At the bottom of the product description (or “Directions” if you’re looking at your jar) you will notice the letters “VPK” with a "+" or "-" or another symbol next to them. The V stands for Vata, the P for Pitta, and K for Kapha - these are what are called “doshas” (similar to humors from Greek Medicine) and they come from an ancient system of medicine called Ayurveda. The doshas themselves are made up of the 5 major elements - space, air, fire, water, and earth - with each their own qualities and characteristics and when combined they become the doshas (thus, space + air = Vata, fire + water = Pitta, water + earth = Kapha). The phenomenal world and hence the human body is made up of, and influenced by, these elements, and because the doshas each represent a specific way in which the material (and mental) world operates and functions (Kapha has to do with density and the bone structure, Vata with circulation and the hollow of organs, for example) because of their energetics we can simply look at the dosha symbols (VPK) of a given product and based upon whether there’s a "-" sign or a "+" sign know that this product will either increase a given dosha (+), reduce it (-), is neutral towards it ( º ), or balance all three (=). This then can help you know at a glance that the item you’re holding will have the kinds of bioenergetic affects upon your body, tissues, organs, and mind that you’re actually looking for and if this product, remembering ghee’s own energetics (i.e. +K-VP), is really the best product for you.

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UNDERSTANDING DOSHAS

Vata is a combination of akasha/space and vayu/wind. Being a combination of these two elements, Vata dosha is cold, void, dark (space), and mobile, unstable, dry, and weightless (wind). It rules all hollow spaces in the body (space) and the action of anything flowing or moving throughout our biological, mental, or psychic system (wind). The organs and faculties directly related to it are the ears & hearing (space) and the skin & touch (wind). Vata is also inherently connected to the nervous system. Vata’s season is late Autumn-Winter. Its time of the day 2pm-6pm and 2am-6am. Time of life is ages 55+. They don’t do well with confinement. On a primordial level, Vata in its unenlightened form manifests in our experience as greed, or lust, while Vata in its enlightened, liberation-form, manifests as the Absolute Space of Phenomenon.

Pitta is a combination of tejas/fire and apas/water. Being a combination of these two elements, Pitta dosha is hot, shining, sharp, light (fire), and moist, heavy, cool, and transparent (water). It rules the warmth of the gross and subtle body (fire) and fluids such as water, plasma, and blood (water). The organs and faculties directly related to these elements are the eyes & seeing (fire) and the urogenital organs & taste (water). Pitta has a direct correspondence to the blood (and when we think about fire and blood, we should also consider how that manifests ancestrally). Pitta’s season is Summer-late Autumn. Its time of the day is 10am-2pm and 10pm-2am. The time of life that Pitta governs is from around puberty (ages 13-15) to 55 or so. Pitta individuals do well with regimen, hierarchy, obeying commands and rules from those they trust or are supposed to trust while also certainly having no problem giving commands. They are comfortable in, if not actually seek, the spotlight or leadership roles. On a primordial level, Pitta in its unawakened state represents the seed for rebirth as anger, hatred, and rage. In its enlightened, liberated state, Pitta manifests as Discriminating Wisdom.

Kapha is a combination of apas/water and prithvi/earth. In addition to the qualities of water as enumerated above (i.e. moist, heavy, cool, and transparent; fluids such as water, plasma, and blood; urogenital organs & taste) the other qualities of Kapha because of the earth element are density, heaviness, inertia, fullness, cooling (but not cold), stable, and grounded. Earth rules the structure of the body and the skeletal system (one could even say the structure of societies, philosophies, belief systems, and so forth). Kapha makes abstract ideas concrete. Kapha also has a direct correspondence to the embryo and to reproductive fluid (male and female). Kapha’s season is Spring. Its time of the day is 6am-10am and 6pm-10pm. The time of life governed by Kapha is from the embryonic stage of our development to puberty (13-15). Kapha individuals resonate with stability. Consistency. Calmness. They’re home-body’s. They don’t have a taste for leadership roles (pitta) or to be the lone wolf (vata), Kaphas have a knack for supportive roles (just as the earth supports us) and trying to force them to be aggressive or a shark (pitta) or elusive or a spontaneous social butterfly (vata) can actually be detrimental and is destructive if not done in a measured amount (meaning pitta and vata elements are absolutely necessary when a kapha has become too physically, mentally, or spiritually sedentary or inert - in those cases, get them out of their comfort zone!). On a primordial level, remembering Kapha’s nature as water and earth, in its unenlightened form Kapha manifests as ignorance/delusion as a cause for rebirth. In its enlightened, liberated aspect, Kapha manifests as limpid Mirror-like Wisdom.