Vaasanaas

"Vaasanaa" is a word that comes up again and again in Vedantic scripture. So far I did not come across a translation that clicked with me. As I was thinking about it today, I realized that the simplest translation of the word vaasanaa is - a habit.

What is the life cycle of a habit?

1. An impression comes from the outside which says "this object can make you happy". Impressions are called samskaaraas.

2. If the intellect allows this impression to be stored, at some point this impression will be activated when the object in question comes in promixity. 

3. The object is consumed, and a sensory stimulation occurs, which is mistaken for happiness. The impression is confirmed, readying it for the next time the object is available.

4. Repeating point number 3 several times leads to the impression becoming a habit or a vaasanaa.

E.g.
1. Person sees an ad: X brand of coffee will make you happy
2. Person sees that brand, and tries it once
3. He gets sensory pleasure, repeats it
4. Drinking X brand of coffee has very quickly become a vaasanaa, a habit that he cannot live without.

Vedanta tries to hit at the root problem of our life, which is the wrong vaasanaa that the sensory world is real, and that this body is the self. Both these are habits and like any habit, can be broken with practice and guidance.

But on the journey to break these deep rooted habits, smaller habits are broken as a means to get to that larger goal, such as : the habit that selfish result-oriented action is the goal of life, acquisition is the goal of life, and so on.