Jane: I have a conflict between the spiritual and the material. On the one hand, I have deep thoughts and value the meaning of Vedanta, and on the other hand I am easily impressed by money and status. This is a terrible combination. What do you think about all that?
Rory: This comes down to values. There’s a conflict between your value for moksa and your value for worldly pleasures. Such conflicts inevitably cause stress for the mind and they lead us to muddled and improper priorities and actions. Basically, the value for moksa has to be fully assimilated – it has to be a 100% value rather than a 40% or even 80% value. This can only happen when you explore the limitations of other pursuits and goals, and be clear that nothing in the world, whether it’s money or fame, can ever bring lasting fulfilment – or lasting anything, because things are constantly changing in maya.
It may be that you still have some worldly vasanas to work out, and that’s fine too. Just do it as karma yoga and even that will ultimately be productive!
Jane: Yes, there are worldly vasanas for this jiva and denying them is not the way – but I have to take them as a tendency, not a command.
Rory: That’s a great and important distinction. The key is observing the mind and witnessing these patterns arising. Before we get on any particular train of thought or action, it’s helpful to discriminate whether it’s a train we want to be on – because once the wheels are in motion and it gets momentum, it can be much harder to get off. Mindfulness meditation is particularly good for that. In Vedanta we call it sakshi bhava: recognising that we are the witness.
