Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Kosa means “layer of mind.” There are five layers of the human mind, in addition to the physical body, which – although technically not a kosa itself – is given the name Arnamaya (“food”) Kosa. Its natural means of development is through diet and physical exercise. In Ananda Marga practice it is also developed through asanas, Tandava and Kaoshikii. 1.The Crude Mind is called the Kamamaya Kosa. Kama means “ desire.” It is this most superficial layer of mind that is responsible for attraction and aversion to sensory stimuli, and the physical reactions to those stimuli. It is developed naturally through physical clash, and for sadhakas (spiritual practitioners) by following Yama and Niyama. 2.The Subtle Mind is called the Manomaya Kosa. Man means “to think”, and it is this layer of mind which gives the experience of pleasure and pain through thought, memory and dreams. This kosa is developed naturally through physical clash, and in Ananda Marga sadhana by pranayama with cosmic...

Did you know that people who meditate are much happier and healthier than everyone else?  It's true. And they have greatly extended life spans, too. As a matter of fact, there have been numerous studies showing that meditation dramatically reduces, and even reverses disease of all types. You know about Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which is eternal. Other types of Samadhi that are not eternal, that are impermanent with breaks, two names; Anandanugat and Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat). Ananda that glow and Atmika that pure consciousness. The Vedic concept of dhayna or meditation seems to have evolved gradually with the emergence of Upanishadic thought and the idea that man personified the entire universe within himself and by himself and that hidden deep within him was an eternal principle that was Universal Self in its individual aspect. Either man (purusha) was a projection of the universe in its own mode or the universe was a projection of the individual self (purusha) in its own fo...

The average person processes over 60'000 separate thoughts per day, of which 90% occur subconsciously. Automatic thoughts are produced by our subconscious mind and continue to execute without the involvement of our conscious mind. Think about how many things you just do, day in day out, without even consciously thinking about it. These automatic thoughts are like mini computer programs in our subconscious minds. They automatically come into action as a response to stimuli in our environment. While many automatic thoughts are positive, some of them can create undesirable limitations in terms of your ability to evolve, progress and reach significant personal goals in your life – you could call them “success blockers”. They simply prevent you from progressing in areas where you'd like to succeed. Automatic thoughts determine your thought patterns, attitudes and behaviors. The reactions you then observe from your environment validate your thoughts. A key observation is ...

Question - Gurudev, when and how many times should I meditate? Gurudev Sri Sri - To the extent that even if you had to forsake food, then do so, but do not leave meditation. The more regular you are with meditation, the greater the depths you will achieve. Meditation is such a subtle phenomenon that, it takes months to become strong, but neglect it and within a few days it will wilt like a delicate flower. Meditation requires a lot of discipline and consistency. If you sleep a little less for one day, you don't lose much. Anyone can be without sleep for 5 to 7 days. If you miss one meal it is still okay, a human being can survive without food for upto three months. You can survive without food and water for many days. Your important work? They cannot be that important that you do not get any time to meditate, but your mind tells you that this work is extremely important. Usually people give importance only to these trivial things. And they think that even I don't meditate for o...

Question - Gurudev, why is that certain desires how much ever I want and pray for, it doesn't get manifested in life? Gurudev Sri Sri - When a 2 year old child asked for toys, his mother gave him. When he asked for a knife, she refused to give. In life, when you get what you want, there's a reason. If not, there's also a reason. The nature is intelligent. The divine is intelligent. If someone has refused something to you, know that the divine came in that person's form to teach you something higher. If someone praised you and helped you, the same divine came in that person's form to inspire you. Wake up. God is love. It resides within everyone and in every part of the creation. There's an unseen hand working for you all the time. Just remember how fortunate you all are and know that only the best.