The New Age Movement

New Age – A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal Philosophy
The New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration Movement. New Age Philosophy has conquered the West intellectually and Western culture is currently experiencing a phenomenal shift – sociological, spiritual & ideological. It’s a secular, multi-cultural, multi-religious synthesis, of the Oriental mystical philosophies, mainly Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism & Western Occultism, emphasising Holism, the doctrine that Reality is organically One ( now taught in American Universities after Einstein’s Theory of Relativity ).

Behind the evolution of the species, there is an evolution of Consciousness. The aim of Life is Self-Actualisation, to evolve to the level of Unity Consciousness, defined as the 7th state of Consciousness in Transcendental Philosophy.

The social disturbance caused by the Vietnam War, the threat posed by AIDS, the disillusionment with materialistic ideas and the erosion of faith in Morality & Ethics brought a sense of futility & meaninglessness in the Western psyche.The limitations of the Western system of Chemotherapy & adverse side-effects of antibiotics, sedatives and certain other drugs and the disillusionment with the promises of science & technology made millions turn to Oriental philosophies, occult practices & systems of therapy.( Interest in Alternative Medicine developed to such an extent that there are now more than 180 systems of Alternative Medicine.
Exponents of New Age Philosophy in Europe and America include Transcendentalists like Thoreau, Emerson & Walt Whitman, Wordsworth, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), , & Theosophy introduced by Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831- 1891) & Col Olcott & the philosopher, Annie Besant. As the world witnessed a Consciousness Revolution, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga ,Zen, Carlos Castañada, the Beatles, Holistic Medicine ( both Western and Ayurveda ), Tantra, Astrology ( both Western & Vedic ) all became popular .

There are 6 million New Age sites on the Web and the NAM consists of a massive & well organised network consisting of thousands of groups, trusts, foundations, clubs, lodges, and spiritual groups whose goal and purpose is to prepare the world to enter the coming Aquarian Age. ( The Age of Aquarius ). In astrological symbolism, Aquarius represents Spirituality and Pisces Rationality. The Piscean Age, an age of Computer and Cybernetics revolution, will be followed by an Age of Consciousness Revolution or a Spiritual Revolution, the Aquarian Age.

Some New Age Organisations are : California New Age Caucus, New World Alliance, World Goodwill, The Church Universal and Triumphant, The Theosophical Society, Amnesty International, Zero Population Growth, the Forum, Planetary Initiative for the World We Choose, the Club of Rome, Church Universal & Triumphant, Christian Science, and the Unity School of Christianity.

New Age believes in the essential goodness of Man and the Divine Spark in Man and the New Age movement is not a unified cult system of beliefs and practices, even though its roots derive from Vedic Philosophy. There is no central authority, no official leader, no headquarters, nor membership list, but instead is a network of groups working toward World Peace and Universal Love. There are millions of worldwide followers of various New Age practices and the world is moving from Chaos ( Disorder ) to Cosmos ( Order ) ! This is a Phase Transition from Entropy ( Disorder ) to Order !

Significant influence has been gained by NAM affecting almost every area of Occidental culture — Sociology, Psychology, Medicine, the Government, Ecology, Science, Arts, Education, the Business Community, the media, entertainment, sports, and even the Church. Organised spiritual forms such as Christian Science, Unity and even forms of Witchcraft ( from the German ‘ Wicca’ meaning the Wise; Witchcraft means the Craft of the Wise ) are all its expressions. Various Human Potential Seminars, Transcendental Meditation, Zen Meditation and some Alternative Holistic Medicine practices are also its manifold manifestations.

Some popular New Age publications and journals are New Age Journal, the Z Files, Clarity, Body Mind Spirit, Yoga Journal, Gnosis, East West, Noetic Sciences, the Millenium Being and Omega. The new tendency of people now is to view everything from a New Age perspective

The major goal of the New Age Movement is to prepare Man for entering the Aquarian Age and to bring world peace in an already bruised world. “All is wrong with the world” said Shaw & some of the other goals of the NAM are to establish an entirely New World Order in the fields of Economy & Government. The idea of a World Government was proposed by Bernard Shaw earlier and was implemented by Mahesh Yogi and occurs in the writings of the foundational apostle of the New Age Movement, Alice Bailey.

The word ‘Initiation” is derived from the Latin “In ire” to go within and Initiates were termed by the Great Master as the salt of the Earth. The mystic Ward defined Reality as “Within and within and within and within” . Another mystic described it as “It is hidden, it is hidden and it is hidden”. To the mystic, self evolution is the means and only by changing and correcting ourselves can we change others . The primary goals of the movement then, are to prepare the world to receive the Divine Consciousness and to enter the Age of Aquarius, thus establishing the New World Order.

New Age Philosophy believes that human evolution can be accelerated, if not in the entire mass of humanity, at least in suitable individuals. Human nature is perfectible, through an intensive process of purification and Initiation.

The New Age Movement is secular & universally diffused over the earth’s surface & its basic underlying philosophy emphasises Gnosticism and Occultism. (Gnosticism is an ancient philosophy stating that Divine essence is the highest reality, and that the Self of man is actually this Essence. Behind the phenomenal world is the Transcendent Reality which Intuition alone can see ). It bears a remarkable resemblance to the Universal Religion that H.G. Wells predicted would one day take over the world.

The six main characteristics of New Age thinking are: (1) All is Unity; (2) All is Divine (3) Humanity is divine (4) A change in Consciousness; (5) All religions are One; and (6) Cosmic Evolutionary optimism.
Basically Dialectical Integralism, New Age Philosophy unites both Matter and Spirit.

Spirit shall see through Matter’s gaze

Matter shall reveal the Spirit’s face !

The 13 main principles of New Age Philosophy are:

(1) One Global Order – One World Governement, One Currency, One Universal Being.

(2) Universal Energy, Universal Matter, Universal Life, Universal Soul As God

(3) An Eternal Universe – Uniform in Space and Unending in Time

(4) Divine practices ( Astrology Yoga & other esoteric arts)

(5) Syncretism ( Unity of all Religions ).

(6) The need for Meditation ( for generating altered states of Consciousness );

(7) Life is Cyclical- Everything is cyclical, subject to the cyclical upheavals of Time.

(8) Holistic Medicine & Vegetarianism (The patient is more important than the Doctor & Alkaline diet)

(9) Pacifism ( Anti-war activities);

(10) Reincarnation; ( The Law of Conservation of Soul )

(11) The Evolution of Man into Divinity; ( The latent Life Force evolving naturally to the Divine )

(12) The Union of Man with the Divine; ( Merger of man into the Infinite )

(13) Matter’s Illusoriness; – Esse est percipii – Perception is Essence; Mind is Substance.

The practices of the New Age are psychic practices like : Astrology, Reiki, Bioenergy, Chi energy, Chakras, Nirvana, Christ- Consciousness,Spiritualism, Native American Spirituality, Prajna, Out-of-body/near- death experiences, Reincarnation, Yoga, Meditation and the occult disciplines, as well as psychotherapeutic techniques and scientific applications of the healing powers of crystals and pyramids.
Some commonly used New Age terms are: Quantum Healing, Transmutation, Transfiguration, Guided Imagery, Reincarnation; Positive Thinking; Human Potential; Holistic; Holographic; Synergistic; Unity; Oneness; Transformation; Awakening; Networking; Communal Sharing; One-world/globalism/new world order (i.e., One language, One Government, One currency, One religion); Cosmic Consciousness; Zodiac, etc.

Some New Age practices are: Transcendental Meditation, Parapsychology, Inner healing; Biofeedback; Yoga; I Ching; Reflexology; Therapeutic Touch; Transpersonal Psychology; Witchcraft; ; Magick; Tai Chi; Shamanism; Hypnotherapy; Acupuncture/Acupressure; Martial arts; Zen; Relaxation; Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control); Visualization; etc.
Some prominent New Agers are: Jeremy Rifkin, Norman Cousins, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, John Denver, George Lucas, Norman Lear, Alice Bailey, Alvin Toffler, Dr. Barbara Ray, Benjamin Creme, Levi Dowling, George Trevelyan, Fritjof Capra, Abraham Maslow, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Ruth Montgomery, Shirley MacLaine, J.Z. Knight, Marilyn Ferguson and David Spangler.

Soothing audio environments are created by New Age musicians and they believe rightly that Music has psycho-therapeutic properties. ( This concept is derived from the Vedic Philosophy that All music is Samaveda, the 4th Veda of the Indians ). Born of an interest in spirituality and healing in the late 1970s, it is often used as an aid in meditation.

