Thus, in a highly philosophical sense, we may say that every perception is an
attachment. And, it is held that a total absence of attachment would bring about a
total cessation of perception of things. We will not be even aware that things exist
when our attachment completely ceases. But this is a very advanced condition of the
mind where it will be completely oblivious of externality, because that state
supervenes only when the unconscious comes to the conscious level, as
psychoanalysts tell us, and we become complete masters of what we are. At present,
we are not masters of ourselves; we are slaves. We think we have freedom, though
our so-called freedom is only a conscious motivation of unconscious urges inside.
This is very difficult to understand because when we are completely subject to a
particular force, we cannot know that we are so subject. That is the difficulty. But this
is what has actually happened. The automatic functions of the body are themselves
proof of our inability to control the system. We cannot change the course of the
movement of the heart, or the lungs, or the digestive system, or even the brain cells;
they have to work according to their own fashion. So what control have we over
ourselves, although we say we are masters? Well, that is a different question. The
point is that there is a subjection of the very structure of the body-mind complex to
the forces that are responsible for its birth. And, these forces are responsible for the
experiences thereof in respect of objects, and they are the causes of perception.
Therefore, go back to the cause. We will find that there is a cause behind every cause.
There is a long linkage of these causative factors, and unless the precedent cause is
rectified, the ensuing effect cannot be controlled. While abhinivesa is caused by raga
and dvesha, that again is caused by asmita, and asmita is caused by avidya. Thus,
this ignorance, the source which is avidya, has to be overcome by deep meditation,
for which purpose the sutras are expounded.
Tad abhāvāt saṁyogābhāvaḥ (II.25). Samyoga, or contact with objects, ceases when
avidya ceases. Then, we will not desire things. The desire for things is due to the loss
of the essentialities of our own being. Some aspects of consciousness have been
screened over by the presence of the urges within. And, these aspects of oneself,
which have been so screened, become causes for desires.
Every effort is born of avidya, so the question is: How are we to work on this avidya?
Even the understanding of the intellect is permitted by the structure of avidya at a
particular time. For this, graduated steps are suggested. A sudden stroke cannot be
dealt to avidya; that is not possible. It is a very slow process of a gradual digging into
the depth of our difficulties. These stages are what are known as the stages of yoga:
yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. A
very scientific recipe is provided to us here, for gradual extrication of consciousness
from the clutches of objects. The extrication should be very gradual. It should not be
suddenly done, because if the conditions of the previous stage have not been fulfilled,
the next step cannot be taken. Every level of existence has a law of its own, and we
have to fulfil the law of that particular stage in which we are. We cannot go above it
and say, “I belong to another realm.” That will not be possible, because we belong to
that realm of which we are conscious. If we do not belong to a particular realm, we
will not be even conscious of it.
There is no use saying, “I do not belong to this world. I belong to Brahmaloka.” This
is not true, because we do belong to this world, which is proved by the fact that we