Tia: A question popped in my mind about personality disorder and the reason I asked is not because I have a personality disorder (thanks Ishvara!) but because all my life had to deal with that since my father and sister are bipolar. So, I just wanted to know why and understand better if it has something to do with the child living in the past or with the chaotic dance between the gunas.
Sundari: It must be hard to live with people you love who do not have fully functioning minds. Though much of our conditioning is the result of our karma in this life, having a mind that is damaged and controlled by rajas and tamas is not the result of anything they did or was done to them. It is their karma, something they came in with. That is why Vedanta states the value of a good human birth as without one, it is usually not possible to escape the hold of Maya. Though they are no less the self, there is no escape from ignorance for them in this life because to assimilate the true meaning of life, meaning the nondual teachings of Vedanta, we need not only qualifications for it but a functioning mind. There is no understanding the why of another person’s karma. Only Isvara knows that. As it says in the scripture, on the subject of karma, even the sages are perplexed.
While it is a blessing to be born with a working mind instrument, if it is under the spell of Maya/ignorance, and has not developed the qualifications for self-inquiry, there is still no escape from suffering. That is why there is so much craziness in the world today, people’s minds are totally conditioned by rajas and tamas, fears and desires. With that kind of mind, it is impossible to know anything for sure because nothing in the world is what it seems. Everything is always changing and not in anyone’s control. Ignorance of your true nature and the true nature of the field being nondual means that inference does not work as a means of knowledge either.
You only have your sense organs to rely on, and those are not suitable means of knowledge for anything other than objects. Additionally, our sense organs are totally subjective and at the mercy of our conditioning (likes and dislikes or fears/desires). It is no wonder that people are so anxious and afraid, they do not know the truth about anything, least of all, themselves. You are very fortunate to have the good karma you have to have found Vedanta. It is grace, and grace is earned.
Well done to you for applying yourself so diligently to your inquiry! You can trust the teachings to lead you out of the land of darkness and suffering because you are the light that makes that possible.
With much love
Sundari
