According to the karma theory propounded by various schools of Hindu thought, everyone in this world is born with a karmic inheritance of certain tendencies, potentialities and behavioural patterns. This conditioning arises out of one’s samskaras (also spelled as sanskaras). What are the samskaras ? These are the past psychic impressions which are imprinted on one’s mind-material (chitta). Any deed done by a person - whether by thought, speech or action - leaves an impact on the deep layers of the person’s chitta. These imprints created by the karma done by a person in the past (whether in the earlier births or in the current life) remain stored in the chitta, as samskaras. When the conditions become suitable for them to bear fruit, these latent impressions produce the positive or negative results, of his virtuous or vicious deeds respectively. Thus, the past samskaras have determined one’s present nature, traits and habits. Similarly, the karma being undertaken by one now influences his present and future behaviour.
One sees the world around through the prism of his samskaras. A word of caution here. In Hinduism, samskaras also refer to the diverse rites and rituals performed at different stages of an individual’s life. But the samskaras in that context are not the subject matter of this article.
Being the subtle impressions of one’s past actions, samskaras can be positive like the attitude of helping others, in the hour of their need. These healthy habits are created by past good deeds. Positive samskaras promote one’s material well-being and spiritual growth. There can, on the other hand, be negative tendencies like short temper. Such habits arise out of past wicked deeds. Negative samskaras become the cause of one’s suffering. Most of the people continue to suffer due to one or the other samskara. Maharishi Patanjali has, however, stated in sutra 2.16 that the suffering which is yet to come may be avoided. This shloka implies that the dormant bad karmas can be neutralised, before their actual fructification. One can keep himself away from future pain by subduing the past samskaras, and doing good deeds in the present moment.
How can the past samskaras be vanquished ? Patanjali has stated in sutra 3.18 that by making samyama on the samskaras, knowledge of the previous lives is gained. Samyama stands for the state of concentration, meditation and absorption in the self ; put together. It is the practice of intense and sustained focus in a specific direction. To put this sutra in more modern terminology and practical perspective, it can be said that through continued attention on one’s behavioural patterns, one can gain knowledge of his past. By bringing the past samskaras into direct focus, one can regain the memory as to how and when these samskaras had arisen. How have these latent impressions given rise to various obnoxious habits. The awareness gained about the origin of one’s behavioural patterns enables him to cleanse his mind of the undesirable hidden impressions, which are a source of constant trouble. Deviant behaviour, then, gets automatically altered. Instead of egocentric living, one works from his true self.
Various thought-waves continue to rise and fall in the mind-stuff (chitta) of an individual. When a thought-wave subsides, it remains in the chitta in a minute, subtle form ; as a samskara. Being stored in the subconscious part of the mind, no one remembers when and how these samskaras arose. But they can be revived, as memory, by an intense insight into one’s behavioural pattern. When in the form of memory, it can be changed for better.
In the long journey of life, one does all kinds of deeds - virtuous and vicious, right and wrong etc. etc. Good deeds create positive samskaras and evil deeds create negative ones. When one starts examining his past, through a process of self-reflection, he becomes aware of the habits which he needs to change, and also the qualities he should cultivate further. One can, thus, live more freely and fully. His life becomes more meaningful and purposeful.
Through self-introspection, one gets an insight into his true nature. One learns that he is different from his mental paraphernalia. Howsoever deeply ingrained or powerful his behavioural pattern may be, it does not define his essential nature. After gaining such wisdom, one realises that he is not doomed to stay struck in the quicksands of misery. He has the choice and ability of bringing positive change in his life. When one gets, through the practice of different limbs of yoga, the ability to differentiate the self from the material nature (including the mind and the intellect), he fully realises as to what he is at his core. He can, then, relate to the world in an appropriate manner.
As is evident from the above, the samskaras are one’s own creation. So only he can overcome their effects. If one does not make any effort to neutralise the subtle impressions of his past deeds ; these very imprints, then, will have the force of destiny. But one can certainly change his destiny by overpowering his evil tendencies through firm determination and strong will-power.
To conclude, though the samskaras are so firmly embedded in one’s mind-matter that they become the determining factor of one’s personality ; still they can be controlled and altered to enable one to live a more fulfilling life.