Essentially meditative, New Age Music is soothing to the Soul. Isnt Music defined as the food for the Soul ? Harmonic consonance, uplifting themes, contemplative melodies & nonlinear song forms are the characteristics of New Age music. Even natural sounds or sounds from Nature and traditional electronic instruments are used by New Age musicians. With roots in classical music or Eastern Music, New Age music is often meditative. Prominent New Age musicians include vocalist Liz Story; harpist Andreas Vollenweider, electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty , electronic-music pioneer Brian Eno, multi-instrumentalist Kitaro & solo-piano artist George Winston.

New Age practices have almost conquered the world. Athletes are using guided imagery. Graduate schools of business are invoking T M, Yoga, and Tarot cards in teaching courses on creativity in business (e.g., Stanford Graduate School of Business). Based upon Astrology, the Science of Time, stock market gurus employ Fibonacci numbers and “Wave Theory” in their forecasting.

We can summarise that the term New Age is an innovative term derived from the mother of all sciences, Astrology, indicating that this earth is undergoing an evolutionary transitional phase from the Piscean Age of Scientism to the Aquarian Age of Divine Wisdome, Cosmic Consciousness , Knowledge and Love.
Since the New Age is a conglomeration of spiritual practices, let us analyse the basic principles of N A M

1. The Divine Source of Authority. New Agers do not claim any source of authority — Only Inspiration by the Divine. By the Divine we mean a principle within, the Divine Spark or the Self and many are there who receive the revealations of the Self within or the intuitive insights of the Self.

2. The Lord. – Since Matter and Energy can neither be created or destroyed and the sum total energy in the Universe is an absolute constant ( Universal Being ), the Lord did not create the world, He became the world. Monism –( “All is Unity” ) averrs that there is only One Essence in the universe, everyone and everything being a part of that essence. The Self is an utter Being and all these are its Becomings. New Agers view God as an Impersonal Life force, Consciousness, or Energy (e.g., the “Star Wars Force”) mainly but they also believe in His personal aspect, as the Ocean ( which is Formless ) can take the form of an iceberg! They averr that every human has a divine spark within him because all created beings are reflections of the Divine Idea. The eternal state is called by various terms among different New Age groups, i.e., God-consciousness, Universal Love, Self-Realization, the I AM, Higher Self, Brahman, Nirvana, etc.

2. The Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Christ Consciousness or the Divine Consciousness is what the New Age advocates mean by Christ. . In other words, Christ is a Divine Principle rather than an individual, such as Jesus. This idea of Christ Consciousness asserts that Jesus was only one of the Christs, but that He equipped Himself to receive the Christ Consciousness (i.e., He was a great Master who attained Christ Consciousness), as did other prophets like Buddha, Krishna, and Mohammed. New Agers believe Dr Paul Brunton who stated the Jesus spent 18 years in India absorbing Indian Mysticism and that he was initiated into the highest esoteric doctrine.
3. Human Destiny. Man is the measure of all things and is more divine than the animals & hence the salvation of the world depends upon Man. Cleansing the negative elements from the collective subconscient should be the aim of humanity. Once Negativity is cleaned from the collective subconscient, the human positive energy will shine forth and the noble ideals of the New Age will be actualised in an era of Enlightenment. Since man is intrinsically divine and perfect, his only real problem is ignorance of that fact. Gnosis means experiential knowledge and Salvation in the New Age is for man to become enlightened through this Divine Gnosis. New Age groups offer various spiritual techniques to enable individuals, and ultimately the world, to evolve into this Unitive Consciousness . These techniques may include psychotechnologies for attaining altered states of consciousness – Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Zen, Attunement , Channeling (Spirit guides), Psychics, Acupuncture, etc.

4. The Ethical Opposites, Good & Evil – Believing in the Oriental philosophies, New Agers make the distinction between good and evil. All wickedness is weakness and Evil is imperfection. By the method of Trial and Error, we come to know what is good and what is bad for the world and we have to transcend the dualities.
5. Reincarnation. New Agers believe in the ancient Vedic philosophic concept of Reincarnation — that through a long process of rebirths, man can eventually attain Divine perfection. They also teach the Universal Law of Karma –(( The Law of Cause and Effect ( Every effect has a cause ), the Law of Action and Reaction, the Law of Retribution ))- that what a person sows , he shall reap. This is also the doctrine of God’s non-responsibility, that the Self is not responsible and it is the Ego which experiences bitter & sweet mental experiences due to its own Karma.
6.Salvation is Self-Actualisation and Sin is Ignorance – SSome theoreticians taught the concept of Man’s Original Sin. New Age exponents teach the concept of man’s essential goodness. Instead of systems which emphasised the human negative aspect and sin, New Age highlights that every man is essentially divine and it is a sin to call man a sinner ! However, New Agers speak of troublesome desires which are natural impulses which retard human evolution and make the Ego move away from the Self. Sin is merely ignorance of man’s essential divinity. The atrophied spiritual consciousness of the normal man who lives in ignorance of his Divine Self is Sin. Like the Law of Conservation of Energy which states that Energy cannot be created or destroyed, the Law of Conservation of Soul states that the Soul can neither be created nor destroyed. Matter exists in 3 states, liquid, gaseous and solid and matter cannot be created or destroyed. Nothing ever begins to be. Similarly Life does not at physical birth begin to be. It merely enters physical conditions and assumes physical guise. It merely undergoes a parallel transformation into conditions which preexisted in other conditions. The Soul is reincarnated in different bodies in a continous succession of lives. The good or bad Karma earned in the present lifetime determines one’s subsequent incarnation. Attaining higher states of Consciousness should be our aim.There are many different paths to the goal of Divine perfection and we should be tolerant of other paths.

The divine Aurobindo predicted that spiritual influences from India will trigger off a global spiritual movement.There will be Mass Incarnations ( many people divinely inspired ) who will work for World Peace and Universal Love !

I saw them cross the twilight of the Age

The massive barrier breakers of this world

The sun-eyed children of a marvellous dawn

The architects of immortality

Carrying the magic Word, the mystic Fire

Carrying the Dionysian Cup of Joy !

The four systems of Philosophy which triggered the N A M are Hinduism, a product of 5,000 years of development, Buddhism, circa 560 B.C., Taoism, circa 500 B.C & Druidism, circa 300 B.C, the religion of the Celts, which extended upto the Middle Ages.

Pranic Therapy Part VII

All that is power in the Universe , manifesting as force or attraction – is
but different manifestation of that Unitary power which the Vedists call
Prana. Using this Vital Energy to heal is called Pranic Therapy. This
article is a continuation of the earlier article Pranic Therapy Part VI.

A digression to other forms of Therapy – Gem Therapy & Medical Astrology

Gemstone Therapy

Each gemstone radiates a corresponding Cosmic Color which
are as follows;

Planet Cosmic Colour
Primary Gem Number

Sun Red
Ruby One
Moon Orange
Pearl Two
Jupiter Light Blue
Yellow Three

Sapphire
North Node Ultra Violet
Hessonite Four
Mercury Green
Emerald Five
Venus Indigo
Diamond Six

South Node Infra-Red
Cat’s Eye Seven

Saturn Violet
Blue Eight

Sapphire

Mars Yellow
Coral Nine

More information about Planetary Gemology & a Gem Prescription Report can be
had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/planetarygemology.htm

The Human Electro-magnetic Field ( also known as the Auric Field )
has been proved by Kirlian Photography. The part of the body afflicted by
disease will be darkened and a gem therapist gives the much needed
cosmic color ( gemstone ) to redeem the area afflicted by disease.

For furthur information on Planetary Gem Therapy, please visit www.p-g-a.org

Medical Astrology & Pranic Therapy

In the Ayurvedic Model, the planets are classified thus

Jupiter Kapha
Sun Pitta
Moon Vata & Kapha
Mars Pitta
Mercury Pitta, Vata & Kapha
Venus Vata & Kapha
Saturn Vata

The Seven planets correspond to Seven gross elements ( dhatus) thus

Jupiter Fat
Saturn Veins
Mars Bone Marrow
Sun Bones
Moon Blood
Mercury Skin
Venus Seminal Energy

Medical Astrology postulates that a weak planet can bestow disease.
If the sixth house is afflicted, digestive tract disorders are indicated
If the fourth house is afflicted, it clearly means affliction to the heart
( as the heart is the 4th house by correspondence).

