Q 1.

“The problem today is that the desires, thoughts and expectations are largely set by
preconditioning or sensations” – examine this statement.What are the problems that we are
facing today because of operating on the basis of pre- conditioned desires and sensation?How do
we go into conflicts when our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance? Explain how
pre conditioning can lead to unhappiness. Discuss the problems that are created by having
desire, thoughts and expectation on the basis of pre – conditioning. How do sensations and pre-
conditionings influence our imagination? Give two examples of each.
ANS. When our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance, then they are guided by preconditioning
and sensations. Preconditioning means we have assumed something about our desires on the basis ofprevailing
notion about it. We have not verified the desires in our own right. As a result, we are not clear about what we
will get out of fulfilment of that desire. What is the issue with that? Unless we verify our desires, we may not
even know whether they are our! We may end up spending an entire lifetime accumulating desires that are not
our, and in running about trying to fulfil them!
Sensation is a perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a specific bodycondition:
the sensation of heat; a visual sensation.

We go into conflicts when our activities are not guided by our natural acceptance:
A. Conflicts and contradictions in ‘I’ as a result of pre-conditioneddesire
We have not verified the desires, thoughts and expectations in us on the basis of our own natural
acceptance. As a result, these desires, thoughts and selections are in conflicts. Since the desires are in conflict,
the thoughts they give rise to, are also in conflict and in turn, the selection from the thoughts are also in
conflicts. This conflict affects us in differentmanners:
1. Wavering aspirations: Our goals keep shifting as the inputs from the outside also keep changing. Our
desires thus keep shifting, because their source is outside and these preconditioned desires may come
from what we read, see, hear, from media, friends, society, etc. hence, we are always wavering in what
we want; we are not able to be certain aboutit.
2. Lack of confidence: Since our desires are shaky, we are not sure about them. As a result, we lack self
confidence, in the true sense. Our confidence seems relative i.e. we keep comparing ourselves with
others in order to feelconfident.
3. Unhappiness/conflicts: Since our desires, thoughts and expectations are in conflict, it becomes the
cause for our unhappiness, leading to stress and tension. Such desires will also be in conflict with our
naturalacceptance
a) Lack of qualitative improvement in us: We focus largely on fulfilling the needs of the body. As a
result, we live with a sense of lack of fulfilment. We are doing many things, accumulating a lot,
progressing on paper, but we don’t feel that we have improved, that we have become better. It seems
that only the things around us arechanging!State of resignation: Because we do not understand
ourselves properly and have contradictions within, we slowly start getting disillusioned (pleasant but
mistaken beliefs). We feel that there are no solutions to these issues, and end up in a state
ofresignation.
B. Short lived nature of pleasure from sensations: The pleasure obtained from sensations is short-lived.
We have so much dependent on sensations that instead of giving us some sensory pleasure, it becomes
the source for our happiness. This can be understood asfollows:
 The external object is temporary in nature the contact of the external object with the body is
temporary in nature. The sensation from the body to ‘I’ is temporary. And at last the taste of the sensation
from the body in ‘I’ is also temporary. Therefore, if the source for our happiness is temporary by definition,
then our need for continuous happiness will never be fulfilled. Hence, any sensation we have from the body
can’t be the source for our lasting happiness.
To sum up, if our desires, thoughts and expectations are based on pre-conditionings, we are generally
in a state of great confusion. This leads to confusion, unhappiness, conflict and stress. We have lack of
clarity about the self, relationships, society, nature and existence. We have lack of confidence. We have a
feeling of being unfulfilled, unsettled. We operate largely on the basis of the environment, driven from the
outside – either from sensations, or based onpre-conditionings.

Q 2. “I am the seer, doer and enjoyer. The body is my instrument” – Explain. (UPTU 2011 – 12)
How self enjoys the activities of the body? Ashish Gupta, CS-B (2011)
ANS. There is a relation between the self and body that body act as an instrument of self. Whatever self
thinks body performs it physically. Body does not decide itself. We can verify this by the following
discussion.
I am the seer: When we are reading a book or listening, when someone is explaining something to us, when
we are watching a scenery or when we are thinking – we are engaged in the activities of ‘seeing’ or
understanding. Now when we see some nice scenery we say ‘I am seeing’ that means our self ‘I’ see
via the eyes, the eyes don’t see, they are just instruments, that unable me to see something outside.
Different images are formed in the eyes every time, but it is I who is able to relate it to the meaning of
that image every time. Similarly, I can see inside ‘in me’ also – without the eyes. For example I can
see that I am getting angry. In this case I understand or know or am aware that I am getting angry.
When I see outside the body works as aninstrument.
I am the doer: once I have seen/ understood something, I am the one who decides what to do or not to do. I
am the doer. For example, when I see the scenery I am the one who decide to take a picture of the
scenery. I use my hands to pick camera and click a picture. The hands in the body are thus used as an
instrument. In this way I work with my hands and legs.
I am the enjoyer: I saw the scenery and I took the picture. I am the seer and doer so far. When I see the
picture I like it. I am the one that enjoys it. Thus there is a continuity of being the seer, doer and
enjoyer. Similarly when I eat, I am the one that gets the taste – from the tongue.

