So, the key element that determines our future, is the mind.

The mind has an unsteady, ever changing nature which in sanskrit is called vikriti, because it is filled
with desires, vasanas, and contaminated by lust.
Ayurveda says that we have our prakriti or original nature, our normal state but under the influence of
matter, it turns into vikriti or a distorted, conditioned state. That is why no test can determine our real
prakriti. It is possible only to determine ones vikriti, a conditioned state, a state where we are now.
Similarly, the living entity, the soul, has ones original normal state. But under the influence of various
material desires, it becomes vikriti a distorted, abnormal state.
The Vedas say that this material life is a disease of the soul. And the question is how did we contract the
disease?
And the Vedas further explain the psychology of how our external position, appearance or physical body
changes depending on the state of our mind.
We have senses and they are in contact with the objects of the senses. As soon as we hear, see or
touch something, in other words when we get some impressions, these impressions literally leave
imprints in us. This is called samskara in sanskrit.

And as soon as there is an imprint, some deepening, it immediately gets filled with water, dust, dirt, or
whatever. And this filling is called vasana. Vasana means filled or full of desires.
So, samskara is an impression, and it instantly gets filled with some content. This content can be
spiritual or material.
For example, in the Vedic tradition and in the post-Vedic tradition theres a Pancha Samskara or Dasa
Samskara ceremony that accompanies human life as a spiritual inoculation which immunes or fills one
with spiritual impressions, gives impulses or impetus for spiritual development.
But material samskaras get filled with material desires. For example, if I see someone enjoying, I get the
same desire practically instantly. And what I see impresses me and now these impressions get filled with
desires vasanas.
And that gives rise to vritti. Vritti is a wave of desire, impulse, a certain stereotype of thinking.
The vrittis could be positive or negative. The negative vrittis are called anartha. Anartha is a negative
stereotype of behavior, habits, something that we got used to after long association with material nature
or other people.

Desires are like the seeds, they tend to grow. We see as a plant sprouts from a seed, a tender plant can
even grow through asphalt. Thus the seed of desire grows, smashing everything in its way.
And as the Vedas say, ideally it should sprout, mature and turn into a powerful creeper of bhakti or
devotion and love for God. It breaks even through the coverings of the universe if it is properly watered
with transcendental hearing and chanting. And eventually this vine wraps around Krishnas lotus feet and
gives the fruit of Krishna Prema, pure love of God. It is an ideal use of our energy. Otherwise, these
sprouts of desires grow somewhere else.
And if this vine of desires is not directed to God, to Krishna, it will be growing on various forms, images
and dreams of this mortal material world and will keep us firmly in the world of illusions.
The living entity has a marginal nature. That is why it is important for us in which direction the wind
blows, what influences or impacts us. And that determines either well go up or down into matter.
And the Vedas offer us sadhu-sanga or an association with sadhus or self-realised persons who are
aware of their eternal nature sat. But now we have asat-sanga, an association with impermanence,
with temporary nature.
We have developed a certain taste for material things. And this acquired taste is like a drug addiction,
like a morbid attachment. There should be some external force that would pull us out of asat-sanga and
switch us to another mode of development.
Thus the living entity is marginal by nature, which means that we can develop in either direction
material or spiritual. It is our choice.
This free choice is given to us by God, Krishna. Krishna has unlimited energies. Matter and spirit are His
eternal energies. But one energy reveals Him and the other one hides Him, and it seems that there is no
God.
But because we think in dual categories, we cannot understand simple and complex philosophy at the
same time. We do not understand achintya-bheda-abheda tattva inconceivable oneness and
difference, in relation to the power creation and creator, and also between God and His energies.
We understand only bheda how everything exists apart from God. An abheda understanding is a
higher level of philosophy, which is very difficult to comprehend. One should be beyond duality to
understand abheda.
And this is the reality, there is no difference between the internal spiritual and external material energy.
This is one and the same energy but it manifests itself according to our urge.
At any time we can choose anything we like. We can even transform matter into spirit. The Absolute
Truth covered by Maya or illusion gives an impression that everything around us exists independently of
God and this is called matter, material energy.
But if with the help of knowledge we can connect or trace the material energy back to Krishna, the source
of everything, if we can see the connection and understand that any seemingly material objects, events,
manifestations, functions etc. have the only one source, immediately matter turns into spiritual energy,
matter begins to show the effect of the spirit.
It is the same energy, in the Vedas it is stated: sarvam khalvidam brahma all is Brahman; steam and
ice are one and the same substance water at different temperatures, heat it and water turns into steam,
cool it down and it will turn into ice.