Here are the correspondences between the 7 Deadly Sins & the Seven planets

Jupiter – Avarice
Venus – Lust
Mars – Anger
Saturn – Pride
Moon – Jealousy
Mercury – Sloth
Sun – Covetousness

Every man is born with a major flaw. By knowing which planet is afflicted,
the astrologer can discern the Deadly Sin the native is afficted with. If
Jupiter is weak, Avarice will be high in him. If Mars, anger and if Venus,
lust etc. To overcome that vice, intense prayer and meditation is required
and all vices can only be overcome by Grace Divine .

Medical Astrology’s perspective about the 12 Houses of the Zodiac

Ist House Head
2nd House Face
Third House Throat
Fourth House Heart
Fifth House Place beneath the heart
Sixth House Stomach
Seventh House Generative Organ
Eighth House Upper Thigh
Ninth House Thigh
Tenth House Knee
Eleventh House Calf
Twelfth House Feet

Affliction to any house indicates affliction to the corresponding
part of the body. Rahu – or any other malefic – in the sixth is
indicative of stomach trouble & ulceration. Fourth house affliction
means that the heart is afflicted and first house affliction means that
the head is afflicted.

Medical Astrology can therefore point to disease and using the yogic
technique of Pranic Therapy, the disease can be healed.

More quality information about Vedic Astrology & an Astrological
Analysis can be had from
http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/vedichoroscope.htm

Shift of Stand From Head to Heart

Scientific research have accepted “psycho-neuro-immunology – the
impact of mind on the immune system. “Cardiac-neuro-immunology”
is also accepted – ( the impact of heart on the immune system ). The
Both metaphorically and anatomically the centre of our action is the
heart. Our heart is 60 times stronger as an electrical generator
compared to the brain. The heart is the big brother & the brain is
the little brother. As all activities of the mind-body pivot around the
central powerhouse – our heart, we have two different existences,
head-centred & heart-centred. The new science of Cardio-neuro-
immunology postulates that Self-healing requires a cardiocentric
attention.We are judgemental if we live with our head-centred script
On the other hand, if we adopt a heart-centred way of living, we are
incapable of generating any enemy and Love Divine will cure us.

The Internal Healing Power of the body

The human body is remarkable in its own resilience or healing power.

The fiercely competitive world, the tension associated with job & business
and an achievement oriented culture keeps our stress arousal level
abnormally high. This releases chemicals ( toxins ) such as cortisol,
adrenalin & noradrenaline leading to suppression of the immune system
and weakening of the body’s healing power. We have to get away from this
frenzy & vigilance for effectuating healing. This diversion from a stress
aroused state is called altered state. In order to heal better, we should be
able to enter into the altered state.

Altered State

An altered state is a state different form the normal awakened state.
We have three relative states of Consciousness – normal awakened state
( Jagrat ), dreaming state ( Swapna ) & Deep Sleep ( Sushupthi).
Scientifically REM ( rapid eye movement ) is the Dreaming State and
non-REM ( non-rapid eye movement ) is the Deep Sleep state. There
is a higher state which is called the meditative state. It is our common
intuitive experience & logic that restful sleep is conducive to healing.
The interface of entering into sleep is called hypnagogic state .Exiting
from sleep is called hypnapompic state. The twilight state has alpha
theta brain waves compared to beta waves during awakened state.
The meditative state is the same as the twilight state,except that we
enter it and exit from it by choice. The meditative state allows our mind
and body to talk to each other. ( Normal brain activity is marked by Beta
waves of 25 cycles per second where meditative state is characterised
by alpha waves of 8.5 cycles per second ).

In summary, our stressful life-style does not allow us to enter the altered
state of sleep, daydream & meditation, to heal by proper body-mind
communication and so we have to take refuge in Yoga to effectuate
healing.

Opening the System to Divine Shakti or the Cosmic Prana

Scientifically, behind the evolution of the species ( material evolution ),
there is an evolution of Consciousness ( spiritual evolution). Our life
has only a symbolic value in the sense that it is good and necessary
as a Becoming; and all Becoming has Being as its goal & fulfillment
and God is the only Being.

Those who find it difficult to follow these techniques can open themselves
to the source of Divine Power through intense prayer. In the Geetha,
the Lord promises that He takes care of the material welfare of the
devotee who depend on Him solely. He also gives the Solemn Assurance
– that by giving up in heart and soul to him, the devotee will overcome all
difficulties by Grace Divine. He also gives the Word of Refuge ( Abhaya
Vachana ) that His devotee shall never perish. By cultivating an attitude of
trust & absolute self-surrender, we can open ourselves to Cosmic Prana,
Absolute self-reliance has been defined as Reliance on the Absolute Self.
When such a divine attitude becomes deeply ingrained in our psyche,
we find that everything in Nature becoming favourable to us and the
process of healing takes place in our psychophysical system. Thousands
of people all over the world have found health, prosperity and peace
through yogic methods. Prayer overcomes the resistance of the ego &
opens the chambers of the unconscious to the inflow of Divine Shakti or
Cosmic Prana. For this, however, prayer must be done with intensity,
sincerity & perseverance. Only through this kind of prayer can we know
how Pranic Healing takes place. The Grace always grants the sincere
prayers !

Summing up, if we remove all mental & physical blocks and open our
channels to the Cosmic Prana, the Universal Stream of Consciousness
pervading the Universe, we can get ourselves healed. Since removing
all blocks is difficult humanly, it is better to request for Divine
Help. By means of the greatest Art that is Bhakthi Yoga, all blocks will
be removed by Grace Divine and the greatest doctor that Nature is will
heal us.

All glory to the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate! How strange is
Thy Grace !

Pranic Therapy Part VI

All the four forces in the Universe – weak nuclear force, strong nuclear
force, electricity & magnetism -are but different manifestations of
that Unitary power which the Vedists call Prana. Using this Vital Energy
to heal is called Pranic Therapy. This article is a continuation of the
earlier article Pranic Therapy Part V.

Integral Life & the Universal Stream of Consciousness, Prana

Never in the integral view developed in ancient India was life regarded
as restricted to certain cellular activities. Rather, life is a Universal
stream of Consciousness known as Prana in the Upanishads &
Consciousness- Force ( Chit Shakti ) in the Tantras. Each living being
represents a centre around which Prana moves at different levels known
as sheaths ( koshas). At the core of this multistoreyed personality
structure is the locus of the Self, known as the Atman.The Upanishads
state that just as the spokes of a wheel are fixed at the hub, so also
Prana and all psycho-physical structures are fixed in the Self. The
Self ( Atman ) is the Master Controller of Life that Western science
is seeking. The Vijnanamaya Kosha ( Intellectual Sheath) & the
Anandamaya Kosha ( Bliss Sheath ) are the sheaths where the light
of the Self is experienced.

The unattached Self, exercises its power through the Will ( known
as Dhrti), which in Yogic psychology is regarded as the dynamic aspect of
intelligence. With the help of the pure Will, a Yogi is able to keep all his
sense organs, all activities and mind under control, says the Geetha.
Acquisition of this pure will is the result of a Spiritual Awakening. This
Awakening, which takes place only through prolonged & intense spiritual
struggles, opens the divine door in the heart. This gives the yogi access
to all kosas or the five sheaths. He gains the capacity to open each kosa
to the stream of the Cosmic Prana. The stream of universal life flushes
out impurities & diseases from the personality system and brings in new
vigour and strength.

The world is overcome, aye even here,
By such that fix their faith on Unity
The sinless Brahma ( Absolute ) dwells in Unity,
And they in Brahma ( Absolute )! ( The Song Celestial )

The Cause all Disease – “Fault of Awarenes”

Intense striving alone can pave the way for this kind of yogic self-
mastery. But an inner alertness & some degree of general
supervision over all his activites such as eating, sleeping,exercise,
response to stressful situations etc can be attained by anyone.
It is failure of this inner watchfulness, known as Prajnaparadha or
“Fault of Awareness “, caused by ignorance and negligence that
makes a person yield to evil thoughts and deeds that is the root
cause of all diseases. .

Of the triune attributes of Nature – Rajas, Thamas and Satwa
( humanity, bestiality, divinity ), both Rajas ( humanity ) & Thamas
( bestiality ) are pathogenic. Satwa is non-pathogenic meaning
that living in rhythm with Nature can save us from diseases.

Charaka Samhita, an authentic treaitse on Ayurveda states
“The disturbance of the three humours are caused by Prajnapara-
dha, produced by the distortion of the intellect, will & memory ” .
Some of the aetiological factors are carelessness, lack of alertness,
forgetfulness & misuse of will power.The root cause of most of
the psychosomatic or constitutional disorders is Prajnaparadha,
the misuse of our cognitive and conative faculties. It is our
unconscious way of living, not in conformity with natural law, that
is the primary cause of illness.

Health can be restored by changing our way of living to a Self-
directed style. Hyperacidity, rheumatism, irritable bowel
syndrome and similar disorders are the body’s alarm signals
We can bring about integration of the personality if we extend our
Consciousness into the interior parts of the body & bring these
neglected areas closer to the light of the Self. This integration
fortifies our immune system and restores the coordination,
rhythm and balance in the working of the different organs. This
kind of extension of Consciousness can be done in different ways.

Extension of Consciousness by Meditation

The inner awareness which is the result of absorption in Meditation
can be extended into the affected part of the body through concentrative
visualization. If these meditative techniques are practised for some
days, the process of self-renewal & self-defence gets accelerated
and healing takes place automatically.

The Triune Meditation- ( Physical, Verbal & Mental )

Reverence for preceptors,continence, nonviolence – these constitute
Physical Meditation.

Speaking kind words, adherence to Truth, Self-study – these constitute
Verbal Meditation.

Cheerfulness, humility, silence, purity of heart – these constitute Mental
Meditation

Maintaining Yin-Yang balance

Everything in Life has opposites, Yin-Yang. (Yin is expansion and Yang
is contraction ). The most common yin-yang imbalance is stress arousal.
Stress arousal increases the adrenaline & cortisol levels which inhibits
the immune system. Stress is misplaced effort & takes away the energy
required for healing.

Ultradian healing response is the second major yin-yang balance. Every
one and a half to 2 hours , our mind-body goes through a period of
daydream or slowing called the ‘Ultradian healing response’. We are
neglecting our healing cycle if we artificially keep perked up with coffee,
cigarettes, alcoholism or workaholism. Daydreaming, meditation &
quiet time allows us to take advantage of this Ultradian healing cycle.

The foundation of Life – The Superconscient

Modern Psychology & Psychoanalysis deals with the Subconscious &
Unconscious. Aurobindo averred that the Superconscient and not the
Subconscient is the foundation of life. The Fourfold Yoga is the science
of the Superconscious Mind. The mind via meditation opens up to the
Superconscient and healing takes up automatically.

Jung spiritualised Psycho-Analysis and was not an atheist like Freud.
Modern psychology is an infant science, rash, fumbling and crude. In
it the universal habit of the human mind, to highlight a half-truth and
generalise it unduly, runs riot here. Freudian psychoanalysis is half-
knowledge & half-knowledge is dangerous & can be an impediment
in the realisation of Absolute Truth. Neither the Subconscious
(which modern psychology highlights) – nor the Unconscious (which
Psychoanalysis highlights) are the important elements.The Supercon-
scious, and not the subconscious ( or the Unconscious ) is the
foundation of Life. The science of the Superconscient is Yoga
( whose Western equivalent is Free Masonry.) The Superconscient
is our evolutionary future as the subconscient was our evolutionary past.

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Pranic Therapy Part V

“The Unified Field of Einstein is the Brahman of the Vedists and the Tao
of the Chinese”, says Dr Fritjof Capra in his famous book ” The Tao of
Physics”. The Vedists called this Unitary Power by the name Prana. This
Cosmic Energy can be used to heal and healing via this Cosmic Prana
came to be known as Pranic Therapy.This article is a continuation of the
earlier article Pranic Therapy Part IV.

Attunement to Biorhythms

Along with regulation of food,sleep,exercise and relaxation, the spiritual
aspirant should learn to attune his psychosomatic machine to his own
biorhythms

“Biological clocks ” were discovered in animals in the late 1950s & Bio-
rhytms were understood as a result. When the Moon rose ( which caused
the flow of tide ), mussels & crabs which live on seashores were found to
open their shells or become active even when they were moved to a distant
place. “Circadian rhythms” in the human body were discovered later.

There are daily biorhythms, lunar rhythms and solar rhythms.

Circadian Rhythms

It was found that level of sugar in the blood , body temperature, BP,
production of hormones & enzymes changed according to a cyclic,
regular & recurrent pattern. While some have have 24 or 25 hour
cycles others have 36 or 48 hour cycles. Even emotional sensitivity
& intellectual creativity increase & decrease according to biorhythms,
apart from physiological activities

Lunar Rhythms

In the case of lunar people the 11th day of the lunar month ( Ekadasi)
or the day of the full moon ( Pournami ) or the day of the New Moon
( Amavasi) may act as the pivotal point of change in their biorhythms.
Some people have 28 day cycles irrespective of the movement of the
Moon.

Solar Rhythms

The Appollonians ( as the solar people are called ) are more sensitive
to changes of solar seasons than the lunarian changes. With the onset
of winter, spring, summer & autumn they may find profound changes
taking place in their physiological processes & mental activity.

The existence of these biorhythms were confirmed by research even
though superficial minds may not be able to detect these biorhythms.
A spiritual aspirant should recognise his biorhythms & adjust his
prayer, meditation & acitivities in accordance with these rhythms.
Minor stomach upsets, pain in joints, disturbed sleep, change of
mood etc are associated with biorhythms & the seeker shoud not
be upset by these minor changes..

Why holistic health practices fail or succeed partially

Main reason for the failure of holisitc health practices is that Prana
or Life Energy does not flow freely within the individual or between
the individual & the universal life, owing to the presence of obstructions
within.These obstructions are caused by Samskaras, psychic memories
or residual traces of our past actions and experiences. Samskaras
are of two kinds, those which only produce memories ( smriti ) of
past experiences and those which produce impulses or drives
to repeat these experiences ( vasanas) . These two are interlinked
to form complex patterns of love, hate, fear etc. It is these complexes
that obstruct the free flow of Life-Energy in us.

Removing Mental Blocks

Many of these complexes are formed in childhood and adolescence.
When unpleasant or traumatic experiences take place, the tendency
of a child or teenager is to repress them. Repression is a form of
pushing the psychic memories into the unconscious regions of the
mind. The growing youth may not be able to recollect those psychic
memories again, but the repressed samskaras lodged in the hidden
recesses of the unconscious go on creating psychological and
psychosomatic problems for him.

All psychosomatic disorders cannot be cured by holistic health tech-
niques unless these repressed complexities are ferreted out and
confronted. The past samskaras should be deactivated. For this
the seeker has to dive deep into his unconscious & encounter the
past experiences and deactivate them.

Most people find it difficult to do it without the active help of a
competent guide. Those who depend on the Ocean of Consciousness
( the Absolute or God ) may , however, find that these inner blocks
are removed by Divine Grace. This is the rationale behind faith healing
& miraculous cures.

Extension of Consciousness

Life,a gift from the Divine, is a great healing power. Nothing ever
begins to be; Substance merely undergoes a parallel transformation
into conditions which pre-existed in other conditions. Life, similarly,
does not begin to be. As Energy, as per the Law of Conservation of
Energy or Matter cannot be created or destroyed, so too is Life Eternal.

At the physical level, the eternal healing power of life manifests itself as

a) Self-renewal
b) The immune system.

For many years it has been known that the body can filter and re-use
its fluids & repair damages to tissues, especially skin and bone, by
growing new cells. Modern Science has shown that self-renewal is
constantly taking place in every part of the body. Almost all the cells in
the body are constantly being replaced by new ones. Somebody said
” I am not the same person I was one year ago”! The entire body gets
renewed in this way every year & this shows that it is never too late
to regain your health. By changing one’s basic attitudes and way of
living, the damage to the body caused by years of misuse & neglect
can be overcome.

One the great marvels of the universe is the human immune system.
Those who are aware of the biochemical processes going on in
the body will agree with Walt Whitman ” To me every hour of the
day & night is an unspeakably perfect miracle”. Dr Walter Cannon
said ” The Wisdom of the body is the most precise of all selective
refinements” !

The Components ( Four Units ) of our Immune System

The fourfold immune system consists of the following units;

1 The granulocyte-macrophage unit

2. The lymphocyte unit

3. The antibody unit

4. The complement unit

The first two are varieties of white blood corpuscles, wherein the last
two are chemicals, proteins. All the four units of our immune system
launch a concerted attack on the invaders as soon as a few bacteria
break into any tissue in the body. ( The antibody unit has been
defined as an army of one million) Western medical science is
wondering who masterminds this attack or who plans these strategies.
Common sense, logic, intuition & experience suggest that somewhere
behind all this there must be a master control. Why do sometimes cells
become malignant and attack neighbouring cells ? Why it goes awry,
sometimes,when our defence units attack innocent cells mistaking them
for enemy microbes ? Western medical science is researching
hard to find answers to these difficult questions.

Pranic Therapy Part IV

All the basic forces in the Universe – visible and invisible – are but
different manifestations of that Unitary Power which the Vedists
call Prana. Using this Vital Energy to heal is called Pranic Therapy.
This article is a continuation of the earlier article Pranic Therapy Part
III.

The Ayurvedic Model

The system of Indian Holisitc medicine, Ayurveda postulates a different
view of the human personality. Based on the Sankhya school of Indian
philosophy, Ayurveda conceives life as the interplay of three Life-
principles called humours ( which correspond to the three attributes
of Nature – Sattwa, Rajas and thamas ).These are Vata ( wind), Pitta
( bile) & kapha ( phlegm). In the healthy person these three doshas
are in a state of perfect equilibrium. Illness arises when this balance
is lost. Ayurveda holds that every person has in him a tendency to have
one of the three humours dominate his psychophysical system & this
predominance of one humour makes Ayurveda classify the body under
three types: Vata type, Pitta type & Kapha type. ( This is parallel to the
Vedantic model which classifies individual minds as Sattwa dominant,
Tamas dominant and Rajas dominant ). Taking this predominance of
one of the humours into consideration & identifying the body type,
Ayurvedic doctors prescribe medicine & diet.

Attributes of Nature are these!
Know then that Being and Nature both
Hath no beginning; that all qualities
Are Nature-born!

2. Regulation of Food, Sleep and Exercise

” Food is medicine; Medicine is food ” said Hippocrates. “Food is
Brahman. Food was verily born before all creatures: therefore it is
called the medicine for all” declares the Upanishads. By stating that
food is the root cause of all ills & illnesses Vedanta have formulated
one of the foundational principles of holistic health. At least half the
ailments of man can be traced directly or indirectly to the problems
of food.

Regulation of food is not easy, because it is an addiction like alcohol.
Problems like obesity,higher cholesterol level & irritable bowel syndrome
crop up if food is not controlled. By controlling food, the whole body
comes under control. “When taste is conquered everything is conquered “
averrs Vedanta. What really matters is not how much we eat but how
much of what we eat is transformed into bioenergy & the building
materials of life. Sir William Osler pointed out many years ago ” Only
a small percentage of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to
waste and loss of energy”.

In holistic health, food should be revered & a proper attitude towards
food should be developed. ” Be thankful for all food, for food is
Brahman ” said Vivekananda.

Six hours have been prescribed for all even though requirement of
sleep varies from person to person

Research studies have indicated that even moderate levels of exercise
bolster the immune system.

No amount of sleep is sufficient for unwinding the mind for it is always
tense state under the stressful conditions of modern life. Antidotes to
stress include yogic techniques like Meditation, prayer, cultivation
of the Witness attitude & practice of absolute self-surrender to the Divine,
which enable us to avoid a lot of unnecessary stress.

Acid-Alkaline Balance – Key Indicator of Health

Foods either leave an acid ash or an alkaline ash. Maximum health is in
an alkaline body. The average 20th century diet, stress, pace,
lifestyle & environment produce far more acid than is healthy. The human
body is alkaline by design & acidic by function, which means that your
body’s health is dependent upon it being alkaline.

The original source of stress is known as a stressor. Most of the stressors
in todays’ society ( cigarette smoke, alcohol, stress itself, bad diet,
coffee, sodas, pharmaceuticals) all produce an acid state in the body.
All cancerous states are acid states of long duration.

Research indicates that 90% of our general population is far too acidic,
which leads to a variety of negative health effects. Over time, being
acidic is the main cause of degenerative diseases & aging. If you have
an acidic body, you become energyless, exhausted physically & mentally
and you lose the radiance and shine of skin & hair.

Grains,sugar, dairy, animal or vegetarian protein & oils yield an acid
ash while fruits, sea vegetables, vegetables quality water & herbs
yield an alkaline ash You should consume 20% of your food daily,
by weight from the acid ash-forming foods & 80% , from the
alkaline ash-forming foods.

pH ( standing for ‘potential of Hydrogen’ ) is a measure of the relative
acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale of pH ranges from 1 to 14.
14 is totally alkaline and zero is acidic. The middle of this line is 7,
neutral. Quality water has a Ph of 7 and you should maintain this level.

It is ideal to incorporate 2 glasses of lime juice along with the 8-12
glasses of water which is taken daily . A diet of 80% alkaline ash
foods is ideal. We have to maintain this ratio – 80 % alkalinity & 20%
acidity for optimum health.

The effects of having an alkaline body

1) we are calm & collected
2) we have high energy level
3) our sleep patterns are deep
4) we have less colds and flus than normal
5) the immune system is fortified
6) the body has good absorption/assimilation/digestion.

Yoga Physical Exercises for Relaxation

Doing nothing or simply lying down is not relaxation. The muscles when
stretched bring in relaxation as it frees them from the tense condition.
Some of the yogic Asanas are highly effective because they can relax
the muscles.

There will be focal point in the body which reflects the mental tension
which one finds oneself in. That focal point of mental tension should
be identified and you can choose that type of yogic exercise which
will relax the muscles & tendons of the specific focal point of tension
in you.

More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from
http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

Regulation of Breath

“Breathlessness is deathlessness ” averrs Yoga. Regulation of breath gives
tremendous relaxation.Pranayama, without the help of a bona fide Master,
can lead to serious complications. What is needed is the practice of
breathing deeply ( as deeply as possible ) through both the nostrils & then
slowly breathing out ( without breath retention ). This kind of regulated
deep breathing can be done at any time, even in your office.

Psychosomatic pain can be alleviated by these simple yogic techniques
more effectively than allopathic pills or tablets. Here we employ the
internal pharmacy of Skill power in lieu of the external pharmacy of Pill
Power!

Pranic Therapy Part III

The Universal Stream of Consciousness known as Qi ( pronounced Chee)
in Chinese & Ki in Japanese is known as the Cosmic Prana in Sanskrit.
Healing using this Life-force Energy is called Pranic Therapy. This article
is a continuation of the earlier article Pranic Therapy Part II.

There are 2 types of seekers in the Path Celestial, those who aspire for
liberation and ordinary mundane seekers.

Liberation is defined as a yearning for Eternal Life and the first group
has an intense yearning for the Life Divine. Conferred with changeless
faith and indomitable will, they keep up relentless struggle and get
glimpses of Transcendental Consciousness. They have the Goal of
Self-Actualisation fixed in their minds & mental problems & physical
ailments do not deter them.

But My mahatmas, those of noble souls,
Who tread the Path Celestial, worship Me
Unendingly they keep their yearning for Me ! ( The Song Celestial )

All the great mystics of all civilizations belonged to this group.

He still adheres to the high and difficult road
That sole leads to Eternity’s peaks!

But this group, unfortunately is a minority.

The majority of spiritual seekers belong to the second group. These
people have true aspiration but it is either not intense enough or is
not supported by a strong will to undergo prolonged inner struggles
or to bear the resultant physical or mental reactions. Many of them
do not have any hope of realising the Self in this life, & so they are
unwilling to sacrifice health or peace of mind for such an elusive
and distant goal. The outer instruments for mortal man are not
fit to endure the severe rigours of this spiritual journey or face its
subtle & and formidable dangers. Self Actualisation can only come
from immense Grace Divine.

Ordinary mundane people find it difficult to make spiritual progress
their sole concern in life although they may have committed themselves
to it in a general way. For them, an integral scheme of life in which the
considerations of health & secular values receive as much attention
as spiritual orientation is what is needed. This present article is meant
for such seekers.

The Self as the basis of all Love

Why do we collect wealth ? For whose sake is wealth loved ? It is for
the sake of the Self. Why do we love our wife & children ? For whose
sake is the wife & children loved? It is for the sake of the Self.
Everything in the universe – husband,wife,children, everything – is loved
for the sake of oneself. The Self, when known, everything is known.
What do we mean by oneself here ? Vedanta speaks of two selves
in man – a lower self and a higher Self. The lower self, regarded as
the false self, is the sum total of one’s instincts, drives & impulses.
The higher Self refers to the pure Atman which is regarded as the true
nature of man. Vedanta states that the lower self, if left uncontrolled,
will act as one’s own enemy, and, if purified & controlled, will act as
one’s own friend. When the lower self is purified by yogic techniques
& attuned to the higher Self, self-hate disappears & love for the higher
Self dawns.

He sees indeed who sees in all alike,
The living lordly Self, Self supreme
Imperishable amidst the perishing ( The Song Celestial )

When this divine love blossoms in one’s bosom,one’s attitude towards
his body changes. He now begins to love his body as an instrument for the
manifestation of the Divine Self. Vedic Scriptures speak of the body
as ” the temple of the His great transparent mirror, Self”. As a matter of
fact, Vedic temples are modelled after the pattern of the human organism.

Symbolism behind Vedic temples

Man has three bodies – physical, astral & causal. The outer wall of the
Vedic temple represents the physical body of man. The inner wall
represents the astral body and the innermost wall represents the
Causal body. Deep within these three bodies is the Self, the Atman
who is represented by the Deity ! The word temple is derived from
the Latin word tempulum, a place where Law and Justice can be
administered. The principle behind the temple, is Know Thyself !

Am I a god, then? Yes
In these pure features I behold
Creative Nature to soul unfold ( Goethe )

The body is given prime importance in Vedic ritualistic worship
known as Puja. Apart from ritualistic worship, service is divine &
regarded as a form of worship known as Yajna. Vedic Scriptures
enjoin five types of service known as Pancha-Mahayajna; service
to the gods, service to sages, service to manes, service to human
beings, service to animals. The ancient Law-giver Manu has given
the injunction to divinize the body through these five practices.
(” Through the repeated practice of these five great yajnas, the
human body gets divinized”.)

“The human body is the greatest instrument for Self-Actualisation “,
said the famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Maintaining the divine status
of the body is not easy.It should be kept as clean, healthy & we should
not allow any kind of physical or mental indulgence to defile its sanctity
& harmony. (“Chastity is the flowering in man ” said Thoreau and
continence has been prescribed for spiritual progress). That is to say,
change in attitude towards the body brings with it a new responsibility
for one’s own health. Surprising indeed is the fact that many people
think that restoring health and curing diseases are solely the
responsibility of the medical profession. In the holistic health system,
responsibility for falling ill & getting well both rest primarily with
the patient. The doctor only assists in curing himself. As Albert
Schweitzer said ” All healing is Self-healing “.

Holistic medicine postulates that the responsibility for healthcare rests
in the patient’s hands because that is where the knowledge and control
of the variables lie ( diet,stress,exercise,genetics,emotion & medication).

1. Knowledge of the Psychosomatic Machine

If the patient is aware of the disease and its aetiology, about his body’s
immune power and if he can bear physical pain temporarily, with a stoic
calmness, he can avoid a lot of unnecessary medication.

In the Holistic Model, the cause of any disease is understood in terms of
the whole person and not in terms of a particular organ or tissue. As Sir
William Osler put it, it is more import to know the patient who has the
disease than the disease of the patient. Plato remarked that ” the treatment
of the parts should not be attempted without treatment of the entirety”
The one person who knows about the patient more than anybody else
is the patient himself.

Compliments should go to Western Science which has discovered
a lot of knowledge by research & which is the result of the painstaking
labour of thousands of dedicated scientists for more than 200 years.
This accumulated treasure is humanity’s precious heritage and only
charlatans will ignore or undervalue it. It is imperative that
every educated person should have a basic knowledge of human
anatomy & physiology, and also of Western psychology. However this
research is analytical and incomplete.

A Holistic Model was developed by the Sages of India 2500 years ago.

The Five Levels of Being – The Yogic Model

These are the five concentric sheaths enveloping the Self, the Divine
Spark in man !

1. Physical Sheath ( Annamaya Kosha )
2. Vital Sheath ( Pranamaya Kosha )
3. Mental Sheath ( Manomaya Kosha )
4. Intellectual Sheath ( Vijnanamaya Kosha )
5. Bliss Sheath ( Anandamaya Kosha )

Disease is the imbalance in any of the three lower sheaths of existence –
physical, vital & mental.

The microcosm & the macrocosm are are in unbroken communion
with each other & are structured on the same pattern. At the
level of the physical sheath, food, water & oxygen enter the microcosm
and Co2, waste products etc return to the macrocosm. This is true of
other sheaths also. The individual cannot exist independent of the
cosmos. The interdependence of the Microcosm & the Macrocosm
is known in Classical Philosophy as the Bio-Cosmic tieup. If the
exchange between the physical sheath and the physical world
around it is defective, the body will become ill, and death
will result if it is stopped altogether.

The Tantric Model

A different but parallel model of human personality was developed by the
Tantras. Whereas the Upanishads speak of Five Sheaths or Koshas,
the Tantras speak of six chakras. These Chakras are ( in ascending order)

1. Root Chakra ( Muladhara )
2. Anal Chakra ( Manipura )
3. Solar Plexus Chakra ( Swadhistana )
4. Heart Chakra ( Anahata )
5. Throat Chakra ( Vishuddhi )
6. Eyebrow Chakra ( Ajna )

Life is regarded as the unfolding of the Self at six different levels of
consciousness known as Chakras in the magnificent Tantric Model.
In mundane people the unfolding takes place only at the first three
chakras which represent procreation, metabolism & speech; the
higher three chakras remain latent. The awakening of the higher
chakras results in the unfolding and fulfillment of Life Divine. When
the Kundalini, the Serpentine Power inherent in humans, rises from
the Root Chakra ( Muladhara ) to the Crown Chakra ( Sahasrara ),
man achieves Cosmic Consciousness.

The Spirit shall take up the human play
The earthly life become the Life Divine!

More quality information about Tantra & Yantras can be had from
http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yantra.htm

Pranic Therapy Part II

All the four forces in the Universe – weak nuclear force, strong nuclear
force, electricity & magnetism -are but different manifestations of
that Unitary Power which the Vedists call Prana. Using this Vital Energy
to heal is called Pranic Therapy. This article is a continuation of the
earlier article Pranic Therapy Part I.

Application of Chaos Theory in the field of Medicine

Another breathtaking development in medicine is the application of Chaos
Theory. Chaos theory,advanced by Mendelbrot, is a mathematical theory
applied to non-linear and random events. It sees order in chaos. Most of
ordinary phenomena in the world such as changes of weather, the
behaviour of cancer cells, occurrence of heart attack, movement of
electrons etc, do not seem to follow any regular & recurrent pattern &
are unpredictable on the basis of linear mathematics . Though it
contradicts Laplace, its positive aspect is that is sees Cosmos ( order )
in Chaos.

Chaos theory of maths tries to find a more meaningful correlation &
behavioural pattern in such systems. One of the most fundamental
properties of an organism is Homeostasis, the maintenance of a
fixed internal milieu, especially with regard to body temperature, BP,
pH etc.The earlier school of thought regarded homeostasis as health,
( Walter Cannon called it “the wisdom of the body” ) & any deviation
from it was disease. But Chaos theory revolutionised this thinking &
pointed out that health is the flexibility of an organism to respond to
any changing environment.Our lungs, heart, liver etc are all designed
to deal with frequent changes & health is the flexibility or capacity
to maintain this state of chaos at the maximal level of efficiency.

Holistic health does not reject the Western system of medicine in toto.
In the case of infectious diseases, nutritional & hormonal deficiencies
and bodily defects which need surgical intervention, it follows the Western
system. Psychosomatic diseases such as hypertension, peptic ulcer,
allergic asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome etc
can be treated by Holistic Medicine, it averrs. Holistic health provides
a way of life which prevents the reccurrence of some of these ailments.
It is more prophylactic, preventive, curative & restorative.

Integral Life

Integral Life is an ancient Vedic ideal. The ancient Rishies ( Seers )
believed in the fulness of Life – 100 % materialism & 100% spirituality.
They actualised the Unity of Life first – long before they realized the
Unity of Consciousness. The unitary principle of life is known as Prana,
the Vital Energy. Cosmic Prana is a major topic of discussion in the
Upanishads. This Universal Vital Energy flows through invisible
channels in the human body known as Nadis. The Brhadaranyaka
Upanishad describes Prana as Truth and Brahman as the Truth
of Truths. It was during this period ( around 500 B C ) that India
developed the Science of Life known as Ayurveda.

An integral view of life far more comprehensive than that of any school
of Vedanta was developed by Tantras which arose between the 6th &
9th centuries AD. The Ultimate Reality is conceived of as Chit-Shakti,
Consciousness-Force. Matter, Mind & Self are all regarded as mani-
festations of this Universal Power which is personified as the Divine
Mother. All activities are carried on by the Consciousness -Force
( The Universe is the play and display of Consciousness-Force) &
all we have to do is to open ourselves to Her Power through self-surrender
and aspiration. This master science was revived by modern Masters
like Aurobindo and Ramakrishna.

More quality information about Tantra & Yantras can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yantra.htm
The programme for activating the body’s own self-renewal processes
is called holistic health programme. It may take months or years
for the body to learn new patterns of response and renew itself.
And this programme succeeds only when certain conditions are fulfilled.

A site where you can get quality information about Holistic Medicine
is www.holistic-alt.com

Awakening to a New Holistic Health Awareness

Only after undergoing an inner conversion do people start on a holistic
health programme. This conversion may come naturally in the fulness of time
or by coming into contact with a holistic health adept or Yoga teacher. But
more commonly, the inner transformation takes place only when people have
reached the limits of suffering or when the shadow of some terminal illness
looms large on the horizon. Fear, they say, is the beginning of wisdom.

Pain is the first born of the Inconscience
And thy body’s dumb original base !

Whatever way the change occurs, it takes the form of two inner processes;
a new attitude towards one’s body and a feeling of responsibility for one’s
own health.

Man’s greatest enemy – Thanatos ( Death-instinct )

The notion that what a person loves most is his own body has been
proved erroneous by Freud. Freud, who declared that pleasure
seeking ( hedonism ) was the basic instinct in man, modified his view
later. He came to the conclusion that along with Life-instinct ( known
as Eros ) man had apparently a powerful Death-instinct ( known as
Thanatos ) which manifested itself as Self-hate & aggressive
behaviour. He showed that not all accidents were really accidents.
The accident-proneness of the victims produced by the unconscious
death wish they had cherished was the cause behind some accidents.
Research has indicated enough evidence for vicious & insidious
forms of self-hate in man. We can understand how self-hate operates
on the level of the Unconscious if we observe the way many people
abuse their own stomachs, lungs & other vital organs, and the way
some people bring ruin upon themselves by yielding to drug addiction
& alcoholism. This self-hate acts as an inhibiting factor for most
individuals. Success can be achieved, said Dr Maxwell Maltz,
if this inhibitive factor is removed from the mind. Most people
are unaware of it & drift through life unaware of the self- harm they
do. Some of them wake up from this unconscious drifting and
begin to have a new attitude – an attitude of love, friendliness
and peace towards themselves & their brethren.It actually indicates
the dawn of true love for one’s higher Self known as the Atman.

Thanatos was known in Vedanta as Thamas ( the destructive
element in man ). Thamas is destructive and self-destructive.
By yogic sadhana alone can this Thamas or Thanatos be
destroyed.

Yet till evil is slain in its own home
And light invades the world’s inconscient base
And perished is the Adversary force
He ( the Saviour ) must still labour on, his work halfdone! ( Aurobindo )

More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

Pranic Therapy by G Kumar (c) 2001

Pranic Therapy Part I – An Introduction

Pranic Therapy is an alternative system of Medicine using therapy with theUniversal Stream of Consciousness, the Cosmic Prana.

Pranic Therapy can be effectuated by proper knowledge of the psycho-physical organism, physical and mental discipline and opening all ourchannels to the Cosmic Prana.

This is normally effected in seven steps

The Seven Stages of Pranic Therapy

1. Knowledge of the Psychosomatic Machine
2. Regulation of Sleep, food & Exercise
3. Relaxation
4. Attunement to Biorythms ( Circadian Rhythms, Solar & Lunar Rhythms )
5. Removing mental blocks ( Difficult due to Repression )
6. Overcoming Prajnaparadha ( Fault of Awareness due to misuse of ourcognitive & conative functions)
7. Opening the system to the Cosmic Prana ( Opening all channels to theDivine Shakti )

Introduction

With the advent of rapid industrialization, urbanization and thebreakdown of family life after the Second World War, sociallife in the West became tense & stressful. The spread ofmaterialistic ideas and ideals and the erosion of faith in Morality& the Law Divine & the social disturbance caused by the VietnamWar brought a sense of futility & meaninglessness in the Westernpsyche.The limitations of the Western system of chemotherapy& adverse side-effects of antibiotics, sedatives and certain otherdrugs and the disillusionment with the promises of science &technology made millions turn to Oriental philosophies, divinepractices & systems of therapy.

The response from the Orient was benevolent. Favoured by thesocial revolution that swept through several countries in the Westin the 1960s, these countries, especially the US, came to beflooded with Gurus and Yogis. Yoga, TM, Reiki – all attainedworld-wide popularity.

Three Modern Movements

As a byproduct three modern movements came into being.They are Neo-humanisn, interreligious dialogue and HolisticHealth. The term ‘Neo-humanism’ refers to a basic changein modern man’s attitude towards himself and his fellowmenwhich is characterised by

a) the recognition of the essential goodness of man
b) focus on existential problems
c) striving for higher transcendental experience.

The contribution of Ramakrishna Movement to inter-faith dialoguewas immense. Other movements like Maharshi InternationalUniversity & Self Realisation Fellowship contributed to this changein the human mindset.

Holistic

HealthHolistic Health refers to a modern movement which regards health asa dynamic state of the total human being. Although the symptoms ofa disease may be found in certain tissues or organs, health is not amere removal of such symptoms by the treatment of the affectedtissues or organs, but a state of multidimensional experience,according to this perspective. The mind, body & environment arein a state of dynamic interaction & the maintenance of this interactionin an optimum state of efficiency is what health means. In otherwords ” To be healthy is to have the ability to live with fulluse of our faculties and be vigorous, alert & happy to be alive,even in old age, despite an occasional bout of illness.” This” operational health” has been defined as wellness. It is a senseof all-round well-being as contrasted with illness.

The greatest aspect of holistic health is its recognition of therole played by mind in health. ” Mind is omnipotent ” saidFreud & he had shown that the Unconscious played a key rolein causing certain diseases which came to be described aspsychosomatic diseases. He looked upon the Unconsciouschiefly as the repository of negative emotions. His early discipleCarl Jung expanded the concept of the Unconscious to makeit include good emotions and even spiritual urges. Adler,another disciple of Freud showed that the ego could alterunconscious behaviour.

The connecting link between the body and mind was not clear. Thework of the Canadian endocrinologist Hans Selye brought the muchneeded connecting link. In his classic work ” The Stress of Life “Selye showed that mental stress was the root cause of several typesof common illness such as hypertension, hyperacidity etc. The’stressor’ (the original source of stress ) excites the hypothalamus inthe brain. This vital organ which controls the autonomic nervous systemactivates the pituitary to secrete the stress hormone ( known as ACTH )which stimulates the secretion of several hormones and steroids(including the well known, adrenaline or epinephrine). More sugar isreleased into the blood & BP is increased as a result of these changes.According to Selye, stress is unavoidable in life. ( The emotionalcentre in the brain, when upset, stimulates the oxintic cells to secretemore hydrochloric acid in the stomach which leads to hyperacidity.)When it goes beyond a certain tolerance level ( which varies fromperson to person ) the system breaks down resulting in illness.

To the scientific picture of body-mind interrelationship given above,certain new concepts were added. One was the idea that if negativeemotions could cause illness, positive emotions can cause “wellness”.The attention of medical experts & the imagination of the public wascaptured by this innovative idea when Normal Cousins, editor ofSaturday Review, published a convincing account of his recoveryfrom a debilitating & incurable disease of the connective tissue.The patient’s understanding of the disease & his active participationin the recovery process was highlighted by his case.

The most difficult and controversial aspect of holistic health is anotheridea that by creating proper awareness within himself man couldexercise a certain degree of voluntary control over the healingprocesses taking place in his body. After the aftermath of Pavlov’sdemonstration of conditioned reflexes, another Russian scientistK M Bykov and his colleagues showed in 1924 that severalinvoluntary processes such as regulation of body heat, heart rhythm,production of urine, BP etc which were mediated by the autonomicnervous system could be brought under voluntary control. The abovefinding was corroborated later during experiments conducted onanimals under ‘operant’ (voluntary)conditioning. Hundreds of peoplefound that they could bring under control their heart rhythm, brainwaves etc with the help of the biofeedback technique. Indian Yogisin the West also demonstrated that they could alter metabolic rate,heartbeat, body temperature etc simply by their will power, withoutthe use of any biofeedback instruments.More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can behad from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

Holistic health practioners invaded the scene at this juncture.They showed that not only certain organs but the working of the wholesystem such as the digestive system, the respiratory system, circulatorysystem etc ( known as the Systems concept ) could be regulated simplyby changing one’s life-style & affinities. It was claimed that evendiseases such as cancer could be cured or held in check be creatingstrong faith & the right type of consciousness.Despite the exaggerationand the propaganda which accompanied these claims, the basic ideathat man can consciously regulate involuntary and unseen physiolo-gical processes came to be accepted as a fact by the medicalcommunity.

