VII: 27

Chapter 7, Verse 27

"People are led astray,
Ruled as they are
By craving and aversion.
This is the primal duality
That binds humanity."

Swami Satchidananda:

In the beginning, babies are untouched by the fundamental duality, but as they grow, mental impressions that they brought with them into this life [Samskaras] surface in the way that germinating seeds sprout up.  People go astray.

From what?

From the truth.

And what is the truth?

The truth is something that's permanent and never changing, always there.  When we miss the mark, losing track of the truth, we forget that we have permanent peace already inside us, always present, always here.  As a result, we look for happiness from things outside.  When we think certain things will make us happy, we like those things.  When we think that certain things will disturb our peace or happiness, those we dislike.

Likes and dislikes are caused either by wanting to get happiness or not wanting our happiness disturbed.  Both of these attitudes are caused by not understanding that we have happiness always inside us.

Stay away from things that disturb your peace until you realize that nothing and nobody can disturb your peace.  Then you won't have to stay away from anything or anyone.  You'll neither run after something nor run away from something.  Running after is liking.  Running away is disliking.  When you realize the truth, you stop running.

Sri Eknath Easwaran:

We have acclimated our nervous systems to one-way traffic, away from what we dislike and towards what we like.  This works fine when things are going our way, but all too often things go someone else's way instead.  The nervous system screams in protest, letting us know in all sorts of ways: tension headaches, ulcers, numbness in the fingers and so on.

Let's face it.  Life is made up of two-way traffic.  There isn't any way to change that, so instead of trying to make life fit us, it makes more sense to accommodate our pathways to traffic in both directions.  When things go our way, sure, we'll be pleased, but when they don't, we will find ourselves even-tempered and equally enthusiastic.  For a long time, meditation practice is about acclimating our nervous systems to two-way traffic.

Paramahansa Yogananda:

Humanity's subjection to the pairs of opposites is a way of describing "original sin."

To be born in a physical body is a clue that we are in soul-ignorance and have not realized our identity as formless Spirit.  The exceptions are masters who return at God's call to guide their stumbling brothers and sisters.

To breathe at all is to breathe in Maya.  If God did not cover himself with the veils of Maya, there would be no cosmic game of creation, in which we play hide-and-seek with him and try to find him as the grand prize.

When the water in a pot is agitated, the moving water disturbs any reflected object.  In the same way, when the calm waters of the heart are stirred by likes and dislikes, we become unable to make effective choices, nor can a restless heart reflect the inward presence of the blissful soul.

A friend:

The beauty of it all is that, when we surrender to God's guidance and love,  we will be helped in all ways as we feel the loving hand of God guiding us.  What I find is that the deeper I go to unveil the layers of illusion, the more divine help I receive to penetrate them and reach a state of clarity and love.

The knowledge encompassed in this quote has always been present within me and has always been driving me forward... "If God did not cover himself with the veils of Maya, there would be no cosmic game of creation, in which we play hide-and-seek with him and try to find him as the grand prize."

It is such a joy to play hide-and-seek...and find :))))