Parents work tirelessly to rid their children of their unwholesome habits. Adults struggle to throw off their deeply ingrained negative tendencies. Then there are those who wish to walk the spiritual path and hence follow the injunctions of the scriptures to eschew evil and cultivate virtue. Still others are compelled to pay attention to the serious warnings of their doctors in the face of a fast deteriorating health condition to get rid of deadly habits. Reasons may vary, but the goal is the same: to get rid of shortcomings, vices, defects or bad habits.

But what is the origin of our vices? We start with innocent purity of our childhood and grow up learning and imbibing customs, culture, manners, religion, ideas and values from our environment. Hunger, thirst, sleep, desire to procreate, desire to love and be loved are fundamental to survival of our species. But in man, these drives acquire special power. His desires drive him on to seek pleasurable sensations and avoid painful experiences. In his incessant effort to relive and intensify pleasures, he systematically diminishes their value without knowing it. Man's habits have their roots in his thoughts, backed by desires and will.

Thought is the real plane of action. It may start as an impulse of a young person to have his first smoke or a drink. It could be a desire for a piece of sweet by a diabetic person, or a wish of any individual to avoid some irksome duty. Thoughts have power of reproduction. They return, deriving their strength from our attachment or revulsion, bringing to our mind vivid pictures of the pleasures to be had. If we entertain them, we succumb. When a person has his first smoke or a drink, or a piece of forbidden sweet, or neglects to do his duty, he does not realize that having given way once, it is much easier and perhaps more pleasurable to give in again the next time. These impressions return to us periodically, growing stronger with every success. Until at last, we become slaves to our habits and then we are helpless. Each thought, as it evolves, combines with a few or many "lives," called elementals, and forms an entity. This thought-entity, then, has a life of its own and there is a close affinity between these entities and their creator. They return to him again, as it were, to remain alive by the force of his mental energies.

How does it all begin? It may have its roots in the tendencies brought over from our past lives. It could be the result of bad company or bad books, movies and advertisements. Our imagination is set aflame by these contacts. That is the reason why satsang—good company—is important. Unless we have good grounding of right values, external influences have power to shake us. The Buddha says:

Think not lightly of evil, saying, "it will not come unto me." Even a water-pot is filled by the constant falling of drops of water. A fool becomes full of evil if he gathers it little by little.

Think not lightly of good, saying, "it will not come unto me." Even a water-pot is filled by the constant falling of drops of water. A wise man becomes full of goodness even if he gathers it little by little. (The Dhammapada, Verses 121 and 122)

Having succumbed, a sense of regret may follow. Why, oh why did I let it happen? We feel shame, regret, and remorse for the time being and resolve not to fall prey again. All the while, the little thought-entity laughs impishly. Little do we know that having fallen once, checking ourselves next time is going to be more difficult. When the same thought returns, it also brings along the memory of the pleasurable experience. We find ourselves lingering over the memory—mentally reliving the experience. And a voice from within tempts: "Only one last time and then never again—let me try it, just one more time." The fattened entity laughs louder, becoming sure of its continued existence with its master gradually turning himself into its slave. This is how we gradually build our habits. Starting small, they end up becoming our rulers—becoming our fond habits, difficult to overcome. Difficult, but not impossible though.

We make our own destiny, using the power to think and choose. We have the power to make and unmake things. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, or the powers of creation, preservation and regeneration are within us. With firm resolve and determined effort we may overthrow the fiend. To acknowledge the existence of a vice in oneself is the first step and a firm resolve to uproot the vice and bleed it to death is the second. To the resolve, one needs to add "creative imagination." It is wise to resolve affirmatively. For instance, it is better to say, "I will remain calm," instead of, "I will not get angry." The key lies in being able to divert the mind to something that elevates one's consciousness. It could be reading of some scripture or a good book, listening to good music, calling up a friend, lending a helping hand to the needy, etc. Remaining on guard, we need to dismiss the temptation with a quick switchover to another area of interest without wasting even a second on analysis or reflection. We need to put behind that weak moment as quickly as possible. This sort interval is most difficult to cross. Hence, the switchover has to be swift and smooth. Look not behind. It is a known fact that two thoughts cannot occupy our mind at the same time. If one has managed to switch over to a new thought, the old one has to vacate the place. The dismissed entities may seek entry again, but we have a choice and power to refuse them an entry. Each refusal weakens them. With each failure, they grow feeble and finally trouble us no more. But until then vigilance and practice of virtues is protective armour.

