The Presence 369 AUM in स्वस्तिक (su + asti = well + being) (सु + अस्ति = स्वस्ति)

The Presence 369 AUM in स्वस्तिक (su + asti = well + being) (सु + अस्ति = स्वस्ति)

The Supreme Self pervades and exists in all dimensions and all beings, sentient and insentient. And it is that Supreme Self that lives inside every person. Therefore every person is none other than the Supreme Self.

For an individual to realize their Supreme Self, they need to identify the reasons and objectives for which they came into being on this earth plane and ultimately fulfill those purposes. The ancient sages articulated the goals of humankind as Purusharthas. Purusha means an individual or person, and Artha means objective, meaning, or pursuit.

The four Purusharthas are:

1.   Dharma: Righteousness, Duty

2.   Artha: Wealth

3.   Kama: Desire

4. Moksha: Liberation ( Ekatvam with one’s Higher Self is Moksha.)

The four Purusharthas are indeed the qualities and objectives of the Supreme Self and God. And since an individual is a reflection and manifestation of God, it is the rightful pursuit of a person to fulfill these four Purusharthas. In fact, it is both your individual and soul purpose.

An individual can realize him or herself by balancing and fulfilling these four objectives. They are not independent or mutually exclusive of each other and should not be viewed in a stand-alone manner. They define and refine the other objectives and allow the other objectives to define and refine itself. The activity of fulfilling one objective should also support the fulfillment of the others. By maintaining a balance between the definition and realization of the four Purusharthas, a symbiotic evolution of the individual self takes place. Exclusive pursuit of one Purushartha creates an imbalance in a person’s life and prevents the person from reaching the ultimate destination of their life. Take Artha, for example. If an individual seeks only wealth but lacks in righteousness, and the fulfillment of their duty, an emptiness and lack of full spiritual evolution will take hold.

 

The Vedas say that Artha is about generating food, by creating goods and services, while Kama is about satisfying this hunger. In Dharma, we consider the hunger of others and in Moksha, we outgrow our hunger. Only when we outgrow hunger can we be generous and charitable and let things go.

Possessions do not give us value; wisdom gives us value. The realization that nothing lasts forever must help us in outgrowing our hunger. Only by satisfying other people's hunger do we truly bring value to society. Only when we outgrow our hunger can we be truly generous.

Neuroscientists are now observing that various hormones released in our body play a key role in our happiness, and these hormones are linked to the four Hindu pillars of meaning. For example, there is serotonin that is associated with happiness, and, in its absence, there is depression. There is dopamine that gives us a sense of exhilaration or achievement, and in its absence, there is a sense of worthlessness. There is oxytocin that is released during intimacy. There are various endorphins that are released during workouts, or when we are stressed, or when we laugh, that create a pleasurable feeling, comforting us.

 Happiness is now seen as having many components: satisfaction, achievement, intimacy, comfort. It is being distinguished from pleasure. Pleasure is short-term. Happiness is long-term. Pleasure is individualistic. Happiness is social. Pleasure is seen as visceral, while happiness is seen as ethereal. One can get addicted to pleasure, but one cannot get addicted to happiness.

Pleasure is related with a release of dopamine and comes when there is sense of achievement. The more dopamine is released, the more we get addicted to it. We want more and more of it. This is what happens with drugs, like cocaine, that create an artificial sense of achievement, after which any other achievement falls short. Our craving for dopamine causes a situation where the brain fails to produce enough serotonin, as a result of which yearning for pleasure causes a decrease in general happiness. Hence, this results in depression.

This modern architecture of happiness mirrors the four-fold path of happiness prescribed in ancient Hindu scriptures. Dharma contributes to satisfaction; Artha to achievement, to exhilaration of success; Kama to pleasure and intimacy; Moksha to relief, resulting from letting go. We need a mixture of the four to be happy. And we realize that each of these four pillars of human in our body play a key role in our happiness, and these hormones are linked to the four Hindu pillars of meaning.

For example, there is serotonin that is associated with happiness, and, in its absence, there is depression. There is dopamine that gives us a sense of exhilaration or achievement, and in its absence, there is a sense of worthlessness. There is oxytocin that is released during intimacy. There are various endorphins that are released during workouts, or when we are stressed, or when we laugh, that create a pleasurable feeling, comforting us.

Dharma is the A-karma we do unconditionally.

Dharma is about the other: giving back to society, feeding others, and taking care of those who need help, being responsible, being concerned about others, being a parent to the world at large. This is related to serotonin that can be called the dharma hormone.

Artha is the karma we play within the Ajeevakarkas.

Artha is about winning, about breaking boundaries, about reaching the goal, about surpassing the target. This makes dopamine the artha hormone. It is released when we go to the gym, when we do what our bosses expect us to do, when we meet a target, get work done on time, against all odds. It is the hormone of sport stars.

 Kama is the karma that we play within the jeevakarkas.

Kama is about intimacy, about desiring and being desired. It is linked to cozying up with family and friends, with children, with feeling safe. One can say that oxytocin is the kama hormone. And how does one get rid of pain and suffering.

Moksha is our Liberation or Mukti from Dharma, Artha and Kama Karma’s.

The hormones which take away pain are endorphins, the moksha hormones, released when the body is stressed. It is interesting that hormones related to pleasure, happiness, intimacy and comfort as per science can be easily mapped to the four goals of Hindu existence. Moksha is our Liberation or Mukti from Dharma, Artha and Kama Karma’s. Its Completeness and surrender at the same time.

1.Dharma releases serotonin

2.Artha releases dopamine

3.Kama releases oxytocin

4.Moksha releases endorphin

 

Within infinite myths lies an eternal truth Who sees it all?

The Awakened One.

 

The 369 i.e, AEIOUM: AUM; The Supreme Self resides in Swastik of Purushartha(Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha) for completing its cycle since yugas (Satya Yug, Treta Yug, Dvapara Yug, and Kali Yug) and going back to its source of Energy.