21 May 2026
Thursday
Pride, conceit, passionate (rajasik) exhibition of one’s superiority, anger, craving to know unsubstantiated details of strengths and weaknesses of others, trickery—all these are obstacles in the path of meditation (dhyanam). Even if these are not patently exhibited, the inner impulses (vasanas) urging one along these wrong directions are latent in the mind. As a room kept closed for a long time is found dust-ridden and foul-smelling when it is opened, and as it becomes clean and habitable after elaborate sweeping and dusting, so too, the mind must be completely cleansed of its impurities (malinya) by the power of meditation. The spiritual aspirant must, by inward observation, examine the mind and its contents and condition. By proper disciplinary habits, accumulated impurities should be removed little by little, systematically. Conceit is deep-rooted and unyielding. In the rajasik (passionate) mind, it puts forth multifold branches in all directions and spreads everywhere. It might appear to be dry and dead for some time, but it will sprout again easily. As soon as a chance arises for its exhibition, it will raise its hood.
From Dhyana Vahini, chapter 14
Pride, conceit, passionate (rajasik) exhibition of one’s superiority, anger, craving to know unsubstantiated details of strengths and weaknesses of others, trickery—all these are obstacles in the path of meditation (dhyanam). Even if these are not patently exhibited, the inner impulses (vasanas) urging one along these wrong directions are latent in the mind. As a room kept closed for a long time is found dust-ridden and foul-smelling when it is opened, and as it becomes clean and habitable after elaborate sweeping and dusting, so too, the mind must be completely cleansed of its impurities (malinya) by the power of meditation. The spiritual aspirant must, by inward observation, examine the mind and its contents and condition. By proper disciplinary habits, accumulated impurities should be removed little by little, systematically. Conceit is deep-rooted and unyielding. In the rajasik (passionate) mind, it puts forth multifold branches in all directions and spreads everywhere. It might appear to be dry and dead for some time, but it will sprout again easily. As soon as a chance arises for its exhibition, it will raise its hood.