Questioner: Acharya Ji, Pranaam! How to understand the different states of mind?
What we are, is the mind always dwelling in fear and desire. Mind is always afraid of its death, as a deal for love to flower. But at the same time mind’s ultimate desire is – Love.
Kindly elaborate.
Acharya Prashant: That is the human condition.
You have to see that all mental states are – one.
It doesn’t matter what the mind wants, it doesn’t matter which direction it chooses to go. It doesn’t matter whether it is burning in jealousy or burning in affection. It doesn’t matter whether you call the mental state as ‘positive’, or ‘negative’.
All mental states can be called by just one name – ‘Love’.
Greed is love, fear is love, jealousy is love, disgust is love, violence is love, separation is love.
All mental states are nothing but different ways of describing your separation from the Source, from the Lord, from the Center, from the God, from the Truth.
It doesn’t matter what name you assign to That.
Are you getting it?
So these mental states that you have written, or quoted, are all pointing in the same direction. Let not vocabulary confuse you.
The difference in different mental states is just at the level of description. Words are causing you to think that sometimes you are afraid, and sometimes you are not. When you are afraid, it is because you think that you will not be able to meet Him. When you are not afraid, then it is because you think that not being afraid will take you to Him. In either of the situations, your target, your desire, is just for Him.
Are you getting it?
Then you should ask: “If all goodness and all badness is just the same, and differs only in name, the difference is only at the level of words, then why should one be good at all? Then you should all tell that why should one follow spirituality, why should one not remain just worldly?”
You should ask, “Acharya Ji, if all desires are desires of Him, then why should I not pursue my carnal desires? Why should I not pursue money, and prestige, and possessions, if even they are going to lead me to the same end?”
You may do that, but you have to factor in who you are.
I have said that it doesn’t matter what the colour, flavour, name, direction of the desire is. All desire is actually for the One only. So, I am saying that your question should be that – why should we reject certain desires?
To get the answer to this question, you have to look at your mortal condition. You are ‘mortal’, which means that you have limited time. Even when you are using the GPS, it often suggests multiple routes to a destination. All of the routes are valid routes. I am saying that take any of the routes, you will reach the same place. Even if you decide to stuff your life with material possessions, money, furniture, bungalows, property, car, real estate whatever, you would reach there.
But, which route do you choose, when the GPS shows you five competing routes? You choose the shortest route.
So, Spirituality is not the only route to God. If someone says that Spirituality is the only route to God, then he doesn’t understand the mind. Spirituality is one of the routes to God. It is just the shortest route. And, the fact that it is the shortest route, is very-very important, because you are mortal. Because your time is limited.
There are five routes from your place to the airport. If you do not choose the shortest route, there is a great chance that you will miss the flight.
Do not miss the flight!
There is the path of fear, there is the path of desire, and then there is the path of Love.
The destination is same.
Now make the right choice!