In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Amrita and its traditional connection with longevity, vitality, and Ojas.

Mrta means dead, while Amrita means not dead. Amrita means the nectar of immortality. This is a word that has been used in many different ways. Sometimes it is used symbolically. For example, there are many small chai shops in Maharashtra called Amrit Tulya, meaning equivalent to nectar.

Amrita can refer to a relative immortality-granting substance or an absolute immortality. It can be external or internal. But whatever is called Amrita should be something that promotes longevity.

If it is true Amrita, it should support longevity for a period much longer than what we would normally expect a human being to live. My mentor, Vimalananda, used to say that with herbs alone, you can often live for four or five hundred years. But if you add Rasa Aushadhi, meaning minerals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and others, especially mercury, you may be able to live for one thousand or even two thousand years.

According to him, there are also methods of obtaining mercury from other sources, including elephants, but these methods are not simple. Therefore, for those of us interested in living as long and as healthfully as possible, the most practical approach is to work toward developing our own internal relative Amrita.

In Ayurveda, this is called Ojas. Ojas can be understood as a glandular substance, or as I personally prefer to think of it, a pattern of glandular secretion. It is a condition in which the various glands of the body produce hormones in an effective and balanced way, with a minimum amount of unnecessary starting and stopping and a minimum amount of excessive activity within the organism.

The more active and disturbed the organism becomes, the faster it will wear itself out. Therefore, for most people, the best way to move in the direction of the nectar of immortality is to support and preserve Ojas.

Ojas governs the immune system. It is the substance that helps keep the body, mind, and spirit aligned and integrated, allowing them to function together as a unified whole. The best way to increase Ojas is first to avoid destroying it.

One of the most effective ways to destroy Ojas is to weaken the digestive fire. One way of creating the physical aspect of Ojas is by eating good food, having proper digestion, and allowing all seven tissues of the body to become well nourished. The final tissue, Shukra Dhatu, the reproductive tissue, can then be used to generate Ojas.

The most effective way to destroy Ojas is through intense negative emotions. Anger, lust, envy, jealousy, fear, and other powerful emotions can burn away, dry up, or otherwise damage Ojas.

Another useful way to support Ojas is through practices such as the microcosmic orbit meditation, learning how to properly circulate the subtle energies connected with the reproductive organs, moving them upward, and preserving Ojas in a way that allows it to support the entire organism when needed.