May 19, 2023
When it comes to this mad clinging to life, to the desire to live, to enjoy, to have what we call pleasurable experiences, how does one overcome this? Krishna expands this idea in The Gita. The first need is to perceive immediately that all life is tainted by old-age, sickness, and death. This does not mean that one should not eat, nor marry nor do this or that.
But when this immediate direct perception is there constantly, then one's consciousness will not be influenced by these experiences called pleasure and pain. It will no longer run after pleasure because it knows that it is temporary, not real. Neither will it masochistically look for pain. Pain is inherent in life — there is no need to search for some more.
When all desires re-enter oneself, return to the source, there is true dispassion — the total opposite of passion and craving.