The whole creation is made up of nature (prakriti) and the distortion of nature (vikriti). Anger and jealousy are not our nature – they are distortions of our nature. They are part of this creation, but we still call them distortions because they do not allow the Self to shine forth fully.
So too with sin. Sin is not your nature, and you are not born out of sin. Sin is just the wrinkle on a cloth. It needs proper ironing! Lust is considered a sin because in lust, you treat the other person like an object. In love, you see the person as someone higher. Anger is a sin because when you are angry, you lose your centre; you lose sight of the Self. In guilt, you limit the small mind to an action that has already happened.
Be thankful for the qualities you have been bestowed with because they are not of your own making. These qualities depend on the part that you have been given to play. When you understand this basic truth, then your inner perfection becomes stable.
Some psychologists say, “Deep inside you, there is fear, guilt and anger.” These psychologists know nothing about the mind or consciousness! I tell you, deep inside, you are a fountain of bliss… a fountain of joy! Jesus got angry twice – He threw people out of a church, and shouted in anger. Krishna once broke His own promise – He vowed, He would not take up a weapon during the Mahabharata war, but when it became impossible to conquer Bhishma, He picked up His weapon, the Sudarshan Chakra.
The peak of every emotion, every sensation, leads you to blossoming; leads you to innermost perfection. Don’t just look for perfection in actions. You name any action, and I’ll show you that there is a flaw in that action! Even when you give alms or charity, you are lowering the self-respect of the receiver. However, perfection in feeling is possible. Perfection in speech is possible to a great extent. Perfection in action is also possible to a greater extent.
Even if vikritis come your way, don’t give them too much importance for they are like wrinkles on a cloth. If you give importance to somebody’s anger, greed, or lust, then these are no longer only in them, for at some point of time, they take a permanent place in your mind. For e.g., an animal has sex, but after that, it doesn’t think about sex, until the next mating season. However, once man has sex, he keeps on thinking about it in his mind! This is what Krishna says in the Gita on several occasions: “What has happened to your mind?” If you nourish the vikara inside you, it changes from one impurity to another, and keeps multiplying inside you. Relax, and know that you are not the doer. See this whole thing as a drama – that is the only way you can remain in your centre.
