Living in Freedom and Enquiry-Part III

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Passion for Possession

Passion is craving for possession. It is becoming possessive of the world around me. The world is mine as long as I do not possess it! But, the moment I start possessing it, it starts running away from me! I am insensitive to this subtle message, but I go after it with renewed vigour, to be pushed back again! Passion to possess my son, my wife, my friends and relatives, to possess power and position, to possess land and wealth! It is an endless endeavour! They are with me! The world is with me! I do not interact with them with dispassion!

Passion for 'possession is not born to the objectives defined by the intellect. They have to be pursued with hard toil, for fruition. Passion for possession is born out of a tendency called 'Raaga', a tendency to look at every object and individual in the world as a means of possession and enjoyment. It is a tendency, which suggests my mind: "How I wish I have this object I am seeing!" It is an endless series of "How I wish! How I wish!" It is a desire for something, which I do not deserve.

This is the dung-heap of 'Moha'. Only when the intellect crosses over this dung-heap, I become indifferent to all these possessions of variety, which are heard by me and yet to be heard by me. They will not unsettle my intellect. Lord Krishna beautifully puts it as:

"Yadaa te moha kalilam buddhih vyatitarishyati, tadaa gantaasi nirvedam shrotavyasya shrutasyacha".

The faculty of discrimination, the enlightened reasoning must be cultivated. And that is possible only through the three-fold enquiry.

All we have discussed till now, from finding a solution within the framework of ethical dimension, it can be only a temporary solution. Ishaavaasya Upanishad gives a permanent solution in the framework of spiritual dimension.

To be continued

About the author

This article is written by B.Nagendra for the 'Vedanta Vani' magazine of Chinmaya Mission.