Manas Buddhi Chitta Ahamkara - Part 8

RAGA/ ATTACHMENT

2.7 (Sukha Anushayi Ragah)

Attachment (raga) is a separate modification of mind, which follows the rising of the memory of pleasure, where the three modifications of attachment, pleasure, and the memory of the object are then associated with one another.

sukha       = pleasure

anushayi = sequential attraction to, closely following,
                     secondary accompaniment, resting on

ragah       = attachment, addiction

Next arises attachments: Once there is the primary forgetting called Avidya, and the rising of individuality called Asmita, there is now the potential for attachment, or Raga.

Attachment is an obstacle, but not bad: Raga is not a moral issue; it is not "bad" that there is attachment. It seems to be built into the universe and the makeup of all living creatures, including humans.

Attachment is a natural habit of mind: However, in the process of witnessing, we want to be aware of the many ways in which the mind habitually becomes attached. If you see this as a natural action of the mind, it is much easier to accept, without feeling that something is wrong with your own mind. The habit of the mind to attach can actually become amusing, bringing a smile to the face, as you increasingly are free from the attachment.

Attachment and memory: Just like eating the sweet or candy (above), a memory of that experience may suddenly arise at some other time. In a flash, that memory is experienced as enjoyable. If that pleasant memory were to simply arise and then drift away, back into the mind field from which it arose, there would be no problem. However, just like with the original piece of candy, it does not stop there.

There is this second wave, closely following the rising memory, in which an active desire starts to grow. This second wave is the attachment. Once again, it is not the original enjoyment of the sweet that caused a problem. Even the memory of that experience arise is not, in itself, such a big problem. The problem is in that second burst, or wave, and that is called attachment. 

Let us understand the above para more clearly. 

1. You visit a place/ a country and happen to meet a person and you have communicated with that person and come back to your country, your home with sweet remembrance of that person and moments shared with that person.
2. Up to here, it is not harmful. But the actual issue arises, what is explained as secondary wave above, when you want more and more proximity with that person, you want to be in regular touch with that person, visit that person, develop relationship with that person. Here, you have developed attachment towards that person.
3. Once this attachment is developed, your thoughts are centered around that person and even in Satsangh, even in prayers, in holy pilgrimage, your mind is focused on that person instead of focusing on God.
4. Also, you are blinded due to your attachment and you lose your discrimination, your wisdom and you fail to recognize any short coming in that person and any amount of advice given by your close relatives, your parents your sincere friend against your attachment with that person fails to get registered in your sense and you end up even waging a war against your trusted relatives and friends.
5. Almost evey human being is afflicted with this attachment in his/ her life and when they realize their mistake, they advise their near / dear one who also do not listen to their advice and thus, the cycle is never ending.

The above example can be related not only to relationship but to any kind of attachment which confirms to the explanation of second wave given above. Excessive attachment to property/ to wealth/ to food habits/ to particular location/ even addiction or excessive attachment to one particular spiritual center, to a group of spiritual sadhakas – all are attachments only.

Selfish Love and Divine Love 

Love is of two kinds, viz., selfish or physical love and real Love or divine Love which is unselfish and lasting.

The first kind is love with attachment. The second one is love without attachment. He who is a real aspirant of Vedantic path, who feels his own self everywhere and a real Bhakta who sees Narayana everywhere in everything can really love others.

When an inferior person hangs on another person for his happiness or existence, physical attachment crops up. Attachment causes slave mentality and weak will. Attachment is death. Physical love is death.

Love.