Why do we commit mistakes even with full awareness??

“Doctor,

I know that going to bed early in the night and waking up early in the morning is very good for health. In spite of that sleeping early is not possible. Early morning slumber cannot be gotten rid of TV series don’t end for me to go to bed early. But that is an entirely different talk. And how do I exercise? I follow my diet strictly enough. I don’t eat anything at all at night. But only on Sunday, I tend to eat whatever I want. Tell me what I must do? Why do I commit such mistakes even though aware of the same? I am not able to digest what I eat…. ‘’

      I had to put a full stop to answering and listening to any more of these. But how? Read on…

Why do we commit mistakes?

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: |

 अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: ||

atha kena prayukto 'yam papam carati purushah 

anicchann api varsneya balad iva niyojitah ( Bhagavadgitha 3.36)

Then, what compels people to sin without one's wishes. Oh, Vaarshneya (the descent of (Vrshni, as if commanded forcefully?

Example- 1: Complaining to an economically weak friend, “I don’t have money” even though you are well off.

2: Saying “My sugar level is normal, I have got medicines, no problem” even though diagnosed with diabetes, eating more sweets.

3: While preparing for an exam, if others ask about a topic saying” oh! I haven’t read that” even though you know the answer.

Reasons for committing mistakes: Desire and Anger

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: |

 महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ||

kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah

mahasano maha-papma viddhy enam iha vairinam ( Bhagavadgitha 3.37)

Among all lust that is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath. Know that they are the real devouring, a sinful enemy in this world.

As said in the Bhagavad Gita,

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्‍- गसमुद्भवम्- ‌ ।

 तन्निबध्न- ाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्‍गे- न देहिनम्‌ ॥

rajo ragatmakam viddhi trsna-sanga-samubhavam tan nibadhnati kaunteya karma-sangena dehinam (Bhagavadgitha 14.7)

Hey Kaunteya(Son of Kunti), Rajo Guna is that of the nature of passion. It arises from worldly desired and affections, which binds the soul through attachment to fruitful actions.

So this makes us clear that every individual desire is to be happy i.e. Sukha.

Desire:

सुखानुशयी रागः॥ Sukhanushayee Ragaha (Patanjali Yoga Sutra – 2.7)

Attachment is that which follows pleasure, happiness. But what is the special feature of Raga?

सुखानुशयी सुखज्ञस्य सुखानुस्मृतिपूर्वकः सुखसाधनेषु तृष्णारूपो गर्धो रागसंज्ञकः क्लेशः।

Sukhajñasya sukhānubhūtipūrvakaḥ sukhasādhanēṣu tr̥ṣṇārūpō gardhō rāgasan̄jñakaḥ klēśaḥ॥ ( Bhojavritti of Rajamasrtanda - 2.7)

That which is followed with the desire of happiness, the bliss of ignorant which is wrongly understood, known through experience, always existing to be happy, even though ones quit the desire/hunger on an object, still, that cries apparently to get that is known as Raga.

The Ragas as related to the above examples mentioned are:

1.    The loss could occur after, if not getting back the money lent to a friend.

2.    Uncontrollable desire towards sweets and irresistible hunger even though knowing sweet is bad for the body.

3.    If helping a friend during the exam to know the answer, which may lead to losing his first rank in exam, scores what he was holding in last days. This can be exampled as Avidya/Ignorance in yogic sciences.

अनित्याशुचि दुःखानात्मसु नित्यशुचि सुखात्मख्यातिरविद्या॥ 

Anitya asuci dukha anatmasu nitya suci sukha atma khyatih avidya. (Patanjali Yoga Sutra – 2.5)

·       Thinking non-eternal (Having suicidal mind after failing in an exam. But failing is not eternal).

·       Thinking impurity as purity (here purity is related to mind – as Dhuryodhana thought that he is on the right path every time)

·       Thinking sadness as pleasure (waking up early in the morning is good for health, but thoughts are “oh! I must get up now. My sweet dreams are spoilt!)

·       Thinking non-self as self (we are our own friend. Instead nothing is possible from me, diseases/problems all occurs only to me, feeling inferior, thinking 'I am the only sinner')

Anger :

Anger arises when desire is not obtained. Saying the grape is sour when it is not reachable. Detailed in

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |

 सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||

dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate v

sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho 'bhijayate (Bhagavad Gita – 2.62)

Repeated contemplating on an object of the senses, the person develops attachment for them, from such attachment lust develops and then lust will give rise to anger.

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||

krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti vibhramah

smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati (Bhagavad Gita – 2.63)

From anger, delusion arises, delusion will lead to the bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls again into the material pool.

Example, of a person who dreams about to be a millionaire. Begins work only with the desire to earn money, will be under the control of that desire, works overnight and when a day comes where there is no profit suddenly anger arises. (Like one earns a salary less than his expectation). This makes mind to lose the memory and intelligence which pros to involve in bad habits/ addictions. The final result you can guess.. Right?

Solution

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ |

 पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् || 41||

tasmāt tvam indriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣhabha

 pāpmānaṁ prajahi hyenaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśhanam  (Bhagavad Gita – 3.41)

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, bring the senses under control in the very beginning and kill this enemy called desire. Because that desire is the embodiment of sin and that destroys knowledge and realization.

Even this is conveyed by our enlightened Kannada Vachana Literature of Allamaprabhu as

Honnu Mayeyembaru , Mannu Mayeyalla

Hennu Mayeyembaru , Mannu Mayeyalla

Mannu Mayeyembaru , Mannu Mayeyalla

Manada mundana aasheye Maye kana Guheshvaraa…

They say wealth is an illusion, it is not

They say the woman is an illusion, she is not

They say the land is an illusion, it is not

Desire arising in the mind is an Illusion.

✍Dr. Puneeth Raghavendra Kuntukadu BNYS, MD Yoga

       

(Special Thanks to Translator: Miss. Rushika J, Photo Credit: http://crlionline.net )