Watch Yourself

KrsnaKnows teaches me to be a witness of the body.

It is difficult to keep tendencies in check. It seems my body has an agenda of its own. I want to be free of its attachments and yet, the stubbornness of my tendencies has anchored me thus far.

Tendencies are not just one’s emotions; they lie waiting through out the annamaya kosha (physical sheath), pranamaya kosha (prana sheath), and the manomaya kosha (mind sheath). There is the tendency to speak out, to make judgments, to be lazy, to be competitive, to over indulge in sensuous activity, the list goes on and on. The point is to move oneself from the mode of Tamas guna (laziness), and Rajas guna (passion) to Sattva guna (goodness) and then move past Sattva, too. Tendencies can darken the path and keep one from moving forward.

It happened that for two weeks, my emotions and reactions where easily within my control, then a situation arose, and like a storm, my Vasanas (tendencies), fired up. The jailer of my spirit, my body’s innate tendencies spurred me. The emotions of this body came pouring out, while my mind found more fuel for the flame via my memories.

This is where Sadhana (practiced learning), takes form. The first step is to be aware that it is the body and mind that are responding to a stimulus, and that the situation does not involve the spirit soul. Secondly, learn to recognize the type of situations that are going to cause a reaction. Thirdly, be dedicated in practice to calm the fire quickly or stamp it our when it is just a spark. Finally, be only the observer without reacting.

Certainly, there are times when I should and must react. But at those times, I should just do what I have to do and move on. In addition to separating myself from the reactions of the body and mastering my tendencies, this is about lessening the karma incurred during such situations and at best, not creating any new karma.

This Sadhana, of practiced observation, will help me see at all times, that I am not the body, I am the occupant of the body. Moreover, I must learn to strategically sublimate my tendencies, remove myself from such situations, and take the Lords name in prayer before my tendencies surface.

With Guru’s Grace, I will be able to implement his teachings, whereby I will observe the phenomenon, and work to remove my attachments and go beyond the sheaths.