What if I told you that understanding number three could totally change your life?
Well, prepare to have your life changed…
Because three is a very useful number and a very interesting number.
Three is a law of nature.
From the classic Tao Te Ching, it was held that “The Tao produced the One; one produced two; two produced three; and three produced all things.”
We see two represented through the yin and the yang, the yoni and the linga, and the feminine and masculine.
We see three represented in literature and art through a variety of ways…
In writing, through the rule of three, which says that things that come in threes, such as the three little pigs, the three bears, and the three musketeers, are funnier, more satisfying, and more effective;
In painting, through the three primary colors;
And in photography, through the rule of thirds, which says that the ground should occupy one third of the space and the horizon should occupy two thirds of the space.
We see three represented in science and religions…
In Christianity, through the trinity, which are the father, the son, and the holy spirit;
In Hinduism, through the trimurti, which are shiva, vishnu, and brahma;
In biology, through the three stages of birth, life, and death
And in cosmology, through the three stages of the evolution of the universe, which are creation (big bang), preservation (stars and planets), and destruction (black holes and void).
What I want to argue is that the number three is not just an arbitrary number, but a number that is deeply rooted in both our biology and spirituality as human beings.
So let’s take a look at how we can apply the number three to help create more balance in our lives...
This Secret "Guna" Is Your Key to More Balance in Life
The law of three states that every whole phenomenon is composed of three separate sources, which are active, passive, and neutral.
And the goal so often in life is to be neutral. To be neutral is to maintain perfect balance.
So let’s take a look at a sanskrit way of interpreting the number three, which can help us find more middle ground.
We can see this represented by the three gunas.
Guna is a sanskrit, or ancient Indian language, term.
In this case, the term guna can be taken to mean ‘quality, peculiarity, attribute, or property.’
These three gunas are called ‘sattva,’‘rajas,’ and ‘tamas.’ They represent the character of everyone and everything.
Here’s a list below of words that associate with each of the three gunas:
The goal, obviously, is to accumulate a greater portion of sattvic than rajasic and tamasic qualities.
A sattvic person maintains neutrality and balance. A predominantly sattvic person lives in service of society without any expectation of recognition or reward or any ulterior motive.
A predominantly rajasic person lives more for personal gain and achievement.
A predominantly tamasic person lives more in resistance and opposition to others.
Be More “Sattvic” — Eat Healthy, Live a Happy Life..
So here’s the ways you can reduce rajas and tamas and increase sattva.
In order to reduce tamas avoid tamasic foods, oversleeping, overeating, inactivity, passivity, and sedentary situations. Tamasic foods include heavy meats, especially pork, and foods that are spoiled, chemically treated, processed or refined.
To reduce rajas avoid rajasic foods, over exercising, overworking, loud music, excessive thinking, and consuming excessive material goods. Rajasic foods include fried foods, spicy foods, and simulants, such as caffeine.
To increase sattva, reduce both rajas and tamas, eat sattvic foods and enjoy activities and environments that produce joy and positive thoughts. Sattvic foods include whole grains and legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables that grow above ground.
Overall, practicing a yogic lifestyle will lead to greater sattva.