In the spiritual world there is no gross maya, but there is a spiritual energy. And this spiritual internal
energy (bahiranga shakti) and the external material energy (antaranga shakti) are one and the same
energy.
Theres also the marginal energy in the spiritual world the unlimited number of living beings with
freedom of choice.
And therefore as soon as the living entity has a desire to imitate God, and it is only two desires: the
desire to control everything and the desire to enjoy everything, immediately one is facilitated, but in the
lower material energy. Instantly the spiritual energy is transformed into material.
And the question is how can we ever wish for these things if we dont see how someone else does it. I
cannot wish to have a house among the cave dwellers. I may wish to have a house only when I see that
someone else has a house. I cannot wish an ice cream until I see that someone else is eating it.

Only by watching others enjoying can one develop a desire for enjoyment. Its the question of our choice,
and instantly the spiritual energy turns into the material.
Children tend to imitate their parents. Where do I get a desire for an independent sensual pleasure if I do
not see it in front of me? And in the spiritual world the living beings see how Krishna does it constantly,
and seeing it all the time the living beings wish that too.
The problem is that we think of the Absolute reality in dual categories, and so we have constant logical
inconsistencies. One can understand these things only when one rises above the duality. Only the non-
dual consciousness can understand these things.
So, the material desires fill the mind and it determines our future direction. Wrong actions of the body
affect the consciousness and the conditioned consciousness contaminated by twisted material desires
certainly affects the body.
Consciousness and body are two qualitatively different substances, but in this world they are closely
linked through the false ego. So when we perform particular physical actions, it certainly affects the
consciousness. Existence determines consciousness and consciousness determines existence. To focus
on the body and the body will affect the consciousness. To focus on the consciousness and
consciousness will affect the body.
So, the mind is filled with desires, vasanas, and now these accumulated vasanas generate vritti or the
call to action. For example, I can keep and hide my desires to myself but sooner or later they will find
their way our to be fulfilled. And new committed action creates new samskaras impressions.
And now new samskaras again get filled with vasanas, desires, and it leads to new vritti, the new call
to action good or bad. The underlying psychology is the same for everyone: for the materialists and for
the transcendentalists.
Some people get used to the materialistic selfish activities that drag them deeper into a material nature,
while others are getting used to the spiritual activity that brings them closer to Krishna. But the
mechanics are the same
The only difference is that as a result of the spiritual practice the materialistic mind gets digested or
transformed. Just as the food in a stomach gets digested by the thermal energy or the fire of digestion, in
the same way, a subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and ego, gets digested in the process of
devotional service. And such a transformation leads to an entire spiritual self-identification and a person
begins to consider oneself a servant of Krishna.
Just as the pleasant events or samskaras, vasanas and vrittis have a tendency to repeat these
pleasant experiences again and again, so do negative ones.
And since even the basest material things have certain tastes, the living being, weakened by separation
from Krishna, easily gets used to them.
For example, animals can eat decomposed garbage and never complain, they are quite satisfied with it
and ready to eat it again. It means that Krishna as Paramatma, the Supersoul, allows the living entity to
enjoy even the lowest tastes. Jiva can adapt to any taste, but the taste must be there. No one likes
tasteless.
Therefore mechanics of positive and negative samskaras are the same.
Those who practice yoga say: yoga chitta vritti nirodha ie yoga practice frees the mind (chitta) of
various material motives (vrittis).
So when we look at something the samskara, the imprint, the impression takes place, then that imprint
gets filled with desires, the vasanas, then they start to brew. And then the brewed desires make their
way out to turn into actions vrittis. This is a very primitive mechanics.
So how does a purificatory process of yoga system work?
First of all we cant get rid of samskaras, weve seen and tasted a lot of things and all
these samskaras impressions or imprints cant stay unfilled. All our impressions are already filled with
desires. Now these desires, based on material experiences and association start to grow turning into
vrittis, the constant urges, the compulsive behavior.
And since we live in the Kali Yuga, the bad times, our samskaras, vasanas and vrittis are of bad
