Leela:
Once when Nanasaheb Chandorkar was sitting in the Masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Muslim gentleman from Bijapur came with his family, to see Baba. Seeing burqa-clad ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to back away to give them more space, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies approached and took Baba’s darshan.
When one of the ladies momentarily removed her veil while saluting Baba's feet, Nanasaheb saw her face, and was so taken by her rare beauty that he wished to see her face again. After the family had left, knowing Nana's restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him as follows, “Nana, why is your mind so disturbed? That which follows its natural inclination should not be interfered with, for there is no harm in it. God has created this beautiful world, and if we do not fully appreciate it, his skill and ingenuity will be in vain. Over time, the mind will calm, slowly and gradually, and become steady. When the front door stands open, why go to the back door? When the mind is pure, there is no difficulty. If one has no evil thought, why should he be afraid? The eyes do their function of seeing. Why be embarrassed?”
Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20th Edition 2002), p251
Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p420
Teachings from Leela:
In Vedanta, there are several pre-requisites before one is prepared for moksha (liberation). One of these, vairagya (non-attachment), is important for this leela. Vairagya is the final turning away from all desires and pleasures of the world.
To achieve absolute vairagya (non-attachment), one must become fully un-attached from all desires and pleasures. Along with the obvious desires, each of us have countless latent tendencies, likes and dislikes, which are hidden until an external situation triggers them into activity. In Vedanta, these latent tendencies are called vasanas (tendencies, likes and dislikes, imprinted in the mind). They are activated under suitable circumstances, triggering desires, which trigger thoughts, which prompt us to perform actions to fulfill them. We cannot achieve absolute vairagya until we exhaust all our vasanas.
How vasanas are Formed
Vasanas are impressions created in our minds as we interact with the world using any combination of our five senses. If the interaction is important to us, it leaves an impression representing a like or dislike. The more we obsess over a situation, the deeper the impression and the stronger the vasana.
Since we have created these vasanas during our transactions with the world, we can only exhaust them in the real world, and not by denying their existence or by suppressing them.
Not only have we accumulated vasanas over multiple lifetimes, but we create several new vasanas in each lifetime. In some lifetimes, we sometimes create more vasanas than we are able to exhaust.
Good and Bad Vasanas
Not all vasanas are bad. Good vasanas are those that take us towards our spiritual goals, while bad vasanas are those that take us away from them.
For example, tendencies to enjoy and find comfort in singing bhajans (spiritual songs) and enjoying discourses in spiritual philosophy are good vasanas which help you advance on the spiritual path, while tendencies to be aggressive, speak ill of others and insult others, are bad vasanas, since they hinder your spiritual progress.
Some vasanas are widely shared by all people who share a common experience. For example, all people blessed with the sense of sight will share certain tendencies towards visual experience, such as being drawn to beauty. Such vasanas are neither good nor bad.
However, any vasana, whether good, bad or neutral, eventually becomes an obstacle towards vairagya, and therefore an obstacle to final spiritual goal of liberation. Before you receive liberation, you must shed all tendencies, all likes and dislikes, including the ones that once helped you advance spiritually.
Shedding Vasanas
We must exhaust all our vasanas and reach a desireless state before we can achieve moksha. Even saints like Ramana Maharshi had to do so. One such incidence below is related to this point (note 1).
Once during His last years, Sri Ramana Maharshi (Bhagavan) wanted chilli powder and oil for idlis. But doctors have said no for such things. Sri Bhagavan said however: Let me also fulfill this vasana and be done with it. He took chilli powder and oil once and from next day, He did not ask for them!
In this leela, when Nanasaheb was about to leave, Baba, being omniscient, did not allow him to do so as this was a perfect opportunity to teach him some lessons about vasanas.
Baba explained to Nanasaheb that, if a vasana is not connected to bad intentions, and is itself harmless, it must be allowed to be exhausted without interfering with it, or feeling guilt about it.
He also offered a technique we can use when dealing with a strong vasana that we would consciously like to shed, but cannot find a way to do so. He reminded us that we can consciously connect our objects of desire with God. By reminding ourselves of God in relation to our desires and tendencies, we weaken the hold the vasana has upon us, and eventually shed it.
Adi Shankara’s Vivekachudamani gives the same advice in verse 3.16 (note 2):
Sarvatra
sarvatah sarvam
brahma-matr'avalokanaih |
sad-bhava-vasana-dardhyat
tat trayam layam asnute ||
Sankaracharya here points out that the way to destroy worldly influences lies in looking on everything, under all circumstances, always, everywhere and in all ways, as Brahman and Brahman alone. Under all circumstances, 'Sarvada,' always. Sometimes we take recourse to discrimination and the next moment we forget to do so. That will not do.
Putting into Practice
Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.
1) If vasanas (latent tendencies, likes and dislikes) within us trigger harmless desires, we must not interfere in their fulfillment, as they can only be removed from our minds when they are fulfilled
It is important to exhaust as many vasanas as possible. You must be vigilant to identify the nature of your vasanas as desires appear in your mind. You must let harmless desires play out. The more you attempt to suppress them, the stronger the underlying vasana will get. Think of them as your bucket list, and act on them, and be done with them.
If you notice a vasana that is an obstacle to your spiritual progress, you must uproot it. My Vedanta Guru, Rita Nayar, used to say that as we get rid of one vasana, we may be creating many more vasanas. To deal with this problem, she said we must remove our vasanas in bulk.
Shedding vasanas in Bulk
For example, let’s say that as you monitor your thoughts and desires, you identify several vasanas that relate to desires towards expensive, luxury items, such as brand name clothes, high end electronics, jewelry, expensive watches and luxury cars. These cluster of vasanas cause you to desire a number of material objects and luxury experiences. These vasanas lead you to obsess over specific items, inflate your ego in their possession, compete with others over your acquisitions, and perhaps even make you susceptible to using unethical means to acquire them. This will, in turn, deepen your vasanas, and generate new, negative vasanas.
To work on this cluster of vasanas is to come up with a new perspective on how to think about acquiring material objects:
1) Your new perspective could be based on the temporary nature of the objects you acquire, where you think about the role that object will play in your life 5 years from now. If you picture it sitting in your closet gathering dust in the future, you will be less tempted to purchase an overly expensive luxury version of the object now.
2) You could also think about how you could make the life of someone less fortunate than you happier through a purchase of a material object. You could achieve this by purchasing a more modest item, and donating the money you save by not buying the luxury item.
How do you know when you’ve shed a vasana?
When you notice that a given situation does not agitate your mind with a desire, it is an indication that you have successfully conquered the underlying vasana.
Mantra:
Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ
Meaning:
May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace
This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/
I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.
Om Sai Ram.
Notes:
1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=6426.0
2) http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/gokulananda/how_to_control_vasanas.php
3 comments:
New concept of Vasana.
Good one
Jai Sai Ram Dipu,
Thanks for your comment, it is a Vedanta concept.
Ok good to know that
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