By SKumar Pattnaik in Vedang astrology group.
The Sun and Prana :
Behind all light sources in the universe is the supreme light of consciousness, the Light of lights or inner Sun, which is the original form or face of God. This spiritual Sun exists within our own minds and hearts as the power of illumination at the core of our being, our own true inner Self. Returning to it is the ultimate goal of life.
The Vedic mantras are said to arise from the breath of the Godhead (Brahman) or the universal Prana. The power of these mantras resides in the rays of the Sun and through them function as doorways to the stars. Through Vedic practices one can gain an energetic access to the worlds of our Sun and Moon, or the worlds of the Nakshatras, the stars beyond our Sun, extending to the timeless realms beyond all creation to the ultimate realm of unchangeable light.
The Vedas tell us that the inner Sun is Prana and that the movements of the inner Sun or our life-force are measured or metered by the movements of the outer Sun. This unity of the Sun, the power of time, and Prana, the force of life, reflects the unity of the external universe or macrocosm and the internal universe or microcosm. This correspondence of time (Kala) measured by the stars and life (Prana) measured by the breath is an important concept in both Vedic astrology and Ayurvedic medicine and the basis of their connection. Through it, Vedic astrology and Ayurveda mirror each other as external and internal images of light and life.
Ayurveda is called "the mother of all healing" because it embraces all forms of healing including diet, herbs, bodywork, surgery, psychology and Yoga. It accepts anything internally or externally that promotes health, well-being and happiness. Ayurveda explores the qualities and effects not only of foods, medicines and behavior but also of climates, the weather and the stars (astrology).
Ayurveda provides an integral mind-body system of both diagnosis and treatment. First it shows us our individual constitution according to the three doshas or biological humors of Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water), as well as how this constitution is affected by everything from genetics to environment and emotions. Then it outlines various treatment measures to enable us to achieve optimal health and vitality. These treatments range from simple dietary measures to complex herbs and special purification procedures. Ayurveda aims not only at the cure and prevention of disease but also at rejuvenation and longevity. Beyond ordinary health care measures it has special methods to allow us to achieve a higher level of vitality and awareness.
Possessing a similar scope to Ayurveda, Vedic astrology contains all aspects of astrology, including the reading of birth charts (natal astrology), mundane astrology (the effects of astrological influences on society), astrological timing and forecasting (muhurta), and answering questions (prashna). In addition to these usual astrological considerations, Vedic astrology encompasses all forms of divination, including palmistry and numerology, of which several Vedic forms exist. It also includes astronomy and meteorology, which reflect karmic as well as physical forces.
In the form of natal astrology or the reading of birth charts, the Vedic system helps us understand our personal lives in all areas, including health, wealth, relationship, career and spirituality. Like Ayurveda, it has a broad range of treatment measures including the use of colors, gems, mantras and the worship of deities to aid in our greater well-being and life unfoldment. These are called Jyotish-Chikitsa, the therapies of light or astrology.
They have their specializations in many areas, both Vedic astrology and Ayurveda have a significant overlap as well. Vedic astrology contains a medical system based upon Ayurveda, while Ayurveda contains a system for the timing of disease and its treatment based upon Vedic astrology.
Ayurvedic astrology is the medical branch of Vedic astrology, adding to it the Ayurvedic view of health and healing. It uses the language of Ayurveda to understand the effects of the planets on the body and mind relative to health, disease and longevity. Ayurvedic astrology also uses Vedic astrology as an aid to Ayurvedic analysis, diagnosis and treatment, showing how planetary factors cause disease and how balancing planetary factors can be an important aid in any cure.
Ayurvedic astrology combines these two great disciplines, using Vedic astrology to plot the influences of time and karma and Ayurveda to show how these relate to our state of Prana or vital energy. Combining these two great disciplines together, there is nothing that we cannot treat or cannot understand.
Vedic astrology considers that the determination of physical and mental health is the foundation of all astrological analysis. Whatever other indications may occur in a chart — whether for career, wealth, relationship or spirituality — these cannot bear fruit if a person has significant physical or mental impairments. Traditionally, the ascertainment of longevity was the first factor to be examined by a good astrologer. This was not a simple matter of determining how long a person was likely to live, but part of a general determination of the vitality of a person, showing the energy available to activate the opportunities afforded them by the chart. In this regard,medical or Ayurvedic astrology is usually the first step of all astrological examination.
However, Ayurvedic astrology is not simply a physically-based medical astrology. It reflects the psychological and spiritual dimensions of Ayurveda as well. It is concerned with all levels of our well-being, which depend entirely upon our connection to the Soul, the real person or Atman within. In this regard, Ayurvedic astrology is concerned with healing body, mind and spirit, using the tools of the entire universe, the foremost of which is the light of the stars and planets. It expands the field of Ayurveda to its broadest possible range.All Vedic disciplines aim at helping us understand, adjust to and, to the extent that it is possible, transform our karma.Medical astrology has always been one of the most popular aspects of astrology. Among the first questions people ask astrologers are "How long will I live?" or "How healthy will I be?" Even wealth and fame are no guarantee of long life or freedom from disease. We are all concerned about our health and vitality, which is the foundation of everything else that we attempt in life.Medical astrology also has a great scope for practical application and everyday usage as our health and energy fluctuate with the rhythms of time, from days, months, years and stages of life to special astrological periods like the dosha systems of Vedic astrology. Medical astrology provides a good angle from which to learn astrology and to verify its complex workings.
If we add the psychological component to medical astrology, it becomes a yet more interesting and valuable study. We are all curious about how our psyche has developed both in this life and in previous lives, and how it is likely to evolve and change in the future. An important question
people routinely come to astrologers with is "Will I be happy?," as our psychological state is often more important for us than our physical condition.
As human beings, we are not mere lumps of flesh, but a composite of three bodies or encasements for the soul — the physical, the astral and the causal. The physical body is the sphere of the gross elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, the visible body born of our parents and sustained by the food that we eat. This is the body that we all know and experience in our outer life on Earth and in the waking state of consciousness.
Within this gross organism resides a more refined vesture that works behind our physical functioning — the astral or subtle body made up of the vital force, the senses, and the outer aspect of the mind. It is composed of the subtle elements or sensory potentials of sound (ether), touch (air), sight (fire), taste (water) and smell (earth). Normally we experience the astral body indirectly through the physical body by means of the mind and emotions. But in dreams, visions and inspiration or after death we can experience it directly.
The causal body is the deeper mind or sphere of the soul that holds the inmost desires, impulses and tendencies (samskaras) that propel us along the cycle of rebirth. It is comprised of the gunas (qualities of nature) of sattva (harmony), rajas (agitation) or tamas (inertia). On a higher level, the causal body is the abode of our life wisdom, heart feelings and soul urges that continue with us from birth to birth.
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