Understanding the Fundamental Structuring Dynamics of Nature
To more completely understand the application of Nature’s intelligence in Vedic agriculture, we need a more complete understanding of the basic structure of Nature at its most fundamental level. If we want to apply Total Natural Law in agriculture, we have to understand what Total Natural Law is. Maharishi Vedic Science provides a unique and comprehensive understanding of Nature’s foundation.
In Maharishi’s Vedic Science, at the foundation of Nature, there are eight structuring dynamics, called Prakritis in Sanskrit, responsible respectively, throughout creation, for the principles of structure, fluidity, metabolism, respiration, distribution in space, and the expressions of mind, intellect, and ego. These eightfold structuring dynamics or functioning intelligences form the basic building blocks of creation.
Their Sanskrit names are Bhumi (structuring principle), Apah (fluidity), Agni (metabolism), Vayu (respiration and gaseous exchange), Akasha (distribution in space), Manas (mind), Buddhi (intellect or discrimination), Ahamkara (self-sense or self-referral).
These eight Prakritis are inherent in the Unified Field as the Total Potential of Natural Law. If we want to enliven and balance the full range of Natural Law in our food and in our environment, we can do it by handling these eight Prakritis.
The eight Prakritis are not just what they are commonly understand to be: physical earth, water, fire, air, space, etc. The eight Prakritis are found everywhere, in all aspects of creation, both living and non-living. The Prakritis are actually groupings of structural and functional intelligence, collections of specific Laws of Nature described by modern physics, chemistry, biology, genetics, quantum field theory, etc., that perform specific functions, wherever they are operating, in plants, animals, or the environment. All eight Prakritis are functioning everywhere, but the specific qualities we find in each individual object or expression of the Prakritis arise from the predominance of one or more Prakritis in that object. For example, a rock would have Bhumi or earth Prakriti in predominance, even though the other Prakritis will be found there in less predominance.
In the plant kingdom, the essential understanding of the Prakritis in Vedic Agriculture is the expression of the eight Prakritis as they govern the eight essential structures and functions in plant physiology. What follows is a brief summary of the innumerable and intricate functions performed by the Prakritis in the plant kingdom.
Bhumi Prakriti governs, balances, and supports all structural elements, both in the plants and in the environment. For example, in plants, Bhumi governs the micro structures, the structure of cell membranes and tissues, root structures and systems, the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, and in the greater environment, the soil composition, structure, and conservation, extending to the whole earth itself.
Apah Prakriti governs all the fluid and vascular systems, including intercellular fluids, vascular systems, and fluid uptake from the environment. In the environment, Apah balances environmental water systems, ensuring that the rains come on time and in proper proportion, the ground waters are stable, and surface waters are pure and abundant. Apah governs overall fluid balance in the earth and its atmosphere.
Agni Prakriti governs the metabolic and photosynthetic systems in plants. In the greater environment, Agni balances and regulates sunshine intensity, seasonal temperature balance, and all metabolic process integral to environmental health.
Vayu Prakriti governs respiration and gaseous exchange in plant respiratory systems, for example cellular and whole plant respiration. In the greater environment, Vayu balances the respiration of environmental systems, ensuring that the air is pure, that winds are conducive to crop health, and the overall atmosphere is healthy and balanced.
Akasha Prakriti governs plant intercellular spaces and their inter-relationships, and plant growth patterns in space. In the greater environment, Akasha governs spatial relationships, for example ensuring that the spatial relationships of all the vegetation in the ecosystem are such that the exact required sunlight for each plant is achieved, thus creating collective health and vitality for the whole system. Balanced Akasha Prakriti also ensures that supportive influences come from all directions—that the cosmos and heavenly bodies radiate appropriate influences for man to live in accord with Natural Law and for Nature to respond in a supportive manner.
Manas Prakriti governs the flow of intelligence in plants, expressed, for example, as the awareness in plants of the cycles and rhythms in Nature, plants’ responsiveness to external stimuli through such mechanisms as plant tropisms, the regulation of abundant and healthy flowering, and efficient and complete pollination. In the environment, Manas Prakriti provides for the flow of information and functioning intelligence, allowing environmental systems to be aware of their own internal functioning, and their inter-relationships and interactions with their encompassing environment.
