Dear Sridhar,
....It is avidya, or ignorance, which is the field of lust and anger. Patanjali defines avidya as follows: "To regard the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and the non-Atman as the Atman - this is ignorance."
In other words, it is ignorance which makes one perceive the unreal world as real, the impure body as pure, happiness in painful sense enjoyments, and to consider wife and children - none whom is really one's own - as one's own. These false perceptions are caused by ignorance. This avidya is without beginning: there is no way of ascertaining when it originated. It is also without end in the sense that until one attains illumination by the grace of God, it remains and is not destroyed. This ignorance does not allow us to move towards God. So Krishna said in the Gita, "Those who take refuge in me alone shall cross over this maya." Our duty is take refuge in Him and lead a God-centred life.
What Swami Vivekananda said is true: "Devotion to God is dormant in everyone. It manifests itself when the veil of lust and gold is removed." The attempt to remove that veil is called sadhana, or spiritual disciplines; and when this veil disappears, the kundalini awakens. Nothing will be achieved if you scatter your mind in all sorts of things. Hold on firmly to your chosen path and resolve that you will attain liberation and devotion through it; then only will you succeed.
I wrote to you more than once: "He who is full of faith and zeal and has subdued his senses obtains knowledge; having obtained knowledge, he soon attains the supreme peace." (Gita, IV.39). But "The man who is ignorant and without faith and always doubting goes to ruin. Not this world nor the world beyond nor happiness is for the doubting soul." (Ibid, IV.40) - These are the words of God. Now, do as you please.
With love and best wishes
Swami Turiyananda
(a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a brother-disciple of Swami Vivekananda)(Excerpt)
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