Kleshas & the American Disasters

[Guest guest]

Blessed Self, members<br><br>The U.S. has today

experienced the death, maiming and wounding of thousands,

perhaps tens of thousands of its citizens as a result of

what appears to be geopolitical attacks.<br><br>There

have been wails of grief, sobs of despair and shocked

silence throughout North America. There has been

political rhetoric and assertions by the U.S. government

that it will carry out revenge attacks.<br><br>In the

midst of all this anguish, it seems appropriate to

remind ourselves of the PANCHA KLESHAS, the five

obstacles to Self-Realization. The first of these kleshas

and the root cause of the other four kleshas is

AVIDYA, ignorance of the Truth behind appearance and the

consequent identification with the temporal world rather

than with the limitless world of the soul. The next

klesha is ASMITA or egoism, the tendency to see oneself

as unique, distinct and separate from all else. This

sense of distinction soon leads to competition,

estrangement, alienation and, often, war. The next two kleshas

are RAGA and DVESHA. Raga is our attraction to things

that we like in the mistaken belief that they will

bring us happiness. Dvesha is our repulsion from, our

aversion to those things that we dislike or fear because

we mistakenly believe they will bring us

unhappiness. The fifth klesha, is ABHINIVESHA. Abhinivesha is

the strongest desire of all - the attachment to life

itself. Attachment to life is an obstacle because it

keeps us focused on the phenomenal world and our place

in it. Attachment to life keeps us ignorant of That

behind the appearance. Attachment to life keeps us bound

to the wheel of SAMSARA, the domain of karma and

rebirth.<br><br>To move beyond the influence of the kleshas, one

must resolve each klesha into its predecessor. Conquer

Abhinivesha by overcoming fear, practicing equanimity under

all circumstances and by recognizing that life and

death are but different phases in the karmic process

toward Self-Realization. As you gain a more profound

view of your life as but one step on your path toward

Self-Realization, then you will gain control over Raga-Dvesha

especially as you gain viveka, discrimination between the

Real and the unreal, and vairagya, detachment. As you

gain control over Raga-Dvesha, you gain control over

Asmita, the ego. Further control over Asmita comes from

focusing on the brotherhood of Man. As your ego thins out,

your Avidya or ignorance drops away because you

acquire a more profound awareness of your True Nature.

And you come to understand that your True Nature is

also the same True Nature of everyone and everything

else. You come to know that you are Brahman.<br><br>So

view the lives lost, the grief of the survivors and

their families and the vengeful threats of their

government through the long-term lens of karma and

reincarnation.<br><br>With this perspective, the shock and grief lessens as

one senses the karmic forces at work and as one

realizes that no one has been lost. Each has only become a

being with a new shape and been given new opportunities

for Self-Realization.<br><br>Hari Om Tat

Sat<br><br>Omprem