The Yoga of Patanjali

Lesson - 3 57I take my breakfast and come?” The Swamiji says, “No, it isvery bad, you should come with empty stomach, because youshould be very pious about these matters.” The next morningyou will come here and sit down with a hungry stomach. TheSwamiji orders you to close your eyes and asks “What do yousee?” The answer must be “A beautiful slice of bread, sandwichedwith butter and jam.” So the mind is jammed. The poor Swamijicannot get it back to him. For the moment, the jam is sweeterthan the voice of the Swamiji. Had the Swamiji allowed you toeat the physical bread, before you come here, then you wouldnot have witnessed the mental sandwich as you closed youreyes. Then the mind would have been ready to follow the adviceof the Swamiji. Then he can speak of Vairagya. Mental starvationnever allows Vairagya. When the mind and the senses are starving,then the objects of the senses leave their seeds in the mind.You cannot boast of conquering the desire for Alcohol in itsabsence. The seed is there to sprout, to produce the flower, tobear fruit and to produce the seed in its turn once again whenthe bottle is available. That is what the Bhagavadgita warns usabout detachment. Trees of desire are before the senses aroundus with a continuous dispersal of their seeds in our mind. If youcut the trees, the seed in you germinates again.Do not cut the tree of desire. If something is inevitableleave it passive by growing aware of your work within. Thetree automatically emaciates and dwindles, since the seed inyou is being scorched in the fire of self-awareness. At best,you will be having the fried seeds that may serve the purposeof a spiritual breakfast after some time. You should know theprocess of frying the seeds in you. Remember that enjoymentcan never be destroyed since it is divine. When the senses aretrying to enjoy with the objects outside, you cannot destroythe enjoyment. You have only the moral right, to enlighten thesenses and bring them back to the right type of enjoyment.