Similarly, the indomitable will of the soul burns on even during the downward spiral of our destiny. No matter how small the flame and no matter how dense the darkness around it, it still shines-in fact, due to the contrast, it shines brighter. We must remember that darkness has no power to swallow light. When we are already stricken by misfortune, is it too late to think of working with our samskaras and vasanas and altering our destiny? It is never too late. Unfortunately, we think of altering our destiny only when we are stricken by misfortune. We forget that someday this wheel of fortune will rotate downward and we will need the strength and stamina to push it upward again. The tragedy is that when our positive samskaras result in good fortune-health, wealth, and happiness-we become intoxicated and abuse our body, mind, and senses. Just as with everything else in the world, our positive and negative samskaras and their influence on our life are in constant flux.
#Et affectus english translation full
Our mind is a warehouse of positive and negative samskaras, and it is up to us whether or not we exercise our willpower and determination to strengthen or eliminate a particular group of them.Ĭan negative samskaras be eradicated so they don’t resurface? Is it advisable to erase them? Yes, negative samskaras can be eradicated, provided you learn to capture those bright and delightful moments when the positive samskaras are in full bloom. In the long journey of life, we have performed all kinds of actions-right and wrong, good and bad. Good deeds create positive samskaras, bad deeds create negative ones. But if destiny were really unalterable, then why bother to do anything in life? It is only because destiny is alterable that swamis, pandits, gurus, priests, astrologers, and palmists are in business.įinally, your question seems to be motivated by the belief that all samskaras are negative. To those who lack self-trust and self-confidence, destiny cannot be altered. If we commit ourselves to inertia and make no effort to discover an alternative, then these subtle impressions of our past deeds will have the force of destiny. You can clearly see that these samskaras and vasanas are our own creation. Now we have little choice but to see ourselves and the world in accordance with these potent impressions from our past deeds. When even our discriminatory faculty, the intellect, is colored and we spontaneously and effortlessly think, speak, and act in accordance with those colored perceptions, then the samskaras have become vasanas (literally, “color” or “coloring agent”). The contents of our mind color our perception of ourselves and others. When our habit patterns become so ingrained that they alter our body chemistry, it is called "addiction." When our mental world is totally under the influence of these powerful impressions they become the determining factors of our personality, and due to these samskaras we perceive this world in our habitual ways. And without introspection or retentive power we fail to discover the realm of the mind where these samskaras are stored. When our habit patterns become so ingrained that they alter our body chemistry, it is called “addiction.” When they become strong enough to alter our thinking process, it is called “samskara.” At this stage we no longer remember when or how this process started. We all have seen how our habit patterns subtly yet powerfully motivate our thoughts, speech, and actions. The stronger the habit, the less mastery we have over our mind when we try to execute an action that is contrary to our habit patterns. Each time the action is repeated, the impression becomes stronger.
This process is beautifully explained by the literal meaning of the word “samskara.” The prefix sam means well planned, well thought out, and kara means “the action under-taken.” Thus, “samskara” means “the impression of, the impact of, the action we perform with full awareness of its goals.” When we perform such an action, a subtle impression is deposited in our mindfield. In other words, it is the intention behind the action that gives power to that action. Actions that we perform with full awareness are the ones that make the greatest impression on our mind. As long as we are alive, we continuously perform actions, but not all of them contribute to the formation of samskaras. Samskaras are the subtle impressions of our past actions.
But if you are a fatalist, having no confidence in self-effort, then you will remain a victim of your samskaras. If you make the best use of all the potential you have as a human being, you avoid the effects of your samskaras. Is a something you must live with because it is your destiny? Or is it like an old glove that you can avoid putting on? It depends on you.
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