ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


Life LInes

Hari OM
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality.

The BMI chart. We've explored each of the lower layers of the chart. Now, what about V?

VAASANAS; there has been quite a bit written about these 'fragrances of personality' so far on the blog. Long-term readers will have some picture of what they are now, new readers are encouraged to read back over those posts.

The essentials for the purpose of the BMI chart are these;
  • They are the 'grooves' of history from this and past lives which pattern our current life
  • The seeds of desire are in the vaasanas; all desire, be that to rise in the morning all the way through to vices and misdemeanours
  • The vaasanas also carry the kernel of our gunas from their intersection with sanchita karma. When we add to our karma through kriyaman, we are also reinforcing existing vaasanas or creating brand new ones… or we have the chance to empty the debt of sanchita and to burn the vaasanas.

The vaasanas, then, are extremely subtle and while they have an effect on our lives, they are not part of our physique as such.  If you recall, there are the four components of mental makeup; the antaH karana. Ego, mind, intellect and 'memory' (chitta). This is not just memory as we are aware of it, but also the memory we are not, it is the bit which receives vaasanas for the jiiva and delivers them to the mind as desire. Vaasanas provide the desire within us to do...anything.

While vaasanas give the motivation in life, we are mostly aware of them when it comes to our lesser habits. The things which cause us to attach and anchor ourselves in the external. Hankerings, lusts, addictions.

Don't immediately think this applies only to the serious labels of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll! The classic place to start looking at how we are addicted to the world of objects is to watch ourselves in our routines. Routine - habit - is a form of addiction. We only discover this when that routine is disrupted without choice. How often do you hear - or have said - 'I cannot function without the first cup of coffee/tea'? The language around attachment (which is a softer word but has the same effect as addiction upon the jiiva) will always be of this kind. "Can't be without… don't get between me and [name the object]… if I don't get this/that I think I'll die…"

We all have vaasanas. They are unavoidable. Learning the major ones can often only be done successfully by peeling away the surface ones. If we are to travel ever higher in our spiritual quest, this is essential saadhana.

SAADHANA;
This week, select three things that you know you take or do out of habit and to which you are attached. Think about why it is you believe you need these things; then resolve to go through the next week without them. Keep an eye on yourself and how it feels to be doing things differently.