I have been in the Ashram this morning. No Satsang with Ganga Maa or Ammani this morning, I decided to join Satsang with Swami Atmananda today. It would be at 11:00 at the rooftop of Rainbow Guesthouse. I arrived there at 10:45. Entry should have been already at 10:30, but the door was still closed. Around 50 people were already waiting outside. The gate opened, and we could walk up the stairs to the roof. There was a big space with 150-200 chairs. It was slowly filling up with more people. It started with Kirtan, some instruments, and singing. Then Atmananda arrived in the hall and sat down. He was dressed in orange clothes, the traditional colour for Swamis or Sannyasins. By his accent, I think he is from France. He is a scholar from Advaita Vedanta with extensive knowledge. He is quite intellectual but very sympathetic. A different category of Satsang here. There were questions from some people here, and he answered them. Atmananda was talking about Vasanas (habits). While Asanas (which we discussed earlier) are physical seats or postures, Vasanas are the internal “mental postures” or habitual tendencies that drive your behavior.
1. The Literal Meaning: “Fragrance”
The word comes from the root vas, meaning “to dwell” or “to perfume.”
- The Analogy: Think of a jar that once held onions. Even after you remove the onions and wash the jar, a faint smell—a “fragrance”—remains.
- The Concept: In the same way, every action you take leaves a “scent” in your subconscious. If you frequently act with kindness, you develop a “kindness vasana.” If you often react with anger, you develop an “anger vasana.
2. How Vasanas Drive Your Life
According to Vedic philosophy (specifically Advaita Vedanta), Vasanas are the “seeds” of your desires. The process looks like this:
- Vasana: A latent tendency exists in your subconscious (e.g., a tendency toward sweet things).
- Desire: That tendency bubbles up as a conscious wish (“I want chocolate”).
- Thought: The mind starts planning how to get it (“There is a shop nearby”).
- Action: You go and buy the chocolate.
- New Vasana: The pleasure of eating it reinforces the original tendency, making the “groove” in your mind deeper.
The Satsang lasted until 13:00. I went home to eat something before I fell asleep for two hours. Later, I picked up Sarah, and we went again to the mobile shop to replace her screen protection.
Then we spent an hour sitting in the Ashram and listened to the Tamil Parayana. We had a Special Dosa in Hotel Ananda Ramana, where we sat with a young man from California at one table. He was a psychotherapist and here just for three weeks participating in a Meditation retreat. Last but not least, we stopped at the Kashmir Handicrafts in Perumbakkam Road, where I purchased two pairs of trousers for 1300 Rupees. I just need to shorten them at a tailor’s place.
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