nature, and therefore we have a lot of bad material attachments.
And the yoga process of purification is called anartha nivritti or the liberation of unwanted vrittis. The
yoga system advises on the one hand to limit or control ones desires to gratify the senses, and on the
other hand to absorb as much spiritual energy as possible like reading spiritual literature, hearing
spiritual discourses, associating with spiritually advanced people etc. And in due course of time one
should replace another, the substitution reaction.
But the secret is that this process is not automatic. Which means that if I dont want to change myself
internally, if I hold on to some of my attachments, Ill never get rid of them no matter how much I try.
The living entity will never get purified if he does not want it. The process of spiritual progress works if a
person wants it to work. The underlying principle is ones desire.
And the key of success in spiritual life is an association, one should find the person with the spiritual
desires and somehow or other get infected by these desires through some service.
In this regard the Bhagavata Purana 1.2.16-18 states:
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great
service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva.
Shri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyones
heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from
the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in
themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
By regular hearing of the Bhagavata Purana and by rendering of service to the pure devotee,
all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the
Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an
irrevocable fact.
In other words, the material desires disappear when Paramatma ( the Supersoul, the
Superconsciousness within us) authorises that what we truly want. Its a big mistake to think that we can
get rid of the material desires and attachments by our own endeavours.
Spiritual life is a very delicate thing, the changes occur in the invisible plane, therefore there should be
some constant serious reflection what, how and why do I do things that I do.
If we cant get purified as quickly as wed like to, then we can try to develop our spiritual awareness in a
passive mode, as a support program, just like the pension accumulation fund.
If we cant progress quickly enough, we can progress at our own slow pace, but still progress. And
spiritual development means that if we cant immediately achieve the desired result of purity, then by
slowly evolving we should become better and better with each passing year, we have to become a little
bit better. Such is a support program.
Sooner or later the material life will break anyway: health, money, family or whatever. It cant be
otherwise, it is the nature of the material world.
This means that if we cannot make the development of spiritual consciousness a priority now, it should
be at least some sort of a support program. If we do not want to solve material problems by spiritual
means, at least we need to learn how to do it for the future.
The moment of truth is inevitable. While we are still young the maya or illusion can affect our brains and
we may not understand everything, but as we slowly but surely move to our old age, it gets quite clear
that the living entity, jiva, which is spiritual by nature, has to find shelter in the spiritual energy, because
the material energy constantly rejects us. It kicks us as a soccer ball from one body to another.
One should clearly understand that no matter how much we may serve matter, it will betray us, it will
reject us. Therefore one should have an alternative shelter.
Krishna is the supreme shelter, and if we cannot renounce everything at once and take His shelter, then
at least we can take it to consideration.
Spiritual development is an accumulation, that is, our perception and understanding of God, Krishna, in
our lives must become more and more, better and better.
And when ones material life crumbles away, then one has a very clear alternative with no illusions, one
has a clear understanding of where to go next.

YOGASARA: La Esencia del Yoga - parte 1

Har un humilde intento por destilar el nctar de las instrucciones del Yoga Sutra,
en lo que se refiere a las bases, fundamentos y tcnicas expuestas por Maharishi
Patanjali, las cuales son gua y referencia de los mtodos de Yoga ms populares en
la actualidad, ponindolas tambin en contexto con otras fuentes principales del
Yoga. Esta esencia, se encuentra particularmente expuesta en los dos primeros
captulos: "Samadhi Pada" y "Sadhana Pada", y son el camino inicial para acceder
luego al Yoga Supremo, el cual est magistralmente expuesto en otro de los textos
fundamentales del Yoga: el Bhagavad Gita, el trascendental dilogo entre Sri
Krishna y su devoto Arjuna.
El trabajo de sistematizacin que realiz Patanjali, le otorg al Yoga el estatus de
ser uno de los seis Darshanas (espejos), las principales corrientes filosficas de la
India.
 Patanjali - arte de Manivelu

