WORLD OF OPPOSITES By Swami Sivananda

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

WORLD OF OPPOSITES

 

One thing which is sweet and pleasant to you at one

moment, produces the very reverse sensation in another

moment. Who has not experienced this, in this world of

opposites? Objects when longed for are

pleasant but are bitter if not longed for. Hence

vasanas (tendencies) are the cause of sensual

pleasures. Pleasures will stop when you get

satisfaction in them but if vasanas cease, the mind

will perish and all else will be destroyed. Therefore

annihilate these vasanas (Mental conditioning), the

enemies of atma-jnana (self-knowledge) and

immortality.

 

The mind clings to sensual objects. If the vasanas

perish, the mind ceases thinking of objects and we

attain the state of thoughtlessness. You will have a

balanced mind despite adverse circumstances and many

obstacles. Vasanas perish through dispassion,

discrimination, control of the senses, enquiry of,

" Who am I?”, Meditation or chanting the divine names

of the Lord.

 

The impure vasanas persist and resist. They lurk in

the corners of the mind in a mysterious manner. They

play tricks on you. They can change their colours like

a chameleon. Under pressure of yogic practices they

get suppressed for some time but if you are not

regular in your meditation, if vairagya (dispassion)

wanes, they will attack with redoubled force. You must

have a sharp intellect to

detect their presence. Vasanas have arisen through

enjoyment in many thousands of lives. They are very

potent. They only perish through protracted spiritual

practices - japa (repetition of God's name),

kirtan (chanting), meditation, self-enquiry,

discrimination, sama (control of mind), dama (control

of senses), pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind) and

pranayama (yoga breathing).

 

You have to transmute the impure vasanas into pure

ones, through constant effort. Change the current of

impure vasanas and allow them to run in the channel of

pure vasanas. But pure vasanas are also

fetters, golden fetters. You have to destroy the

impure vasanas with the help of pure vasanas - then

you have to abandon these pure ones also. Desire for

liberation (moksa vasana) also must die eventually.

Then only you become that.

 

Separate yourself from the objects. In the absence of

objects the 'I' does not exist; and these objects do

not exist in the absence of 'I'. Have the strong

conviction that 'I' does not belong to the objects,

that the objects do not belong to the 'I'. Identify

yourself with the infinite 'I' (the Brahman) - and

abandon the burden of the physical body. Become a

videha mukta (liberated and bodiless) -all burdens

will perish now.

 

Regards

 

Visit www.namadwaar.org