The association of a particular sense object over and over again creates a sense of craving for it. If you are used to drinking coffee every morning, then even though you are not born with a coffee fervour you have begun a habit within you that has created a craving. How did it all start? The habit of drinking coffee didn’t happen in one day! Addiction starts with a repeated experience of a particular object. It becomes a habit — and the nature of habit is that it does not give you joy. It gives pain.
The repeated experience or association of a particular sense object makes you want it more. You think about it — and it creates a sensation of more wanting. Wherever you put your attention in the nervous system, the craving for that begins. With association comes desire. And with desire comes anger. Whenever a person is angry, behind that anger is a desire. So you get angry with somebody.
The next step is that you get attached. Now, whoever you are angry with, sooner or later you will regret. Regret brings more attachment. By regretting, you do not move away from the person or situation, you move more into it. All this happens in a subtle way. Have you ever observed that whoever you are angry with or hate, you think of that person more than yourself? On the other hand, if you think of someone you love, you Obsession brings anger which in turn brings entanglement. Entanglement clouds intellect. Your wisdom and judgement are lost; your ability to understand and assess the situation is lost. Entanglement, whether out of craving or aversion, clouds the intellect. And a distorted intellect doesn’t let you be in peace. Such an intellect does not even bring up subtle feelings within you. Any feeling you get will be gross and will make you heavy.
With a clouded intellect, the memory of pleasant things is lost. life has two sets of memories: memories of pleasant things and memories of unpleasant things. Children often have pleasant memories more than the unpleasant ones. That’s why they are so cheerful. But as we grow up and lose our innocence, our unpleasant memories increase.
spiritual practices help bring back pleasant memories more and more, and reduce unpleasant memories to almost an insignificant amount. Therefore, it is important to meditate regularly. Once the memory of “Who am I” is lost, the memory of “What do I want in my life,” the “reality” and “seeing life in context with the universe” is lost, wisdom is lost. Then there is no happiness and peace. The role ofmeditation and other spiritual practices is to withdraw the mind from sense objects and take it back to its source. This is critical for success in life. The knowledge of coming back to the Self, the self-referral value of consciousness makes it rich, energetic and beautiful.
Pull back your attention from the object of senses to the senses, and then to the source of mind. This journey within will you give you strength and endurance to go through all ups and downs of life.
Wherever you direct your attention, it will start manifesting in your life. If you place your attention on anger, anger will manifest. If you put attention on lust, lust will manifest. Focus on love, and love manifests. Focus on imperfection, imperfection manifests.
Observe the intention, and put your attention on whatever you want to grow in life. Intention, attention and manifestation — that is how the universe manifests.
~ By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
