Om Tat Sat.
The introduction is a tad long, but essential to understanding qualities of celestial bodies that we will be studying in Astrology. Please go over this and make a note of any questions you may have…we will have a Q&A session every week(tba) on The Ashram in Clubhouse.
We are discussing Gunas this week. There will be assignments at the end of the week and I will also try to make a summarised podcast edition. No assignment for today. Please ponder upon these concepts. As always, I recommend that everyone of you maintains a journal to note down your thoughts and the events/happenings in your life as they unfold with every new snippet of knowedge you gain.
I would like to thank you all for giving me this opportunity to share my understanding and knowledge of Jyotish philosophy/techniques.
1.1: What are Gunas? An Introduction:
All of creation is sheathed in Maya. Beyond Maya lies the Brahman. Knowing Brahman leads to self-realisation.
But what is Maya? Maya is sometimes referred to as ‘illusion’, but it is really the veil that separates us from the Ultimate Truth. All of life, our activities, our world and the material universe is sheathed by Maya and thereby hiding our view of the Brahman.
Maya is nothing but a bundle of 24 tattwas. What are these tattwas? They are the five elements(aka Pancha Boothas: earth, air, water, fire, ether). These five elements are embedded in life or in our case, the human body in the form of Indriyas. There are 15 of them: 5 nodes of perception known as Jnanendriyas(ears, eyes, nose, mouth and skin), 5 body organs of actions that enable us to do kriya known as Karmendriyas (legs, hands, mouth, anus, genitals) and 5 Tanmantras that are nothing but the activities of the pancha boothas, jnanedriyas and karmendriyas. We experience the world in the form of tanmantras that is nothing but sight, smell, taste, sound and touch.
Together we have seen that there are 20 tattwas. What are the remaining four? It is consciouness(Cit). Conscisouness is made up of three tattwas: Manas(mind), Buddhi(intellect) and Ahamkara(ego). Together there are 24 tattwas that make up this Maya we call existence.
So what is Guna? Guna is the quality of each of these tattwas. Each of the tattwa can be one of the three Gunas. The end result is a mix and match of different gunas. This quality of guna is determined by karma(actions, both past and present) as well as vasanas(memory imprints of past lives).
Gunas exist everywhere where there is Maya. Brahman is Nirguna or One without any gunas. Atman or individual soul that is fragmented from the universal consciousness we call Brahman possesses a mixture of three gunas. The Atman should not confused with ‘life’. Prana is life. Atman is a witness to the activities of the vessel in which Prana resides.
Atman is a subset of Brahman. Atman needs a physical body and requires Maya to act. Atman is a witness and doesnt act. It is Maya that causes action. Brahman becomes dormant. Maya becomes active. The action caused by the bundle of 24 tattwas sheathed by Maya is called Citti. The quality that is ever present in everything is called Guna.
The loss of Gunas is the losing of Maya. The end of Maya is dissolution of Cit(as well as mind, intellect and ego) and Citti. When Maya disappears, there is a cessation of all activity. Everything..from Cit to Citti.. that was active is reabsorbed into Brahman.
The universe is a play and desire of dormant Brahman to witness itself as an active player. When the play is over, the curtain falls and the actors remove their make up only to find that they are all reunited fragments into Brahman.
So how does this Maya manifest? Our bodies, our actions, our senses, our thoughts, our actions, our minds are all playground for Maya. The world, the materiality of it, the air, the earth, the water, the atmosphere, the heavens, the planets, the stars..even the sun and the moon are all part of the play of Maya.
What does this mean? It means that all of the above have a quality. They possess a quality and that quality is one of the three gunas. In astrology too, all the celestial bodies possess a quality. They possess gunas.
1.2: Gunas classifications:
1.2a: Saatva
1.2b: Rajas
1.2c: Tamas
1.3: How do Gunas manifest in Jyotish:
1.3a: Rasis. Rasis can be Saatvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
1.3b: Nakshatras. Nakshatras can be Saatvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
1.3c: Grahas. Grahas can be Saatvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
F.A.Q:
Q: Do I have to be a Hindu to learn Vedic Astrology?
A: Short Answer: No. Please follow your own inherited tradition, faith and lineage. Having said that, Jyotish or Vedic Astrology has a basis of Sanatana Dharma and Vedic foundation. Familiarity with Hinduism, Vedas and Sanskrit will be immensely helpful.
Q: Do I have to believe in God to learn Vedic Astrology.
A: Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: (in the form of a question) Define ‘God’.
Q: Is Vedic Astrology ‘woo’?
A: YMMV.
Q: Do I have to learn Hindu prayers to practice Jyotish?
A: I do. I teach my method. Regardless of your inclination, learning how to ground oneself and practicing mindfulness/meditation in one’s everyday life will be helpful.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantih.