Originally posted in German on 26th June 2024
by Heinz Grill
The so-called Shankhya philosophy from the East, uses a very practical terminology to subdivide the various manifestations of human existence and nature into three different limbs. These are the so-called guna, the qualities of existence, and they are called sattva, rajas and tamas. All visible phenomena and subsequently all human actions can be identified according to this threefold articulation. The advantage of this articulated categorisation for people who implement it practically and insightfully is that they can give life a better, self-determined direction. Health requires an active, conscious engagement, not only with oneself, but moreover with the phenomena of nature, food, the conditions of existence, the conditions of relationships and the most diverse feelings, so that the self-determination that is so important for a healthy mental and physical existence can occur.
Sattva is the pure and light guna and when it prevails in actions and in the consciousness, it leads to a beautiful, aesthetic radiance and ensures pleasant connections in relationships. Rajas is the hyperactive, moving principle of human and natural existence. It is characterised by restlessness, haste and desire and thus forms the basis for all willful action. Rajas is no longer pure, but full of instinctive drive and is therefore a growing burden on health. The third guna, tamas, shows the darkness or lethargy of the body with all its heaviness. In the consciousness it represents disinterest, lacking attention and thus depicts ignorance.
If these three basic principles of existence are observed and analysed philosophically in life, people will come to the conclusion that they are in constant mutual exchange. A well-prepared meal with organic ingredients, cooked harmoniously and well balanced with spices, presents itself as sattva food. However, if it is handled very one-sidedly with a lot of hot spices, the pure state slips into unrest and takes up the guna rajas. If repeatedly reheated or kept in the refrigerator for a long time, the same food gains the state of tamas and awakens dark forces in the human digestive system that are difficult to break down. This classification of Shankhya Philosophy into sattva, rajas and tamas is particularly significant in relation to the selection, preparation and preservation of food. Already in the growing and cultivation of grains, fruit and vegetables the human consciousness may open up a sattvic, rajasic or tamasic orientated tendency in food.
These three principles of being can be applied not only to food cultivation, preparation and the culture of eating, they can also be found in all forms of belief, behaviour, activity and manifestation of human expression. Take for example the way in which the human consciousness develops perceptions. How are the senses and the subtle feelings closely related to them, led? The way someone directs their perceptions towards themselves and the outer world results in a lighter or shrouding sphere or even a darkening of the physical conditions. For this reason, the questions can be asked: When are a person’s perceptual processes in accordance with the guna of sattva, when do they become entangled in the desire and will determination of rajas, the restless principle, and when or on what occasions are the senses subject to lethargy, the all-consuming and oppressive tamas principle? In terms of active health care, attention can be paid to the way in which the consciousness steers the perceptions. The effort to have an objective attention and a refreshing perception through the senses and finally a resulting good mental picture, on the one hand give people a natural, better uprightness in themselves and on the other hand promote healthy elimination processes. Someone might, for example, have the opinion that the easiest and healthiest thing to do is not to make any effort and stay in a kind of indifference, leave others in peace, and sink into a comfy chair. The path to objectively perceiving the various phenomena requires alert and conscious activity, and when people succumb completely to comfort, so that the body with its heaviness determines the life of the senses, people fall prey to tamas.
It is very valuable to observe how actively and objectively the various processes of perception are developed. Health care requires this form of engagement with the activity of the senses and the perception which is consciously brought about. Discerning observation of the state of these processes will already overcome some restlessness and lethargy and lead to a better dynamic strength in the psyche and in the physical body. Ultimately, it is actually the consciousness that is brought into a specific activity and guidance and that determines the physical conditions. At best, three times a day, people should come into a full mature consciousness and steer their senses, with their capacity of perception, consciously towards certain objects of existence. It is also helpful to observe the individual effects that subsequently arise out of this conscious mental activity and to compare them with automated action.
How do the streams of sattva, rajas and tamas behave within the personal physical constitution? This question, and how people can practically promote the right form of calm, and the concrete form of active engagement that builds consciousness, will appear in the next article.
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An apple eaten when it is unripe produces rajas, an apple when ripe, especially if it is a good quality apple, produces sattva, while an apple that is already rotten promotes tamas.
Drawing: M. Winter
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A well-structured bread made from fermentation is sattva.
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Does the eye really see the object of observation or does it remain stuck in its own dreams? A certain freedom for the sensory gaze is necessary. However, this is not yet fully visible in the picture – only partially.
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Dreaming in not-seeing
Fotos: L. Franken