Yoga : talk on Guna part -I

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For days I've been disturbed by a statement I made in an yoga forum. So last week I toldSindu chechi about the discussion and the statement I made on Gunas.
Prasanna (P): I know something on gunas... from what I have read and a little more from the way I experience it ...but now I need your guidance....Chechi.. I said in one of the forums ..that.. Kali is tamasic. I don't want to change the statement for I don't feel wrong in what I said..but I can't explain it anymore than that.
Chechi is smiling...
Sindu chechi (S): I mention it always ... the deeper levels on realization path is not to be discussed in open....where people of different levels of involution come in.It can confuse and irritate those who have yet to transcend to reach the next stage.So if you respect those seekers never make statements that can aggravate their ego.
P: I'm sorry ! And .. I don't understand clearly ..what I myself said!!!
S: Mmmmmmm.... we will view the gunas from the level that made you say ...(smiling)Kalima is tamasic...
(So this explanation is for those aspirants... not generally.. so please excuse if it does not agree to those intellects... as this is not to be a debate.)
S:The translations of the sanskrit words to english may not be apt..in the sense of experience.. as I'm not so versed in the english language... (smiling..)Gunas.... saguna and nirguna....The very reason for the feeling of creation is Ego.Saguna... is with gunas.Here we are talking about EGO and creation on the platform of duality.The Ego is with gunas ,the qualities of nature and the three gunas are sattva,rajas and tamas. In the saguna levels the basic fact is these three gunas coexists and only their ratios vary depending on the practice and practioner. So they are never found independent of each other.
P: Does it mean that a person can never be totally sattvic..or the other two?
S: A person can never be totally only in one of these... one guna can be so prominent that the other two can remain backstage without any role to play..but its there.Thats why we find a ray of good in everything.(smiling...)Its we say 'Vishnu' is 'sattva guna pradhan' , 'Brahma' is 'rajo guna pradhan' and'Siva' is 'tamo guna pradhan'
.P: Ok. Chechi continues...
S: On the path of spiritual evolution and the understanding of gunas we come to know of'Jnana shakti' , 'Kriya shakti' and 'dravyashakti'. The 'shakti' of sattva is 'jnana', of rajas is 'kriya' and of 'tamas' is 'dravya'
P: What is 'Shakti'?
S: 'Shakti' is vital..cosmic energy?..cosmic power?..feminine?..prana?.. its all these at the different levels of spirtual evolution and beyond this as you reach towards the door of liberation.In 'saguna upasana' 'Shakti ' is worshipped as goddess. Objectivity of this material world is the projection of 'Dravya shakti' ....is the tamasic level of ego.
P: So what does 'tamas' means?
S: 'Tamas' is darkness... that which veils the light of truth into the path of liberation. Any obstacles in the path of realisation ... like inertia,laziness,attachments, .. are all 'tamas'.. darkness.Ignorance and unawareness is the cause of darkness. In darkness we are not aware where we are going and so we feel anxious and fear. The feeling of reality in objectivity and the attachment to it veils the truth of being. So if you hold the torch that lights the truth you can calmly walk through this darkness of 'maya' .Then darkness is not frightening and there is no anxiety or fear anymore.
P: 'Dravyashakti' is the tamasic level of ego?
S: Yes. From the 'dravya shakti' arose the 5 'tanmatras' (characteristics)and the 5 elements,these together resulted in objectivity.P: Which are these 'tanmatras'?
S: Sound,touch,taste,form and smell are the 5 'tanmatras'.The 'guna' of space is sound, of air is touch, of fire is form, of water is taste and of earth is smell. This is also the simple understanding of the 5 charkras.Objectivity of this material world (prakriti) is also due to the projection of ‘Kriya shakti’. It is the rajasic level of ego. From the rajasic Kriya shakti arose the 5 jnanendriyas (ear, skin, tongue, eyes, and nose), the 5 karmendriyas (speech, hands, legs, excretory and reproductive organs) and the 5 pranas (prana, apana, vyana, samana and udhana) these are 15 karanas.
P: The ‘jnanashakti’ is the sattvic level of ego and what is its part and form of existence in creation?
S: From the ‘jnanashakti’ arose the 5 adidevatas of the ‘jnanendriyas’ ( surya, dhik, wind, aswis and pasi), Chandra, vidhi, rudra and ksetrajna these 4 , the antakarana , its 4 devatas and mind. This is the basic relative explanation of ‘Gunas’, ego and its creation. It is at this stage of understanding we come to the absolute and gross levels of creation.
P: How does the gross structure of creation arise from these levels of ego?
S: From the 5 absolute elements and ‘tatwas’ the 5 gross elements are formed by ‘Panchikarana’. This is actually the very basic principle of ‘Kundalini Yoga’ and ‘Chakra meditation’.
P: ‘Panchikarana’ is the formula of gross structure?
S: Yes, it’s the formula to the gross structure of creation.
P: Please can you explain it?S: (Smiling)Why do you need to hear all these intellectual explanations? Its all there within you like its in me and all others. All you need to be is silent from within and listen.
P: Maybe I could relate it to some experience I have had and understand it more clearly.Chechi was silent. I wished she would be kind enough to explain more.
S: The experience of this process is the realization of creation is liberation.
My wish is granted……. chechi explains the process … but with strict instructions not to disclose this unless I personally find someone worthy and ready for it. She say of sowing the right seed at the right time at the right place or else.... its disrespect.
S: (In ‘chittha’ ………………)The whole process is done with the help of corresponding ‘mantras’. When the elements become dense the consciousness comes to reside in there and ego is born. This is the structure of creation on the basis of the three gunas.
P: How are these gunas reflected in us?
S: Just like they are reflected every where in nature. Any character or quality that is pleasant, calm and constant is sattvic. Anxiety, competition, pride.. actions that reflect these characters and qualities are rajasic. Fear, desires, inertia, unawareness, ignorance… those qualities which create the darkness are tamasic.
P: How do we reach and stay in the level where the sattva guna is prominent?S: The different paths of yoga practice keep you to that.
P: Chechi.. yoga helps to reach the sattvic level ?
S: Yes. Step by step .(to be continued..)

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