icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaś cetanā dhṛtiḥ etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam
"Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate, consciousness, and fortitude—this is the field briefly described with its modifications."
What This Means:
The field also includes: desire (wanting), aversion (not wanting), pleasure, pain, the body aggregate, consciousness (as reflected in the body), and determination. All these modifications belong to the field, not the true self.
Going Deeper:
Even psychological states are 'field': iccha (desire), dvesha (aversion), sukha (pleasure), duhkha (pain), sanghata (body as aggregate), chetana (consciousness functioning through body-mind), dhriti (fortitude). Note: even 'chetana' here refers to empirical awareness, not pure consciousness. The witness remains beyond all these modifications (vikara).
How To Apply This:
Your desires, aversions, pleasures, and pains are modifications of the field—they come and go. Can you find the constant awareness that observes all these changes? That's closer to the real you.
Key Sanskrit Terms: