A young dedicated reader of this column recently called me up and asked a few questions that deserved answer: “Why do your pieces primarily focus on different dimensions of mind and psyche aloneIJ Why do you refrain from touching upon gem therapyIJ And why don’t you offer lessons in meditation technique yourself, which you often suggest doing under the guidance of a proven guru, so that the general public could be benefitedIJ”
In the above context, it is important to note that every individual is driven by his/her mind. And the way one’s mind/psyche is inherently framed accounts for one’s habits and attitudes, and that determines the way one acts, reacts, or responds to an issue in hand. So, the source and effective cause of all the good and bad happening in one’s life is laid down in his/her own mind, and evidently the solution too lies there, and this is the reason behind according importance to the mind and psyche.
Now coming to the question of prescribing gemstones, let me first make it clear that there is no shortcut in life. Remember, the root of human problems lies in the habit tendencies of the mind, which die hard. For, the imprints of the habits are ingrained in the deep realms of our minds. These, therefore, need sustained hammering to be routed out. Just sporting a gemstone cannot do any one-stroke miracle. This is not to suggest that gemstones have no value. They do offer secondary support. But gemstones should not be prescribed casually. Experience suggests that any wrong prescription can prove counter-productive. It would, therefore, be appropriate to educate the valued readers about the danger of mindlessly wearing gemstones on the advice of some ignorant astrologers.
Going by the prevalent trends, these astrologers deify the planets and accordingly prescribe corresponding gemstones as if they would appease the planetary gods. They forget that the planets are not to be taken as physical-bodies moving in the cosmos, which can selectively respond to each individual’s call. And therefore, there remains no scope for appeasing the planetary bodies. It should also be noted that each planet serves as the marker of a particular stream of energy flowing through its region, and that is what could affect us. The particular stream of energy could, of course, be tapped through use of gemstones. But, remember, energies by themselves have double propensity. The way you use it is how it will work, and that will depend on the way mind takes it. Therefore, it is important to work upon the basic frame of one’s mind before opting for a gemstone, and that calls for subjecting oneself to a long-drawn mental process as a starter.
The second point that I wish to make is: The prevalent basis of prescribing the gemstones is that usually the ignorant astrologers take the planets on their face value. They forget that the planets are only nine in number, and 11 if we also take into consideration Uranus and Neptune. Yet no two persons are ever similar, not even the twins. WhyIJ Definitely, the planets must be undergoing some modification or the other in each case. And that can be easily figured out through the signs, nakshatra and their sub-divisions the planets occupy, and the aspects of other planets on them. Only those having deep understanding of the subject would know and apply this.
The next point that I wish to make is that usually the half-knowing pandits categorise the planets as beneficial and malefic. They blindly prescribe stones corresponding to the so-called beneficial planets as if they can do no harm. let me take the case of yellow sapphire, which corresponds to the planet Jupiter. What the general practitioners forget that energies routed through the planet Jupiter is expansive in nature. It could expand bad tendencies as much as the good ones. Supposing a person’s ego level is high, the use of yellow sapphire will definitely inflate it further, and with obvious implications. The pearl, corresponding to Moon, is usually believed to cool down one’s anger. What they are not aware of is that those suffering from unpredictable mood-swings will get affected all the more with the continuously changing phase of Moon if they sport pearl. Therefore, great care is needed while prescribing gemstones; it has to be individual-specific after giving a holistic look at one’s astrological chart.
If I start openly prescribing gemstones, the danger is that impressionable human minds could mindlessly be tempted to use gems, obviously to their detriment. The question about offering lessons in meditation techniques will answered in the next issue.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him at G-5, Basement, Jungpura Extension, New Delhi 14 Tel: 9818037273/ 24310031
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