Far beyond visible actions and conscious choices, vasanas influence our inclinations, our preferences, and even the direction in which our lives move.
What Are Vasanas?
Vasanas form an important part of the karana sharira, the causal body. They are our impressions, default tendencies, and unmanifest desires that remain within us.
The word vasana literally means “fragrance.” This itself offers a beautiful way to understand the concept. Positive vasanas can be thought of as a pleasant aroma, while negative vasanas resemble an unpleasant smell. Just as fragrance spreads and affects the atmosphere around it, vasanas influence our thoughts, actions, and associations.
Recognizing Vasanas Through Everyday Experience
Consider a home with pets. The people living there gradually become accustomed to a particular smell because they experience it every day. But a guest entering for the first time may immediately notice it because it is different from what they are used to.
Similarly, we become aware when we step into environments whose vasanas do not align with our own.
Imagine a person who is a teetotaler attending a gathering at a pub because friends invited them. Such a person may find it difficult to connect with the atmosphere, conversations, or environment itself. There is discomfort because the vasanas of the individual do not align with the vasanas present there. A conflict naturally arises.
We Carry the Fragrance of Our Environments
Another important aspect of vasanas is that we carry the “fragrance” of the places we visit.
When we go to a temple, we often return carrying the fragrance of flowers and the subtle atmosphere of that place. Similarly, after attending a wedding, the flowers, fresh clothes, and silk sarees leave behind a distinctive fragrance.
In the same way, environments leave impressions upon us. Wherever we go, we carry back something of the vasanas present there.
Vasanas Attract Similar Vasanas
Negative vasanas naturally attract and strengthen other negative vasanas. Positive vasanas similarly attract and strengthen positive vasanas.
This is beautifully reflected through the ideas of dusanga and satsanga.
One unpleasant smell easily blends with another unpleasant smell. Likewise, negative associations reinforce negative tendencies.
Similarly, pleasant fragrances blend naturally with other pleasant fragrances. Positive company supports and strengthens positive tendencies. This is the power and beauty of satsanga.
How Vasanas Influence Our Lives
The way we behave and the things we naturally gravitate toward are deeply connected to our vasanas.
Our inclinations and tendencies arise from these default impressions. Yet every moment gives us a choice: we can either strengthen our vasanas or weaken them through our actions.
Vedanta explains that what prevents us from attaining mukti or moksha is not only incomplete karma but also these vasanas that continue to remain within us. Liberation becomes possible only when these vasanas are exhausted.
Vasanas can either be experienced or they can be roasted.
They may be understood as seeds waiting to sprout. An ordinary seed has the ability to germinate and grow. But when a seed is roasted, it loses its ability to sprout.
Similarly, through the heat of knowledge, vasanas lose their ability to create further impressions and experiences.
The Importance of Choice and Action
Life becomes a journey where every action either takes us closer to our true nature or farther away from it.
Human beings have freedom in choosing actions, but once an action is performed, we become bound by its consequences. Up to the point of action, we possess control. After the action is performed, the consequences are no longer in our hands.
This is why the intellect plays an important role. The mind often acts impulsively and immediately wants what it sees. The intellect gives us the ability to pause, understand consequences, and decide whether an action should be pursued.
The Strength of Vasanas
Consider a person with a strong tendency toward smoking. Such a person may sincerely decide to quit and may put in tremendous effort, yet still struggle to stop. Strong vasanas can overpower self-effort.
However, this does not mean effort should stop. Change requires patience and time, and progress depends upon the strength of the vasanas involved.
An important exercise is to observe our own vasanas without judgment. They reveal themselves through our thoughts and actions. We can simply recognize them and understand which tendencies are strong.
Positive tendencies are also vasanas. If kindness comes naturally or if selflessness feels effortless, these too are positive vasanas. Strong positive vasanas help move us toward realizing our true nature, while strong negative vasanas take us farther away.