The Motionless Mind - Deccan Herald Opinion - Oasis (04-Jan-2022)

The Motionless Mind 

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/oasis/the-motionless-mind-1067673.html

Eckhart Tolle, the German born spiritual teacher stated, “ All problems are illusions of the mind.”

It's always the mind over matter – it matters to keep the mind under control.  To still the mind is a task of Himalayan proportions. 

What is mind?  Is it a body part?  The mind is a collection of thoughts and considered the 6th sense organ of the subtle body.  It is not a body part but the inputs from the other five sense organs as well as its own create thoughts, emotions, etc.

The lure of the external world is ominous.  External sensory organs of our body help us grasp outside knowledge.  Ear helps us hear.  Skin feels touch, eyes see, the tongue tastes, and the nose smells.  They are natural tools to grasp external knowledge of things.  The more in pursuit of the external objects, the more the lure which makes it a perfect Catch-22 situation.

The mantra is to turn the senses inwards, a 180-degree turn.  This process starts with an analysis of thoughts, understanding the root cause of actions and hence behaviour, and commencing the refinement process.  It benefits to reduce the number of thoughts arising in our mind and to dwell on a single thought in a conscious manner for an extended period of time.

When that single thought is to understand and further the realization of self or the Atman, it has a profound effect that yields better results for the seeker.  Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya by Advaita guru Sri Adi Shankaracharya elucidates that the knowledge of Brahma as the Adishtana is the only truth and permanent, while the viewed external world which the mind perceives is Mithya – illusory and impermanent.

Among a few tools, meditation helps to tame the mind.  Bhakti is another path that allows the seeker to find ways to merge with the Supreme Power with a singular focus devoid of external pleasures.

An ideal end state is considered a ‘no mind’ state.  Mind is responsible for the travails in our life journey but when programmed to stay ‘still’ eases the path to enable the seeker to realize the ultimate truth.


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