Various meditation techniques like Transcendental Meditation, Zen,Yoga were becoming popular in the West in those days. Apart fromthe spiritual benefits, (In Transcendental Meditation, the existence ofa fourth major state of Consciousness called TranscendentalConsciousness was proved by Dr Keith Wallace in his Phd Thesis )practical Yoga teachers showed that Meditation also produced otherbeneficial effects such as reduction of tension, lowering of BP,relaxation of muscles, increase of concentration & work efficiency& even increase of immunological resistance to diseases. As aresult, some form of Meditation has become an essential part ofmost holistic health programmes.( Dr Harold Bloomfied says thatTM can be used as an adjunct to psychiatric practice.)

The success of Acupuncture, herbology etc which came to berecognised as ‘ Alternative Medicine ” , lent much support tothe holistic health position. Two great discoveries strengthenedthis position. One was the discovery of ‘biological clocks’ innature and the existence of biorhythms in the human body. Theother discovery was that the brain produced certain neuro-modulators called endorphins which have the property ofreducing pain. The production of these natural painkillers isinfluenced by our thoughts and endorphins are produced whenour EEG brain waves are in an alpha state ( 8.5 cycles per sec).

Tantra – The Serpentine Ascent – Part I

Occult Vibratory Chemistry existed in India by the name of Tantra.

Tantra is derived from two Sanskrit words – Thanoti ( to expand ) & Trayaten ( to liberate). This Science has the power to expand and liberate !

Expansion means to grow beyond one’s boundaries. Expansion upto Infinity. Thanothi means the expansion of Consciousness ad infinitum.Individual consciousness should expand to Universal Consciousness for mergence in
the Supreme Self.

Trayate means to liberate, to liberate man from bondgage, from the Seven Deadly Sins which bind him to the sublunar world. The purging of mortal dross is a must for Self-Actualisation and the ” inner enemies of man ” Lust, greed, anger, jealousy, sloth, covetousness & attachment ) are the real blocks in the way of Self Actualisation

Liberation is not possible without expansion of Consciousness. When our individual Consciousness expands to Cosmic, we feel whole & are liberated from the thraldom of matter.

The Upanishadic Philosophy was based on the Five Concentric Sheaths known as the Five Koshas. The outermost concentric Sheath, the Anna Maya Kosha, is known as the Material Sheath. It envelopes the other four sheaths –
vital, mental, intellectual & bliss.

Tantra, on the other hand, speaks about the Six Chakras, dynamoes of Cosmic
Energy in the human body.

These Chakras are ( in ascending order)

1. Root Chakra ( Muladhara )
2. Anal Chakra ( Manipura )
3. Solar Plexus Chakra ( Swadhistana )
4. Heart Chakra ( Anahata )
5. Throat Chakra ( Vishuddhi )
6. Eyebrow Chakra ( Ajna )

The Five Great Elements ( Earth, air, water, fire & ether ) & Mind reside
in the Six Chakras.

Earth-Principle resides in the Root Chakra
Water-Principle resides in the Navel Chakra
Fire-Principle resides in the Solar Plexus Chakra
Air-Principle resides in the Heart Chakra
Ether-Principle resides in the Throat Chakra
Mind-Principle resides in the Eye Brow Chakra.

The Microscomic representative of the Macrocosmic Shakti ( Cosmic Power ), the Kundalini, sportest as the Six principles in the Six Chakras in Her Cosmic Play.

O Infinite Power ! Thou art the Mind-principle in the Eye brow Chakra
In the Throat Chakra , Thou sport as the Ether-principle
In the Heart Chakra, Thou sportest as Air- principle
In the Solar Plexus Chakra, Thou art Fire-principle
In the Navel Chakra , Thou exist as Water-principle
In the Root Chakra, Thou art the Earth _Principle, O Mighty Mother !
And in the Crown Chakra, Thou sportest blissfully with thy beloved Consort !

She lies coiled in human beings as the Coiled Serpent Power ( Kundalini). She rises during Mediation and Yogic processes.

Her rise can be felt by the meditator. When She rises, a subtle warmth will be felt in the body. Voice changes. Voice becomes musical, ” propertied as the tuned spheres”. The personality of the native becomes very attractive due to the influx of Jupiterian energy. Wisdom and learning grace the individual. When She rises furthur, torrential bliss will be felt. And when She reaches the Crown Chakra, it is Cosmic Consciousness for the native !

She sports as Universal Power in the Macrocosm; and in the microcosm as the coiled Serpent Power!

Infinite Power of the Absolute art Thou!
The Cause of the Universe as Maya
The entire Creation is Thy Play
Thy blessing is Bliss Absolute !

The essence of all sciences art Thou
All women Thy manifestations !
The visible Universe Thou art
And the dormant Serpentine Power !

One of the pioneers in Tantra Research was Sir John Woodroffe , who had written many scholarly treatises on the subject. His magnum opus is the “Serpent Power”, which is a scientific treatise about the Kundalini. His
practice of Tantra endowed him with personal magnetism. He became the cynosure of all eyes. There was a special lustre on his face, he possessed the Golden Tongue of Good Report & there was a spiritual halo around him. He had developed his Auric Field ( the human electro-magnetic field ) due to Tantric techniques and bacame a dynamo of spiritual energy. His masterly book is a scientific diagnosis about Tantra.

The heart and vocal nervous centers are intimately related physiologically. Bhava Shuddhi or purity of Heart makes the voice innocent and musical. The true Initiate is he whose voice is true and who possesses the Golden Tongue of Good Report!

The Cosmic Shakti is the Force behind the Universe & the entire Universe is her play & display. Kundalini is Her microcosmic representation. She has been depicted as the Mother Goddess in Pagan philosophies.

Nature is visible Intelligence; Intelligence is invisible Nature. The Spiritual & the Natural are not different. That which is spiritual is natural in its ascent & cause. That which is natural is spiritual in its descent and being.

She is the female component of the Ultimate and all systems deal with the male and the female components of Reality. The male component is He ! Consciousness and Force, the Supreme Self and Nature, Matter and Spirit, Being and Becoming, the One and the Innumerable, the Formless and then a delirium of Forms – She and He, two in one, inseparable ! He, outside Time, outside Space, pure Being, pure Consciousness, the Great White Silence wherein everything is contained in a state of involution, contained, yet formless !

She flings forth from Him in an outburst of joy, again to find Him playing in Time, She and He, two in one , inextricable! Can Nature exist without her Lord ? Can He exist without Nature ?

This is the Purusha and Prakriti of Sankhya, the Brahman and Maya of Vedanta , the Sive and Shakti of Tantra !

Without Him, I exist not
Without Me, He is unmanifest ! – The Mother of Auroville

It is due to Her Grace that a man becomes a material success. It is She who gives the successful man the indomitable Will Power needed for success.

On the other hand, it is also Her Grace which giveth spiritual success. It is She who gives the devotee the necessary Self-knowledge, makes him do altruistic acts & leads him to Self-Actualisation. In other words, She has two aspects, material & spiritual and Her Grace is absolutely necessary for success in both the spheres. .

It is said that She, as the Prakriti ( Nature ) of Purusha ( Supreme Self), is the base of the Universe & when She becomes supremely pleased with the devotee, confers on him Self-Actualisation !

She is the Creatrix, She is the Mediatrix, She is the Dispensatrix and the Executrix of the absolute mechanism of Universal Justice.

Power is Divine and not to be condemned

It is this Power aspect of Consciousness which India has depicted as the Divine Mother. It is a mistake of the ethical and the religious mind to condemn Power as something unworthy because it is in its very nature corrupting and evil. Despite arguments to the contrary ( Power corrupts and absolute Power corrupts absolutely), Power, Shakti, Will is the mover of the worlds and basically is spiritual in origin and divine in character !

A Power to call Eternity into Time
And make the body’s joy as vivid as the soul’s !.

The highest philosophic concept is that of the Philosopher-King, he who possesses powers both eternal and temporal. They were known as Raja-Rishies in India. Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, King Janaka were all Raja-Rishies. Marcus Aurelius & Augustus Caesar in the West were also reputed Philosopher-Kings. They did not renounce power !

Tantra as related to Astrology

Tides are caused by the Moon. The human body is 65% water. ( Even the Archbishop of Canterbury is 65% water ). If Moon can effectuate tides, what effect will he have on the human body which is predominantly water? And what about the effects of other planets ?

More information about Mundane Astrology & Transit Forecast can be had
from http://www.eastrovedica.com/html/transat.htm