Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 113 Ch3 10.5-6 on 15 July 2026 Q&A

Question: Distraction vs. Pratipakṣa Bhāvanā in Dealing with Bad Saṃskāras

Question: Mahārāj, there are so many bad saṃskāras which we try to fight during the journey. Sometimes we try to—you have said that the pratipakṣa bhāvanā helps correct. During that process, sometimes we don't have the strength to apply pratipakṣa bhāvanā at that point, so we tend to distract ourselves from the bad saṃskāra. Thereby we escape that for the moment, but then it comes back again. Is distraction not good at all?

Response: Distraction also becomes a teacher. If you observe, then you notice there is a distraction. When do you understand it is a distraction? Without being conscious or being unconscious? So you have to develop being conscious, being aware, and that very moment you are separating yourself from that saṃskāra. Previously you were identifying—your mind has become hesitant. Yes, now you are observing. So you say, "I observe and I am getting hesitant." That is not observing; that is dancing to the tune of the saṃskāra.

Questioner: Yes.

Response: The moment you say, "Okay, let me see what you are going to do," that saṃskāra cannot tolerate. What can saṃskāras do to a person? Because the sākṣī is not a person; the sākṣī is knowledge. So we have to go on practicing it, watching it. That is why "watch it"—and many things will become clear: "So much of kachada is there within me." That is the very first great progress in spiritual life.

There is a beautiful saying, you know, by Anthony D'Mello. Once a preacher had given a very beautiful teaching in the form of a small anecdote. There was a Christian preacher, and one day he was telling, "These are the defects every spiritual aspirant has to overcome." And he started describing what are the characteristics—it is called demonic qualities. The lecture was over. One young lady stepped forward with the greatest enthusiasm and said, "Father, how marvelously you described all these demonic qualities! Practically, I know everybody who has these defects." You see, she understood nothing—that all that he is describing is about me only. She thinks she is pure and everybody else is defective. Accepting me—that was the... your description is very nicely understood by me because somebody or other that I knew have fit these descriptions of yours.

Okay, so that is what Yatiswarananda Mahārāj used to say: first, be aware what thoughts are arising, and that is the first step. Swami Vivekananda said, "Be aware of the vṛttis that are arising. Be a witness." Just like a doctor diagnosing by studying the symptoms and the testing, etcetera—what is the first thing he does? Diagnose the problem.

Questioner: Yes.

Response: And then only a remedy can be applied. So being aware of what is going on. That is why somebody had said so beautifully: humor is one of the necessary spiritual qualities. If only we can be humorous, have the sense of humour—we don't need to have any other form of entertainment. Watch yourself; you will have more than enough entertainment. Yeah, so observe it, and the moment you observe it, then you will also understand what is the opposite, and think of the opposite.

So whenever you are aware of it, think of the opposite. Whenever, for example, you are seeing, "I am disturbed," find out somebody whose mind is like Buddha. Wonderful examples are there. You know, once he went out for bhikṣā and stood in front of a householder's house and begged for food. And then that man started abusing him right and left. Buddha heard calmly and then he said, "Now that you are finished, would you give me some alms or not?" Then this fellow was shocked—no change in Buddha. So then he asked, "How is it? I abused you so much, but you never even reacted even a little bit also—I don't see." Then Buddha said, "Suppose somebody brings a gift to you and you say, 'I don't want your gift, keep it yourself.' Now to whom does the gift belong? The person who gave. I don't accept your gift—keep it yourself." And that man was transformed. So this is the struggle—spiritual struggle—we have to go on.