Page 90 - Desire to Disaster

speech and body that had harmed others. He turned away
from the cesspool of attachment and aversion. Driven by his
desire to benefit his ātmā {soul}, he spent his days immersed
in vairāgya {detachment from the world}, tapasyā {penance}
and tattvavicārañā {contemplation}. So focused was he, that
with time and discipline, he managed to break off the bonds
of attachment that he had felt earlier. He managed to rise
above attachment by destroying the seeds of attachment. He
had not yet conquered attachment and aversion completely.
But he had succeeded in destroying the mechanism that
caused bondage.

Question : What is the difference between the attachment
felt by a blind follower and a thinking
follower?

Answer : They are as different from each other as a blind
man, and a man with perfect vision. The blind man
is unable to navigate fully and is therefore at a risk
when he is walking past a well. He is liable to fall
inside it. A man with perfect vision would not be
at risk while walking past a well. He would see the
well more clearly and walk safely past it. Rupsen
was first like the blind follower. As a consequence,
he had to suffer immensely. Later on, thanks to
the teachings of Sunanda, he became a thinking
follower and as a result, he ascended to heaven.

Question : What is the blind attachment?

Answer : Blind attachment is the inability to see how wrong
and inappropriate attachment is, and how much it
harms your soul.

Question : How to get rid of blind attachment?

Answer : 1. You must know that attachment is the greatest
enemy of your soul. It is the worst addiction and

90 Desire to Disaster