Mind Management-2

Mind Management – 2

Sometime back I had written a piece on “ Mind Management” and   received  certain queries about  generation of multiple thoughts and the acceptance by people that  mind was not at ease. It was frightening and troubling that several   people of various age groups  were plagued by all kinds of  negative thoughts and  were not living lives in the Present Moment.

People  were troubled by thoughts arising during  the whole day and particularly at night time. Thoughts arising at bed time reside  with us and seep deep into our consciousness and   the following morning  we are again troubled by those very  thoughts   and  are not like fresh dew on petals.

Ashtravaka Gita  ( a  dialogue between King  Janaka and sage Ashtavakra) says that “ all  action resides in the mind “  and this is further  corroborated by modern science. Modern science  amplifies that there is no difference in the activity of the mind; whether you slap someone or merely think of slapping someone .It is actually the brain’s limbic system , which is where the  motor control  gets expressed . Just thinking of slapping  someone activates all muscles that would  be employed to undertake that   specific action.

Jesus adds   further   that a  sin gets committed by the mere thought of being unfaithful to your spouse. On an average we  are bombarded by 50 to 60 thousand  thoughts a day. And we seem to have   no control over them.

These thoughts arise on account of  our  memory bank (   past impressions and Karma) , the  company we keep ,past and current experiences and  also the food we partake.

According to Ashtavakra Gita  , enlightenment occurs  only when we live in our hearts. Heart is synonymous  for a point of inflexion where there is no past or future . There is only a present. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that “  the  Present moment is inevitable.” And   this state is  true enlightenment. A state where you a become a witness to the actions . From an   actor  or doer , we  become witnesses to what is happening around us.

How does one reach that state of Present Moment . Before dwelling on some techniques , let us witness    a  few stories.

Two Buddhists monks  were riding  cycles and  were on their way to meet   a Zen Master. Monk one ,  described the number of trees, clouds, waft of cold breeze striking his cheek, mountains , beautiful blue sky , fruits plucked on the way, village folk he encountered  among others before meeting the Zen Master. While the second monk in all trepidation , meekly replied that he only cycled to meet the Zen Master. Immediately , the Master proclaimed the second monk to be the next Zen Master. Why?  , because he was only cycling ! He was in the present moment. How many of us have seen Virendra Sehwag   despatch the red cherry all over the park . He is in that present moment zone , where the  mind is not cluttered. That is true consciousness.

Yet  another Buddhist story . There were two Buddhist monks travelling through a  dense forest . On their way they came across a naked woman . The older one removed his apparel and clothed the  bare woman and carried her across the river and left her on the other side of the  bank. The younger monk was greatly troubled by this act of his senior. He kept chiding the senior monk, literally  accusing him of  for what he perceived as an act of  sacrilege . The older one just smiled and remarked that, he carried the lady across the river , while  the other monk was still carrying the lady in his mind. Obviously the older monk through his “ Sadhana”   achieved a state of  being in the present moment.

I would recommend , readers and all the callers to  undertake the Happiness Programme of Art Of Living . Read, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s , Celebrating Silence and  knowledge sheets of Guruji   to acquire this wonderful knowledge of being in the present moment.

Practising  Pranayama , Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga ,  undertaking vigorous exercise , pursuing hobbies, contemplating, praying , observing  nature  and  just  being a spectator or a witness  will help also help a  seeker  and those with troubled minds   to live  in the present moment. Once in the present moment , unwanted thoughts dissolve and a person  is  at peace.

Confucious says” Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”