As comienza el Yoga Sutra:

Atha yoganushasanam
"Comienza la enseanza sobre el Yoga" - Y.S. I-1

Para que haya una instruccin debe haber un Maestro y un discpulo. El Yoga se
transmite en modalidad Gurukula o Parampara, por sucesin discipular. Patanjali no
est creando el Yoga, l est transmitiendo algo ya establecido, simplemente acta
como compilador de los fundamentos y enseanzas, haciendo las veces de "Guru" a
quien lee o recibe el texto, quien es el "discpulo". Para que estas enseanzas sean
plasmadas con tal refinamiento en estos magistrales aforismos (sutras), deben haber
pasado por una concepcin, desarrollo, investigacin y puesta a prueba, desde
tiempos inconcebibles. Por lo tanto, es absurdo querer datar el origen del Yoga, pues
el Yoga estuvo con la humanidad desde la noche de los tiempos. Baste decir, que se
narra en el Bhagavata Purana, que Brahma, el primer ser creado, recibi instruccin
de hacer austeridades por cientos de aos para purificarse, luego de lo cual, Vishnu,
el Seor Supremo, le revel los secretos del Yoga. Hasta este origen primigenio y
Divino debe rastrearse la fuente del Yoga, que no es otra que el mismo Seor
Supremo, Yogeshvara, el Amo del Yoga.

Continuando el Yoga Sutra, dice el segundo aforismo:

Yogashchittavrittinirodhah
"Yoga es la suspensin (nirodha) de los procesos (vrittis) mentales (chitta)" - Y.S. I-
2

Siempre a sido tomado este aforismo como la definicin de qu es Yoga por

excelencia. Pues bien, permtaseme el atrevimiento de disentir con esta observacin y
darle una interpretacin distinta, pues el Yoga es algo totalmente vivencial y
experiencial, y en base a la experiencia prctica puede luego comprenderse con ms
profundidad su filosofa. Como ejemplo, lo mismo sucede cuando se aprende el
recitado de los textos, el maestro no ensea su significado, primero se aprende a
recitar el snscrito, su fontica, su mtrica, su ritmo (esto sera la prctica), y una vez
aprendido el recitado, se ensea el significado del texto (esto sera la comprensin
que deviene de la experiencia prctica).

Remitindonos a la raz de la palabra Yoga, el significado es "unin", "vnculo",

"conjuncin", por lo tanto, el Yoga me lleva a vincularme o unirme con algo o alguien.
Me propone un tipo de relacin recproca con algo o alguien que est ms all.
Entonces, lo que en realidad est marcando este primer aforismo como instruccin,
no es que Yoga es anular los procesos mentales, sino ms bien, que la base para
profundizar y avanzar en el Yoga es el control mental. Se debe en primera instancia,
hacer foco en la purificacin de la mente, el intelecto, la inteligencia y los sentidos.

Cualquier adepto sincero y serio del Yoga, sabe por experiencia propia, que sin
conquistar la mente, el instrumento del falso ego, Ahamkara, seguir progresando en
el sendero del Yoga es imposible, pues el principal obstculo es la mente. Por esto
mismo Patanjali, advierte apenas comenzar los "Aforismos del Yoga", que se debe
antes que nada controlar la mente y los sentidos, si es que se quiere acceder a las
experiencias superiores descritas en el primer captulo: "Samadhi Pada". Segn las
acepciones de la palabra samadhi, esta puede entenderse como un estado de
conciencia ecunime, balanceado, en armona y conexin con la inteligencia superior,
realizado en su identidad espiritual. Me atrevo entonces a definir "samadhi" como un
"estado de consciencia trascendental vinculada a lo Divino".

Hay tambin que observar, que este primer captulo de los Sutras est dirigido a
adeptos avanzados en el proceso yogico, con una mente estable y meditativa. En el se
describen las distintas experiencias de la consciencia en los varios estados de
samadhi o meditacin profunda. Para quienes todava no estn afianzados en el
proceso, est dirigido el segundo captulo: "Sadhana Pada", el captulo de la prctica,
donde son dadas las tcnicas y herramientas para desarrollar "yoga chitta vritti
nirodha". Todos generalmente, comenzamos en el "Sadhana Pada".

