Blissful State – In Gita Verse 3.39 Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
In Bhagavad Gita Verse 3.39, Krishna imparts a profound lesson to Arjuna, highlighting the role of lust as an eternal adversary that shrouds the wise living entity’s pure consciousness. This lust, akin to a fire that is never satiated, envelops the mind just as smoke encircles a flame. To comprehend the soul, ignorance, or knowledge, it is imperative to first understand lust. Lust is not merely a hindrance to knowledge; it is the wet fuel from which smoke arises. A person devoid of lust is like dry fuel, capable of burning brightly without obstruction.
A pertinent story from the life of Farid provides clarity on this concept. A man once questioned Farid about the tales of Mansoor and Jesus, doubting the possibility of enduring such pain without suffering. Farid responded with a simple analogy involving a coconut. He handed the man a raw coconut and asked him to separate the shell from the kernel without breaking the kernel. The man acknowledged the impossibility of the task due to the kernel and shell being joined. Farid then offered a dry coconut, which the man could easily separate. The lesson here was that desire is like the raw coconut, where the kernel (the soul) and the shell (the desires) are intertwined. In contrast, a person free from desires is akin to the dry coconut, where the soul remains intact and separate from worldly attachments.
Desire, in essence, is the belief that what one wants is not currently possessed. It is an insatiable force, always seeking more. When one desire is fulfilled, another takes its place, perpetuating a cycle of endless wanting. This unfulfilled nature of desire is what keeps it perpetually empty and vacant. It remains focused on what is absent, obscuring the presence of the soul, which is always in the present moment. Lust, therefore, diverts attention away from the soul, preventing the attainment of true knowledge.
Krishna further elucidates this by comparing the mind’s focus on lust to watching people on the road while ignoring those at home. In this analogy, the soul is like the people at home, always present and ready, but overlooked due to the mind’s preoccupation with external desires. This distraction leads to a perpetual search for fulfillment, much like chasing the horizon, which always appears just out of reach. Lust creates illusions of future satisfaction, but the soul, which is ever-present, remains undiscovered.
The pursuit of desires results in a loss of awareness of the self. Krishna emphasises that ignorance stems from this forgetfulness, where the mind, consumed by desire, cannot perceive the soul. Meditation, on the other hand, is a singular focus that can return one to the self if desires are relinquished. Krishna asserts that knowledge is not lost but forgotten amidst the smoke of desire. Recollection of the divine presence within us can break this cycle of ignorance.
The metaphor of smoke is significant. Smoke, though insubstantial, obscures the reality of fire, just as lust conceals the knowledge within. Lust, like smoke, is intangible and cannot be grasped or destroyed, yet it hides the truth. Krishna also uses the analogy of dust on a mirror to describe how desire settles on consciousness. The mirror, representing consciousness, remains unaffected by the dust, just as the soul remains unchanged despite being obscured by desire. When the dust is removed, the mirror reflects clearly, symbolising the clarity of consciousness when freed from desire.
Krishna’s message to Arjuna is to purify the mind, akin to a mirror free from dust, so that it can reflect the truth without distortion. This purity allows one to live in the present, unburdened by the desires of the future or memories of the past. Such a state of knowledge is liberation, where the soul is fully realised.
Krishna advises Arjuna that desires are the greatest enemy, as they can never be truly satisfied. Needs may be met, but desires perpetuate an endless cycle of wanting. Desire is always in the future, a hope that remains unfulfilled.
In this verse, Krishna advocates for transcending desire, and Buddha developed a technique to achieve this. Buddha’s method involves observing thoughts and desires as they emerge, which helps create a detachment from them. By observing desires without becoming attached, individuals can transcend them and engage with the present moment without expectations. In this Blissful State, one can confront life’s challenges without hostility, guided by the wisdom of the soul.
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