Chapter
XI
Liberation: the Goal
of Meditation
The beneficent and maleficent impulses
The fulfilment of life consists in the realisation of the Atma (Atma-sakshatkara). To get this realisation, one should be entirely free from impulses (vasanas).
Liberation (moksha) is, in the true sense of the term, liberation from the bondage of these impulses. These tendencies are of two types: beneficent and maleficent.
The beneficent tendencies are saturated with holiness; the maleficent ones feed the mind and make it more and more uncontrollable and unsteady; they spread and strengthen the desire for objective pleasure.
If the beneficent impulses (subha vasanas) are encouraged and cultivated, they will not go on multiplying and binding the mind indefinitely; they become fried seeds, which will not sprout.
If you stick to the beneficent impulses, you can easily acquire knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-jnana). These impulses are characterised by such activities as association with great souls (mahatmas), reverence for the great, conversation with them, following their advice, charity, fortitude, love, patience, truth, courage, continence, etc. These are the pure impulses.
The impure tendencies lead one to such vices as craving to see things that cater to the lower desires (like cinema pictures); eating dishes that are full of passion (rajas), like fish and flesh; drinking intoxicants that ruin one’s personality by developing anger, delusion, greed, conceit, deceit, hatred, envy, etc.
Such impure tendencies are of three types: Worldly impulses, scholarly or intellectual impulses, and physical or bodily impulses.
The physical impulses make men desire a beautiful physique, a strong sturdy build, a glossy skin that will never be disfigured by wrinkles, and round hard muscles.
The scholarly impulses prompt one to crave being known as an unrivalled expert and to crave the defeat of every competitor in the field.
And lastly, the worldly impulses make one crave glory, power, personal authority, and pomp. All such desires can be grouped under this head. They are all impulses. They bind you to the wheel of birth and death (samsara) and tie you down to this Earth.
Introspection
The three types of vasanas are as under:-
Swami continues,
Destroy ignorance
The giant tree called mind has two seeds, impulse (vasana) and breath (prana). The seed becomes the tree, the tree yields the seed. The breath moves because of the impulses; the impulses operate because of the breath. If one of these is destroyed, so is the other. So, if the mind has to be free from their influence, ignorance (ajnana) has to be transformed first.
Ignorance does not exist alone; it has an offspring: selfishness (ahamkara). That demon (asura) has two children, attachment or attraction (raga) and impulse (vasana); that is to say passion and craving. Passion and craving are closely interrelated. As the passion, so the desire. They are sisters.
Through attachment, one gets the feelings of my and mine, the feelings provoke desire, and desires breed worry. Therefore, to remove ego (ahamkara), attachment and impulse have to be annihilated. That means ignorance has to go, for by that means alone can ego be killed.
How to destroy ignorance and develop wisdom (sujnana)? That is the question! The answer is through meditation. The conquest of ignorance, ego, attachment, and impulse brings about liberation (moksha) for the individual (jivi).
Introspection
The means to
attain Jivanmukti, are, Jnana, Vasana Kshaya & Mano Nasha (knowledge,
obliteration of latent tendencies & the dissolution of the mind.) The
second chapter deals exhaustively with the methods to obliterate latent
impressions and desires. The third chapter deals with the the dissolution of
the mind. The last two chapters, four & five, deal with the purpose of
attaining Jivanmukti and vidwat samnyasa or the renunciation of the Knower.
The great
Sage, Vasishta, in Yoga Vasishta says, ‘Jnana,
obliteration of latent tendencies and the dissolution of the mind, if practiced
simultaneously for a sufficient length of time, bestows the desired fruit.’ He goes on
to state that if these three are not well attempted repeatedly, the status of Jivanmukti cannot be attained even after the lapse of hundreds of years.
Love.
