HereNow4U Edition 2 - Abstract Thinking [08.05] Bhavana Of Influxes

Remissness means forgetfulness. The soul or consciousness is quite forgotten. In this state, a man's mind is attracted by sense-objects. Anger, pride, deceit and greed, once quietened, revive. All awareness is gone and the distinction between what is worth doing and what is not, grows dim.

Another meaning of remissness is - lack of vigour. In the state of remissness, a man grows indifferent to self-control, forgiveness, etc. One also grows lax in truthful behaviour. This gives rise to a state of spiritual sloth. One displays far greater interest in lustful talk and food, etc. than in spiritual development.

Attachment and aversion - these are the two principal flaws. Attachment breeds deceit and greed, and aversion gives birth to anger and pride. All these four - anger, pride, deceit and greet - colour the mind, that is why they are called 'kashaya' (passions), perversity, non-abstinence, remissness - these are consummated only with the rising of the passions. In the time of most intense passion, a man cannot practise even partial abstinence, in the time of intense passion, complete abstinence is not possible. In the presence of mild passion, one cannot attain to veetaragata. On the basis of the intensity or mildness of the passions, sixteen kinds are enumerated :

intensest anger	as a line carved on stone, most inflexible
Intenser anger	as a line drawn on clay, more inflexible
intense anger	as a line drawn on send, inflexible
Mild anger	as a line drawn on water, flexible momentary
Intensest pride	lice a pillar of stone, most resolute
intenser pride	like a pillar of bone, more resolute
intense pride	like a pillar of wood, resolute
MBd pride	like a pillar of vine, flexible
Intensest deceit	like the roots of bamboo, most crooked
Intenser deceit	like the horn of a ram, more crooked
intense deceit	like the flow of urine of a walking bull, crooked
Mid deceit	like the peeled bark of a bamboo, less crooked
Intensest greed	like the silk-worm, fastest colour
Intenser greed	like the slime, faster colour
Intense greed	like the wagtail, fast colour
Mid greed	like turmeric, immediately fading colour

There are four passions-anger, pride, deceit and greed.

The intensest passions are known as 'causing endless transmigration';
intenser passions as 'non-renunciatory';
intense passions as 'renunciatory' and
mid passions as 'inflammatory'.

The elements which excite these passions are called the 'lesser passions'.

These are nine - jesting; liking for non-restraining; disliking for restraining; fear, sorrow, feminine sex passions; masculine sex passions; dual sex passions.

Perversity, non-abstinence, remissness - after the ending of these influxes, the karmic particles continue to pour in through the influx of passions. After the ending of passions, the bondage of merit continues through activity.

Abstract Thinking [08.05] Bhavana Of Influxes – Remissness

Acharya Mahaprajna

23.10.2006