Calming the eye of the storm?
In the story of the calming the storm in the Bible as mentioned in Mark 4:35-41, in which the wind and the seas obey Jesus to return to a still calm, could this actually refer to Jesus saying we must bring peace into our stormy minds by calming the sea of thoughts that arise?
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Jesus also speaks of the awake mind within the self as mentioned in Matthew 6:22-23.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
“The wind turns a ship from its course upon the waters: the wandering winds of the senses cast man’s mind adrift and turn his better judgment from its course, when a man can still the senses I call him illumined” says Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita 2:67-68.
As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.
Therefore, O mighty-armed, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.
There is an age old saying that “the eyes are the window to the soul.” But are the eyes the window to the body as well? The study of Iridology, an ancient Egyptian alternative medicine technique, asserts that through studying markings and colors in the iris of the eye, one can learn about the inner workings of the entire body and mind.
Is there a connection to the Egyptian findings in Iridology to the stormy mind as mentioned in the scriptures as noted above?
Conclusion: Practice meditation to still the body and mind, and find the peace within that comes to the self. A calm and still mind leads to a health body with lot of inner sense of peace.
Sanatana Dharma or the eternal function of the soul
Sanātana Dharma or Sanatan-dharma means “eternal religion” or “the eternal function of the soul”, comprises of spiritual laws which govern the human existence. Sometimes we identify with a particular faith or religion, which is changeable, but our eternal religion remains integral to our real self or soul, which is unchangeable.
Sanatana Dharma, also meaning “Eternal or Universal Righteousness” is the original name of what is now popularly called Hinduism. Sanatana Dharma is to human life what natural laws are to the physical phenomena. Just as the phenomena of gravitation existed before it was discovered, the spiritual laws of life are eternal laws which existed before they were discovered by the ancient rishis (sages) for the present age during the Vedic period.
Sanatana Dharma declares that something cannot come out of nothing and, therefore, the universe itself is the manifestation of the Divine being. This truth forms the invocation of the Isha Upanishad (a Hindu scripture):
Poornam-adah, poornam-idam, poor-nath poornam-udachyate.
Poor-nasya poornam-adaya, poornam-eva-va-sishyate.
That is full; this is full. The full comes out of the full.
Taking the full from the full, the full itself remains.
This verse expresses the mystery of creation. This universe comes forth from the Divine, yet the universe takes nothing from the Divine and adds nothing to It. Divine remains ever the same. Since the universe has come forth from the Divine, all things and beings are sacred and must be treated so in human thought and action. The Divine sleeps in minerals, awakens in plants, walks in animals and thinks in humans.
Sanatana Dharma looks upon a person as a part and parcel of the mighty Whole, but never regards him as “the Measure of all things.” In the West, “person” is a supreme and final value, while Sanatana Dharma regards person as a part of the Whole, having the same vital essence as all other human and sub-human creatures of the universe. This cosmic view of Hinduism transcends the sectarian or group dogmas and paves a way for the coexistence of all creatures under the Vedic principle of Vasudev Kutumbhkam, meaning “The Universe is One Family.” This principle guides the humankind towards universal harmony through acceptance and tolerance.
Sanatana Dharma recognizes that the Ultimate Reality, which is the ground of infinite potentiality and actualization, cannot be limited by any name or concept. The potential for human wholeness (as in enlightenment, salvation, liberation, transformation, blessedness, nirvana, moksha) is present in every human being. No race or religion is superior and no color or creed is inferior. All humans are spiritually united like the drops of water in an ocean.
In a nutshell, Hinduism = Sanātana Dharma = Eternal Religion = Righteous Action + Mental Virtue.
The flow of energy through the seven chakras
Chakra is a Sanskrit word literally meaning wheel or circle which describes the whirlpools or vortices of energy located in the astral spine in our body. The chakras are a part of what might be called our spiritual anatomy.
The seven chakras with their location within the body are described below:
- Muladhara (Sanskrit: मूलाधार, Mūlādhāra) Base or Root Chakra (last bone in spinal cord *coccyx*)
- Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: स्वाधिष्ठान, Svādhiṣṭhāna) Sacral Chakra (ovaries/prostate)
- Manipura (Sanskrit: मणिपूर, Maṇipūra) Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)
- Anahata (Sanskrit: अनाहत, Anāhata) Heart Chakra (heart area)
- Vishuddha (Sanskrit: विशुद्ध, Viśuddha) Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)
- Ajna (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, Ājñā) Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)
- Sahasrara (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, Sahasrāra) Crown Chakra (Top of the head; ‘Soft spot’ of a newborn)
Every karmic action or thought, creates a subtle vortex of energy within self, the more spiritual a vortex, the higher the center around which it settles; the more materialistic a vortex, the lower the center.
Inner struggle to grow and change spiritually takes place between the pull of the soul from above, and the pull of matter and material involvement from below. Ego is basically the downward flow of energy down to the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, while spiritual consciousness is the upward flow of the same energy, eventually out of the Ajna chakra or third-eye to the entire universe. Ego energy draws one to seperation or individuality, while god consciousness draws one to oneness in all.
Srila Prabhupada, founder of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), talks on the Science of God.
