Shreyas and Preyas
I recently learned some new Sanskrit words from an old Indian man who was staying at the same ashram as me in Rishikesh — Shreyas and Preyas.
Shreyas is what is truly good for my highest self. Preyas is what is pleasing to my senses and ego.
Often, we live life by Preyas. We follow the dopamine, collecting as much quick satisfaction as we can, over and over again — whether it’s an instagram like, a cookie, a hit off a joint, a hinge match, reality television, or a glass of bourbon. We slowly train our minds to live on autopilot and become prey (pun intended) to our senses and desires.
This commonly leads to Raga and Dvesha — two of the Kleshas, or obstacles toward enlightenment. Raga is attachment to things that satisfy our senses, and Dvesha is aversion from things that are difficult for us. We can no longer be content (Santosha) unless we have what we want, and avoid what we don’t. That’s a tough position to put ourselves in…
The idea is to live by Shreyas — what is truly good for my highest expression of self. This doesn’t mean we can’t have pleasures, it just means we indulge intentionally rather than mindlessly. It becomes choice rather than habit. It means we have the discipline to do good things like eat healthy, wake up on time, meditate, drink water, and be nice to that annoying coworker. We do these things even when it’s hard and we don’t want to.
Living by Shreyas over Preyas is choosing the higher self over the ego’s desires. On this path, what was cheap dopamine before, like a cookie, becomes a source of deep gratitude and satisfaction. It’s about finding mindfulness rather than numbness. It’s about taking ourselves off of autopilot in our decision making, yet still enjoying life to its fullest.
Of course, like all Yogic concepts, it’s about practice over perfection. It’s not worthwhile to be hard on ourselves and make harsh judgments when we let our desires or senses win. We just take note of our patterns, take time to breathe, and set intentions to grow as we gain awareness over time.
