The wishes from Satvaguṇa and the desires from Rajoguṇa

The desires in mind can be categorised on the basis of their sources.

In Bhagavad Gita, when Śrībhagavān teaches Arjuna about the importance of doing his duties without worrying about its consequences, he asks about the cause of the internal influence for abandoning duties and involvement in wrong doings. Arjuna had the misunderstanding that his duty was to leave the battlefield rather than fighting against his grandfather, Guru and cousins; this was his misunderstanding. He had forgotten his duty as a soldier and a warrior prince, which was to fight against Adharma. It was evident while he threw his weapons away that Arjuna had the illusion that he was doing the right thing; in fact, it was his illusion. Doing wrong, he assumes that he is doing right. 

Fortunately, during the conversation with Śrībhagavān, in the middle of the battlefield, Arjuna gets the initial clarity about his own mistake; so he asks Śrībhagavān who persuades him to come to the wrong conclusions, even though he wants the opposite. Arjuna wanted to know the cause of his illusion. So this was his question to Śrībhagavān.

अर्जुन उवाच​

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोयं पापं चरति पूरु॒ष

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलागिव नियोजितः॥

Arjuna uvāca:

atha kena prayuktoyam pāpam carati 

pūrusa anicchannapi vārshneya balādiva niyojitaḥ

[Now then, O Vārshneya, impelled by what this man was involved in wrong doing, even against his wish, as if it were being constrained by force?]

Śrībhagavān has answers for all such questions from Arjuna. The answer given by Śrībhagavān is the basic teaching of all Darsana-s, including Yoga and Vedanta. All proclaim that the desire in mind is the basic reason for all wrong vibrations bubbling inside an individual. Śrībhagavān points out the same matter to Arjuna:

श्रीभगवान् उवाच​

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः 

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम्।

Śrībhagavān uvāca:

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇa samudbhavaḥ 

mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam

[It is the desire, and it is the anger. They are born of Rajoguṇa. They are great devourers. And they are the true enemies, here on the battlefield.] 

The desire which arises from Rajoguṇa is different from the wishes which arises from Satvaguṇa; the former one leads to wrong doing and the later one leads to happiness and liberation. The attempts for satisfying the needs in life can be understood as formed from Satvaguṇa; Like the appetite to eat fresh and nutritious food items. But longing for that which is beyond the need, like the craving for chocolate etc. can be considered as desires aroused from Rajoguṇa. Satisfying the wish from Satvaguṇa is a need, on the other hand, an unquenched thirst for satisfaction of desire should be recognised through proper introspection and studies, to manage them before growing uncontrollable and harmful.

The process of proper thinking for controlling the mental formations can happen only with the help of ‘food for thought’. Good ideas as described above, are the food for thought; used for the repeated reflection upon them. The repeated questioning and discovering the truth through the process of thinking are inevitable for the internal growth and realisation of Truth about the individual Self.

The Purpose of Marriage

Togetherness - For Self Purification

The purpose of marriage is to experience the joy of true friendship, companionship and togetherness; and not just the enjoyment of sexual pleasures. It is true that individuals of the opposite sex are usually getting married. But, weddings between similar sex also happen in some places. And, after marriage, generally people expect children to be born from the relationship of married couples. Therefore, there can be a misunderstanding about the purpose of marriage. Definitely sexual satisfaction cannot be the purpose of a marriage relationship.

This is because none can be satisfied with the indulgence of sexual pleasures. Sexual satisfaction is nothing but a fantasy. It is an imagination that someone else can make one sexually satisfied. By the indulgence of pleasures the desire for the repeated experience of it will grow stronger; there will not be a perfect satisfaction out of it, at all.

सहधर्मं कुर्यताम्। (sahadharmam kuryatām - let’s do Dharma together with the same intention.) This is the vow taken by the couple during the time of wedding. When the need arises, one needs to be involved in all kinds of pleasures; but doing it with self-restriction, is the most important Dharma. This is the true joy of life. Experience of this real joy in order to remain peaceful and content, is the purpose of marriage.

Mahatma Gandhi says about marriage: “Rightly speaking, the true purpose of marriage should be and is intimate friendship and companionship between man and woman. There is no room for sexual satisfaction in it.” (Harijan journal, dated 19-05-1946. Page 133.) Mahatma continues: “That marriage is no marriage which takes place for the satisfaction of the sex desire. That satisfaction is a denial of true friendship.” (Ibid.)

How can one expect to satisfy another one with something which can never be “quenched”? It is a common experience that sexual desire can never be completely satisfied. The more you taste it the more desire for it grows. Therefore, sexual desire cannot be satisfied through indulging in sexual pleasures. Even in the most beautiful communion in a marriage, satisfaction through sexual plays cannot be expected. A temporary satisfaction may be experienced because of the touching based soothing of the physiological impulses; but more severe longing for further indulgence is awaiting to re-appear to destroy the short living sandcastle of peace.

The peace and happiness in a marriage relationship is not through the search for increased sensual pleasures; but it is through discovering the real joy in mutual friendship and togetherness; through experiencing the happiness in sharing the domestic and social activities with pure and cooperative mentality. 

