What is vasana?
Jai Maa Sadhvis
In video 3 of the Bhakti series Shunyaji says, don’t let God become vasana for you. She responding to a question about how to stay present to Ishvara more consistently. What does she mean here? Please?
Thank you
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Jai Maa Anne Leslie, You will probably have noticed this word mentioned here and there. It refers to the feverish, restless, unquenchable desires that we spend lifetimes chasing unless we examine and free ourselves from them. Lifetimes are spent trying to fulfill the desires sparked by Vasanas, and they keep reinforcing, gaining momentum, and getting stronger the more they are indulged - taking us further into Self-ignorance. You may find some benefit from Chapter 5 of Sovereign Self on Vasanas.
As a recap to get you started... Vasanas are of three types: - Loka Vasana / World Vasana - obsession with succeeding in and getting approval from the world / people outside - Deha Vasana / Body Vasana - chasing comforts of the body, tying our sense of self to the way our body looks / its state of health - Shastra Vasana / Knowledge Vasana - feverish collection of intellectual knowledge to feel valuable / evolved / powerful (even spiritual knowledge pursued without grasping the deep inner meaning - it all stays in the intellect)
There is a fourth Vasana that eventually grips us, and it is the only one that leads us toward freedom (and we feel happy to have!), called Atma Vasana. This is the thirst for freedom from the other three vasanas that arises, and we finally begin to take our inner journey seriously and make it a focus of our human birth.
So when you quote Acharya Shunya advising us not to let God become a vasana, one interpretation could be - Don't be obsessive, feverish, and restless in your pursuit of God. Don't let your pursuit of God become a source of bondage and unconscious action that keeps you stuck in samsara. Staying present to Ishwara encourages us to have an inner experience of God moment to moment, rather than constantly chasing God or thinking it is something outside of us that we have to possess, achieve, or grab.
You will notice some sadasyas use this word 'Vasana' as a shorthand for the attachments they get stuck in and are bringing conscious awareness to, because observing Vasanas for what they are (feverish thought-based loops) is the first step to deflating their power and reclaiming our sovereignty.
Hope this little glimpse into Vasanas sparks more curiosity! If anyone else knows a certain satsanga video that has more explanation of Vasanas, please share below. In Service of Truth, Sadhvi Ishani