Jyotish as a Vedic Science

Vedic Astrology is also called Jyotish, which translates into the "Science of Light." The term Vedic means from the Vedas. The Vedas are the books that contained the Spiritual hymns and the storehouse of knowledge that arose from the ancient culture that was located in the area of what is now called India. The culture at that time was called “Bharat,” The great and famous story “Mahabharata” means “Great Bharat.” The Bhagavad Gita is from the MahaBharata. The term “Veda” means “knowledge.” Actually it refers to the knowledge of truth, absolute truth, the truth of the Self and the underlying mysteries of existence.   

The Vedas were written as the ancient Sat Yuga or “Age of Wisdom” was coming to a close. These documents were meant to preserve the wisdom of this earlier enlightened epoch in human history. Many cultures seemed to possess similar occult knowledge, the Toltecs and Egyptians and Native Americans, yet it was the ancients of this area who best preserved this wisdom. It is estimated that the Vedas are more than 5,000 years old, based on Astronomical references in them. The miracle in the Vedic system is how well preserved and coherent the Sciences are, especially given the history of India and its numerous invasions. 

Vedic Astrology is the master Science from this more enlightened era.  It is the Science of our karma, the Science of Spirit, called Purusha, and its affect on matter. Thus way of perceiving the world is much different than our current Materialist World view.  

The 5 Elements - The Building Blocks of Life  

Spirit is called Purusha. When spirit takes form it is called prakriti. Every object as prakriti is an expression of purusha. Matter expressing Spirit. This world of Matter expressing Spirit is formed by the 5 elements. They are the building blocks of The Vedic Sciences. Their properties provide the archetypes that underpin all aspects of Vedic thinking. Starting with the grossest and moving toward the finest, the 5 elements are: 

Earth – Water – Fire – Air - Ether (space)

The 4 gross elements of the physical universe are expressed in the Astrological chart, the 5th element of Space is Consciousness, beyond form. It is our awareness.

The 3 Gunas - The Qualities of Nature

Besides 5 elemental components of nature there are 3 qualities of nature, called the 3 gunas. The term "Guna" means "that which Binds," The 3 Gunas are:

Tamas: Stability – inertia - ignorance – attachment. Tamas binds through inertia and our tendency to cling to situation and form. Best expressed through the physical body

Rajas: Activity – passion - desire. Rajas binds through motivation and our desire to experience pleasure. Best expressed as the Mind and Emotions

Sattwa: Harmony - knowledge – peace. Sattwa binds us to worldly happiness, which also ultimately becomes a barrier to final liberation. Best expressed as the Soul.

Everything in the universe is a combination of these 3 qualities of nature. As the Gunas interact with the elements the senses are created and man reacts to his physical environment as an embodied creature. 

The 3 Gunas Meet the 5 elements

The 3 Gunas bind us to this physical world and give us the false feeling that our mind / body complex is our true Self. However operating behind this form is pure Spirit, untouched by the effects of the 3 Gunas. It is this purity of Self that is our true nature. It is this purity of Self that is God. We are God, everything is God. Just like the newborn baby is not aware of of his latent abilities to walk and talk and procreate and think, so too is man largely unaware of his latent God like quality, until he begins the process of awakening. Until this process begins he will incur the karma associated with his wrong thinking and mistakes acting as a mind / body. 

The Astrology chart is a portrait of this karma.

All human suffering is an experience of mistaking the false self, of idea and form, with our pure being, our true Self. As the True Self is unlimited and infinite, when we experience the limitations of ego, imposed over this unlimited expression we suffer. The goal of an embodied life is to awaken from this illusion of separateness and to reclaim our perfect, complete nature. It is there always functioning. It never leaves us we leave it.     

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