it. Suddenly, a phenomenon can arise. Though it is a very logical consequence of
certain causes, it will remain outside the purview of our understanding because the
logical deductions that we make are linear in their fashion and not organic in their
structure. But, the world is organic. Everything is organic in life, which means to say
there is an interrelatedness of causes mutually determining one another, so that
anything can be called a cause if it is pinpointed exclusively.
As is the intention in the teaching of this sutra, the remote causes, though they
cannot be easily discovered, will come to the purview of one’s vision if the immediate
causes are first discovered. There are immediate causes as well as remote causes. The
remote causes can be ignored for the time being, and we can concern ourselves with
the immediate cause. What is the immediate reason behind a particular event that
has taken place, as far as it can be visible to the eyes or intelligible to the mind? Then,
a proper step has to be taken to rectify the situation which has become the immediate
cause of a particular experience. The experience that we are referring to here is
nothing but the manifestation of a vritti in the mind in the direction of an object of
sense, or any kind of individualistic satisfaction.
Generally, an impulse is not absent in any person. Every impulse is present in every
person, just as every disease is in everybody, only it manifests itself in some and in
others it does not manifest itself due to unfavourable circumstances. Likewise,
everyone has every desire. No one is free from any desire; but in some, certain
desires can manifest themselves, whereas in others they cannot, due to the
circumstances in which they live. The physical, psychological and social conditions,
etc. have something to say about the time and the manner in which a particular
impulse can reveal itself outside. When a particular urge is felt inside, it means that
favourable conditions for its manifestation are ready, on hand. Unless conditions are
favourable, the urge will not manifest itself.
The very fact that we have an impulse inside shows that there is a chance of its
fulfilment; otherwise, it will not show its head. It is very clear. The chances of the
fulfilment of an impulse may be very remote. The fulfilment of an impulse may not
be immediately possible, but the impulse is more intelligent than our intelligence and
it can sense the presence of contributory, helpful factors more easily than our
intellect, in its gross functioning, can understand. The instincts are more powerful
than our understanding. That is why the understanding goes down into the pit when
the instinct comes up. The instinct is very sensitive—extremely sensitive—to the
presence of the objects and the instruments which will help in its fulfilment. We have
to infer the proximity of these factors which are necessary for the fulfilment of an
impulse when the impulse rises. Then it is that we have to go into the diagnostic
action of the case. “Why has this impulse arisen? Something is happening; I am in
the proximity of something.” When we feel the warmth of the atmosphere, we must
infer that the sun is about to rise; otherwise, from where has this warmth come?—
and so on. The presence of an impulse in the direction of a particular form of
satisfaction is the indication that we are in the midst of certain types of atmospheres
which are helpful to its fulfilment.
Then, what are we supposed to do? There are two things to be done. Number one, an
investigation has to be made immediately as to why this has happened. A careful
probe into the psychic atmosphere will reveal what sort of factors are present in our
proximity which have brought this impulse out—just as a magnet, by its mere