Spirituality

Introduction

Mostly consumed by daily activities of livelihood, we never pause to nurture ourselves. We spend enormous effort to feel good and do things which we expect may give us a sense of joy, glory or satisfaction. It is the mind that guides us to our misery or happiness. If we aren’t able to understand the nature of mind and become the master of it, then it will make us its slave and keep leading us towards unfortunate outcomes. There are countless methods to pacify the restless mind and utilize it for our wellbeing.    

 

Observe

The mind is the fastest thing in existence. Its speed cannot be measured. Its shape and nature cannot be traced or framed. It is formless but always active. It is the sole reason for both happiness and sorrow. It manipulates every thought and decision. It creates delusions and perceptions which can make or break a person. When a person is a slave of its mind then it’s bound to suffer. So, how do we identify the mind and become its master?

 

The mind can be our best tool towards happiness, or our worst enemy for destruction. The mind creates thoughts, feeds on these thoughts and creates a whirlpool of constant perception. It is not affected by the feelings, since it simply acts as a processing unit. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the nature of mind, thought and emotions. Which among these three are we? In fact, we’re neither of them. We’re purely a consciousness who is juggling between the tripod of these three aspects. Until and unless we penetrate this barrier of comprehension, we will never be able to move further into spirituality.

 

To begin observing the nature of mind, its characteristics and influence on actions which determine decisions, hence one’s life, could probably be the first step towards liberating oneself. There isn’t just one way to the mountaintop! The ascend to the summit can be done in various ways or methods. It’s completely upon us to choose what and how we want. It also depends if we want to pursue it or not. However, whether we want to or not, unless we become capable of controlling our mind and point it towards the right direction, our journey will never be blissful.   

 

Eternal Battle

To control the mind is like trying to hold water inside the grip of a fist. The closest resemblance of the mind is states of water. Most of the time it’s in vapour form, invisible but omnipresent. Once we begin contemplating on it, then it takes the shape of a waterfall. Ferocious yet beautiful, but beyond control. With practice it can be controlled and be utilized to one’s advantage. Furthermore, to be able to hold it within the grasp of a fist, it must be frozen and this ability can be attained by discipline and practice. 

 

Anyways, it’s only a temporary control, since frozen ice immediately melts upon human contact, similarly the mind moves on to the next topic. This consciousness observing interaction between mind, thoughts and emotions  is labeled as the eternal battle within. The result is also only temporary. The end of one battle is just the beginning of another.    

 

It is impossible to lie to oneself. But the mind is capable of creating delusions which tampers the belief system of a person. So, to rise above the belief system, one must activate the faith system which is the ultimate state of being in order to stay in a constant state of bliss, where the person becomes immune from sorrow and joy. Being aware that circumstances and emotions attached to it is only a phase and shall pass, is an art of living. It is a state of conscious living where even small moments are valued and cherished. 

 

Wishful thinking becomes a cause of disappointment more often than not. Most  wishes don’t come true causing upsets, and rest of the time the fulfilled wishes become less meaningful because of more wishes in the meantime. Additionally, wishes come with consequences unaware of, causing more harm to the wellbeing of self. So, awareness of wishes and their consequences is crucial for a blissful state of mind. 

 

Freewill; the independence to act on will, probably is the greatest right humans have. To be unknown about its existence and misuse of it usually becomes a huge loss. Life is a string of moments and choices. One reckless decision any moment can change everything. Whereas, to be successful and happy requires utter care everyday. It is so easy to lose, but to win, it takes a lot and maybe even more. And, to win the everlasting battle against the mind, one must practice rigorously and sharpen skills constantly. Once it’s neglected, the mind begins to create delusions, driving the person towards destruction, the sole cause of depression. However, the mind becomes capable of denying the fact of depression by making a loop cycle of temptations and temporary satisfactions. To be entangled and intoxicated by worldly pleasures is an act of choice. Something could mean the world to some, meanwhile the same thing may feel meaningless to others. Similarly, worldly pleasure and spiritual bliss are two different dimensions that cannot exist together. Just like a sun can never shine at night because if it does then it cannot be called a night. 

 

Isolating the MIND

To identify the nature of mind and its characteristics is the first step. Its nature is to constantly travel, a monkey jumping from branch to branch without any particular destination. If proper care is not given then there is a possibility of the branch to snap, which will cause harm to the monkey. The mind jumps from subject to subject in an uncontrolled manner in the form of thoughts causing consciousness to face emotional outcomes. 

 

The art of understanding the navigation map within, then controlling the switch of subjects and thought cycles is an invaluable skill to possess. The practice involves conscious thinking, building appropriate habits and taking careful decisions. 

 

The mind is not solely a processor of thoughts, it’s also a storage of thoughts and moments. It can process, store and recall all at once. The  mind consumes through sensory organs, creates data and stores in a strange way where no physical unit is required. It keeps absorbing new entries every moment. Every new entry is compared and evaluated with older entries as thoughts rise, and it’s stored again, all happening within a span of time, impossible to track. It exists subconsciously within, and becomes stronger if it’s neglected. Every action or thought is directly connected with what will happen in future. It becomes a seed sown. So, the person will have to face every consequence attached to the deed.  Therefore, after being aware of the characteristics of the mind and practicing to control it, wonders happen. This art of carving the future is known as manifestation. Where desirable results are invoked and the power to attract abundance is built to work in automation. 

 

The 6 FOES

Isolating the mind and identifying its characteristics may seem simple, but the traits that enslaves it must be recognised in order to liberate oneself. Temptation, anger, attachment, greed, ego and jealousy; these are the traits that make the mind loose, and the cause for all misfortunes. To know how these traits work, their nature and impact, is probably the first lesson one must complete to unlock further in spirituality. Each one has the potential to devastate a person to shambles.

 

Temptation; the never ending thirst. It’s a strong desire towards something. The more it’s fed, the bigger it grows, until the desire itself breaks the person down. 

 

Anger; the wildfire. It blurs the thought and influences destructive decisions through hate and aggression. All actions done angrily can never have a desirable outcome. 

 

Attachment; the suffocating bond. When affection is beyond the required amount it becomes obsessive, and disappointment is bound for the relationship.    

 

Greed; the never ending hunger. It creates dissatisfaction because of an endless desire to accumulate rather than appreciating what is achieved.

 

Ego; self obsession. It is a state of putting self in priority without any regards towards others. It influences unfair decisions.  

 

Jealousy; the sour emotion. External factors will always rule over mental peace causing unnecessary circumstances on factors out of control.

 

Each trait can be elaborated in various ways. Nevertheless, the core principle is to build a broader wisdom and elevate conscience. It’s a practice of controlling thoughts and actions while differentiating between right and wrong in such a way that it becomes natural. 

In the battle against the mind, it’s these 6 foes that must be defeated time after time after time. These foes may come in disguise since the mind constantly plays the game of deception. The conscience must be very alert and quick to recognize, signalling whether it’s right or wrong. However, the mind still tries to convince that wrong is not morally wrong and it’s okay to do. Anyways, it will not be affected by the unfortunate consequences since it will anyhow find a reason to pacify and move ahead. But the conscience gets disturbed and consciousness suffers. The mind takes credit for all rewards and does not take accountability for the wrong doings, instead it will always claim to have warned in advance. All of these things happen in an instant like a cluster of voices and pictures, it’s only through continuous practice one can be able to process them consciously and decide righteously. It is one and the only way to live blissfully. In the end, it depends upon choices, acceptance, adaptation and improvisations.