Avidya has 4 daughters, Ahamkara (Egoism),
Raga (like, attraction), Dvesha (dislike, aversion) and Abhinivesa (clinging to
earthly life). The root cause of human suffering is Avidya. Avidya means
ignorance. On account of Avidya you identify yourself with the body, wife,
children, house, property, etc. From Avidya came Ahamkara (Egoism), the
self-asserting principle.
In Patanjali Yoga Darsana, Ahamkara is called
Asmita. On account of Avidya and Ahamkara you have forgotten your essential
nature, your original Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahmic nature. This Avidya is
beginningless, superimposition. It is beginningless but has an end as soon as
Brahmajnana (Direct knowledge or realization of Brahman) dawns. Brahman, the source
(Yoni) for this world, Vedas and everything is Anadi, Anantam (beginningless
and unlimted). This Avidya is a mere superimposition on Brahman. It has no
independent existence. It depends upon Brahman for its phenomenal existence.
The world is an effect of Avidya.
Modifications of Avidya
Ahamkara, Raga-Dvesha, Abhinivesa (clinging
to life), attachment, desire, Kamana (longing), hope, anticipation, Trishna
(craving), Vasana (subtle desire), Chapalata, Vanchana, body, mind, Buddhi,
Chitta, Indriyas, are all modifications of Avidya.
Ahamkara manifests, Raga, Dvesha
As soon as Ahamkara manifests, Raga, Dvesha
(like and dislike, love and hatred, attraction and repulsion) immediately come
in. Wherever there is Ahamkara, there are Raga, Dvesha, side by side.
The function
of Ahamkara is identification (Abhimana). Dehadhyasa (identification with body), Shastrabhimana (identification
with scriptures), Desabhimana (identification
with country) are all varieties of Abhimana.
When you identify yourself with the body,
Dehadhyasa comes in. Dehadhyasa is mistaking the body for the Self or pure
Atman. It is attachment to the body. This is removed by starting the
anti-current Aham-Brahma-Asmi-"I am Brahman" Bhavana, constantly.
Ahamkara
also is of two kinds, viz., Suddha (pure) Ahamkara and Asuddha (impure)
Ahamkara.
Suddha
Ahamkara is pure egoism which identifies
itself with Brahman (pure Sat-Chit-Ananda)
existence. This will not bind a man. This
will lead to Moksha. This is termed Moksha-ahamkara.
Asuddha
(impure) Ahamkara identifies
itself with physical body. Wherever there is Ahamkara, there are Vasanas also
side by side. Vasanas are subtle desires, that are hidden inside the mind and
causal body. Vasanas are Sukshma (subtle). Desires are gross (Sthula). That is the
difference between a Vasana and a desire.
Vasana strengthens the egoism. Vasana is the enemy
of peace. Vasana is the seed for birth and death. Vasana lies at the bottom of
all miseries, tribulations and sufferings. Even if you are the Emperor of a
vast dominion you cannot have peace of mind (Shanti). Peace of mind comes from eradication of Vasanas (Vasanatyaga).
Tyaga
(renunciation) does not
consist in the abandoning of physical objects. It consists in the renunciation of
Vasanas inside the mind. Then comes peace (Santi, Sama).
Worldlings search outside in illusory objects
for their peace like the deers, which search for water in the mirage.
Eradication of Vasanas brings about annihilation of the mind (Manonasa). Then dawns Tattva Jnana (Self-knowledge,
realization of Atman).
Degrees of
desire
Trishna is intense intense craving. Suppose
you have 10 thousand dollars in hand, you want to increase it to 20 thousand dollars.
This is Trishna.
Kashaya and Vasana are synonymous terms.
Iccha is desire. Kamana also means the same. Suppose you have no sweater in
winter. Then an Iccha arises to get a sweater. You cannot call this Trishna.
Chapalata is a variety of Iccha. The most common
Chapalatas are Jihva Chapalata (Chapalata of the tongue) and Upastha Chapalata (Chapalata of the
reproductive organ). In some persons the tongue wants every now and then to eat
some thing or other. This is Jihva Chapalata. In Upastha Chapalata, the reproductive
organ wants to repeat again and again coition for Sparsa enjoyment.
When attachment (Aasakti) for orange goes
away, longing (Kamana) dies by itself. But Raga or preference will remain. Whenever
somebody offers various kinds of fruits you will show preference for orange.
You must remove preference also. It takes a long time.
Raga comes because you like the object, the
object is favourable to you. Dvesha comes because you dislike the object, the
object is unfavourable. You want to possess and enjoy those objects which are favourable
and to throw away those things which are unfavourable.
Iccha, longing, attachment, Chapalata, Vancha
are all hidden in Raga. These are all attendants of Raga. They are all
expansions of Raga. They are all modifications of Raga. The cause of Raga (or its
root) is Vasana.
In Yoga Vasishtha it is described that fear
is an old-standing associate of Raga and that it is hidden in Raga. Some say
that it is an associate of hatred. If Ahamkara goes away, Raga-Dvesha will
disappear.
In a Jnani (Liberarated, Enlightened) all Vasanas are
fried up. So he has no Raga for any object.