As we grow older, unknowingly we become victims of enemies within, as described in the book ‘Breaking Free‘ by Herschel Walker, a football player who overcame dissociative identity disorder. To experience spiritual enlightenment, we need to break free from our internal viruses like passion, anger, greed, ego, delusion and envy, which Kauravas suffered from. Passion is an intense desire that, if not satisfied, turns into anger or attachment that often result in possessiveness and greed. Ego smacks of arrogance.
Moreover, these internal enemies often have a ‘Domino Effect‘, as succinctly described in Sankhya Yog of the Bhagwad Gita, ‘Brooding on sense objects causes attachment that breeds craving, craving breeds anger. Anger breeds delusion; delusion breeds loss of memory, which causes the decay of the discriminating faculty, following which downfall becomes imminent.’
With the dawn of the new year, we too can start afresh and endeavour to defeat these enemies and experience a ‘born free’ or ‘a breaking free’ life.
January 22 is Lunar New Year