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Samskaras
- Thread starter En'me
- Start date
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
My understanding is that you negate samskaras by living Dharmically. Obviously this doesn't "fry" the old (past life) samskaras, but it prevents you from accruing more. I am sure there is some way of negating old samskaras but I am not advanced enough to know. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
:camp:
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En'me
RightBehindEveryoneElse
Yes, I have read that following a Dharmic lifestlye, as you yourself have elegantly put, prevents one from acquiring negative impressions and helps acquire "positive" impressions, usually associated with strengtening one's sadhana.
I have not however come across how to actually erase already acquiered samksaras.
Thank you for taking the time to answer!
What do you mean by samskaras? Do you mean the 'obligatory' 16 samskaras Hindus do, like first feeding, name-giving, or do you mean it in the general sense of impressions on the subconscious?
Kalidas
Well-Known Member
That's what's throwing me off too. I was like fry samskaras? Get rid of samskaras? Why they are wonderful!
No. There are two definitions, neither of which is the above.
The first is here: The 16 Hindu Samskaras
meaning rituals traditional Hindus take.
.. and the second definition is an experience that leaves an impression, or any strong experience that is tough to get out of one's memory. It can be positive, or negative. So the first definition would be a subset of this one.
What you're talking about sounds like habit.
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Kalidas
Well-Known Member
I did not even know about the second definition . That sounds similar to things like trauma. Not that they are all bad, like you said some are positive. But the idea is similar one profound moment that will forever change you.
You got it, and indeed you could say you underwent quite the samskara.
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
Ohhh. Okay. See, I think I was confusing samskara with samsara and karma. 
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But someone *did* mentions samosas, right?
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But someone *did* mentions samosas, right?
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
It's usually positive. The thing that comes to mind is the Prakrit word "sanskār" (notice the "m" has turned in an "n").
"This boy/girl has wonderful sanskār; his/her sanskriti (not to be confused with Sanskrit) is honorable and admirable."
"John is a sanskāri boy; Maya is a sanskāri lady."
"Hello Uncle! I just ran into Rajbhaiyya and what a wonderful sanskāri man he has turned into!"
It denotes a person with good traditional values, respect, of admirable character, of dharmic quality, a refined person.
And, I like samosas, btw.
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Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
You're a man of dhosas and idli sambhar. Too bad you're missing out on the South Indian fish entrees.
Kalidas
Well-Known Member
Which brings to light a question I wabt t pose.
Why get rid of them? Sure the "negative" moments hurt, hurt doesn't mean bad. What's the purpose of pain in the human body? To let us kniw something is not right and needs to be changed. Sure pain sucks but I see it like this. It in NECESSARY to strive for moksha. Who wants to be liberated from life when life is fun? I guess pain creates as I would call it "soul weariness" or "homesickness" a wanting to end the cycles of karma to feturn "home."
You need to get 'rid' of them because they interrupt self-inquiry. You don't actually need to get rid of the memory, just the reaction to the memory. It's called affectionate detachment in my sampradaya's terminology. So if every time this memory comes up, you have an overly emotional reaction that hinders worship, hinders concentration, or hinders your ability to keep a job, etc., it's considered spiritually unhealthy. We want to move on somehow, not live in the past, progress along the path. So it's not a question or erasing memory, but erasing reaction.
This is generally done via the light (or fire) of understanding. Of course, it's far easier said than done, but there are techniques.
Of course, bhakti never hurts.
Kalidas
Well-Known Member
You need to get 'rid' of them because they interrupt self-inquiry. You don't actually need to get rid of the memory, just the reaction to the memory. It's called affectionate detachment in my sampradaya's terminology. So if every time this memory comes up, you have an overly emotional reaction that hinders worship, hinders concentration, or hinders your ability to keep a job, etc., it's considered spiritually unhealthy. We want to move on somehow, not live in the past, progress along the path. So it's not a question or erasing memory, but erasing reaction.
This is generally done via the light (or fire) of understanding. Of course, it's far easier said than done, but there are techniques.
Of course, bhakti never hurts.
Well that's still not "frying it" as the OP put it. But more like you removing yourself from being attached to the memory.
But I see what your are saying. You need to drop the baggage you are carrying to move on, besides yyou can't take your emotional baggage with you.
NobodyYouKnow
Misanthropist
How I see it, how I understand it, is that to 'root out' samskaras, one must do introspection and 'self study' to see the cause/root of those samskaras.
Our mind is like an ocean or lake (Chitta/Manas), with various levels of awareness and currents...like whirlpools of neurons firing and our thought processes arising from within it.
Each thought, is like a wave or ripple on this ocean. These are called Vrittis.
Vrittis arise like a wave, due to subtle undercurrents in our subconscious or conscious mind. Sometimes, these waves just rise and fall of their own accord...other times, you will find yourself 'surfing' on those waves, or watching them crash into the shore of your mind...eroding your 'mental landscape' piece by piece.
These kinds of thoughts which result in action being taken, often leading to habitual actions or even more habitual thought processes are called Samskaras.
To 'root out' these Samskaras, meditation is required to dissect thoughts, behaviours and actions at the level of meditative awareness.
Om Namah Shivay
Our mind is like an ocean or lake (Chitta/Manas), with various levels of awareness and currents...like whirlpools of neurons firing and our thought processes arising from within it.
Each thought, is like a wave or ripple on this ocean. These are called Vrittis.
Vrittis arise like a wave, due to subtle undercurrents in our subconscious or conscious mind. Sometimes, these waves just rise and fall of their own accord...other times, you will find yourself 'surfing' on those waves, or watching them crash into the shore of your mind...eroding your 'mental landscape' piece by piece.
These kinds of thoughts which result in action being taken, often leading to habitual actions or even more habitual thought processes are called Samskaras.
To 'root out' these Samskaras, meditation is required to dissect thoughts, behaviours and actions at the level of meditative awareness.
Om Namah Shivay
I totally agree, with one addition. That understanding must come from within, not circular reliving the experience over and over, but from a deeper intuitive level. In short, you need to really understand the lesson in the samskara.
So one technique is to withdraw the senses into meditation, go deep within, where the intuitive mind functions, then ask God for an answer, or simply put it as a question. The, either right then, or later, unexpectedly, that answer comes and you somehow just 'get it'. This is not an intellectual process.
Course I could be wrong.
