HOW EGO & DESIRE CAUSE SUFFERING ~ Atman Nityananda

HOW EGO & DESIRE CAUSE SUFFERING

 The ego and desires crause suffering by three ways:

1. By the transformation of desire itself into pain-body; viz. anger, fear, depression, greed, jealousy, sadness and all other well known psychological disorders. These psychological disorders when are activated make us experience enormous suffering.
 
2. By committing sinful actions in order to fulfill our desires. These actions create painful situations and conditions in the future (karma). We can reincarante for example in a sick body or in a problematic family or country.

3. By overusing and misusing the senses, body, mind and prana. This cause physical, vital and mental diseases. 

Desire and lust are the beginning, the middle and the end of human suffering.

The three stages of desire mechanism

First desire creates in us a sense of incompleteness, that something is missing, a sense of discontentment, uneasiness and boredom which is the beginning of suffering.

Subsequently the suffering of desire takes the form of expectations, imaginations, impatience, anxiety and agitation of mind (compulsive thinking). That happens when the impulse of desire arises in our mind and outer heart.

Finally the suffering of desire takes the form of fear, anger and depression.

Fear

Fear arises when there is possibility not to get the desired object or to lose it when we have succeeded in getting it. In addition desire transforms itself into anger when something or someone obscures the fulfillment of desire.

Anger & depression

If we lose or not get the desired object, desire itself is modified into anger, hatred, aggressiveness, violence followed by disappointment, depression, sadness etc.

Usually when the desire is fulfilled there is for a while a sense of euphoria, satisfaction, contentment and happiness* which are followed again by the feelings of emptiness, lack, discontentment, uneasiness and the fear of losing the desired object.

Thus a vicious cycle is created by desire which starts and ends with suffering. There are only some intervals in which we feel content, happy or peaceful and which last very little.

This vicious cycle of the suffering created by desire is going on without a break until we are aware of it and by diligent practice we get free of it.

It is very important to mention here that desire keeps us in its clutches by making us believe that happiness and pleasure are inherent in the sense objects and the external situations.

This is the greatest illusion because there is not even an iota of pleasure and happiness in the objects. The ego-desire creates this illusion by projection, association, superimposition, identification and imagination.

Lack of discernment and inattention keep this play of ego and desire out of our conscious observation; thus the desire mechanism functions unobstructed. 

The familiar sense ‘I am the body’ or ‘the body is me’, known as ‘ego’ or ‘Iness’ is created by the mechanism of pleasure. This pleasure-energy in the form of ‘Iness’ or ego identifies us with the physical body and make us believe that we are the physical body while in reality is the self-existence consciousness which animates the body and gives to it aliveness.

Like-dislike, attraction-aversion and attachment are also attendants and modifications of the mechanism of pleasure-lust-desire-passion.

There is only one way to escape of this miserable way of living; to purify our mind and heart of all egoic qualities, to realize our true nature which is consciousness and identical with the Divine consciousness and live with love, peace and harmony within and without.

 May God bless you realize the truth in this very life!

NOTE:

contentment and happiness* : Happiness always comes from within our heart, is an innate attribute of our true nature or consciousness, but we do not experience it because our mind is always outgoing, agitated and we are always in a state of emotional turmoil.

 The happiness and the contentment we experience when a desire is fulfilled, derives also from within ourselves, the Soul, and has nothing to do with the object of desire.

When a desire is fulfilled and we enjoy the desired object there is no separation between us and the object and thus all mental and emotional agitation (fantasies, imaginations, projections, expectations, anxiety, agony, fear, impatience etc.) subside. Thus the mind for a while becomes calm, concentrated and introverted. In this mental state the mind naturally reflects the happiness of our inner Self or Consciousness. But we do not recognize it because the ego (with the aid of tamas guna) puts a veil on this process and thus we unconsciously associate the happiness with the object. We think that happiness comes from the object itself or at least that depends on the object. This has as a result we to condition our subconscious to seek happiness through similar experiences and in general through objective experiences.

Extract from How-we-are-caught-in-samsara

OM! WHO IS A JIVANMUKTA ( a man liberated-in-life.) - Adisankaracharya

 

WHO IS A JIVANMUKTA ( a man liberated-in-life.)

In the next verses of his book Vivekachudamani Adisankaracharya defines the nature of a Jivanmukta.

423. If the heart’s knot of ignorance is totally destroyed, what natural cause can there be for inducing such a man to selfish action, for he is averse to sense-pleasures ?

424. When the sense-objects excite no more desire, then is the culmination of dispassion. The extreme perfection of knowledge is the absence of any impulsion of the egoistic idea. And the limit of self-withdrawal is reached when the mind-functions that have been merged, appear no more.

425. Freed from all sense of reality of the external sense-objects on account of his always remaining merged in Brahman; only seeming to enjoy such sense-objects as are offered by others, like one sleepy, or like a child; beholding this world as one seen in dreams, and having cognition of it at chance moments – rare indeed is such a man, the enjoyer of the fruits of endless merit, and he alone is blessed and esteemed on earth.

426. That Sannyasin has got a steady illumination who, having his soul wholly merged in Brahman, enjoys eternal bliss, is changeless and free from activity.

427. That kind of mental function which cognises only the identity of the Self and Brahman, purified of all adjuncts, which is free from duality, and which concerns itself only with Pure Intelligence, is called illumination. He who has this perfectly steady is called a man of steady illumination.

428. He whose illumination is steady, who has constant bliss, and who has almost forgotten the phenomenal universe, is accepted as a man liberated in this very life.

429. He who, even having his mind merged in Brahman, is nevertheless quite alert, but free at the same time from the characteristics of the waking state, and whose realisation is free from desires, is accepted as a man liberated-in-life.

