Bhava Training at The Yoga Institute

Sowing the seeds of a positive attitude

- Shri Harold Sequeira 

The word Bhava means feelings, emotions, and/or attitudes. In the Samkhya Karika of Ishvar Krishna, Karika 23, he mentions that when the mind is Sattvic, four positive Bhavas emerge; when it is dominated by Tamas, the opposites prevail.

The Rajas Guna is only a stimulator and conveyor; thus does not deal with Bhavas directly; its role is instrumental.

The Buddhi contains the eight Bhavas Samkhya Karika 23.

In our Buddhi/intellect reside 8 Bhavas; 4 positive, 4 negative. The positive ones are 1. Dharma 2. Jnana 3. Vairagya 4. Aishvarya

The 4 negative ones are 1. Adharma 2. Ajnana 3. Raga 4.Anaishvarya

The Gunas create the predispositions for positive and negative Bhavas. Sattva Guna and Tamas Guna create the dispositions for the Bhavas mentioned above. The positive and negative ones are two sides of the same coin; if you see one, the other one follows it like a shadow. It requires superior understanding by the Buddhi, how the flip side or other side raises its head. They are a creative force; a force with a thousand faces. For example, the Dharma-Adharma concept is the warp and woof of the Mahabaratha; the whole epic story is woven with these threads of Dharma and Adharma.

At The Yoga Institute, Dr. Jayadeva told us numerous stories from this epic in his talks on the Bhavas. He was the epitome of Dharma itself; and the thousand deranged minds who came to him, including the writer, learnt the nitty-gritty of the Dharma Bhava etc. from him.