Way of The Seekers — Page 102
102 THE becomes lax in requiring performance. 2. The ego or the master is not weak, but the will or the agent is sick and has lost control over the emotions which are like servants of the will. When the agent falls ill, the servants become lax and refuse to obey. In other words, the communication between the ego and emotions is impaired. 3. Something intervenes between the will and the emotions. The will, the power to direct and the emotions are ready to obey, but communication between the two is interrupted. Either the intervening distance has become too great, or some other hindrance stands in the way and the orders of the will do not reach the emotions. Thus sinfulness and lack of virtue could mean: a. Weakness of the ego, or b. Weakness of the will, or c. Some intervention which nullifies the control of the will over the emotions. For instance, a smoker may have the will to give up smoking but when he sees the pipe, he cannot help himself and succumbs to his habit. I shall now point out the factors which help foster the ego and strengthen the will. 1. The wish to survive. Every animate wishes to survive. Try to kill a small insect. Note how it tosses and twists. This shows it wants to live. The spiritual patient should know that if his sickness is prolonged, he would die. He should, therefore, strengthen his will to survive, which is a natural urge and can be fostered by reflection. A smoker drifts towards a smoker and a wine-bibber seeks like company; but in face of mortal danger all this is forgotten and shunned. It is the wish to survive which overcomes all weaknesses. 2. Along with the will to survive, the will to crush all opposition should be fostered. This is a corollary of the wish to survive. Survival is not possible unless the will to