Evolution of Love 2

SEARCHING FOR THE ‘REAL HOME’ WITHIN

Ma has unequivocally said that Self-Realization is the goal of every human being. She taught us that ‘vasanas (subtle desires) are the root cause of rebirth’. Ma says too, “Human being is manifested in the form of want. He thinks of want only. And ends up in want. That is why he should contemplate on his real nature. Otherwise: want–inactivity– inertness–misfortune–death (continue)”.

VASANAS, DESIRES AND THE VICIOUS CYCLE

A closer look at ‘Vasanas’ may be of interest. Says Swami Shivanandaji, founder father of Divine Life Society, “ Vasana is ‘desire in subtle form’. Its seat is the Karana Sharira ( Causal Body in us, behind the subtle and the gross body). It exists there in the latent form of a seed, an impression, and manifests in the mind- lake. Just as flowers blossom and then fade out in a day or two, Vasanas bloom like flowers one by one, come out to the surface of the mind. They then generate Sankalpas (will to act, volition) in the mind of the Jivas and goad them to strive to possess and enjoy the particular objects of enjoyment. “Vasanas thus cause actions and (the consequent fruits of actions) strengthen the Vasanas. This is a Chakra( vicious cycle). On self –realization that is the advent of knowledge of Brahman(SELF), all Vasanas are fried out. The real enemies are Vasanas within”, says Swami Shivananda ji, founder father of Divine Life Society.

BIRTH, DEATH AND REBIRTH

Vasanas lead to rebirth. Swami Tejomayanandaji, ex-Head and global spiritual leader of Chinmaya Mission, reinforces this teaching of Ma through a commentary on the 8th verse of Bhagavan Adi Shankaracharya’s ‘Drg Drysya Viveka’. He writes, “Man cannot live without actions. To perform actions, he needs a body. To enjoy the results too, he needs a body. Actions fructify at different times and they cannot be experienced by the same body always. So, the individual has to take up different bodies from time to time. The present body too is the result of actions performed in the past”.

“Desires create agitations in the mind”, continues Swami Tejomayanandaji. “This prompts him to act in order to quieten the agitations in the mind. Action yields results which when experienced create impressions (vasanas). Vasanas again create desires, agitations, actions, results. Thus, man falls into a vicious circle of birth and death ( action-enjoyment-action). All this is because of the notion that he is finite (and not the Infinite Self). This delusional notion ( stemming from stored vasanas and actions thereafter )is the root cause of bondage (and hence rebirth). It has been in existence since beginning less time and shall continue to bind the individual till true Knowledge takes place.”

THE PLAY OF THE MIND(MUN) AND INTELLECT ( BUDDHI)

A mind flitting about like a butterfly to actualize Vasanas takes us away to the sense objects and the world. It draws us away from the quietude of our Self, engaging us in the play of the illusory world. Ma’s vani reinforces the above discussions: “One's actions themselves create a sense of want. Again one's actions only will destroy this feeling of want. One has to strive for one's own fulfillment. By enjoying sense objects one gradually advances towards death. Father, become the one to drink nectar. Enjoy immortality. On that path, there is neither death nor disease.” And it is the mind play that has to be addressed. This is why Ma had said : ‘Mun ke amun korar nam hi tapsya’ or ‘Converting the mind to no-mind/transcending the mind is the essence of spiritual quest’.

“The mind is like the ‘receiving clerk’ in any office. Though the clerk receives the mail, he does not take any action on them, but puts them up to the ‘officer-in-charge’ ( buddhi or intelelect) for his direction and advice of disposal. The force that drives the mind to whip and herd the sense organs(body) into the cesspool of sense objects(activity) is the intellect, and its various ‘schemes of happiness’ is known as desires. The desires have their source deep in the ‘unconscious’ in man, called vasanas. This level of personality is called by the rsis as the ‘causal body’ The causal body or vasanas determine the type of body and intellect (subtle body) and the organs of action ( gross body) which shape all our behaviour in this life at the physical level” , writes Swami Chinmayananda ji , founder father of Chinmaya Mission.

The causal level of our personality, also called causal body or karan sharir, is the unconscious layer (depth) of our mind and called in discussions in Upanisad as ‘nescience’ or ignorance’ (avidya) says Swami Chinmayananda ji . It veils our Self, our spiritual essence and makes us oblivious of the Infinite glory and Perfection already within us. It is the cause of our sense of restlessness, fear, loneliness etc. and thus the intellect ‘desires’ for, the mind ‘agitates’ with and our sense organs ‘indulge’ in the world of sense objects.

MIND (THOUGHT FLOW) AND SAMSKARAS (IMPRESSIONS IN OUR CHITTA)

The mind intellect equipment directs us often to the world outside. In essence, mind is defined as a flow of thoughts by the rishis in Amrtabindu Upanisad. But where the thought waves emanate from and what happens to it is an interesting subject for us to break the mind barrier.