La mente es el campo de batalla inicial, representado por Kurukshetra en el

"Bhagavad Gita", donde los ejrcitos representan los objetos de los sentidos, los
apegos y deseos sensuales. El carruaje de Arjuna representa el cuerpo humano.
Arjuna es el alma individual (jiva), que con su arco est dispuesta a aniquilar el
materialismo. Krishna, el auriga, es la inteligencia superior, que sostiene la riendas
que simbolizan la mente, con las cuales sujeta los caballos, que representan los
sentidos que corren detrs de los objetos de deseo del falso ego, que no es otra cosa
que la mente en estado de ignorancia y oscuridad (avidya).

As entonces, el Yoga inicia con la purificacin fsica y mental, llevando poco a poco al
sadhaka hacia la modalidad sattvica (pureza y bondad). Para ello, las prcticas
iniciales van acompaadas de ciertas normas regulativas que armonizan la conducta
interna y externa con los principios yogicos. Pero hablaremos de ellas ms adelante,
al abordar "Sadhana Pada".
 arte: Manivelu

El Yoga ensea que la mente es un proceso dinmico llevado por un conjunto de

funciones (antah karana), compuesta de "Manas" o funcin consciente, "Buddhi" o
funcin racional, "Chitta" o funcin inconsciente y "Ahamkara o funcin egotista. A
su vez, los procesos mentales estn condicionados por las "Gunas" o modalidades de
la naturaleza: Sattva o pureza, Rajas o actividad y Tamas o inercia. Segn la filosofa
Samkhya, las Gunas no solo constituyen a "Prakriti" (la materia), sino que tambin
rigen las funciones de la mente, e interactuando con esta modifican su actividad. Una
mente "sattvica" tendr la cualidad de la concentracin, atencin, contemplacin,
inteligencia e intuicin. Una mente "rajsica" estar agitada, inquieta, distrada,
disipada. Una mente "tamsica" ser embotada, perezosa, aturdida. Por lo tanto, el
Yoga busca armonizar y equilibrar la influencia de las Gunas e ir estableciendo la
mente en Sattva, la modalidad de la pureza y la bondad. Desde ah, una vez
contrarrestados los vrittis o movimientos, la mente puede enfocarse (ekagrata o
unidireccionalidad), para acceder a samyama: dharana-dhyana-samadhi o
concentracin-meditacin-absorcin, ltimos tres estadios del proceso del Ashtanga
Yoga.

Dice el Bhagavad Gita:

tribhir guna-mayair bhavair ebhih sarvam idam jagat

mohitam nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam
"Engaado por las tres modalidades, el mundo entero no Me conoce a M, que estoy
por encima de las modalidades y que soy inagotable."

daivi hy esha guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya

mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te
 "Esta energa divina Ma, integrada por las tres modalidades de la naturaleza
material, es difcil de superar. Pero aquellos que se han entregado a M, pueden
atravesarla fcilmente."

Conquistar y purificar la mente no es tarea fcil, el proceso requiere de compromiso y

disciplina, y abordar tal vez el Yoga inicindose en la meditacin no es adecuado para
cualquier practicante, de ah la insistencia, de comenzar por las prcticas iniciales de
las normas regulativas y los ejercicios preliminares de asanas y pranayamas. Este
proceso ayuda al sadhaka a eliminar los obstculos o inclinaciones que oscurecen el
corazn. Los samskaras, vasanas y anarthas, son todo aquello que aleja al yogabhyasi
de las ocupaciones del espritu y el vnculo con el Divino.