Buddhi Prakriti governs all the discriminatory and differentiating processes. For example, it regulates the necessary chemical, biological, and behavioural systems required to maintain plant integrity amidst environmental inputs and challenges. In plants, Buddhi governs the differentiation of present and future generations in fruit and seed formation. In the greater environment, Buddhi Prakriti monitors the creative and destructive operators, and the unifying and differentiating tendencies in Nature to ensure balance between these opposing dynamics. Buddhi Prakriti is that quality of intelligence that monitors and maintains the integrity of all self-organized systems, ensuring that their individuality remains intact when challenged by a dynamically diversified environment. Buddhi Prakriti ensures that plants remain simultaneously attuned to both the holistic and specific values of natural law.
Ahamkara Prakriti governs self-referral, and self-awareness in plants. For example, it ensures the integrity of the seed genome for maximum viability of the next generation. Ahamkara Prakriti also governs the plant’s self-awareness in its relationship with the environment. In the greater environment, Ahamkara Prakriti maintains ecosystem integrity and self-awareness, to ensure that each part of the system is functioning in harmony with the whole.
Tenfold Structure of Natural Law within bird physiology.
Tenfold Structure of Natural Law within the cow physiology.
Tenfold Structure of Natural Law within human physiology.
Similarly, in animals and humans, the same eight systems are found, with the Prakritis performing similar or parallel functions, such as Bhumi governing the musculoskeletal system, Apah governing the renal and circulatory system, Agni the digestive system, and so on. Keep in mind that these Prakritis are dynamically interactive groups of the Laws of Nature governing structure and function in natural systems.
The Prakritis not only inspire, regulate, and support the physical level of life, they function on all levels of creation. For example, they are at the foundation of our sensory experiences.
Bhumi Prakriti creates, structures, supports, and enlivens the sense of smell. Apah Prakriti creates, structures, supports, and enlivens the sense of taste; Agni Prakriti, the sense of sight; Vayu Prakriti, the sense of touch; and Akasha Prakriti the sense of hearing. All of these senses can be refined and made more deeply effective through balancing the underlying Prakritis.
All of the Prakritis act on all levels of creation—expressed, subtle, and transcendental. This means that these basic structuring dynamics, the Prakritis, operate on the unmanifest level in the unified field, at the subatomic and atomic levels, at the molecular level, cellular level, tissue and organ level, whole body level, all the way up to the entire ecosystem and beyond to the far reaches of the universe. And they operate in all living and non-living systems. They are the structuring dynamics of our universe. According to Maharishi Vedic Science, they are also inherent within the Unified Field as its essential nature. They are the intelligence and organizing power of Nature. What we see as Nature around us is the expression or manifestation of the Prakritis, not the Prakritis themselves, which are of the nature of intelligence, both silent and dynamic.
The most significant point here is that by successfully handling these eight fundamental organizing principles, and their organizing power in creation, we can holistically handle the whole agriculture environment in the process of creating Vedic food. We can handle the complex series of factors which effect success in agriculture, from weather, to soil fertility, crop health and vitality, to environmental balance, all from the one common mechanism of the Prakritis. The Prakritis are thus both unifying principles throughout creation, and are convenient points of interaction with Nature, to make sure Nature is fully supportive.
And most importantly, when we balance and enliven the eight Prakritis in plants, then when we eat these plants as food, the corresponding eight Prakritis in our physiology are automatically balanced and enlivened, which in turn balances our eight major organ systems. In this manner, we create not only a state of ideal health but a state of full human potential that is capable of supporting life in higher states of Consciousness. This is because when the eight Prakritis are balanced, they automatically give rise to the unified value of the eight, the abstract pure silence and total potential at their source. This is the meaning of Vedic Food for Vedic Consciousness.
“When the eight Prakritis are balanced they automatically give rise to the unifying state of awareness, where silence and action are perfectly balanced. This the meaning of Vedic food for Vedic Consciousness. ”