INFLUENCE OF PAST IMPRESSIONS

How strong is the influence of Samskaras (impressions of the past) ? In a certain place there were seated some Sannyasins, when a young woman chanced to pass by. AH continued as before to meditate upon God, except one person, who stole a glance at her. This man who was attracted by her beauty had been a householder formerly, and was the father of three children when he became a Sannyasin.

Once I saw two castrated bulls at a certain place just then a cow passed that way, and I noticed that at the sight of it one of the bullocks got excited with passion while the other remained quiet. Seeing the strange behaviour of this bullock, I made enquiries into its past history, and came to know that it was castrated after it had grown up and had mated with cows, while the other was castrated quite young. Such is the effect of the impressions of past habits on the mind. The Sadhus who renounce the world without enjoying sexual pleasures never get excited at the sight of women, but those who assume the yellow garb in their advanced age, after having tasted the pleasures of family life, are liable to have the impressions of their past revived, even after years of self-control.

When the mind dwells in the midst of evil propensities, it is like a high-caste Brahmin living in the quarters of the outcastes , or like a gentleman dwelling in the slums of a big town.

A person once said, " After my boy Harish has grown up, I shall get him married, and then leaving the family in his charge, I shall renounce the world and take to the practice of Yoga." At this, the Master remarked, " You will never find any opportunity to cultivate devotion to God. You will hereafter say,

Harish and Girish are very much attached to me. Oh! they will miss my company if I retire from the world. Let Harish have a son first, and let me see his son also married.' Thus there will be no end to your desires.