T he seventeenth chapter of the Geeta named Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga or the Yoga of three divisions of faith is a beautiful exposition of the three types of faiths found in the thoughts, words and actions of different individuals. Scriptures are the time tested words of wisdom by the sages over thousands of years. These words of wisdom are the ready reckoners to judge the propriety of our behavior. Living a higher standard of life based upon the noble ideas and virtues is the result of the faith based upon the pure tendency of the mind. To live a life driven by insatiable desires and ambitions is propelled by faith based upon passion. Life full of inertia, dullness and lust is driven by faith based upon ignorance and darkness.

 

These three types of faiths are found all across the world in human beings. These three fold faiths are reflected in the foods, activities, austerities and charity. There are three types of foods. The best food gives strength, health and joy without excitement. Such types of foods are categorised as pure. The second category of foods is bitter, pungent and burning, leading to pain and disease. The third type of food items is rotten, foul and unsanitary. They generate dullness and evil tendencies in the mind. Activities are also of three types as per the temperamental tendencies. The first types of activities are virtuous and done with a sense of detachment. The second category consists of passionate acts carried out with insatiable ambitions.

 

The third kinds of activities are pursued to gratify the vicious and immoral demands of sense organs. Penance and austerity are also of three types - physical, verbal and mental. Austerities of the body consist of worshipping the divine and the wise, purity, straightforwardness, continence, non injury, etc. The words which do not cause unrest, and are truthful and pleasant, conforming to the Vedic wisdom of righteousness are called verbal penance. Mental penance is constituted of tranquility, generosity, silence, self control and inner purity. The virtuous persons perform these three types of austerities with a sense of detachment. The passionate people pursue these austerities to gain name and fame for self aggrandisement. The persons with the lowest mindset undertake these penances for troubling others and satiate their lower instincts. The donation which is given without any attachment at the proper time and place to a person from whom nothing is expected is of the pure type.

 

The gift which is given for some gain or expecting something in return falls into the category of the passionate type. The gift which is given at the wrong time and wrong place to an unworthy person without respect is of the impure type. This section of the Geeta very aptly explains the power of intention. The same act performed with different intention yields to quite different results. Intentions or mens rea playagreat role in criminal acts also. Similarly, in the field of psychology, intention is considered to have power to manifest, create and shape the results. Towards the end of the chapter the Geeta declares the significance of the great sentence— OM Tat Sat meaning That is the only Truth. It refers to the Supreme Conscious Reality which is immutable and non changing. The sonic representation of That Reality is the primordial sound OM.

 

In addition to the Indian traditions, we find this sound in Semitic religions also as Amin in Islam and Amen in Christianity and Judaism also. Neuroscientific studies have found that chanting of the sound OM activates our parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for calming down the mind and body. At the same time it strengthens our cerebral cortex also which is the seat of logical and positive thoughts.