April 21st, 2026

Vivekji is part of the Niagara Regional Police Services inclusion council, and Vivekji shared how their meetings are in cultural sensitivity (a form of sensitivity training), and regarding how a recent workshop was on ambient racism. Ambient means it is soft and is in the background (like ambient light or ambient noise).  Overt racism is assault. More soft than this is micro aggression. More soft than this is micro insults. More soft than this is micro invalidation (where someone makes you feel that your education or culture or religion is not worthwhile). The colonial system enacted all of this in terms of Bharatiya Samskriti – there was assault, there was aggression, there was insult and there was invalidation. Vivekji shared the reflection that ‘the less happy one is, the more racist one is’. For example, if i am happy then i don’t feel invalid, and i don’t invalidate anyone else. We are finding more racism in high school and so our high school students should learn more about happiness. Our course which has a Jnana orientation is focusing on Manah shodanam. Shodana means purity, this purity is not physical but it is mental, intellectual and metaphysical. Here i don’t see oneness but feel oneness. The more pure i become, the more i feel oneness! You cannot be racist against oneself! What we get to experience in this training is very long term! 

We are in the section of Manah Shodanam where Rishi Narada is sharing with Raja Yudhishtira on how to convert vices into values. If one follows through with this, the values become virtues. 

Throughout these 14 vices and 14 values, frameworks have been shared, like:

• There are 3 gates to hell (kama, krodha,lobha). 

Another framework:

• The acronym SAD comes to play in our lives as Stress (from Daiva), Anxiety (from Bhuta), Dejection (from Atma). 

The next framework relates to the Gunas: 

In the 12th vice which is nidra, one of the gunas or qualities of nidra is tamas. Kumbhakarna meant to share that he wished for Indra but the syllables were reversed and he wished for Nidra instead! So the 12th vice nidra is explained in a simple way as escapism. Moha is when we are confused  but we still try! Nidra is when the confusion is fermented and we stop trying and instead we just escape! We simply have to keep trying, but nidra is escapism. The way (value) to fight this vice is ‘good habits’ (localize). When we have a whole lot to do, try not to be overwhelmed , instead start! If there are 50 dishes in the sink, then start with one! Be present with what is right in front of you! 

In the movie ‘On a Quest’, Pujya Swami Chinmayananda shares – ‘Start walking and the path becomes clear!’ Bad habits are formed slowly, similarly good habits are also formed slowly. That is the power of continuity and consistency.

The 13th vice is rajas – aggressiveness. The way to fight this is to ‘hedge’ (protect and put parameters around whatever causes us to be aggressive). Philosophically – infinity plus Maya (power of expression) expresses as Gunas.  Gunas means there is Maya there. But there cannot be a ‘plus’ to infinity, so philosophically me having rajas in my personality is unhealthy. At a psychological level, the framework we are in where tamas (laziness), rajas (aggressiveness) is shared, the implication is that of evolution. Ashtanga refers to evolution, Pancha kosha refers to evolution as well (from outside to inside). Evolution means everyone is included. So we should keep striving and engage in this perpetual betterment. 

The 14th vice:

Sattvam cha, upashamena cha

Sattva has now become the vice! Upashamena means being beyond the gunas or qualities , beyond Maya (expression) and being one with oneness. From a philosophical perspective: In the Mahabharata , a life plan is shared. From 0 to 23, the training that one should be engaged in is seva. From 24 to 47, the training is in daana. From 48 to 59, which is the third phase of life, the training is Niyama. If one has checked off all three, then in the fourth phase of life which is 60 and over (60 to 72) , the training is in shama (independent quietude, inner world is quiet and still and silent). This is only possible through dhyana, Upashama is only possible through contemplation. A psychological narrative of how this goes from sattva to upashama: In Bhagavad Gita’s chapter 10, Sri Krishna constantly shares with prince Arjuna – ‘you are good, but look at that which is great’. For example, amongst all the bodies that are luminous, the sun is great, but beyond the great is God! He is trying to show prince Arjuna that it is not good enough to be good, it is not good enough to be great, enough is when you are God! So here, being Saathvik is not good enough. Psychologically we should know the ends, the big picture. Practically how we can start this fight against sattva is through inquiry. We should try not to take for granted our life and our experiences, but we should inquire as to what is the purpose of this life and this experience. Acharya Shankara helped by leaving this legacy of inquiry for all of us! Acharya Shankara’s parents had the option of having an exceptional child who will live until 16 years, or to have an ordinary child who will live for a 100 years and they chose the exceptional! One will only choose the exceptional or the path of shreyas when one inquires, otherwise one just follows the mob mentality of living ordinary. 

Summary: 

Vice is nidra (escapism), and weapon against this is localize. Rajas is aggressiveness, and weapon is to hedge. Sattva is the vice, and the weapon to fight this is to inquire.