The Question of Mind and Desire
Question
Dear Sir,
Please allow me to introduce myself and my quest.
I am a young aspiring Akhanda brahmachari in my early twenties who, due to the grace of the Almighty, picked up Swami Sivananda's famous handbook on the practice of brahmacharya several years ago.
Much to my chagrin, despite my ardent efforts, I have not been able to break a month of celibacy thus far. I am continuing nonetheless.
I must ask you of a few questions. I know your responses to aspirants have been terse of late because one must undergo the path by oneself, but please have mercy and respond to my few questions. They are greatly hampering my sadhana progress.
1. Is this a "threshold" point during sadhana (for instance, 6 months or 2 year or 2 years) when buddhi is able to significantly control the fluctuations of the monkey mind? Right now, I can do one hour of sadhana or look at corpses in a cemetery but the sight of a pretty woman will immediately dissolve vairagya with stunning, frightening force. I am reminded of Raja Bhatrihari's plight. Please advise.
2. If a realized sage is given the option to stay in a damp hut soaked with feces and forced to eat feces or the option of staying in a clean room with simple rice, will he have any preference? The mind would have been destroyed but is there not a human, biological aversion to the sight and smell of feces, for instance?
3. The realized sage creates a temporary ego to produce a mind with which he can interact with the world, as you have said. But will such a sage not suffer from body consciousness? If his eyes are gouged out, if his skin is burned, etc., will he not cry in agony and look bitterly upon the one who has tortured him?
4. In today's world, we increasingly face the threat of growing terrorism, extremism, etc, particularly from Islam. If one is to secure his people in a leadership role by slaying those who wish to harm his kith and kin, does such an act go against the tenets of dharma? I have heard Swami Vivekananda, for instance, threw out the suitcases of an Englishman who opposed Indian independence.
Sincerely,
Kowshik
Answer
1. Till all the past Samskara-s (impressions) & Vasana-s (tendencies) impeding residence in the self are not roasted, they germinate like seeds into saplings under favorable conditions.
Just as a sword cannot cut itself, 'Buddhi' (intellect) cannot control the mind beyond a limit, for both are of offshoots of the Aham (Ego). The intellect is controlled by the Atman alone. Hence the wise Yogi performs constant meditation on the Atman (self), whereupon the mind takes that form (of infinity) and dissolves into it. Then there is control.
However, the mind again de-links and retakes the form of the Ego, till it is not irreversibly dissolved in its source (Atman) through Self-realization. Hence one must perform Sadhana ceaselessly till that goal is reached.
2. If the one who prefers (Ego), through the mind or senses exists, it is not self-realization. The Atman (self) has no preference, for there is nothing to prefer there. Based on the nature of the remaining 'Prarabdha karma', the body of the realized being is subjected to pleasant or unpleasant conditions, which however have no effect internally.
3. There is a temporary body consciousness, like the consciousness of an actor with his character. Does the actor really look bitterly against the antagonist after the scene is over? Did he die because he died as the character?
4. One has to follow the law of his land, which dictates who is supposed to do what and when. That is his given Dharma.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)