We often hear people saying, this man has a good Samskara or a bad Samskara. It very often defines the inner traits of a person . But in reality, Samskara is an impression in the subconscious mind of a person( chitta). A Samskara of an experience is formed or developed in the Chitta or subconscious mind at the very moment the mind is experiencing something. There is no time gap between the two events. When you perceive an orange and taste it for the first time, you get knowledge of an orange. You know its taste. You know the object, orange. A Samskara is formed in the subconscious mind at once. At any time,the Samskara can generate a memory of the object, orange and knowledge of the orange. Though the object and act of knowledge are distinguishable, yet they are inseparable.

Thus, Samskaras have their source in mind/thought waves. Vritti (whirlpool, thought waves) arises in the mind ocean. It operates for some time. Then, from the surface of the conscious mind, it sinks below, deep down into the region of the subconscious mind (called Chitta). There the vritti or thought wave lies embedded in a dormant or latent condition. Subjective mind, subconscious mind, unconscious mind, Chitta are synonymous terms and its seat is the cerebellum or hind brain, says Swami Shivavanandaji, founder father of Divine Life Society .

When the subconscious mind sends something as a big wave to the surface of the conscious mind by recollection, it is called memory or Smriti. The thought wave now in our conscious mind generates actions as discussed initially. All actions thus have their root in our Vasanas and Samskaras and depend on how we react to a stimulus from the world outside or within.

CYCLIC CAUSATION OF THOUGHT AND SAMSKARA

An object awakens or revives a Smaskara in the mind through an external stimulus.Then a thought is formed. A desire to act ensues. Swami Shivananda ji says, “Thus Samskara causes Sankalpa (volition or will or determination to act) and Sankalpa causes Samskara, just as the seed is the cause of the tree and the tree is the cause of the seed, in turn (There is a similar Ma vani on this). A vritti or thought wave creates a Samskara and Samskara in turn causes a vritti. Owing to the force of stimuli, either from within or from the outside world, the seed-like Smskaras again expand and give rise to further activities (or karma). This cycle of Vritti and Samskaras is Anadi ( beginningless) , but has an END when one ATTAINS Divine Knowledge and LIBERATION. They get ‘laya’ or dissolution into Prakriti, the Cosmos. They cease to produce any effect on the Jivanmukta, the liberated-in-life.The Samskaras should be fried up by continuous Samadhi ( through practice of meditation and thoughtless no-mind state).Then only you will be free from births and deaths”. Annihilation of Sankalpa only leads to liberation. Destroying the Sankalpas of the mind is the single key to unearth the treasure within us, advises Swami Shivanandaji.

THE PATHS TO THE REAL HOME WITHIN

Our past karmas have led to embedded Samskaras. Vasanas in the causal body lead to desires. The mind catches on and acts, in tune with our Samskaras and the gurgling desires.. The little I or ego takes ownership of all actions (I am the doer) and experiences ( I am the enjoyer, I am the sufferer etc). The sheath of ignorance which veils the real Self does not allow us to conceive that the play in the world is only of our mind-body-intellect. It does not tell us that in reality, we are unscathed and untouched by anything, just as a sky is unaffected by the sun or the clouds.

Twin actions on the conversion of ashuddha(impure/worldly) vasanas to shuddha (pure) vasanas on one hand and the taming of the mind by steady withdrawal and spiritual practices alongside constant remembrance of God brings us closer to our real identity. A pure 'antakarana'(our inner equipment ) helps in transcending the mind to the no-mind state.

Ma has said at different times : “The more time spent in remembering God the greater is the advantage gained. Where there is the world there is want. That is His nature. One can only hope for peace by keeping the mind at His feet, willingly or otherwise. As there is veil of ignorance there is doorway to knowledge as well. It is through this door of knowledge man goes back to his own nature and obtains his own state”.

“The mind has been engaged so far in (sense) objects. Now, engage it towards God. You’ll see the path will gradually open up. Thoughts of (sense) objects will leave. Thoughts of sense objects are sure to leave, the veil will also gradually disappear. What is impermanent will certainly be destroyed. Don’t you see children flying kites in the sky? The kite flies and flutters at great height but remains joined to the reel by the thread. The mind is like the kite and the sense objects is the wind. Keep the mind tied with the thread of God’s name. Someday it will come under control”, says Ma.

Any human being will vouchsafe that one of the most peaceful and blissful moments is in deep sleep when the mind is at rest as it has no contact with the sense organs and the outside world. However, we are then not conscious of our real (blissful) Self within due to the veil of ‘avidya’ or ignorance covering the Self. Being able to achieve a similar no-mind state while in the waking state, what the spiritual masters say as ‘OBJECTLESS AWARENESS’, is the pursuit.

Elsewhere, Ma has said, “The perusal of scriptures – regular daily study of books of wisdom- is a matter of ‘anand’ (bliss). Spiritual instruction, the teaching of the ‘sastras’(scriptures), whatever has been disclosed of spiritual experience in the scriptures for the sake of undoing the knots ( granthi) of the heart- this is called Guru grantha. There the Guru manifests as scripture. The reading of books of wisdom and the singing of God’s name- the cream of Kaliyuga- are the expedients by which to cross over the ocean of becoming ( bhava sagara). So many times have you undertaken the pilgrimage to death; over and over again have you experienced happiness and pain. Now become a pilgrim on the path to Immortality; retrace your steps and proceed to your REAL HOME”.