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Avidya
“Avidya
is like a deeply rooted tree with four thick branches. The first branch
is called asmita, or Ego. This is the part of us that seeks its own
interests. It considers itself better than others, is bruised when it
does not get its own way, and generally causes us to identify with this
earthly body and the life it is living. It has no wider perspective than
that.
The
second branch is called raga and is best translated as
Desire or Attachment. This is the part that constantly wants
what it does not have. It desires what it does not really
need and seeks to accumulate merely for the sake of it. It
makes us unsatisfied and causes us to continually compare
ourselves unfavorably with others. If we are wealthy, we are
unhappy because somebody else is wealthier still. And so
on....
The
third branch is called dvesa or Refusal. This is like the
recoil response. Whatever negative experiences we have had
in life make us afraid of repeating them again in case the
same result occurs. It can make us reject people, situations
and possibilities that just might cause us pain again. In
one person, it may be the fear of forming relationships with
the opposite sex. In another, it may be a fear of public
speaking as a result of negative childhood experiences.
The
fourth and last branch on the tree of Avidya is called
abhinivesa or Fear. These are specifically fears that are
not caused by previous experience. For example, we may fear
change, or growing old, or that we may lose everything we
worked so hard to earn. In other words, things we may never
have experienced before.
Avidya,
in all its subtle forms, works within us constantly to root
us in our habitual ways and make improvement difficult or
impossible. The more we indulge Avidya, the stronger it
becomes. Eventually, we feel that we are no longer the doer
of these things; they simply happen to us. A person can
attract one disastrous relationship after another, or
continually experience uncontrollable rage under certain
stimuli and feel that it is nothing directly to do with
them. It is just bad luck. The person fails to see that
there is only one person responsible for everything that
happens!
So
what can we do? If Avidya obscures and clouds, it clearly
must be obscuring something. Yoga philosophy calls this
something purusa. In the West, we know it as the
"Higher Self" or "the Silent Observer,"
the true divine spirit that lies within each of us. The
task, therefore, is to bring Purusa out and live from it
moment by moment. By doing this, we minimize the effects of
the four forms of Avidya. A Spiritual Master is one who has
completely uprooted the tree of Avidya forever and sees
things as they really are. Thus, one of the names for the
Buddha is "The Awakened One."
How do
we increasingly live from Purusa — the highest within us?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali suggest three methods. The
first is actual practice of Yoga — both the physical
postures and the breathing exercises. If this is something
you feel comfortable with, it is definitely worth
considering. There are many physical and mental benefits to
be gained from a regular practice of Yoga, no matter how
simple. However, be sure to consult your doctor before even
contemplating such a regime, especially if you are over 40
and have never done it before. Yoga should only ever be
learned in the beginning from a live teacher. Books are
helpful as a supplement but should never replace live
tutoring. Regular Yoga does progressively diminish the force
of Avidya in our lives.
The
second method is through self-examination. Regular
contemplation of our actions and habitual thought patterns
will awaken us to take increasing responsibility for our
lives. Meditation is one excellent method that can help. So
too can keeping a journal of our progress. Activities like
these can break the habitual stimulus-response cycle and
place that moment of choice back in between the two [parts
of that cycle]. In other words, instead of responding
automatically as we usually do, we can choose in that moment
to act differently. Instead of remaining creatures of habit,
we become increasingly conscious and responsible.
The
third method is to create a certain detachment to the
actions of our life, and almost become an external observer.
Rather than being an active participant, taking our hopes
and dreams terribly seriously, we become more like an actor
in a play, playing the part the best we can. This form of
spiritual detachment does not mean we under-perform in life
in any way. It merely means that we become more detached and
objective about the movement of our lives; less elated when
things go right and less distraught when disaster occurs. In
this way, the ego, and indeed all aspects of Avidya, are
progressively weakened.
In
truth, all three methods work best together. However, one or
other approach can prove immensely beneficial. For most of
us, Avidya will remain to some extent throughout our lives.
However, the more we can live from the true spirit within,
the Purusa, the more authentically we live our lives. We
relate to others better, make better decisions, and the hold
of ignorance upon our lives gradually diminishes. We become
the best person we can possibly be and thereby benefit the
world. Surely that is the goal of life?”
Asoka
Selvarajah, Ph.D., www.aksworld.com
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