430. He whose cares about the phenomenal state have been appeased, who, though possessed of a body consisting of parts, is yet devoid of parts, and whose mind is free from anxiety, is accepted as a man liberated-in-life.

431. The absence of the ideas of "I" and "mine" even in this existing body which follows as a shadow, is a characteristic of one liberated-in-life.

432. Not dwelling on enjoyments of the past, taking no thought for the future and looking with indifference upon the present, are characteristics of one liberated-in-life.

433. Looking everywhere with an eye of equality in this world, full of elements possessing merits and demerits, and distinct by nature from one another, is a characteristic of one liberated-in-life.

434. When things pleasant or painful present themselves, to remain unruffled in mind in both cases, through the sameness of attitude, is a characteristic of one liberated-in-life.

435. The absence of all ideas of interior or exterior in the case of a Sannyasin, owing to his mind being engrossed in tasting the bliss of Brahman, is a characteristic of one liberated-in-life.

436. He who lives unconcerned, devoid of all ideas of "I" and "mine" with regard to the body, organs, etc., as well as to his duties, is known as a man liberated-in-life.

437. He who has realised his Brahmanhood aided by the Scriptures, and is free from the bondage of transmigration, is known as a man liberated-in-life.

438. He who never has the idea of "I" with regard to the body, organs, etc., nor that of "it" in respect of things other than these, is accepted as one liberated-in-life.

439. He who through his illumination never differentiates the Jiva and Brahman, nor the universe and Brahman, is known as a man liberated-in-life.

440. He who feels just the same when his body is either worshipped by the good or tormented by the wicked, is known as a man liberated-in-life.

441. The Sannyasin in whom the sense-objects directed by others are engulfed like flowing rivers in the sea and produce no change, owing to his identity with the Existence Absolute, is indeed liberated.

442. For one who has realised the Truth of Brahman, there is no more attachment to the sense-objects as before: If there is, that man has not realised his identity with Brahman, but is one whose senses are outgoing in their tendency.

443. If it be urged that he is still attached to the sense-objects through the momentum of his old desires, the reply is – no, for desires get weakened through the realisation of one’s identity with Brahman.

444. The propensities of even a confirmed libertine are checked in the presence of his mother; just so, when Brahman, the Bliss Absolute, has been realised, the man of realisation has no longer any worldly tendency.”

Om! SELF-REALIZATION or ENLIGHTENMENT and the EGO / Atman NItyananda

 

SELF-REALIZATION or ENLIGHTENMENT and the EGO

Although great teachers like Adisankaracharya, Swami Sivananda and Sri Ramana Maharshi have made very clear what is the nature of Self-realization, unfortunately many western teachers have created their own idea about Self-realization. Some do not accept the necessity of purification of the mind and others doesn't mention the necessity of complete eradication of the ego and all agoic tendencies (vasanas). Some claim that even after Self-realization the ego remains but in the periphery. All these are are false ideas of unenlightened teachers whose mind resists to see the truth.

Lets see some quotes of these three great beings about Self-realization or libeartion or enlightenment (they are synonymous terms.

Sri Ramana Maharshi said:

"It is not by a single realization, ‘I am not the body but the atman’ that the goal is reached. Do we become high in position by once seeing a king? One must constantly enter into samadhi and realize one‘s Self and completely blot out the old vasanas and the ego, before he becomes the Self."

Therefore meditate!"

"The death of the ego in the unlimited Silence ( the non-dual Truth) and the shining forth of the Self is the attainment of Oneness (Kaivalya-Siddhi ). In that State of Jnana, pure Bliss will gloriously blaze forth as one’s own True Nature."

In his famous 40 verses says:

"He who, having completely lost the ego, sees the Self, has found God, because the Self does not exist apart from God."

"All religions postulate the three fundamentals, the world, the soul, and God, but it is only the one Reality that manifests Itself as these three. One can say, 'The three are really three' only so long as the ego lasts. Therefore, to inhere in one's own Being, where the 'I', or ego, is dead, is the perfect State."

In the above sayings Sri Ramana Maharahi makes very clear that Self-realization is reached when all vasanas and ego itself are completely dissolved! There alre many other quotes in which Sri Ramana says the same thing.

There are similar declarations of Swami Sivananda:

" A Jivanmukta* is a liberated sage. He is emancipated while living. He has cut off all bonds.

He has destroyed his mind. He is in a state of mindlessness. He is absolutely free. He has identified himself with Brahman or the Absolute Consciousness. He has no identification with the body. He is free from egoism, lust, anger, greed, selfishness, pride, likes, dislikes, exhilaration or depression.

NOTE: " In the spiritual teachings of east, who has achieved Self-realization or enlightenment is called Jivanmukta.

Adisankaracharya in his book Vivekachudamani says:

299. So long as one has any relation to this wicked ego, there should not be the least talk about Liberation, which is unique.

300. Freed from the clutches of egoism, as the moon from those of Rahu, man attains to his real nature, and becomes pure, infinite, ever blissful and self-luminous.

301. That which has been created by the Buddhi extremely deluded by Nescience, and which is perceived in this body as "I am such and such" – when that egoism is totally destroyed, one attains an unobstructed identity with Brahman.

303. As long as there is a trace of poisoning left in the body, how can one hope for recovery ? Similar is the effect of egoism on the Yogi’s Liberation."

"317... the destruction of desires is Liberation, and this is considered as Liberation-in-life."

We see that in these sayings there is not any doubt that Self-realization requires a complete dissolution of the ego and all egoic tendencies (Vasanas - anger, desires, fear, greed, pride etc.)!

READ ALSO THE NEXT POST: WHO IS A JIVANMUKTA (LIBERATED)