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What does 'Vaasnaa' mean?

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 10:10 am
by Altaica
While studying a came across this term. 'Vaasnaas' which the article defined as "undigested desires, latent memories, etc."
Could someone please give me a more detailed description of it's meaning?

Re: What does 'Vaasnaa' mean?

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:53 am
by swarn bains
desires, greed, ill conceived ideas, ill thinking, slander etc

Re: What does 'Vaasnaa' mean?

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:55 am
by IJJSingh
In short, vaasna is our predisposition.

Inside our body, we have a reservoir of past memories and habits. Repetitive thoughts and actions over a long period of time become sanskar (subliminal mind) further entrenchment turns into vaasna (unconscious mind). This reservoir carries from one lifetime to the next (as our genetic predisposition) and controls to a large degree our future desires and behavior.

This pre-programming or predisposition of our unconscious mind shaped over several life times, is very difficult to change.
ਜਨਮ ਜਨਮ ਕੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਨ ਕਉ ਮਲੁ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਾਲਾ ਹੋਆ ਸਿਆਹੁ ॥
The filth of countless incarnations sticks to this mind; it has become pitch black.
ਖੰਨਲੀ ਧੋਤੀ ਉਜਲੀ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸਉ ਧੋਵਣਿ ਪਾਹੁ ॥
The oily rag cannot be cleaned by merely washing it, even if it is washed a hundred times. (SGGS 651)

We use our bibek budhi (intellect guided by gurbani) to resist doing bad things in the future, while naam slowly cleanses our deep-seeded vaasnas.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Re: What does 'Vaasnaa' mean?

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 4:27 pm
by Altaica
Thanks for your replies. It was vary helpful.