Segn Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, hay cuatro clases de obstculos:

Tattva-vibhrama: Un concepto errneo de la Verdad.
Asat-trishna: El deseo por metas ilusorias.
Aparadha: las ofensas.
Hridaya-daurbalya: la mezquindad del corazn.
En relacin a esto, y adelantndonos a lo expuesto en el "Sadhana Pada", el Yoga
Sutra expone cinco "Kleshas" (fuentes de afliccin u obstculos):

avidyasmitaragadveshabhiniveshah kleshah - Y.S. II-3

"Las causas de afliccin son ignorancia esencial, conciencia de existencia
individual, pasin, rechazo incontrolado e instinto de supervivencia"

Este aforismo expone los impedimentos para alcanzar el Yoga (vnculo): "Avidya",
ignorancia, considerar lo irreal como real, percepcin distorsionada de las cosas,
tomando lo impuro como puro, los objetos de los sentidos como lo real. "Asmita", la
identificacin con el falso ego, el apego al cuerpo creyendo que es lo que somos,
confundiendo prakriti (materia) con purusha (espritu). "Raga", deseo y apego por los
objetos de los sentidos y la falsa sensacin de seguridad, satisfaccin y pasin que
producen. "Dvesha", aversin, repulsin, intolerancia hacia todo lo que impide la
realizacin de nuestros deseos egostas. "Abhinivesha", anhelo de sobrevivir y miedo
a la muerte, producto de la falsa identificacin con el cuerpo y los objetos de los
sentidos, es el miedo y la inseguridad.
Ms de todos ellos, el ms importante es la ignorancia (avidya), de la cual deca
Paramahansa Yogananda que "es la raz de todos los males y errores".

En el Bhagavata Purana se expone tambin el proceso para superar y eliminar las

aflicciones y la ignorancia:

bhayam dvitiyabhiniveshatah syad ishad apetasya viparyayo 'smritih

tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam bhaktyaikayesham guru-devatma - S.B. XI-2-37

Aqu se explica que debido a la ignorancia, surge el apego hacia el cuerpo y los objetos
de los sentidos, del cual deviene el miedo a perder la falsa seguridad producto de una
concepcin errnea de la realidad. Esto puede superarse tomando refugio en un
Guru, quien al haber transitado el camino para salir de la ignorancia y la ilusin, es
calificado para abrir nuestros ojos a la verdad y el conocimiento real, llevndonos a la
plataforma espiritual. De esa manera, siguiendo las instrucciones del Guru, se
eliminan los obstculos y toda fuente de afliccin.
LA STRUTTURA PSICHICA SECONDO LA PSICOLOGIA
INDOVEDICA di Marco Ferrini (Matsyavatara Dasa).

Secondo la psicologia indovedica la

struttura psichica prevede diversi livelli progressivamente di natura pi sottile: un livello
pi superficiale (manas), di ricezione degli stimoli sensoriali, un livello che agisce come
filtro rispetto a tutte le informazioni sensoriali in entrata e che seleziona le pi importanti
da elaborare ad un livello pi alto, questo il cosiddetto intelletto (buddhi) ed infine un
livello inconscio (citta), deposito di tutte le tracce esperienziali vissute durante le diverse
parentesi di vita. La psiche cos descritta, qualunque sia il livello cui ci si riferisce, non
ha luce propria n consapevolezza, ma materia (prakriti). Essa come un diamante
che solo quando attraversato dalla luce la rifrange e la rende colorata secondo la sua
composizione e purezza. Infatti, cos come le pietre semi-preziose possono rifrangere la
luce solo in parte, la mente non sempre in grado di riflettere completamente la luce
della coscienza, ma pu agire come un prezioso diamante, solo quando resa
trasparente, purificata da tracce negative inconsce (samskara)(1) che determinano
tendenze distorte nella personalit (vasana)(2), creando ostacoli (anartha)(3) alla
elevazione della coscienza. Tutti questi elementi giocano un ruolo contrario alla volont
dell'anima e si frappongono a livello psichico distorcendo il puro fascio luminoso della
coscienza. Da bambini avete mai giocato a riflettere la luce del sole con uno specchio?
Se osservate un fascio di luce riflessa in uno specchio, leffetto abbagliante non
originato da questultimo, che ne solo il rifrattore. Cos la struttura psichica non genera
la personalit, ma la riflette; cos come un oggetto che, riflesso in uno specchio
deformante, produrr unimmagine deformata, similmente la personalit riflessa da una
psiche condizionata apparir anch'essa deformata, patologica. Ecco perch,
concordemente, tutte le pi grandi tradizioni spirituali sottolineano quanto sia
importante la purificazione della psiche (mente e cuore, simbolici siti di pensieri,
emozioni, sentimenti). Quando un individuo porta la propria consapevolezza spirituale
ad un livello pi alto meglio controlla i propri pensieri, emozioni e sentimenti ed evita
cos di venire sbandato da pensieri ed emozioni disturbanti.

