Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Great saint called Mahavir, who propagated Jainism. He is one of the most adored enlightened saints of India and the 24th Tirthankara (the name given to an enlightened and realized soul in the Jain tradition). Mahavir’s Philosophy and Teaching Mahavira’s main principle is non-violence – ahimsa. He said that one has no right to be violent on anything in the world. He spoke of Anekantvada, which means that there are so many possibilities. The world is full of possibilities. There is not just one way. This knowledge is really needed today. If people understand this, there will be no terrorism or fanaticism in the world. He also spoke of Syadvada which is one of the most scientific approaches of dealing with the intellect. It says, “Perhaps there is something that I do not know.” If someone says, “This is it, I know everything”, it is not correct. That is why he spoke of Syadvada – perhaps it could be some other way also. All is possible. That is a sign of a mature intellect; otherwise it ...

Life always moves towards perfection. Just like how water flows down and fire goes up, the nature of life is to move towards perfection, to move towards something bigger and something higher. Often people say that the mind is wavering, but the mind is not wavering. The mind is the wave. It is moving towards something. It is moving towards a higher joy. If you get a little joy, you want some more joy. This is because the mind always moves towards something bigger and something higher. Right from school days, what is it that you want? You want to get a higher grade. Which student does not want to get a higher grade? Which artist does not want to perform better? Which scientist does not want to reach the peak? Which engineer does not want to build something beautiful? So wanting perfection is in the nature of human beings. The mind wants to move towards something higher, and the way to achieve it is Yoga. Yoga Helps You Get Out Of Misery If you are miserable, yoga helps you get out of you...

The nature of the mind is to waver, similar to how the nature of water is to flow. Now how do you reduce this wavering nature of the mind? It is through spiritual practices (abhyaasa) and dispassion (vairagya). What is Dispassion? Sometimes, when you are disturbed, you say, “I don’t want anything. Enough is enough!” This is one kind of dispassion, which you experience when you are disturbed. It is called Smashana (cemetery) Vairagya. The second kind of dispassion is when you say with awareness, “I don’t want anything. I have had enough (contentment)! Everything in the world changes; nothing is permanent. I don’t mind if I have or don’t have something.” This is the second type of dispassion, and is called Gyana (knowledge) Vairagya. We need to have Gyana Vairagya and not Smashana Vairagya. The mind always moves towards pleasure. If we have knowledge and dispassion, then all the pleasures will come to us. It is also said that the pleasure that comes out of Abhyaasa (spiritual practice) i...

What do we get upset with? We don’t get upset with the birds, or the clouds, or with Nature. We don’t get upset with the environment. So, what do we get upset with? We get upset with the people around us. Our enemies upset us and our friends upset us as well. Our mind gets stuck either in our friends or in our enemies. We either think about our friends or we think about our enemies the entire day. People become our enemies even when we have not done any wrong to them. Many people have had this experience. We didn’t do any wrong to them; neither did we misbehave and still they became our enemies. This is very surprising! We think, ‘Oh! Why has he become my enemy? Until yesterday he was my friend.’ In the same way, we do not do any special favours for some people, yet they become our close friends. That is why I tell you, this is some astonishing and mysterious Karma – how some people become our enemies and some our friends. So what should we do? We should place both our friends and enem...

We wish each other happiness, prosperity and peace, but only a few seem to know how to be peaceful — like only a few know how to make money. Here are some steps that might help one to find the most needed inner peace. 1. Take Time for Yourself Often, we become so engrossed in our day-to-day activities, we simply end up gathering more and more information, and do not take time out to think and reflect. Then we feel dull and tired. A few quiet moments everyday are the source of creativity. Silence heals and rejuvenates and gives you depth and stability. Sometime during the day, sit for a few minutes; get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and keep the world away. Taking some time for yourself improves the quality of your life. 2. Know the Impermanence of Life See the impermanence in this life. Millions of years have passed and millions more will come. Nothing is permanent. In this broad, universal context, what is your life? It is not even a drop in the ocean. Just open your eyes,...