The circle of life

The circle of life

Yogi Ashwini

Avyakt (unmanifest) gives rise to the vyakt (manifest) and there are two aspects of vyakt — Shiv and Shakti. Their union leads to creation and separation traces the journey to where it all began. The two processes alternate to form a circle.
The night of December 31 marks the beginning of a new year as per the Gregorian calendar. The vedic sutras divide the year into four mahasandhyas. The night of Diwali triggers the process of coming together of the forces of Shiv and Shakti, their merger being complete on the night of Shivratri. After Shivratri, the separation process is initiated to be completed by Holi. Whereafter, once again the two forces start coming together to meet on Guru Purnima and then separate by Diwali, hence completing a year.
This phenomenon of union and separation can be traced to every single day of our life. A day is divided into four sandhyas, at the evening sandhya, the time of dusk, the divisive forces are at their peak leading to the complete separation of Shiv and Shakti at midnight. The divisive forces then start subsiding and uniting forces start gaining strength till dawn or brahm muhurat, when the uniting forces are at their peak, leading to a merger close to noon after which once again the process of separation is initiated. The morning sandhya is conducive to interact with positive energies in creation and the evening sandhya to seek protection from the negative forces.
These sandhyas can further be reduced to every instant in the life of an individual. Then it is upon the individual where s/he chooses to make a beginning or what s/he considers an end. In reality, it is a circle, a process of transformation. It does not matter at which point of the circle you are, since it is going to change the very next instant and, before you know it, you will be back at the same point.
Whenever we make a new beginning — a new life, a new relationship, a new job, a new property or even a new sadhna or charity — that day itself the date of it leaving us gets decided. Similarly, the day something leaves us, that day itself it is decided when and in which form it is going to return.
Beginnings made to aid creation, such as feeding the poor, taking care of animals, protecting the environment, etc lead one to spiral up to a higher circle or plane of existence. And those made to cause harm to fellow beings and environment leads one to spiral down to lower circles. Beginnings made to neither harm nor benefit the creation keep one entangled in the same circle.
Even spiralling up or down is a phase, since what goes up comes down and vice-versa, until one finds a guru who puts the shishya on the path of sadhna through practices like Sanatan Kriya and Ashtang Yog, leading to merger with the core around which one spirals up and down. So this new year, start with “new” beginnings