Manas Buddhi Chitta Ahamkara - Part 8 Contd...

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When a man constantly thinks about objects, attachment for those objects arises. From attachment is born desire, and from desire is born anger. From anger comes delusion, from delusion comes loss of memory, from loss of memory comes destruction of intellect, and once the intellect is destroyed, he perishes.

(Bhagavad Gita Verse 62-63, Chapter 2)

Here is the entire sequence of events as mentioned in the 2 shlokas:

Constant thinking of material objects -> attachment -> desire -> anger -> delusion -> loss of memory -> destruction of intellect -> individual perishes.
 

A person has thoughts about a second-hand car on sale -> gets attached to that car deal -> desire to buy that car on sale is created.

Now, at this point, he has purchased the car and is extremely attached to it. Even without going forward in the sequence, we can see that the material desire to procure that car has taken the person away from performing his svadharma.

His equanimity has already been disturbed. He is dragged back into the material world, and has taken one step backwards from moksha or freedom.

Let's move forward in the sequence:

The car breaks down or meets up with an accident or someone mischievously makes scratches on the car -> he is angry that it has broken down -> he completely loses his equanimity -> takes anger out on his family member -> family environment is agitated.

Here, not only has he completely lost his equanimity, but has also caused pain to other members of his family. So, the message here is that constant pondering and thinking about objects eventually leads to moving away from equanimity, hence it is to be avoided, or at least minimized to the extent possible.
   

NON-ATTACHMENT

Attachment is an attraction or a like which we express in many different ways to people, situations, possessions and definitely in our own projections and expressions. In fact, we do not know how to live without attachment.

Detachment is a very strong word. Our understanding of detachment is to repulse something to which we are attached or attracted. This is where the negative qualities of the human mind come to the surface and make a person insensitive and self-centered. Reactions that happen due to the influence of such negative individual traits can often lead to discord and disharmony. 

Yoga says no to detachment. Do not avoid situations in life or even in yourself, but learn to accept the existence of the things that are around you.

Once you have accepted them and know their nature, then it is possible to become non-attached. The word 'non-attachment' does not really exist in English, but it exists in Sanskrit in the form of vairagya, meaning to be free from attachment, without rejecting anything. It represents a state of mind that is continuously observing the nature of events and is unaffected. Non-attachment can easily be developed provided we can expand our awareness to see the reality behind things.

The word vairagya is composed of two words: raga meaning attraction and vi meaning not to be affected. Vi is a prefix which in combination with raga means 'not being affected by attraction'. It goes without saying that once we are attracted to something, the possessive qualities of our nature and ego manifest. Sometimes that attraction can be positive, sometimes negative. We have to look at things from their positive as well as their negative aspect. When attraction is negative it is limiting; when attraction is positive it is freeing. It gives a different vision of things. 

Positive attraction is known as non-attachment, acceptance of situations without reacting negatively to them. It is like the prayer of St Francis of Assisi: “Lord make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is, discord let me sow love.” This is not a philosophical statement but a very practical one. 

So, non-attachment is a state of mind which is full of viveka, discrimination. In fact, we can even call it viveka. Have the ability to discriminate and act accordingly. That is the yogic concept of non-attachment.

ATTACH, TO DETACH

Above all, Golden rule is, turn your mind inward, from senses to God. Through the path of devotion- surrender or through the path of Wisdom, channelize your mind from senses to the power within, the source within, the love within, the God within.

You cannot hold on to the same attachment forever and try and deliberate to detach from it. Attach to higher source, Attach to God, you won’t even have time and inclination to attach to the world.

An often repeated  tamil poem verse used by the author in his sessions is as under:-

“Mangaada Seeragathai Tandeerel, teden perungayam, er agathu chettiyare”

(If you grace me with the higher and never diminishing ( mangada)  abode of  thy love  (seer agam), Why will I ever run after the diminishing, temporary desires of this body ( teden perum kayam), O lord of Chidambaram!).

(If I am turned towards you, focused on your, immersed in your love( surrender session- devotion transforming to love), then why and HOW can I turn towards senses and run towards desires caused due to attachment/ Raga of this body?)

Love

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.

Swami Sivananda