Cultivating Our Own Native Intelligence

Ayurvedic Wisdom of the Gunas

by Terra Rafael (formerly Terra Palmarini Richardson)

There are three main sources of "seeds" for the mind which we have some control over:

     the focus of the mind itself on thoughts & emotions

     the focus of the senses on the sensations

     the balance of energy created in the body and mind by the things we eat & drink

 Whatever kind of seeds we plant in the soil of our mind will grow there, unless we let them wither, without our attention.  This is what meditation & other spiritual practices can do.  Psychotherapy usually focuses attention on less uplifting aspects to pluck them out. Either method when done without right understanding may actually add energy to seeds which will cloud the mind and spread them in the field of the mind.

Ayurvedic treatment of the mind uses the ancient understanding that all of creation evolves through the interplay of the three gunas or attributes of the Primal Matter (or Primal Mother).  These three attributes are:

            sattva = light, intelligence, clarity, perception, peacefulness, focus

            rajas = movement & action

            tamas = inertia, darkness, dullness and resistance.

Everything in creation has a mixture of these three qualities.  The mind is by nature more sattvic, so that if rajas or tamas become predominant the mind does not perform its tasks according to its inherent nature. 

The mind may be clouded by tamas and therefore the person does not see the proper thing way to behave or relate to others. Delusion may reign, the person being lost in negative or destructive thoughts. 

Or the mind may be agitated by rajas and thus be so active that clarity & intelligence is lost --even though the person knows what is proper, s/he still can not act in accord with it because of distraction from the quiet source of inner wisdom. Thoughtless violence may occur.

Unlike the ayurvedic doshas, rajas & tamas do not balance each other out.  So following one quality after another will just add to agitation. ( Occasionally a tamasic situation will require rajasic means to move it out of tamas.  After that, moving it to sattva would be the most uplifting.)

By avoiding the planting of seeds of tamas and rajas in the mind and by cultivating sattva, the native intelligence called buddhi can shine forth.  This native intelligence can inform us of the proper course of action in the moment -- such as the right foods to eat, the proper way to relate to someone in a given situation.  In this way the light of cosmic intelligence is reflected in our daily life through our own native intelligence.

Ayurveda and Yoga recommend methods to work with these gunas. As your native intelligence grows you will see even more ways to increase it within yourself.  I believe native intelligence is not only the key to spiritual upliftment to the individual, but also the way to harmony between people, with other species, and with the Earth herself.  By its cultivation, we are truly serving all of humanity.

To reduce Rajas guna

Avoid routinely eating  these foods & substances:

            Stimulants         Coffee   Caffeinated beverages     Hot, spicy or fried foods

            Excess sweets  Garlic    Onions                          Hot peppers

            Tomatoes          Radishes                                   Corn

            Eggs                 Fish                  Poultry              Especially red meat

Avoid routine participation in these activities:

            Over exercising              Over work          TV & action-oriented or sexual movies

            Loud stimulating music   Excessive thinking or emoting

            Eating too fast

To reduce Tamas guna:

Avoid routinely eating these foods :

            Aged Cheese     Pickles             Tamari              Vinegar

            Wine, other alcohol                    Drugs                Red meat

            Stale foods, leftovers                  Mushrooms       Microwaved food

            Processed foods                        Frozen foods     Fried foods

Avoid Over fatigue

To increase Sattva guna:

Regularly include the following in your diet:

            Fresh foods                   Almonds           Pure Milk          Ghee

            Fresh fruits                    Most vegies       Vegetarianism

            Grains, esp. wheat & brown basmati rice, whole wheat, oats

generally, foods that are light to digest and nourishing

Maintaining your doshic balance - Vata, Pitta, Kapha is also helpful, so follow the proper doshic diet as well.

Regularly include the following in your lifestyle:

            daily meditation             yoga asanas      pranayama        chanting/uplifting singing

            nonviolence      work in moderation         keep the good company

            enjoy activities & environments which are conducive to positivity and joy

            As my dear Ayurvedic Nutrition teacher Amadea Morningstar says, " These particular categories of sattwa, rajas & tamas are core, essential .. but they are only categories.  Let them be your friends rather than your masters."  In other words - take this with a sattvic attitude.

May the blessings of your own Native Intelligence shine forth in your life!

Sources:    David Frawley, Ayurveda Correspondence Course for Health Professionals, American Vedic Institute

                Amadea Morningstar, Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners

                Sarasvati Buhrman, Ayurveda & Yoga Courses, Rocky Mtn Institute of Yoga & Ayurveda