SOME THOUGHTS ON ATMA-72

[Guest guest]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Loving SAI RAMs. In the context of achieving Self-realization , we were discussing about the pre-requisites or pre-qualifications of a seeker for this purpose. While talking about purity of mind, we were led to brood on 'desires'. People complain that even when they are not consciously entertaining desires, those desires just seem to arise on their own. This happens because of deep, unconscious impressions

(vasana-s) including those from many past lives. When a thought arises from the pool of our old vasana-s and once we have become conscious of it, we are responsible for whatever we do with that thought thereafter. It is said: " The thoughts which begin only as a small ripple become an ocean when brooded upon for a length of time "

( tarangayita api ime sangat samudrayanti). Once a thought becomes an ocean, we can not cross it----we drown in it. There is no way of conquering desires besides their non-entertainment. If we start brooding over a desire and then want to get rid of it, it will be extremely difficulat to do so.

 

 

Anger(krodha), too arises only because of unfulfilled desire, and the intensity of anger depends upon the intensity of desire. When a child does not get a candy, he becomes angry. Adults become upset when the children do not obey them. Their anger is not attributable to the non-performance of an action, but because the child did not obey them. The ego is hurt because our expectation is not met. When we eradicate all our likes and dislikes, desires and expectations, we have no reason to be angry. It is important to understand as to which desire has to be given up. Anger as a reaction is not good, but as an action, devoid of any selfish purpose, it can be good

(sattvika). When anger arises out of frustration about which we regret later saying, " Did I do that? I wish I had not got angry, " that is reactive anger. Such anger destroys the personality of the person who is angry as well as the person on whom the anger is directed. Instead,if we express anger, for example, when some one criticizes noble values or insults great saints, then no harm is meant by the anger on such a person provided, we remain in control of it. Therefore, anger for the purpose of correction can be good, but when it takes control of us, it is not good. We should learn to treat anger as a jacket or coat: keep it on a hanger and use it only when needed.

 

(to be continued)

G.Balasubramanian