136. Delusion of Polarities

Krishna says, "All beings are subject to delusive ignorance (sammohanam) by the delusion of the pairs of opposites (dwandwa-mohana) springing from longing and aversion (iccha-dwesha)" (7.27). There are two fundamental delusions we are subject to. One is caused by three gunas (yoga-maya) and the other by polarities of longing and aversion. When one is transcended, another is automatically crossed. 

Ignorance is the first level of delusion and misery is the consequence. This misery is nothing but the pain one gets -maybe with a time lapse while chasing its polar opposite of pleasure. The next level of delusion is suppression where one gets trained to put up a brave or borrowed face to show the outside world that one is free of polarities of longing and aversion. They even look down on others and Krishna earlier termed them as hypocrites (3.6). But the reality is that these suppressions are hidden inside and come out at a weak moment. 

To attain the final state of witness like a jnani, Krishna gives the path to overcome these delusions and says, "But those men of virtuous deeds, their sins obliterated, they, freed from the delusion of pairs of opposites, worship Me steadfastly" (7.28). It's being nimitta matra (an instrument in the hands of all mighty) by surrendering to paramatma. 

A point to be noted is that in a given circumstance, a jnani and a deluded might behave in a similar manner of ignorance or suppression but the difference is internal. Jnani attains an internal balance between pleasure-pain; profit-loss; victory-defeat and doesn't have any karma-bandhan (bondage of action). Deluded is imbalanced and his karma-bandhan is like writing on stone having a long lasting impact. This makes our understanding tough as examples rarely help.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1. Start with Ahankaar

Image
Bhagavad Gita is a 700 verse conversation between Lord Krishna and Warrior Arjun in the battle field of Kurukshetra.  Just before the start of war, Arjun gets the feeling that war would kill many of his friends and relatives and argues that this is bad from many points of view.  Arjuns dilemma eminates from his presumption that " I am doer" - Aham karta and is also known as Ahankaar . This Ahankaar keeps us telling that we are distinct, but reality is different. Though ego is usually given as meaning to Ahankaar , but ego can be taken as one of many manifestations of Ahankaar . The entire conversation is about this Ahankaar , be it directly or indirectly and Krishna gives various paths and milestones (yardsticks) to get rid of it. If we take Kurukshetra war as a metaphor, all of us enter into a situations, like Arjun did, in our daily lives be it in family, work place and interms of health, wealth, relationships etc. As long as one lives, these dilemmas are natu
Read more

179. Shifting Goalposts

Image
A doctor, working at a mental hospital, took a friend to show him the hospital. His friend saw a man in a room with a photo of a woman and the doctor explained that the man loved that woman and got mentally unstable when he couldn't marry her. In the next room, there was another man with the same woman's photo and the doctor explained that he got mentally unstable after he married her. This ironic story explains how fulfilled and unfulfilled desires can have similar disastrous consequences.  The same thing happened with Arjun. At the beginning of the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita titled ' Vishwaroopa Darshana yoga ', he wanted to see Krishna in HIS original form. But he was frightened when he saw the Vishwaroopam of Krishna. Shaken, Arjun now desires to see Krishna in his human form. Similarly, our goalposts in life keep shifting with time. Krishna shows his Vishwaroopam in which Arjun sees that all his enemies are entering into the mouth of death.
Read more

194. HE Dwells in Hearts of All

Image
Krishna says, "'That which is to be known' is the Sustainer, Destroyer and Creator of beings; indivisible and yet existing as if divided in living beings (13.17). The Light of lights; Beyond the darkness. He is knowledge, the object and the goal of knowledge. He dwells in the hearts of all (13.18). Realising this, My devotee attains My Being" (13.19). "He dwells in the hearts of all" was dealt with earlier when Krishna said that he who has perfected in yoga finds the wisdom in the self (4.38). Shraddha-vaan (one with Shraddha ) and Jitendriya (one who conquered senses) obtain wisdom leading to parama-shanti (supreme peace) (4.39). The ignorant, devoid of Shraddha is ruined and there is no happiness for him in this world or another (4.40). HE is indivisible and yet exists as if divided in the living beings, the inability to comprehend this at the existential level is the source of misery. It is like the proverbial elephant and five blind men w
Read more