Q 3. Explain the activities of imaging, analyzing and selecting/ tasting with a diagram. With the help
of an example, show how are they related.
What do you mean by ‘Power’ and ‘Activity’ of self?
ANS. The self is conscious in nature while the body is physico-chemical in nature. The interaction betweenthe
‘I’ and the body is in the form of exchange of information. So the focus of attention is on two categories of
attributes of the self, namely, the powers of the self and the corresponding activities as the manifest outcomes
of these powers.
Power: This means the basic capacity in the self (‘I’). They are: desires, thoughts and expectations. Activities:
Activity is the process of utilizing this power. The activities are: imaging, analyzing, and selecting/tasting. The
activity of analyzing means breaking down the image into various parts or to open it
 up. Selecting/tasting is with the expectation of fulfilling our desires with the expectation of happiness. The
activity of selecting/tasting is the basic level via which the self interacts with the body.
We can understand the activities by a simple example. We may have a desire to have respect by being
the owner of a big house. This is in the form of imaging – we have an image in us of fulfilment of this need for
respect via a house. Based on this image, we start working out the details of the house. The house will have
rooms and a verandha, there will be a kitchen garden on the backside, it will have four rooms etc. Here the
image of wanting respect from the house split into many parts – this is called analyzing. Now that we have
worked out the details of the house, we go about choosing the size, colour, etc. of the rooms and other details.
This is called selecting/ tasting. They are related in the sense that without the activity of imaging, analyzing
will not be possible and without analyzing, activity of selection/ tasting will not take place.

Q 4. “The pleasures that we derive from sensations are short lived and the efforts to extend them lead
to misery” – examine thisstatement.
Elaborate how sensation from the body cannot be a source for continuous happiness.
ANS. A perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a specific body condition: thesensation
of heat; a visual sensation. A term commonly used to refer to the subjective experience resulting from
stimulation of a sense organ, for instance, a sensation of warm, sour, or green.
The pleasure obtained from sensations is short-lived. We are driven by five sensations (sound from the
ears, touch from the skin, sight through eyes, taste from the mouth, and smell from the nose) and most of the
time we are busy trying to get pleasure from sensations, from the senses. We have so much dependent on
sensations that instead of giving us some sensory pleasure, it becomes the source for our happiness. Then what
is the issue with this is? This can be understood as follows:

The external object is temporary in nature the contact of the external object with the body is
temporary in nature. The sensation from the body to ‘I’ is temporary. And at last the taste of the sensation
from the body in ‘I’ is also temporary.
The need of the ‘I’ is continuous, i.e. we want to have happiness, and its continuity. Therefore, if the
source for our happiness is temporary by definition, then our need for continuous happiness will never be
fulfilled. Hence, any sensation we have from the body can’t be the source for our lasting happiness.
No matter how much we try to be become happy via the senses, or via bodily sensation, it does not last.
This does not mean that we stop these sensations from the body, or that we stop tasting from the senses. It only
means that we need to understand the limitations of happiness or pleasure got from the sensations from the
body and need to understand what is there use or purpose. If we confuse this purpose with the happiness, we
are in trouble, since something that is temporary can’t be the source for our continuous happiness.
We can thus understand that living on the basis of preconditioning (“good life means having a nice
car”) or sensations (happiness out of taste from the body) means being in a state of being decided by the others
or outside, i.e. enslaved (partantrata). We are at the mercy of the preconditioning and the sensation.
Whereas, we want to be in the state of self-organization of being decided by our own self, in our own
right (svantrata).

Q 5. Explian the activities of realizaiton and understanding. How do they lead to harmony in the
activities of ‘I’? Illustrate with an example.How does realization and understanding lead to
definiteness of human conduct? Realization and understanding are essential for happiness and
harmony. Explain.ANS. Realization: Means to be able to see the reality as it is. In realization, we
get the answer to “what is the reality?” This, for each one of us, translates into the answers to
“what to do?” and “why to do?” when we operate on the basis of realization and gains
understanding according to the realization then it give definiteness and certainty and makes us
selforganized.
Understanding: Means to be able to understand the self organization in all entities of
nature/existence andtheir inter-connected organization “as it is”. We are able to see the
harmonious interconnectedness at all the levels of our living. Understanding plays an
important role in desire making. When we do not have the right understanding, our desire keep
shifting, and this indefiniteness is reflected in our thoughts, and selections we make, and
finally in our behaviour and work. On the other hand, when our understanding is based on
realization and we use this understanding in desire making then our desire will be correct and
thoughts and selection will be according to the understanding.
These are the two activities in the self (‘I’) (placed at point 1 and 2 in the figure).
When we have (1) realization then (2) understanding becomes according to the realization.
When this happens, then (3) imaging or desires get set according to this understanding.
Consequently, (4) analysis or thoughts become according to the imaging/desires and hence,
the (5) expectations or selection/taste are according to the thoughts/analysis. This is called
self- organization or svantrata. This leads to happiness and itscontinuity.
In realization and understanding, we get the answer to “what is the reality?” This, for
each one of us, translates into the answers to “what to do?” and “why to do?” Then what
remains to find out is “how to do?”, which comes from imagination (activities 3, 4, and 5). Is
we see today we are focusing on “how to do?”, without trying to first verify “what to do?” and
“why to do?”! It is just like traveling in a comfortable AC vehicle on a smooth road without
knowing where we have togo!