(1) Con samskara ci si riferisce ai semi causali dellazione, impressioni psichiche latenti,
tracce esperienziali situate a livello inconscio accumulate durante le diverse parentesi
esistenziali. Il termine di per s non negativo, si possono infatti trovare sia samskara
positivi sia samskara negativi, nel testo ovviamente si precisa la necessit di purificare
la mente da samskara specificatamente negativi.
(2) Tendenze mentali inconsce che muovono lessere allazione, prodotte dall'accumulo
di numerosi samskara simili e che a loro volta producono nuovi samskara della stessa
natura, durante l'esperienza presente e le esistenze precedenti. Il termine di per s non
negativo, si possono infatti trovare sia vasana positive sia vasana negative, nel testo
ovviamente si precisa la necessit di purificare la mente da vasana specificatamente
negative.
(3) Tradizionalmente considerati come i pi veri nemici dell'uomo, i sei anartha, 'ostacoli
(an-) [alla realizzazione dello] scopo (artha)' sono: kama (cupidigia, desiderio, lussuria),
krodha (ira, rancore), lobha (avidit), moha (illusione, smarrimento), mada (superbia)
e matsarya (invidia). Il termine indica anche ci che privo di scopo, significato, finalit.

We can also consider the importance of good example: our personal

behavior influences other people and can induce them to do the same
things. Action carries within itself a principle of repetition and emulation.
This psychological law has a universal value, both on the individual and
on the collective mind. Once we have performed an action, once we have
activated an event, this keeps reproducing itself in the unconscious
memory, where it lies in the form of latent recording, or samskara, to
bubble up in the moments when the ego becomes weaker due to
sleepiness, hunger, tiredness, or some trauma. Thus we should not delude
ourselves about getting rid of an evil action simply by pretending we have
forgotten it.

The merciful person, kripalu, is undoubtedly one who did good for a long time,
until the action shaped by compassion became a habit that structured his
character and destiny, giving him a new birth with that particular tendency. In
other words, compassion is not something that can be improvised on the spot,
but it is structured by performing the corresponding actions. This explains why
individuals are born with specific tendencies or vasanas, why they are born
with natural disposition - for example to music, dancing, singing, painting, and
even to compassion.

Kripa means feeling, even before understanding, that others need us, it is
informing our interlocutors about the reality of things. One who "sees" can
understand if those who are around are blind, victims of illusion. Illusion and
confusion are caused by the anarthas2that, as we have explained in the
introduction, are the direct opposite of the virtues, and seriously compromise
the development of virtues.
2 Traditionally considered as the greatest enemies of man, the six anarthas, (obstacles to the realization of the goal)
are: kama (lust, desire), krodha(anger), lobha (greed), moha (illusion, confusion), mada (arrogance) and matsara (envy,
jealousy).

It is important to know the noble qualities we need to develop in

order to successfully perform the journey of self-realization, but it is also
important to know what are the obstacles along this path, those defects of
the personality that, if not cured and healed, could not only make our
journey a terrible experience, but also prevent us from attaining our
destination. In fact artha means objective, purpose, and anartha is
whatever prevents its attainment.

Kama is the first anartha of the list and coincides with passion, ardent
desire and lust. When a person is victim to kama he is searching for
pleasure, a pleasure that is disconnected from reality and comes as a form
of hallucination that allures the individual. This so-called pleasure cannot
be obtained without great efforts and tribulations, and in any case it
cannot be maintained. Often, to attain it one needs to dilapidate time and
energies, burning resources and substances; sometimes kama causes one
to step over the rights of others, betray one's rules of ethical behavior and
one's values, and as such it will eventually bring acute sufferings.

Krodha is anger that is almost always manifested after the

frustration of kama. As well explained by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita1,
when the desire for egoic gratification is not fulfilled for a reason or
another, then anger originates in its various hues.

