RES:Why do I Like and dislike?

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PraNAms Sadananda

 

Why do I " like " or " dislike " something for the first time? Isnt it related

to human biological needs and, therefore, a genuine and valid moviment of

self protection or surviving mechanism? How does it relate with egocentrism

on one hand and on the other hand, natural laws of surviving?

 

Cecilia

 

 

-----Mensagem original-----

De: advaitin [advaitin ]Em nome de

kuntimaddi sadananda

Enviada em: quarta-feira, 11 de julho de 2007 11:01

Para: advaitin

Assunto: Likes and dislikes?

 

 

Steve - PraNAms

 

According to Vedanta, Likes and dislikes are subtler

impressions left behind, after an ego-centric action.

 

In your example, when I take for the first time a cup

of coffee, I enjoy it at that time. That enjoyment

gives an immediate pleasure or happiness. But in

addition to that tangible result, that enjoyment also

leaves an impression in my subconsciousness to repeat

that experience in future. If I keep repeating that

experience of taking coffee and enjoying every time,

the subtler impression in the mind get further and

further reinforced and that forms what Vedanta calls

as 'vaasana'. Similarly an experience of unhappiness

is also leaves an impression in the mind as 'dislike'

- these likes and dislikes are called 'raaga and

dveSha'.

 

All my pursuits in my life are essentially directed to

fulfill the likes that I like and avoid the dislikes.

Hence I keep gravitating to environments that are

conducive for my likes and try to avoid environments

that give experiences that I do not like. The

accumulated likes and dislikes in the past (the past

includes the past lives) propel me to seek birth in an

environment that is conducive for my exhaustion. In

the process of exhaustion of these I may end up

accumulating new ones which can be either exhausted in

this life or in future lives. Hence my life is

propelled by these likes and dislikes or vasanaas. If

the impressions are strong, my desires to achieve will

also be strong. Anger and frustrations will also be

strong if they are not fulfilled. My life is tossed

between my likes and dislikes. I become ready to

compromise my values to fulfil what I like strongly.

But in that very fulfilment I reinforce those likes

and dislikes. I become prisoner of my own likes and

dislikes.

 

Yoga is that which tries to neutralize these likes and

dislikes so that mind is free from the pressure of

these. Mind becomes pure when all the likes and

dislikes are neutralized. Blessed are those whose

minds are pure -says the bible. Mind that is pure is

the suitable mind for contemplation and for receiving

knowledge. Karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jnaana yoga

are the means for neutralizing these likes and

dislikes.

 

The correct word for these is 'vaasana' - and likes

and dislikes poor translation to that word.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

--- otnac6 <otnac6 wrote:

 

> This matter of likes and dislikes. I interpret that

> to mean extreme

> likes and dislikes, likes and dislikes to the point

> of obsession or

> bias or prejudice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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