Personality Traits

Everyone alive possesses four elements of soul operating upon the three components of consciousness in the living body  -- manaschet, bhavaschet and kamaschet.  The attributes of consciousness integrate to form a composite consciousness profile of a man called personality. In their innate perception and logic all persons fall under one of the two basic personality types, recognized since ages when Manu pronounced first type:  “I ordain righteousness only for those withdrawn from sex and wealth”. The indulgent in sex and wealth form the other group. The former possess sitattadhar and the latter are ruled by malinattadhar. The two traits stand bare in a story about Alexander, keen to pick up a gift from India for his teacher while departing for Macedonia.

Teacher of Alexander had asked him to get a saint from India after paying him a price as desired by the ascetic. His general located a few of them near Texila, almost bare bodied and mere skeletons due to penance. On his request, one of them was ready to meet the great warrior to hear his requirements to accompany him.

The monarch told him “I want you to accompany me to my homeland Macedonia. I will give you every thing you want in lieu”.

“Great King! Your mind is still on the path of acquisition, how can you have everything in a man then? The last item a logical man acquires is peace of mind for his soul. It can be acquired only after the lust for sex and worldly success is left behind. I will accompany you gladly, the day you are in a position to give me some peace. You know your present status of peace because you are intelligent and logical both. Shall I accompany you?” The ascetic walked away from monarch without any protest. Intelligent and logical among us must realize, like Alexander, their own status of involvement in world and state of agitation within.

   The three consciousness segments of body, viz. manaschet, bhavaschet and kamaschet also have a higher or positive and lower or negative states, imparting   six main types of personalities among people, irrespective of gender. The one governed by positive manaschet will be learned, logical, forgiving and scrutinizing his own actions for right and wrong. He may be is a Kabir, an Aurobindo or a Gandhi when attadhar is positive. Their antipodes are Hitler and Osama within the fence of malinattadhar and malinatta, ever convinced about appropriateness of their most brutal actions. In the compartmentalization of mental, emotional and sexual fences we have a dozen pure personalities (Table –1). Most of us are, however, a mixed type – unable to remain happy in world and also unable to renounce it.

A man seldom remains in the same personality bracket all his life. Depending upon his karms, his position shifts from a lower to higher type or vice versa. Those who are at the top of the hill have every chance to roll down fast and must struggle hard to retain their position.

Table – 1: Principal types of human nature.