Once upon a time, a traveller, while crossing a desert, was confronted by dacoits. The dacoits overpowered him and searched his belongings. They were surprised to find that he had only a penny with him. They wondered why he had fought so much for a single penny. The traveller remarked that he attached a great value to money. For him it was money that mattered and not the amount. Hence, it was a question of values, of attachment to money.
It is the values we cherish that give a direction to our inclinations, thoughts and actions. We become interested in things because we value them. A change of values brings about a change in the direction of our interests and inclinations. This also applies to vratas and avratas. As a matter of fact, there is no difference between a vrata and an avrata. It is our areas of interest that make them appear to be different from each other. If we value the soul as opposed to the outer world, our interest in it becomes a vrata. If, on the other hand, we value the world outside as against the soul, our interest in it becomes an avrata. In plain language, vrata means orientation towards the self. We orientate ourselves towards the outer world through our sense organs.
Consciousness in its pristine purity has no interest outside itself, but it is encircled by kasaya or passions. Besides passions, it is also encircled by our inclinations and dispositions. The former is called the kasaya circle and the latter is called the yoga circle. Light emanating from the soul, when it tries to break through the kasaya circle, loses its original lustre, which is pure knowledge, and becomes alloyed with passions. This then takes the form of samvedana or feeling. It becomes empirical knowledge. Pure knowledge is not alloyed with passions. Samvedana is dependent on the sense organs and the mind. Sense experiences produce attachments and aversions.
As a matter of fact, we live in the world of sensations and most of our activities are only reactions caused by sensations. But free thinking and free actions are only possible with reference to knowledge and not with reference to sensations and feelings. Hence, we need to give preference to spir Be spiritual to think free
Once upon a time, a traveller, while crossing a desert, was confronted by dacoits. The dacoits overpowered him and searched his belongings. They were surprised to find that he had only a penny with him. They wondered why he had fought so much for a single penny. The traveller remarked that he attached a great value to money. For him it was money that mattered and not the amount. Hence, it was a question of values, of attachment to money.
It is the values we cherish that give a direction to our inclinations, thoughts and actions. We become interested in things because we value them. A change of values brings about a change in the direction of our interests and inclinations. This also applies to vratas and avratas. As a matter of fact, there is no difference between a vrata and an avrata. It is our areas of interest that make them appear to be different from each other. If we value the soul as opposed to the outer world, our interest in it becomes a vrata. If, on the other hand, we value the world outside as against the soul, our interest in it becomes an avrata. In plain language, vrata means orientation towards the self. We orientate ourselves towards the outer world through our sense organs.
Consciousness in its pristine purity has no interest outside itself, but it is encircled by kasaya or passions. Besides passions, it is also encircled by our inclinations and dispositions. The former is called the kasaya circle and the latter is called the yoga circle. Light emanating from the soul, when it tries to break through the kasaya circle, loses its original lustre, which is pure knowledge, and becomes alloyed with passions. This then takes the form of samvedana or feeling. It becomes empirical knowledge. Pure knowledge is not alloyed with passions. Samvedana is dependent on the sense organs and the mind. Sense experiences produce attachments and aversions.
As a matter of fact, we live in the world of sensations and most of our activities are only reactions caused by sensations. But free thinking and free actions are only possible with reference to knowledge and not with reference to sensations and feelings. Hence, we need to give preference to spirituality over material pleasures.
