Simple Technique to Clear Your Mind
Simple Technique to Clear Your Mind
Use the Vasana Daha Tantra to remove emotional baggage weighing you down
Today, we are going to learn about a simple technique called the Vasana Daha Tantra to help remove emotional baggage that weighs us down.
Before we begin, we should define two Sanskrit words that are often used interchangeably but have different meanings.
Samskaras are impressions left on the mind as a result of past experiences, actions, or habits. They can shape our thoughts and desires contributing to what we think of as our personality and character.
Vasanas arise from samskaras, and are our deep-rooted desires creating the cycle of attachment that perpetuate human suffering.
In the Hindu view, we collect experiences that shape our lives and our character. When we die, we are reincarnated based on the character we have built. This is the cause for being passionate about certain likes and dislikes often from a very early age.
You don’t have to go that deep or accept reincarnation to understand the concept. When we have certain experiences they can build and change our character just in this single lifetime. For example, if someone views pornography once it can eventually lead to a habit that can create unhealthy attachments and beliefs.
Likewise, we have all had experiences that really hurt us and shape our emotional state. We can become attached to beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world that aren’t beneficial to us.
If you think of your mind as a basement and your thoughts as the items that are just carelessly tossed down into the basement, you can see how quickly your mind can become agitated or unfocused.
To help clean up the emotional trash in our basement, we have a simple sadhana, the Vasana Daha Tantra given to us by Gurudeva.
Please note that we are not trying to eliminate our memories, but just the emotion. We want to keep the memories as lessons and so we can help others.
Vasana Daha Tantra
Write down everything in your mind that hurts you emotionally from your first memories to your most recent memories. You may have hundreds of pages. Be sure to physically write down the memory on a piece of paper. You can write letters to yourself, and letters to others. Don’t limit yourself.
Burn the paper up in a physical fire. Be sure to use an actual fire. As you burn the paper, forgive yourself, forgive others, and release the emotions. You don’t need them weighing you down anymore.
Keep the memories as lessons and strive to help others in similar circumstances.
Repeat the Vasana Daha Tantra as needed. Especially once per year with any new memories.
Below is a video from Satguru Bodhinatha, Gurudeva’s predecessor, who discusses techniques for keeping a clear mind including the Vasana Daha Tantra.