LIKES & DISLIKES

Attachment and aversion

According to J. Krishnamurti, war is inside us. We must be aware of ‘what is’ in order to know the choice less awareness. To become something is always to postpone the process. ‘What is’ is the reality and not what would be. He also says that whatever conflicts, confusion, doubts we have about the outer world doesn’t lie there. It is within us. So we must stop being dependent upon somebody who would come and solve the problems of the world, but rather take the responsibility of the happenings in the world. We must start accepting ‘what is’ in the world tracing the root to our own self. In doing so, we have freedom. It is not a state to be achieved but the state of freedom is always within us. We have to realise it.

Jain seers have always emphasised the removal of attachment and aversion. So neither aversion for what is happening in the outer world nor attachment towards my own feelings. The feelings could be directed towards my own self, or towards someone or towards anything in the universe. In accepting ‘what is’, everything is looked at objectively. There is no subjective feeling attached towards anything. When such a state of being is achieved, it is easy for a person to understand reality as it is and free himself from the burdens of happenings in the world.

It sounds contradictory as on one side there is complete taking up of the responsibility and at the same time freeing of the self from the burdens of whatever is happening in the outer world. Taking responsibility is the first step towards freedom. When one takes up the responsibility, he stops blaming others for everything that is happening in the outer world as well as in the inner world. He starts looking at reality as a mirror of his own Emotional life. This develops an objective outlook in the person. Now he may start feeling guilty about the affairs of the world as he has taken up the responsibility. It will be at this stage that the person will have to exercise equanimity. The equanimity which was towards everything in the world has to be practiced towards the self as well. One must start forgiving his own self and get rid of the feeling of guilt. Here again neither attachment nor aversion towards self are the most important steps in the spiritual journey. If equanimity towards all is the first step in the spiritual journey, equanimity towards self is the second step. The twelve Bhāvanā described in the Tattvārthasutra are very helpful during this time.

The sense of guilt which develops at around age nine in human beings have to be overcome in order to make progress on the path. The present situation is the outcome of the past thinking, so accepting the present as it implies accepting the past thinking as it is. But now instead of feeling guilty about it now and creating guilt in manifested form it is advised to accept ‘what is’. The ‘what is’ in thinking is aware about the happenings in the inner world and has accepted the responsibility. Rather than feeling guilty about the situation, it is better to overcome aversion towards self. Why is this aversion in the person? It is because of attachment towards self. One cannot see the self, guilty of committing any mistake as it is supposed to be unrighteous. It is very very difficult to see the unclean nature of the inner world. Anything which is unrighteous will stop the spiritual growth of a person. But reality forces one to accept that he or she is unrighteous. The non-acceptance of the unrighteousness in the self is expressed in the form of guilt. It shows his/her shortcomings, which is very difficult to accept.

Accepting ‘what is’ is also accepting the shortcomings in the self. This is the key to wellness & health. To practice equanimity towards others is much easier as compared to practice equanimity towards self. One tends to get attached towards the feeling that one has or develops aversion for those feelings. In both the cases it is because of the attachment one has towards self. As the person is attached towards himself, he either accepts his/her feelings and is inclined to follow them or can’t accept himself for not having the right kind of feelings. Attachment with his own feelings will force him to be aggressive in the outer world, aversion towards his own feelings will make him weak in the outer world. When he can develop acceptance towards his feelings, he will be able to develop true equanimity. The equanimity which is developed now will actually include everyone. It will be towards all as well as towards self. The person will not swing in the feeling realm but will now be able to think. He will establish himself in the true self. He will be a balanced person who has developed the right kind of feelings.

This will also destroy many of his karmas. The earlier developed equanimity was the subsidence of the karmas whereas the equanimity which a person has developed as the acceptance of the inner feelings will help him destroy the karmas. This will make him towards all living beings truly.