Each mind is unique

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Each mind is unique

Sunday, 04 June 2023 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo

Each mind is unique

Picking up threads from the previous issue, it comes out that invariably each one of us is keen to passionately pursue one’s self-designated path, often crossing path with others. The world, thus, becomes natural breeding ground for arousal of conflict of thoughts and interests.  Yet, we all wish to go about in life to one’s asking and aspire to move unrestrained.  Obviously, more often than not, one is unable to make it to one’s dream destination unchallenged.  We, thus, remain vulnerable to go through unpleasant twists and turns in life.  The limitations up to this stage are elemental in nature.

Next in line comes individual-specific limitations of mind. They exemplify uniqueness of each being characterised by their varying mental-traits.  It may not be out of place to mention here that Energy-Trinity – Sata, Rajasa, and Tamasa – the primal forces driving our lives - give rise to three types of attributes in psychological terms, with one or the other prominently displayed in each being.   What particular element plays heavy in our mind defines our individual character, and that is reflection of our Karmic carryover from the past.  This sets the premise for individualised limitations of mind.  Going by the ‘the theory of Karma’, mind acts as the carrier of Karmic imprints from the past, running in succession from one life to the other.  They involuntarily define individual specific’s beliefs, which condition our mind one way or the other.

On account of the above limitations, five broad categories of individual mind-trends are in evidence - Ignorant/Darkening; Scattering; Gathering up; One pointed; and Concentrated.  A large majority fall under the category of darkening and scattering types. 

Darkening types have ignorance at their root.  Stuck to their ill-conceived beliefs and perceptions, they carry a narrow vision.  Their hardened attitude does not allow much of a scope to explore beyond their predefined limits. So, they fail to expand their vision. Evidently, they lack clarity in vision and thought.  Invariably, they do not have any clue to what life is truly about, what they should expect from life, and what is their calling. 

Mind engaged in its likes and dislikes, prejudices and obsessions, wanton desires and temptations of life, pleasures and pains, continuously keep breeding corresponding thoughts.  Usually, a person attends to nothing less than sixty to seventy thousand thoughts every day, many of them self-conflicting, and even negative.  Mind, randomly flirting with these thoughts, keeps wandering hither and thither, and thus, becoming restless.  This is what is termed as ‘scattering mind’, which does not let us remain focused to our priority preferences, and evidently to our detriment.   

Next in line is the ‘gathering up’ type.  Those having realised that lack of focus makes them left behind in the run of time, make conscious efforts to remain centred to their desired destination. They wish to improve their focus in order to take the tasks in hand towards their logical end. But for which, they have so far failed to view things in the right perspective, and so could not make right choices. But it is easier said than done, as habits die hard. Habit tendencies keep pulling us back to their limits again and again. At times they get focused for a while, soon to get distracted once again.  They again strive to regain their focus.  This tug of war keeps going on.     

The next higher level is one-pointed state, which again is gained through conscious efforts.  They are the ones who have become conscious about remaining alert to make wholesome use of the operational tools of mind, particularly its discriminating faculty.  Obviously, to achieve that end, one tries to get over distracting influences, improve their focus and remain centred to their desired destination. Consequently, wherever they pay attention, single-pointedly they are able to successfully pursue the task in hand to its logical end.  Those having attained this state, carry higher probability of tasting fruits of success with ease and comfort. They, however, still remain subject to pushes and pulls, of course relatively on a lower scale.

Beyond the one-pointed state is the ‘concentrated mind’.  This is a stage when mind literally becomes free from unwanted thoughts.  One is then in full control of mind, whereby one is able to use it as an instrument to one’s asking rather than being carried away by its habit tendencies.  Having arrived at this state of mind, one comes out with one’s optimum best, as it gets tuned up well to the all-powerful and all-knowing, all-pervading consciousness element – the cosmic mind.  

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