In order to put anger to the service of dharma, the cosmic order, it must
be different from a pathological impulse. It should rather be originated
from elevated motivations, for example defending persons or situations
from violence or injustice, or strongly opposing the endangerment of
spiritual principles or values. Even a saintly person can become angry, but
such anger will not explode in unwarranted circumstances and will not
have the destructive and negative results of the pathological type.

Lobha means greed: to be mistakenly convinced of needing something,

while on the contrary it is a false need induced by one's conditionings or
by the surrounding environment. Thus a person who already possesses a
car thinks he needs another one, one who already has two coats believes
he needs to buy a third one, and so on. For example modern literature,
especially the Freudian books, have introduced a very dangerous principle
in society, inducing the masses to believe that sexual activity is a necessity
to be put on the same level of eating or sleeping. Even in so-called cultural
milieus many believe that without satisfying such appetites one becomes
neurotic, and that one should cater to them without making distinctions
between artificial or real causes.

Moha is illusion, the confusion of the mind. Generally it is not perceived

by the individual who, on the contrary, believes he is very clear-headed,
while in fact he is confused and a victim of the frequent psychic
phenomenon caused by a deep conditioning that resides in the
subconscious and distorts vision and understanding of reality.

Mada means conceit and arrogance. This anartha is characteristic of

persons who have a big ego, who do not possess humility and kindness,
and who believe they can find pleasure in oppressing others. In fact, the
knowledge of psychology shows us that authoritarianism is the exact
contrary of authoritativeness and that violent behaviors (whether violence
is subtle or not) hide deep frailties and insecurities, and will obviously
bring sufferings and guilt.

Matsara is the anti-virtue that is known with the name of envy, but is
often present also in its hue of jealousy. It is a typical disease of those who
do not know the law of the remuneration of actions (karma) and only
search for happiness externally: envy includes negative sentiments such
as jealousy, hatred, resentment, and general hostility towards those who
possess something that the envious person does not have and would like
to have. The envious' tendency is to minimize and demean those he feels
are better than him; this destructive attitude is often manifested also on
the objective platform, when a person who is sick with matsara tries to
create obstacles to the "better person" in his projects or initiatives.

The cancer of envy can also affect evolved beings such as the devas -
just think of the story of the Govardhana Hill, where Indra becomes angry
because the cowherds of Vrindavana are offering sacrifices to Krishna
rather than to him. One who is afflicted byanarthas suffers, and a
suffering person is always a cause of suffering for others, too, exactly like
a joyful and harmonious person spreads his beneficial mood also in the
environment around him.

Generally we like to be near people who are not envious, subject to anger,
fault-finding or other similar personality defects. However, while
cultivating the company of elevated person, the sage also makes himself
available to the needy people, although he keeps his distance from those
who do not wish to improve themselves.
Hell is not a physical place but a particularly dark and painful state of
existence; all spiritual traditions state that those who cause pain,
suffering, unease, and discomfort will be subjected to the same pain, the
same suffering, the same discomfort with mathematical symmetry. It's
not about someone's wickedness, it is the Nature of the things that
dictates this universally valid law. The example of the mirror can help us:
make a grimace and the mirror will respond with the same grimace, smile
and the mirror will smile back, beg and the mirror will give you back the
same begging face.

Each anartha that has become a second nature to us, that has become
congenital, must be understood like some inheritance from the previous
lifetime - a problem that we had not solved, a debt still to be paid. The
therapy consists in obtaining the knowledge and practicing the required
virtue under the guidance of a Master who engages us in a sacred service,
giving us the opportunity to apply his teachings by following a method
and a concrete project for our life.

The Masters can offer knowledge because they have realized it; one can
only give what he has. Thus, by following the teachings of an enlightened
person, gradually theanarthas crumble away and give way to virtues. In
this way trust turns into faith and becomes deeply structured in the heart,
because theoretical knowledge is united with practice that confirms the
teachings. By seeing persons who have become healed,our faith in the
therapy grows and we understand that the method is working. However,
the cure must be administered adequately and the two parts, Master and
disciple, must interact harmoniously.