Suppression vs Sublimation - Part I

‘You know VR, I get jealous of you sometimes! You simply follow whatever you are programmed to do while my mind has a mind of its own! I am trying so hard to give up my habit of binge-watching, but it is not working out. I tried deleting the OTT apps from my phone and staying away from all discussions of the shows on social media. It even seemed to be working but someone forwarded a meme from one of the shows and the floodgates opened. I reinstalled the apps and wasted a huge amount of time bingeing again! I feel like I am totally incapable of self-control!’ lamented Maanav.‘Well, trying to develop a mind of my own is what I am being programmed to do by my masters these days. AI is the in-thing you see! But there is a famous character in Ramayana on whom imposed control did not really work but that character did become a great person later on’.‘Ooh, that piqued my interest. Tell me more, VR!’ asked Maanav with excitement.‘There was once a great sage Vibhandaka who had a son named Rishyasringa. When Rishyasringa was a small child, Vibhandaka decided to take him deep into the forest away from all human contact. This way he could ensure his son grew up in a world free of temptations. Years passed and Rishyasringa grew up to be a young man completely ignorant of the ways of the world. However, having lived a life of austerities with his father, he became a tapasvi with great spiritual splendor’..‘Looks like Rishi Vibhandaka’s ploy worked. Maybe I should go away to some remote location without Wi-Fi too!’ wondered Maanav.‘The story is not over yet, Maanav. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Anga nearby was facing a great drought. The lack of rain had caused huge distress to the people. Romapada, the king of Anga, consulted with various scholars on how to bring rain to the kingdom. One of them suggested that if a person with great spiritual power reaches the kingdom, then it would bring much-awaited rain. They also identified Rishyasringa as the ideal candidate for the same. However, knowing that Rishi Vibhandaka would never allow Rishyasringa to be brought to his kingdom, Romapada knew he had to resort to some sort of trick. He called on the lead courtesan of the palace and tasked her with the job of getting the young tapasvi there. Though scared of Rishi Vibhandaka’s rage, the courtesan had no choice due to the king’s order and gathered her troupe of courtesans’.‘Ooh! This story seems to be getting more and more interesting. Why on earth did the king give this job to the courtesans? He should have let his soldiers abduct him quickly, right?’‘King Romapada knew that if he tried to harm the young ascetic in any way then he would be ruined yet he also had no choice but to bring him to his kingdom. Hence, he decided on this strategy’.‘So, what was the plan of the courtesans, and did it really work?’ asked Maanav curiously.‘The courtesans armed themselves with sweets, flower garlands, fragrances, musical instruments and set out to the forests to achieve this seemingly impossible task’.(To be continued…)