Desire is a choice less faculty of human
beings. We are born with desires. Animals have no freewill of their own. They
do according to their nature. Anger is directly proportional to the desire of
the obstacle. The problems we face are due to Kama (desire) and Krotha (anger).
We have to learn to handle desire. Anger is the cause of impulsive responses.
Impulsive responses are risky and lead to unwanted consequences (3rd Chapter of
Gita).
Anger is an enemy if it leads to impulsive
action (violent action) especially for a karma yogi. It brings you down
spiritually. Unethical desires when obstructed will get
converted into anger. When fulfilled, it will get converted into greed.
Unethical desires suppress discriminative power. Mirror has the capacity to
reflect my face. When it is coated with dust its reflecting power is
suppressed. Our buddhi has the power to reflect the Atma. Buddhi is suppressed
when it is coated with the dust called Kama.
If we look for lower material things then we
lose our discriminative power. Buddhi is a knowing power and can discriminate. Money
will never satisfy a human being. As
long as a baby is in the womb it cannot do anything. (Not able to fully
operate). When Kama covers the Buddhi, the buddhi is not able to fully operate
like a baby in the womb. Hardened desires cannot be removed easily like a baby
can’t be removed from the womb at all. We have to wait until it comes out.
Similarly some of the desires can’t be removed easily. We have to wait for a long
time.
An Intelligent
person is one who is ready to learn from any source. Krishna tells Arjuna
that karma yoga is the best way of life. It is the best win-win way of life
prescribed by Vedas. Success of one requires the failure of the other. Everybody
can taste and enjoy victory by following karma yoga way of life. It is useful
for spiritual growth also. A person should choose a lifestyle in line with his
temperament. Every one of us is a combination of a proportion of 3 Gunas. Satva guna a quiet contemplate life
style. Rajo guna active life style. Tamo guna freedom from activity. This
will determine our temperament. If our lifestyle and personality are not
compatible with one another there will be a lot of anxiety, stress, strain,
health problems both physical and Psychological. Try to move with the flow
always. Never resist your personality. If you have a lot of energy use it and
work. Remember that choice must be based on the personality.
Five principles of karma yoga:
1.
Dedicate
all your activities secular and sacred to the lord. Show reverential attitude
towards the activity. Commitment to work.
2.
Do
your action with a spiritual motive. Think that through this action I want to
grow spiritually. Give priority for spiritual growth.
3.
You
gradually reduce expectations in life. We have a contributing freewill. We do
not have a controlling freewill. Stronger the expectation more intensive will
be the anxiety. Stronger the courage lesser the expectation. (Nivasi).
4.
Suppose
my action leads to success. Success may lead to arrogance. Failure may lead to
frustration. Always maintain humility
in success.
5.
You
have to be free from mental fever. Maintain Samatvam. Equanimous mind (in pair of opposites) when facing
results.
We have to learn to be peaceful in spite of
situations rather than because of situations. That is wisdom. Material body and material world will
constantly interact. Satva, tamas, Rajas personalities are the three Gunas in a
person. Our body is a temporary make up. We don’t have a control over material
world. We don’t have control over our family members and when our children grow
up. Aim of Grihastasanam is serving
the family and grooming and not controlling the family. You should know how to
be detached like a lotus remaining in water without getting wet.
Personality expresses in the form of my likes
and dislikes. Choice must be based on Raga-Dvesha (love and hatred). For natural desire ask another question. Is it Dharmic or not to do a thing? If
it is immoral, I should use my freewill to say I have the desire but will not
act according to that. I will follow Dharma (rules and regulations). Respect
your passion. Don’t be enslaved by your passion. Learn to say no to do a wrong
thing. Mental pressure and Raga-Dvesha makes me do impulsive action/ response
in every situation. See whether it is right or wrong thing to do which is to be
taken care of by Buddhi. Buddhi must
stop impulsive activity and filter the same. In spite of having the knowledge
people are violating Dharma which Arjuna asks Lord Krishna (BG Ch 3 verse 36).
Adharma will lead to papam and naragam (hell).
Final part of 3rd chapter of Gita
Lord Krishna talks about 2 obstacles for spiritual growth. Two internal enemies
of a spiritual seeker which obstructs Karma yoga and Gnana yoga are Kama
(desire) and Krotha (anger). Krishna talks about desire only though anger is
introduced. Anger is a different version
of desire. By handling Kama thereby one can handle Krotha effectively as
per Krishna. Desire is available for human beings only. It is called icha
Sakthi. Even Moksha is possible only through desire. We cannot blindly condemn
desire. Desire should be noble and healthy and finally spiritual. Remove
unethical, immoral desires.
We have a physical body. Superior to the body
is the sense organs as we are aware of the body because of the sense organs. Mind
is superior to the sense organs as mind alone decides which sense organ should
function. Superior to the mind is Buddhi/ intellect. One faculty of mind is
doubting. Buddhi has got thinking power. By clear knowledge the intellect can
clear the doubt. Buddhi is Vignanamaya
kosa. Mind is manomaya kosa. Superior
to all these is Saga which is “Atma”. Atma the spiritual principle is superior
to all these layers of personality. All these layers are made up of matter. All
kosas are material in nature (Tatva Botha). Body, mind, sense organs don’t
have consciousness of their own. They get consciousness from the “Atma”. “Atma”
is the nature of consciousness.
Before I conclude, you should know that you
are not a human being seeking spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being
temporarily having a human experience. Human experience will last only as long
as the body lasts. ‘I’ (atma) as a
spiritual being am eternal.
This is referred to the principle of
electricity. Everybody is like an electrical object. “Atma” is like
electricity. That which makes the bulb glow is electricity. “Atma” makes the
body to function. We should know the terms Shravanam,
Mananam, Nidhithyasanam.
Shravanam: It is the consistent and
systematic study of vedantic scriptures for a length of time under the guidance
of competent and a live acharya.
Mananam: seeing the body as part of the body
should be practiced. Pancha bootham from outside come together like a wave in
the ocean. I want to use the body but I don’t want to get attached to the body.
I don’t claim to be the owner of the body. This exercise I practice under
Mananam and Nidhidhyasanam. Fix body and mind with the help of mind claiming I
am the “Atma”. Convert unethical desire into ethical desire. Convert ethical
desire into a non binding desire.
Nidhidhyasanam: Picture in the mind about
what you have studied and do contemplation. What you picture will get
fructified.
Lastly tell yourself I am not the body, mind,
intellect. I am poorna atma. By discovering the fact that I am purnaga I am
complete and have fulfillment. I have total fulfillment.
Be blissful
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
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