Extract from ENQUIRY ABOUT DESIRE ~ Atman NItyananda