Conditioning (Skt. संस्कार
Samskara) is the process by which the
individual mind acquires and reinforces rigid patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. It is a major form of
ignorance that builds a mental prison around our
real nature.
The Roots of Conditioning
Conditioning begins the moment we are born into the human world:
- Childhood Indoctrination: As innocent children, we lack discrimination and critical thinking. We mindlessly absorb the beliefs, values, and superstitions of our parents, religions, and societies as a survival mechanism.
- Long-Term Memory (LTM): Repeated experiences and social training get deeply impressed on our long-term memory. This accumulated data forms our personality and creates the persistent illusion of a separate self.
- Egoic Automation: Conditioning binds the ego. It programs our minds to react to life situations through automated, knee-jerk responses of fear, anger, lust, and greed, rather than acting consciously.
Breaking the Prison
Conditioning acts as a thick veil that hides the ever-present light of
awareness. To break free from this mental bondage, the seeker must:
- Develop Skepticism: Question everything that has been uncritically accepted from authority figures, traditions, or institutions.
- Abide in the Self: By shifting attention away from the conditioned mind to the silent witness, the old habit-patterns lose their grip. The seeker unlearns the false and returns to their natural state of freedom.
See also
Ignorance,
indoctrination,
beliefs,
memory,
ego,
awareness,
samsara.