SESSION 14
What does it mean to destroy kleśas ?
IMPRESSIONS DESIRES ACTIONS
Leads to….
Prarabdha (Current sufferings)
Aprarabdha (Future sufferings)
5 Aspects leading to sufferings:
Avidyā
• Ignorance or delusion
• Vasanas or impressions
• Impressions of past enjoyment or sufferings
• To mistake impermanent to be permanent
• To mistake misery to be blissful
• To mistake impure to be pure
• To mistake that which is not self, to be the self
• It makes us completely forgetful about out actual identity
• Why called “ignorance”? Bcuz soul can’t enjoy or suffer the matter as matter has no
consciousness
• There are unlimited impressions and we can access all of them
• Eg. As soon as we see some object of sense gratification, we respond, sometimes
involuntarily
Asmitā
• Egoism or I-am-ness (daso’mi – real ego)
• Transmigration, jatismara, identity-crisis
• Changes within the same body
• Strong identification with the current body alone and all other impressions are
shielded
• Though all the past impressions are stored, we don’t have access to them
• Distracts us from the real essence of life due to strong association with the current
body and shielding all other impressions
Rāga
• Attachment or likes
• Attraction for things that bring satisfaction (pleasure)to oneself
• However, if we have repeated unpleasant experiences with the same object, we may
start disliking it
• Eg. Samosa (like) and acidity (dislike, causing hatred over time)
Dveṣa
• Repulsion
• Aversion towards things that produce unpleasant experiences (distress)
• Pollutes us with nasty qualities
Raga and Dvesa transform into Abhinivesa
Abhiniveśa
• Intense absorption to enjoy
• Fear of death and will to live
• Raga abhinivesa is intense absorption to enjoy smth
• Dvesa abhinivesa is intense absorption in hatres towards smth
• Always planning to enjoy the sense objects
Raga
Raga
Abhinivesa
Avidya
Dvesa
Dvesa
Abhinivesa
Raga Current
Raga Abhinivesa Sufferings
Avidya Asmita Actions
Dvesa Future Sufferings
Dvesa
Abhinivesa
Vasana – Specify a particular nature of ours
- give rise to habits
Eg. The smell which remains in an alcohol bottle after rinsing it with Ganges water is Vasana
CITTA BUDDHI MANAH (Dealing AHAMKARA
(Contaminated (intelligence, with emotions) (Emotions associated
identification of with self)
consciousness)
stimulus)
Where citta, buddhi and manah have access to Vasana and ahamkara is stored in it
#1. CITTA
- All the steps occur instantaneously
- Senses capture the external stimulus
- Citta gets activated
- Awareness of familiar stimulus
- Rupa (from eyes), rasa (taste,tongue), sparsa (touch), gandha (smell), sabda (sound,ears)
- Only conscious person can experience
#2. BUDDHI
- Here buddhi is not the ability to learn
- Buddhi goes back to the database (vasana) to find out what kind of stimulus is received
- Is this a form of smell or taste etc.
- Eg. Form of samosa, taste of samosa etc
#3. AHAMKARA
- Connects these emotions to self
- When generic emotions are connected to self, it makes the emotions even stronger
- Eg. How did I feel when I ate the samosa last time? (joy, pain, etc)
- These emotions bind one to the material world while spiritual emotions bind us to the spiritual world
- Sense objects are inert and do not have the ability to bind anyone. Emotions bind us
SENSE OBJECT Matter
EXPERIENCE THE
SENSE OBJECT Buddhi
CREATE RELATEBLE BINDS US TO THE
EMOTION MATERIAL WORLD
#4. MANAH
- Mana tries to find out the associated emotions connected with the stimulus. Emotions are conscious
mental reactions that are experienced as strong feelings. Was it pleasurable, painful etc ?
- Eg. What was my last experience with samosa ? tasty, craving, sickening etc.
Mana – screen
Cittta – storage
Why are we so absorbed ?
This material world is nothing but a shadowy reflection of the reality, the kingdom of God.
Then how to get rid of these illusory conceptions ?
BG 7.28 - yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
But those whose sins (material impressions) have been destroyed by acts pleasing to the
great souls, who are free of the ignorance arising from duality (free from raga and
dvesa) worship Me with great determination.
SB 11.2.33-43: Maharaja Nimi meets the nine Yogendras
Rishabhadeva’s eldest son – Bharata Maharaja
9 other sons – The Nava-Yogendras (Kavi, Havir, Antariksa, Prabhuddha, Drumila,
Pippaluyan, Avirhotra, Camasa, Karabhajana)
Maharaja Nimi welcomes than and inquires from them the Bhagvata-Dharma. Kavi speaks
about it (33-34)
SB 11.2.37 -
bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād
īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ
bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā
for the jiva averse to Krishna, there will be samsara consisting of identity with the body
& lack of identity with the soul, bcuz of his absorption in the material coverings on the
soul arising from the Lord’s maya. Therefore, an intelligent person, taking Guru as his
Lord and very self, should fully worship the Lord with pure bhakti
ROOT CAUSE OF OUR EXISTENCE AND SOLUTION
Step 1 Living entity decides to turn away
isad-apetasya LE decided to turn away from Krsna. Y should my enjoyment depend
on Krsna’s sanction ?
Step 2 Lord has to facilitate the jiva’s desire to enjoy separately from Krsna.
