32- Kama-krodha: Enemies of Human Mind | Swami Tattwamayananda - a podcast by Vedanta Society, San Francisco

3rd chapter: verses 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on April 10, 2020.
-36th verse: Arjuna’s question – “Impelled by what force, do we do unpleasant things, even though we are unwilling?”
-37th verse: Lord Krishna says – Kāma (Desire) and Krodha (Anger) are the two great enemies. They are also linked to the two problems of Rāga (attachment) and Dvesha (Aversion), discussed in earlier verses.
-33rd verse: Even a wise man is seen as following his natural, psychological disposition. This is true of even great mystics, but they do their natural duties, from a higher perspective. Story of Vyadha is discussed – he was a realized person, but did not give up his profession as a butcher.
-34th verse: Our natural tendency is to have attraction or aversion to stimuli from the senses. Mind interprets experiences from these stimuli as Sukha (pleasant) - to which it develops attraction - or Duhkha (unpleasant) – to which it develops aversion.
-If we allow mind to be enslaved by these sense stimuli, we are doomed - mind will waver with sukha and duhkha. Mind should be the master of the senses, not enslaved by them.
-If we can free the mind from extreme attachment and aversion, we will conserve energy and mind will be in a state of equilibrium.
-Mallinātha defines Rāga as: We remember certain experiences of the past that are stored in Chittam. We feel a strange attachment towards them, even though we know it is spiritual slavery.
-Patanjali discusses Rāga as something that brings external enjoyment that is momentary. Once it disappears, what is left is unhappiness. Happiness is nothing but temporary absence of unhappiness.
-Rāga can be given a spiritual promotion with Bhakti. If you want to love something, have love for something sublime and transcendental. Love God. This sublimation of mental disposition is called Bhakti – it becomes a tool for our spiritual progress.
-Dvesha can also be given a spiritual promotion. Have aversion towards things that are not good for us or humanity.
-35th verse: It is better to practice one’s own Swadharma, even if practiced imperfectly, than doing someone else’s work in a perfect manner.
-Examples of danger when entrapped by sense objects are provided from the animal kingdom. Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time.
-The intellect should control the mind, which should control the senses. Then senses then become obedient and useful instruments.
-37th verse: Kāma and Krodha are the two enemies that draw our mind to actions that we don’t want to do. There are four other enemies: lobha (greed), moha (ignorance), mada (pride), mātsarya (envy). Kāma is the chief enemy.
-When kāma emerges in mind, we direct efforts to fulfill it. If we are successful, we are happy. If not, we get angry. Anger leads to delusion, which leads to loss of memory – at that point, senses take control of our whole personality.
-This happens despite intellectual awareness, as mind and intellect do not co-operate. Religion and philosophy are tools to free the mind from senses.
-38th and 39th verse: As fire is covered by smoke, mirror by dust and embryo by amnion – so also, mind is enveloped by kāma and krodha. Knowledge is covered by kāma – it is like a fire that should be controlled.
-Kālidāsa’s Kumārasambhavam: “Youth, money, power – each individually can lead to one’s downfall, if one has no spiritual common sense. What to speak of all them combined together”.
-40th verse: Kāma resides in the antaḥkaraṇa (mainly mind), five senses of perception and five senses of action. Antaḥkaraṇa refers to four compartments: mana, buddhi, chitta, ahamkara.
-When kāma enters the mind, it activates the senses of perception and action, prompting them to fulfill the desire. Slightest failure can have a devastating effect on a mind that is not in control of senses.
-Ancient ayurvedic verse from Sushruta Samhita, emphasizes that physical health needs to be complemented with a pleasantly disposed and contented mind, senses and spirit.
-This is only possible by linking the mind to the transcendental because psychological problems can only be solved at the spiritual level. Mind can be given a higher orientation by feeding it with spiritual ideas – then it becomes stable. Then it can look beyond the world of senses. It remains steady in pain and pleasure, happiness and adversity.

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