Sexual experience is also a part of true friendship and sharing; but one must overcome the desires of it through internal awareness and understanding about the nature of sexuality. One needs to restrict oneself from crazy sexual fantasies, through self-awareness and self-control. Then, the long lasting joy of true friendship and togetherness appears. When the Sun rises and His true light spreads, artificial lights are not needed to brighten the room. A good companionship in marriage will help one to learn this lesson and to transform oneself with the help of mutual understanding and togetherness.

Ekagrata - Definition of One Pointed State of Mind

 Man has an ability to focus his mind upon one thing which he likes. He can focus upon something which ‘he likes’. Internal attraction is essential for this one pointedness of the mind. One cannot focus upon something which he does not like at all.

All human beings have the ability to focus the mind. Some people think that they are not able to focus their mind. If they do not have any psychic disorder, they are able to focus their mind; they can focus upon what they like. Their attraction towards that matter or the object is the reason for the focussed state of mind. A drunkard will be focussed upon his liquor; a womaniser will be focussed upon women; a greedy person would be focussed upon wealth. See, this focus of mind is quite natural.

But turning the focus towards positive matters and objects is important. Only through constant training can one develop such positive focus in the mind.

But what is the focus of the mind? Let’s try to understand the definition of one pointed mind, given by Patanjali in his Yoga Sūtra-s. Śrī Sādaśiva Brahmendra Sarasvati gives interpretation to the Sūtra as follows.

ननु केयं एकाग्रतेति अपेक्षायाम् आह​- (When the question arises what is that one pointedness of the mind stuff, Patanjali answers…)

Yoga Sutra: शान्तोदितौ तुल्यप्रत्ययौ चित्तस्येकाग्रता परिणामः ॥३-१२॥ (When past and present contain the same idea / object, it is called the growth of one-pointedness of mind. Part III Vibhūti Pāda - Sūtra No. 12)

शान्तो अतीतः (Śāntaḥ means the past), उदितो वर्त्तमानः (uditaḥ means the present), प्रत्ययः चित्तवृत्तिः (pratyayaḥ means the formations in mind stuff)। अतीतः प्रत्ययो यम् पदार्थं गृह्णाति (whatever be the contents of the mind stuff in the past) तदेव चेत् उदितोऽपि गृह्णीयात् (if the present is also containing the same content in the mind stuff), तदा तौ तुलौ भवतः (then they can be said as similar)। तादृश चित्तपरिणाम एकाग्रतेत्युच्यते (such kind of the growth of the ability to relate with similar objects of the mind stuff is called one pointedness)।

Let’s observe that the mind stuff is passing through objects and ideas in each second; first second, second second, third second… and so on. In each second the mind is holding some kind of idea or object. If the object in the mind in the first second and the object in the second second are the same, the past and present are holding the same object. 

First second - second second - third second - fourth second - fifth second - and so on…

Initially the first second is the present.

In the next second, the first second becomes past; the second second is the present.

And in the third second, the first and second seconds become past and the third one is the present.

The time goes on like this.

If the content in the mind stuff in the first second and in the second second are the same, that mind is not distracted; it is a focussed mind.

For example, I was reading a book at 11 a.m.  And I was continuing the same action at 11.30 a.m., I was still reading the book. The content of my mind stuff at 11a.m. and at 11.30 a.m. were the same without interruption; they were the ideas in the book which I was reading. So I can say that I was focussed on book reading from 11 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

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Three-Step Self-Culturing Method

 Man has the ability to see in himself. Observing oneself and understanding the feelings and thoughts inside.

What is the use of this skill of humankind? Man can transform himself for being a better human being; this is the use of this special skill of introspection. Better man here refers to the happier man; a bad man is always disturbed one and slave to many vices; a good man, on the other hand, is the one who is content with himself.

For transforming oneself in this manner, one needs guidelines and directions to apply in his own process of self-culturing. One is culturing himself through introspection; that is growth. If one is not ready to do this self-culturing, he will fall into the category of bad individuals. Because the inner tendencies and the influence of the sensual longings lead the individual towards a lower state of mind. He would become less creative and less productive as a result of inner pressures.

Only a person who is ready to do continuous self introspection and self-culturing can maintain his mentality purified enough for being creative and productive. 

A three step self-culturing method is suggested here useful for all who want to maintain the vibrant state of mind. 

Step 1 - Set ideals for self-culturing. The ideas from good books and the words from experienced Guru-s can help us to set our own ideals in life. 

Step 2 - Awareness and Understanding about the nature of one’s own mental formations. To be aware of one’s own thoughts and emotions is not very easy. Repeated self-enquiry is needed for this purpose. But just understanding what is there in mind will not do any good to the individual; he should know the significance of his mental formations. The inner reasons for each response from the mind can be understood if he puts effort into that. 

Step 3 - Management of oneself on the basis of ideals and self-awareness. The ideals he respects in life will guide him to show the direction in which he needs to divert his mental responses. Slowly, patiently, he is able to convert himself into the new model for experiencing inner joy and to remain creative and productive.

Pray, all may utilise this three-step self-culturing method!