So, what does He do?
tan-mayayato He send maya to facilitate the jiva’s desire
Step 3 How does she try to facilitate it?
Viparyayo-asmrtih Asmrtih- forgetting that one is a soul and a servant of krsna
Viparyayo- makes the soul identify with the body
In order to enjoy, we need to forget our original constitutional
position
Step 4 Absorption in matter
dvitiyabhinivesate Forgetting one’s original identity the soul consciousness gets
absorbed in raga, dvesa ad further abhinivesa
Step 5 Real fear
bhayam Real fear of the jiva or living entity is the perpetual suffering of this
samsara
Step 6 What is the solution ? what does an intelligent person do ?
Step 7 He worships Krsna. (how?)
Step 8 By pure devotional service
Not mixed with other processes
Under guidance
Step 9 Surrendering to Guru
When one worships Krsna under the guru’s guidance, it not only
wipes off the material impressions but also helps one to move from
the stage of aversion to arise love for Krsna (spiritual emotions)
When we love krsna, the influence of maya is destroyed
BHAKTI REINSTATES LIVING ENTITY TO ITS CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION
Srila VCT’s commentary on SB 11.2.37
- However, devotees should not fear bondage from the samsara
- Fear naturally is destroyed for the person who starts bhakti
- Bcuz of false identity, there will be fear of samsara for the jivas averse to Krsna
- But there is no fear for the person faithful to Him
SB 10.14.36 - My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, until people become Your devotees, their material
attachments and desires remain thieves, their homes remain prisons, and their
affectionate feelings for their family members remain foot-shackles.
The fear of samsara takes two forms –
Reversal- thinking oneself to be the body
Forgetfulness- forgetting the soul
Loss of memory
(original position as
Loss of one’s DESTRUCTION
intelligence
Krsna’s servant)
Bcuz of this the intelligent person, getting his intelligence by the mercy of the Guru’s
lotusfeet, should fully worship the Lord with pure DS, devoid of any other desires, karma or
jnana
This person considers the guru as dear as Krsna
DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIEGATED CONDITION OF THE JIVAS- SRI PREMA VAIVARTA 6.2-13
krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga-vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare
As long as jivas focus their attention on Krsna, they maintain reverence for Him. However,
when they turn their attention away
from Krsna, they desire material enjoyment. Krsna’s deluding potency, maya, who is
standing near them,
then binds them in her embrace.
pisaci paile jena mati-cchana haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya
The dharma of the jiva who has turned away from Krsna becomes covered, just as a
person’s intelligence
becomes covered when he is haunted by a witch.
ami nitya krsna-dasa, ei katha bhule
mayara naphara hana cira-dina bule
He forgets Bhagavan’s identity, and his own identity as a servant of Hari. Becoming a slave
of maya, he wanders here an there for a long time in this bewildering material existence.
kabhu raja, kabhu praja, kabhu vipra, sudra
kabhu duhkhi, kabhu sukhi, kabhu kita ksudra
Sometimes he is a king and sometimes a subject, sometimes a brahmana and sometimes a
sudra.
Sometimes he is happy and sometimes distressed, and sometimes he is a tiny insect.
kabhu svarge, kabhu martye narake va kabhu
kabhu deva, kabhu daitya, kabhu dasa, prabhu
Sometimes he is in heaven, sometimes on earth, and sometimes in hell. Sometimes he is a
deva and sometimes a demon. Sometimes he is a servant and sometimes a master.
ei-rupe samsara bhramite kona jana sadhu-sange nija-tattva avagata hana
As he is wandering like this throughout material existence, if by some great fortune he
happens to obtain the association of pure bhaktas, he comes to know of his own identity,
and his life thus becomes meaningful.
nija-tattva jani ara samsara na caya kena va bhajinu maya kare haya haya
By his association with those bhaktas, he understands his true identity and becomes
indifferent to material enjoyment. Grieving bitterly for his predicament, he laments, “Alas!
Alas! Why did I serve maya for so long?”
kende bole, ohe Krishna! ami tava dasa
tomara carana chadi’ haila sarva-nasa
He cries profusely, and prays at the lotus feet of Bhagavan. “O Krsna! I am Your eternal
servant, but I have been ruined because I disregarded the service of Your feet. Who knows
how long I have been wandering aimlessly as the slave of maya?
kakuti kariya krsne dake eka-bara
krpa kari krsna tare chadana samsara
“O Patita-pavana! O Dina-natha! Please protect this destitute soul. Deliver me from Your
maya and engage me in Your service.” Sri Krsna is an ocean of mercy, and when He hears
the jiva cry out in such desperation even once, He quickly transports him across this
insurmountable material energy.
mayake pichane rakhi’ krsna-pane caya
bhajite bhajite krsna-pada-padma paya
krsna tare dena nija-cic-chaktira bala
maya akarsana chade haiya durbal
Krsna empowers the jiva with His cit-sakti, so that maya’s power to attract the soul
gradually wanes. The jiva then turns his back on maya and desires to attain Krsna. He
worships Krsna again and again, and finally becomes competent to attain His lotus feet.
‘sadhu-sange krsna-nama’–ei-matra cai
samsara jinite ara kona vastu nai
Therefore, the only infallible method to cross this insurmountable material existence is to
chant krsna-nama in the association of bhaktas.
