Tuesday, January 26, 2016

THE MOVEMENT OF DESIRE - Atman Nityananda




THE MOVEMENT OF DESIRE
When the impulse of desire arises in us, arises together with thoughts, imagination and emotion. The desire through the imagination creates a blurred image of the object and projects on it a portion of the pleasure that we will experience when we will be in actual contact with this object and usually associate with this image some sensory memories which are related to this object (color, shape, touch, sound, odor).
For example if arises the desire for coffee, together with the image of coffee and the projected pleasure on it, it will emerge from memory its smell and taste. That´s why some times when you drink the coffee and its taste don´t suits to the imaginary taste of the memory, you may not enjoy your coffee as much as you expected.
When the impulse of desire arises in us, (along with imagination, thoughts, emotions and sensory memories), puts in motion the body the senses and the intellect and uses them as servants to get what it wants and arrive this ´blessed´ moment of pleasure. Usually, together with the desire arises also the impatience to experience the desired object as quickly as possible. The more intense is the desire the stronger will be the impatience. The other ´followers´ of desire and in reality modifications of desire itself are the fear, anguish, anger, and ultimately the depression and disappointment. (read about  the ´followers´ of desire http://elmisattva-nonduality.blogspot.com.es/2015/09/the-main-cause-of-suffering-is-desire.html
If for some reason we refuse to fulfill the desire, (this happens especially with spiritual aspirants) then the energy of desire transforms in an uncomfortable and torturous sensation which is intolerable and pressing. This ´small´ but unbearable torture is the way that uses the desire to make us unable to resist it and eventually giving in and fulfill it.  

But usually the desire doesn’t always maintain this unpleasant and pressing form constantly. The desire alternately assumes its unpleasant and torturous form and then its pleasurable. Thus the desire in order to make us give in, on the one hand tempt us with an imaginary foretaste of the pleasure that we will have when we experience the object of desire,  and on the other hand makes us suffer assuming a torturing intolerable pressing form. The desire assumes these two forms alternatively very fast; it tries its best to dominate us using both ways.
Some of the times the desire make us give in because its pleasurable form is very strong and we cannot resist it and lose the ‘promised’ pleasure and other times because we cannot bear the torturing form of desire and other times because of both.
In this battle with desire, sometimes the desire wins us and others times we win the desire. Sometimes the desire subsides temporarily but arises again after a while, and when we are unprepared or without energy makes us give in too easily and without great resistance. That’s why it is important to keep our energy high and be constantly vigilant and alert. Thats why great masters like Jesus Christ have said repeately:  Be on guard! Be alert!
In this inner battle against desire we must prepare ourselves more and more and every time that the desire will arise again we must be more prepared to free ourselves from it. We must work with each desire separately as a different ego and dissolve the association of the desire-energy with the abject which is attached. We can also work with the core of desire which is the impulse that wants to externalize the mind and express itself in relation with objects; but this is possible only for advanced aspirants.

Discrimination, self-control (control of senses and mind), dispassion, detachment, self-awareness, constant vigilance and alertness, concentration, prayer, japa nama meditation as well as patience, perseverance, determination, forbearance, self-confidence and a sattvic living are essentials in order to eliminate desires.

The ego and all desires, samskaras and vasanas are totally burnt out in deep Nirvikapla samadhi says the great sage Swami Sivananda. Until then we have to follow an intense unbroken sadhana with patience and diligence.

The desires we have to work most are: desire for sex, for food, for drinks, for substances (alcohol, tobacco, etc.), for superiority, to be accepted and recognized, to be special, for money, to have right, desire to speak... You can fill this list with your personal desires.

In reality there is only one desire: the desire to experience pleasure and satisfaction. The desire tries to find pleasure and satisfaction in association with the sensory experiences and objects.
And this action of desire expands as greed, attachments, addictions, likes-dislikes, attraction-aversion and also as impatience, fear, anger, envy, disappointment, depression, etc. and then to all mental and emotional distortions.
In our effort to eliminate the desires the questions that arise and need an answer (not intellectual but practical) are: 

How the desire functions and how we identify with it?
How the desire associates images, sensations, impulses, emotions and creates an illusory reality?

What is that or what part of ourselves is that which gives in to the urge of desire for enjoyment and consents to the experience of pleasure? 

What is that or what part of ourselves is that which cannot stand the torturing sensations that creates the desire? 

How can I cancel the mechanism of desire which creates pleasure in mind in order to lead us to the enjoyment of pleasure? 

How can I cancel the torturing mechanism of desire which is pressing us in order to give in and experience the pleasure that desire wants? 

How can dissolve the desire for an object? 

The force of impressions is tremendous. Unless all the impressions are thoroughly burnt through entry into the state of the pure Nirvikalpa Samadhi, it is not safe for one to stay a long time in one’s native place. He will still be in the danger zone.

When Brahman is realised by means of Nirvikalpa Samadhi, then the heart’s knot viz., Avidya (ignorance), Kama (desire) and Karma (action), is destroyed.
~ Swami Sivananda


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