Sometimes we may fail, despite our best efforts. If it is anger we are combating, we must picture clearly in our mind that when the anger begins to rise, we would leave the scene, go off for a long walk, go for a swim, count ten or draw 10 long and deep breaths. Brooding over one's faults is like adding fuel to the fire. We must regret just enough to learn so as not to repeat. Self-examination is a technique recommended for keeping a watchful eye on one's course of journey. Each night, before going to bed, review the happenings of the day in the light of virtues. Impartially and objectively, we must take stock and make note of what went right and what went wrong and why—just enough analysis to identify the cause and decide on the course of action with fresh determination. Patience is needed. Be patient, even with yourself, writes Mr. Judge. A sapling may be uprooted without much effort, but uprooting a full-grown tree calls for persistent effort and patience.

We fail only when we stop trying. Every trial can take us a step closer to success. We may derive strength from the fact that as others have done, so can we.

It is held as a truth among Theosophists that the interdependence of Humanity is the cause of what is called Distributive Karma, and it is this law which affords the solution to the great question of collective suffering and its relief. It is an occult law, moreover, that no man can rise superior to his individual failings, without lifting, be it ever so little, the whole body of which he is an integral part.

In the same way, no one can sin, nor suffer the effects of sin, alone. In reality, there is no such thing as "separateness"; and nearest approach to that selfish state, which the laws of life permit, is in the intent or motive. (The Key to Theosophy, p. 201)

A sincere spiritual aspirant has to overcome—apart from his own individual shortcomings and negative traits—the tendencies that he shares with his family, nation and humanity in general. Thus:

The Chela is not only called to face all latent evil propensities of his nature, but in addition, the whole volume of maleficent power accumulated by the community and nation to which he belongs.

Thus seven things are found to secure us a victory, or a sad, inglorious defeat in the mighty struggle known as the Dweller of the threshold and the ordeals of Chelaship: (1) The evil propensities common to ourselves and to our family; (2) those common to ourself and our nation; (3) those common to ourself and to mankind in general, or better known as the weakness of human nature, the fruits of Adam's first transgression; (4 to 6) the noble qualities common to us and to these three; (7) the peculiar way in which the 6 sets of our past Karmas choose or are allowed to influence us now, or their effects in producing in us the present tendency. The adept alone can take the seventh or last mentioned item completely into his own hands; and every mortal who would, as I have since recently begun to reiterate, direct all his energies to the highest plane possible for him ("Desire always to attain the unattainable"—says the author of "Light on the Path")—such a mortal too could more or less do the same thing as the adept, in so far as he acts up to the rule. Every Chela and also those who have a desire to be Chelas even, as they suppose secretly, have to do with the first six propensities or influences." (U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 34, pp. 2-3)

The real means of progress is careful performance of every duty to our own family and to our own nation. It is in the performance of our daily and hourly duties that we learn our lessons, overcome obstacles, and progress. If we mortify ourselves in careful performance of small duties of life then we are more likely to succeed in bigger challenges. Thus we rise from one level to another, higher and higher.

The mind from the beginning is of a pure nature, but since there is the finite aspect of it which is sullied by finite views, there is this sullied aspect of it. Although there is this defilement, yet the original pure nature is eternally unchanged. This mystery the Enlightened One alone understands.

—Asvaghosha