What are "Vasanas" ?

When we perceive an object or try to evaluate a situation, the sense organs (jnanendriyas) bring in their reports first. Then our mind compiles and presents to the intellect for final judgement. But the very ability to judge arises from thinking and rationalizing. The intellect is conditioned by a factor in us which the modern psychologists call the Unconscious.

This unconscious is composed of impressions, the personality has gathered from its own thoughts and actions in the past. These impressions were called Vasanas in our Hindu scriptures. Vasanas are the result of the past. What we did in the past are the causes of the present vasanas.
Vasana is the cause and action is the effect.
Again,
Action becomes the cause and vasana, the effect.
Thus it goes on like the phenomenon of egg and chick.

Vasana is the seed of action, but unmanifest. Each vasana manifests as an action.
The unmanifest vasana is dormant in our potential nature.
In the first stage, they first appear as thoughts in our intellect. So we see that our present vasanas entertain our thoughts.
In the second stage , vasanas express as desires in our mind. So again, our desires will be the nature of our vasanas.

So vasanas exhibit as
Desire in the mind
And then
Act at body levels.

If a man is a drunkard, he has drink-vasanas and grabs a bottle of whisky immediately. One can be a singer or a carpenter, as a result of his vasanas.
So long as the vasanas exist, we think, desire and act according to them. Every one of us is undeniably an expression of our past – our vasanas.
The total exhaustion of vasanas is the exalted state of Self-realisation.

These vasanas are to be intelligently eliminated. If the vasanas are healthy ones, the problems get easily solved.
Vasanas produce our inherent nature. Our intellect is a product of vasanas.
They must be first purified and exhausted through appropriate actions.
The basic material composing thee human personality is vasanas. Let us deal with an example.
In the temple, the deity is in the innermost sanctum. That is dark. A small lamp burns there. The priest lights a piece of camphor from it and now the darkness is dispelled. Light is revealed and the deity is well seen by the devotee.
The temple represents the human being and the deity, the Atma, the supreme Self within you. The Self is not known to us. So to reach the self, one must cross through the various layers of one’s personality. When we reach the inner core, we get the knowledge of Self.

Vasana, in Sanskrit, means scent. If our vasanas are good, we are pleasant and if it is bad, we are foul.Thus we see that vasanas produce our personality traits. Though vasanas ar insubstantial, they do make up the substantial human form. The preceptor helps us burn our vasanas in the fire of knowledge and this leads us to Self-realisation.

Unlike an animal, a human being has the freedom of action independence because he has the unique faculty of self-effort. This can modify or change the pattern of vasanas.
So we can purify ourselves from unpleasant vasanas because individual perfection alone can lead to world perfection.

Now, how best can we individually purify our actions and redeem ourselves from the compelling encrustations of vasanas ? The technique advised in Gita is Karma Yoga – the way of performing all actions in an attitude of selfless dedication to a desirable goal. That is the subtle technique of re-tuning our shattered mind-intellect equipment.

Love,
Chithra.

 

Dearest Kamla,
First Fb, like "good old days" ! Thankyou very much.
You are a little skeptical, naturally & undeniably, but very practical !
Yes, vasanas & karmas go on endlessly for janmas to come.
As I repeat time & again, awarness of all this is the first step and let us thank God that we are on the right track and have made a beginning in this janma.
Let me tell you, it is your vasanas that make you read this sub-forum and my posts here. Is it not proof, when just a handful are interested in coming here when the no: of members has exceeded 14, 000 plus !
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear AC,
As usual, you are so prompt - thankyou.
Love to fulfill a desire is natural; hence the goal is desirable to us. But you must engross yourself in the completion of the action to your best extent & be selfless in your thinking whether the goals will be achieved at all. There should be more pleasure and selflessness in carrying out the action.
For example, every post I write here - I want, say, atleast 10 % of the ILites to read it, That is my desire. But hardly 0.5 % read it, perhaps. But sill I have to train my mind to be selfless & not be bothered about the no: of views or feedbacks. I have to learn to enjoy writing the same (desirable), without concentrating on the no: (selfless).
I have written about vasanas, more as a prelude to the next portions in Ch 2 to come. Karmayoga will unfold itself beautifully, when your understanding will also improve.
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Shan,
Thanks a ton. Yes, you are on the right track & carried it on, further.
When undesirable vasanas surface, we have to use our self-will to overcome them, though not easily done. Butthat is where our self-will should come to the fore.
Thanks for also clarifying AC's doubts !
Love,
Chithra.

 

Dear Shan
Thanks again.
Before going on to Karma Yoga, I just wanted to give a sort of prelude for better understanding.
I have already posted
What is Karma-Yoga ?
That was with reference to Vedanta in general. Now, next I will post , in particular with reference to Gita. Infact we will discuss much more in detail in 3rd chapter which is titled Karma Yoga.
I want to go, rather build up, very gradually.
Love,
Chithra.