Tuesday, December 27, 2016

THE ELIMINATION OF TAMAS ~ Atman Nityananda

THE ELIMINATION OF TAMAS 

As long as the tamas guna prevails in our mind, no real spiritual progress (in our way towards freedom and unity) is possible in spite of our good intentions.

Tamas is the dark side of the mind and is what causes the greatest obstacles*. It resists and reacts by various ways to impede us achieve a radical transformation in our psychology.

The elimination of the tamas guna from our mind, by tapas, discipline and rigorous sadhana, is the first and most important goal in our spiritual journey. We cannot have a rich inner life and progress in meditation without this requisite -no question about self-realization or liberation.

The elimination of tamas and the gradual increase of sattva is the most important and difficult task in the beginning of our spiritual journey, but it is the necessary foundation of our spiritual transformation and Self-realization. 
 
NOTE
obstacles*: If we don't eliminate the tamas guna from the mind and increase the sattva guna, it is impossible any real progress in spirituality. When tamas is predominant in the mind there is laziness, incoherence, stupor, resistance to change and to practice, lack of discernment, strong identification with the body, mind and sense objects, irresponsibility, doubts, imaginations, our perception is clouded and we may see things upside-down (how much clouded, depends on the quantity of the tamas). We may think that we are advanced, that we have made great progress, that we possess capacities or that we have dissolved some egoic tendencies while we haven't. Intense criticism to the preceptor and other aspirants, gossiping and quarreling are also caused by the tamas guna and are great obstacles for our transformation and the realization of our true nature. That's why the first goal of sadhana is the elimination of tamas and the increase of sattva .

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