Sattvic life and action
by Atman Nityananda / Kb – Gr
Satvic lifestyle
A sattvic lifestyle means that everything we relate to, at all levels of our existence, should be sattvic in nature. The music we listen to, the food we eat, the drinks we drink, the activities we engage in, the books we read, the videos we watch, the friendships and intimate relationships we maintain, the environment in which we live, etc. must be for the most part sattvic in nature.
Sattvic life also includes having frequent contact with nature, practicing in high-vibrational sacred places and in spiritual centers of teachers, practicing (if possible) in the presence of a teacher or advanced practitioners, and generally taking every opportunity to participate in the activities that an awakened or enlightened teacher may be doing in our area.
The purpose of sattvic life is to increase the sattva quality in the mind, so that our mind becomes sattvic (i.e. pure, luminous, harmonious, clear, intelligent, steady, discriminating), because only a sattvic mind that has developed the aforementioned sattvic qualities can meditate deeply, enter Samadhi and finally attain enlightenment.
Since our mind is nourished and empowered by the quality (sattva, rajas or tamas) that characterizes what we relate to, what we experience and what we do (i.e., human relationships, sensory impressions, places, energy fields, emotions, thoughts,), it is necessary that all of these be of sattvic quality. Thus the mind will be fed with sattva most of the time and the sattva guna and the sattvic qualities and virtues (love, compasion, dinscerment, patience, acceptance, tolerance, concentration, dispassion, etc.) will grow and dominate our mind more and more.
The sattvic mode of action
Equally important is the way we act, the way we do things. That is, our inner attitude (mental, emotional and consciousness state) when we do something is very important. We should learn to do things in a sattvic way.
Eating and working in a sattvic way
For example, it is important to eat sattvic food, but equally important is the way we eat. One way is to eat in a hurry, stressed, watching TV, talking, unfocused (rajasotamasic way) and another way is to eat calmly, mindfully, gratefully, praying, repeating bright thoughts, God’s name or a mantra (sattvic way).
The same applies to any other activity and also to our work. It is one thing to work calmly and with concentration and with a spirit of giving (sattvic way) and another to work carelessly, bored, greedy or with a spirit of obligation (rajasotamasic way).
Spiritual practices increase sattva quality
Spiritual exercises (meditation, worship, mantra and chanting hymns and mantras, mental repetition of mantra, pranayama, self-inquiry (vichara), study of spiritual books, etc.) are sattvic in nature and increase sattva in the mind and are therefore fundamental in eliminating rajas and tamas qualities and strengthening sattva.
Sattvic life combined with spiritual practices accelerates the transformation of the mind into sattvic mind and sattvic mind enables us to consistently and steadily follow the practice program and deepen meditation.
In order to follow a sattvic lifestyle it is important to study and understand the characteristics of the three gunas (sattva-rajas-tamas) and learn how they manifest in the mind and in the external world.
Excerpt from the book: Η Τέχνη του να Ζεις Συνειδητά την Στιγμή
Sattvic life combined with spiritual practices accelerates the transformation of the mind into a sattvic mind, and the sattvic mind enables us to consistently and firmly follow the exercise program and deepen meditation.
🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony
atmannityanada 