We often think about addictions in a very gross sense. Talking about addictions, we often refer to smoking, drinking etc. But let’s go a bit deeper. What is addiction really? How does itget started? An addiction is the state in which soul loses control of things. It seeks for things outside when it’s not able to fulfil itself through its own power. The soul is so devoid of something that it has to rely on an external source for fulfilment in order to maintain a state of equilibrium. Not getting these external stimulants takes the soul into a state of depression or low energy.
Apart from the gross forms of addictions, soul is addicted to many other things. Like accumulating material possessions which gives it a sense of power; seeking attention and approval from others which give a false sense of being loved. We can find many more such behaviours in our day to day life if we think deeper about what really binds the soul. What is it that the soul is actually seeking? Resorting to gross forms of addictions is actually the lowest state of addiction. But souls’ addiction starts much earlier than that.
We all seek some basic things which nourishes the soul. They are food for the soul. These are the attributes of the soul – knowledge, purity, peace, love, joy, bliss and power. But the soul has not always been in this state of low energy looking outside for things which are its own virtues. When the soul is full of these virtues, it’s in the highest state. And this state is called virtues. At this stage, the soul doesn’t need any external stimulus to be happy and content. It enjoys playing its part on this world drama stage. Playing the part is like an entertainment for the soul.
Gradually, as the soul keeps changing costumes or bodies and gets into the cycle of birth and death, the power of the soul starts diminishing. Same way as we charge our phone and once we unplug it from the power source and start using it the charge starts going down. But the soul has enough power to retain control of its senses including mind for many births– 2500 years to be precise. After this time, the diminishing power reaches a point where soul starts losing control over its mind and intellect.
This is the time when soul turns from being soul-conscious to body-consciousness. When the soul is unable to nourish the mind with 7 basic qualities, the mind starts looking outside for these qualities. These qualities which are actually divine powers cannot be replaced by temporary excitement given by physical means. But the mind makes an effort for the same and starts looking outside. And what essentially is a divine power is replaced by physical substitutes. This gives rise to vices like lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego. There are many more secondary ones like laziness, jealousy.
If we analyse the vices they are nothing but a substitute for one of the 7 qualities of the soul. Our behaviours are also driven by the need of the soul for those 7 qualities which used to be inherent in the soul at some point of time. We get angry for our desire to have power and control. Ego is also generated by the need for power. We say god created the world by thought. We also say that god created man in his own image. But how does god do this?
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