AWIDYA KSHETRAM UTTARESHAM PRASUPTA TANU VICHHINNA UDARSHANAM
THE IGNORANCE IS THE SOURCE OF THE REMAINING 4 AFFLICTIONS AND THEY
ARE IN ONE OF THE 4 STATES, DORMANT ,ATTENUATED,CONTROLLED (OR
NEUTRALIZED) AND FULLY DEVELOPED
In the last Sutra we were told that there are 5 afflictions . In this one we are told that the origin of latter 4 is the first the IGNORANCE. We are also told that these all exist in four different stages at one or other time .
Ignorance is the origin or the 'field'. In any field things grow. So if the field is destroyed or not futile then the things will not grow. So to remove these afflictions we have to remove the ignorance. But it is not easy, as these afflictions remain one out of four states. The first one is the dormant In this stage we may not be aware of the affliction, as it is in the Dormant state. This could be any one of the four.This has to do with the 'Impressions'that we 'carry' duo to 'actions' that we do.(Every action has a reaction, or every Karma leads to an Impressions' or Saunskar).So we may have had good food and that has left us with an impression.But we may not be aware of it .I am not aware of the impression that was left by eating Pizza, if I had a full meal of my favorite things. So the desire is dormant. But now the situation is changed.I have become vegetarian or I am fasting and the desire to eat Pepperoni Pizza may come and may go away .At times we may have desire to eat something that we should not or do something that we know is not good , kill someone or beat someone or have sex with some one . This may arise so transiently that we are barely aware of it and we do not have to suppress it , but it automatically goes away.
This the second state or called Attenuated. REMEMBER IT IS NOT GONE , But it is still there. It is like weeds. When we do not uproot them but just cut them , they are still there and will pop up under nurturing conditions.
The next one is controlled status . We want to go out to eat and have desire to go to a favorite restaurant.So the time is right and our desire to eat a favorite food is there and it is right at the top .But then we get visit from some friend or have an emergency and we have to go to do the job, or for whatever reason the conditions are not conducive to the fulfillment of the desire. We end up eating the left over and our desire is suppressed. This is the third state.
The last one is one which is expressed .We have the desire and the circumstances are favorable and we can fulfill the desire . So this is the fully developed or expressed.
Now when we talk about the lower levels of existence , namely the animal YONI, whenever there is desire they will try to fulfill it. But the same behavior is not possible as Human beings.So sometimes we have to suppress them , sometimes we fulfill them and sometimes that are so inappropriate due to the societal structure, that they remain dormant.Even though we talked about the desires, in various stages , the same applies to the 4 afflictions that are mentioned. Let me take one quick example . We don't like particular vegetable , say Broccoli, but when we visit our in laws , they have it specially cooked for us , what are we going to do . WE SUPPRESS THE DISLIKE and eat it.I am sure that we all can find examples of all 4 types of the afflictions if we think about it .
THE IGNORANCE IS THE SOURCE OF THE REMAINING 4 AFFLICTIONS AND THEY
ARE IN ONE OF THE 4 STATES, DORMANT ,ATTENUATED,CONTROLLED (OR
NEUTRALIZED) AND FULLY DEVELOPED
In the last Sutra we were told that there are 5 afflictions . In this one we are told that the origin of latter 4 is the first the IGNORANCE. We are also told that these all exist in four different stages at one or other time .
Ignorance is the origin or the 'field'. In any field things grow. So if the field is destroyed or not futile then the things will not grow. So to remove these afflictions we have to remove the ignorance. But it is not easy, as these afflictions remain one out of four states. The first one is the dormant In this stage we may not be aware of the affliction, as it is in the Dormant state. This could be any one of the four.This has to do with the 'Impressions'that we 'carry' duo to 'actions' that we do.(Every action has a reaction, or every Karma leads to an Impressions' or Saunskar).So we may have had good food and that has left us with an impression.But we may not be aware of it .I am not aware of the impression that was left by eating Pizza, if I had a full meal of my favorite things. So the desire is dormant. But now the situation is changed.I have become vegetarian or I am fasting and the desire to eat Pepperoni Pizza may come and may go away .At times we may have desire to eat something that we should not or do something that we know is not good , kill someone or beat someone or have sex with some one . This may arise so transiently that we are barely aware of it and we do not have to suppress it , but it automatically goes away.
This the second state or called Attenuated. REMEMBER IT IS NOT GONE , But it is still there. It is like weeds. When we do not uproot them but just cut them , they are still there and will pop up under nurturing conditions.
The next one is controlled status . We want to go out to eat and have desire to go to a favorite restaurant.So the time is right and our desire to eat a favorite food is there and it is right at the top .But then we get visit from some friend or have an emergency and we have to go to do the job, or for whatever reason the conditions are not conducive to the fulfillment of the desire. We end up eating the left over and our desire is suppressed. This is the third state.
The last one is one which is expressed .We have the desire and the circumstances are favorable and we can fulfill the desire . So this is the fully developed or expressed.
Now when we talk about the lower levels of existence , namely the animal YONI, whenever there is desire they will try to fulfill it. But the same behavior is not possible as Human beings.So sometimes we have to suppress them , sometimes we fulfill them and sometimes that are so inappropriate due to the societal structure, that they remain dormant.Even though we talked about the desires, in various stages , the same applies to the 4 afflictions that are mentioned. Let me take one quick example . We don't like particular vegetable , say Broccoli, but when we visit our in laws , they have it specially cooked for us , what are we going to do . WE SUPPRESS THE DISLIKE and eat it.I am sure that we all can find examples of all 4 types of the afflictions if we think about it .
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