Page 38 - NAMAH-Oct-2021

Namah Vol. 29, Issue 3, 15th October 2021

too familiar and appears easy, comforting “It’s all in the mind you know (4)” is a common
and pleasant. It may not however necessarily saying.
take us towards what is right and good for
our overall long-term well-being. These The well-spring of our well-being begins and
pursuits basically agitate the mind and breed ends in the mind. When the mind is directed
fear, anxieties, anger, regrets, sorrows, etc. An by a higher aligned intellect, it remains an
agitated mind, oscillating between extreme instrument that is deployed for our well-
polarities, causes imbalances in our being being. Disturbances are caused when the
and becoming. The quality of our satsannga mind is allowed to take over and direct our
determines our locus of control. The answer thoughts and actions. Reining in the mind,
to seek is, have we mortgaged our well-being such that we have the ability to deploy our
to outside forces at the cost of losing inner discretion and discriminatory powers, is an
control and peace? important element that helps in our overall
experience of well-being.
What should we focus upon?
We have all experienced that when the mind
Clearly it would be to focus on our lifestyle is still, calm, channelled, we experience peace,
choices and choosing the people we interact harmony, satisfaction. This is true both in an
with carefully and mindfully. As mentioned individual personal or collective experience.
earlier, there is a direct correlation to our The moment it gets caught in the dualities of
well-being between a balanced mindset and like-dislike, joy-sorrow, pleasure-pain, we
actions to the quality of associations. The have allowed our mind to control us, thus
associations with people who uplift and moving into a state of imbalance.
inspire us to rise above will enhance our
well-being in the long run. The best example of this is when we see the
outstanding performance of a sportsperson,
Vicaara a musician or a dancer. When they are
completely in the here and now, with no
Our ahara (consumption patterns) and vihara anxieties of the future or regrets and fears
a
a
a
(associations) have a direct bearing on our from the past, they operate from their highest
thought-processes and quality of mind. potential and in a complete state of flow. As
These govern our world-view. Our ideals, spectators, we wonder at the absolute connect
values, beliefs are largely determined on what between their thought, feelings and action —
we choose with respect to our intakes and their perfection, excellence, effortlessness and
associations. Enough examples exist in our seamlessness and their sense of joy at being
own experiences, current world-happenings, fully in the moment!
in history or mythology supporting this — a
bandit becoming a sage, a militant mercenary What should we focus upon?
following the path of peace, a dishonest
industrialist turning philanthropist, an Reining in the mind is easier said than done.
inventor of an atom bomb working to forge However, we have all experienced these
world peace! wonderful moments and pockets of bliss, joy

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