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“Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things.”
Lord Buddha
Recall your school days and visualize the events of a regular day. After reviewing your day, figure out the disciplinary rules which you followed. Are you still following any of those disciplinary rules in your daily life?
In the school of life, we need to learn about our mind and take the effort to discipline the mind. It is important to do so if you want to discover your purpose in life. If you follow specific rules and conformity of a system without self-awareness, you get stuck in the spiritual path. If you approach the learning process with awareness and intent, you become ready to discover your purpose in life. If you enforce restrictions and methods to discipline the mind, you disturb the rhythm of life. In the spiritual path, we must gradually move towards the state of a concentrated mind. When internal conflicts and the noises in the mind settle down, you get closer to the spirit.
The distracted mind is like a tug of war which consumes vital force energy, whereas the concentrated mind is like a river which saves your life force energy.
According to yogic psychology, three qualities of mind govern our personality traits. These are tamas, rajas, and sattva respectively. Let us understand these qualities.
Rahul worked in a four-member team. He was a problem solver and a good team player. One day, during a team meeting, the management team announced a bonus for the top performer.
The first teammate was a long-term employee of the company. He knew the crucial details of the project, but he didn’t share his knowledge. He favored only those who appreciated and respected him. In the urge to prove his worthiness, the first teammate followed the management team members. He got most of his work from others.
One day, Rahul came to the office early to finish his pending task. He was trying to solve a problem for the past few days but could not solve it. So, he thought of seeking help from his first teammate. He greeted his teammate and requested him for his time.
He sat with Rahul to solve the problem. He asked a few questions and then took charge of his work area. Although he had found the solution, he spent some time and pretended to look for the answer. He turned around to Rahul and said, “It is a simple solution. Why did you take so long to solve it?” He solved it and just summarized the solution. Rahul was shocked and felt terrible by his comments. However, he thanked him and resumed his work. The first team member used his power of knowledge to criticize and undermine Rahul’s confidence.
The second teammate was an ambitious person. He was goal-oriented. He worked hard and looked for opportunities for his career growth. He wanted to become a successful manager.
Rahul did not understand the solution. So, he sought help from his second teammate. The second teammate asked Rahul to send him an email with details about his problem. He wanted to take credit for this effort. He emailed and provided the steps of the solution. He also included the management team in his mail. However, he did not explain the answer.
The third team member was a business domain expert in the project. He felt joy when he shared his knowledge and helped others.
Rahul wanted to learn more about the project. So, he sought help from the third teammate. The third teammate spent a significant amount of time to find the root cause of the problem. He looked for solutions and guided Rahul to arrive at the best solution.
He added relevant information for a better understanding. At last, Rahul received in-depth knowledge of his work area. Both of them felt happy and enjoyed the learning process.
All three teammates expressed tamas, rajas, and sattva qualities respectively. They were influenced by mainly three natural forces: repulsion, control, and attraction. The tamasic person develops ill will and harms others, the rajasic person aims for power and pleasure-seeking opportunities in life, and the sattvic person learns to be calm, joyful, and helpful.
The first teammate was repulsive towards helping others without receiving appreciation and respect. The second teammate wanted to control the situation in his favor to seek credit. The third teammate was attracted to an opportunity to share his learning and enjoyed helping others.
Sage Patanjali defines yoga as ‘Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodhah.’ Yoga is the cessation of the whirlpool, the natural forces, and its associated waves of thought in Chitta. In his commentary, Swami Vivekananda described the relation between our true nature, Chitta and Vrittis as below.
“We cannot see the bottom of a lake because its surface is covered with ripples. It is only possible when the ripples have subsided and the water is calm for us to catch a glimpse of the bottom. If the water is muddy, the bottom will not be seen; if the water is agitated all the time, the bottom will not be seen. If the water is clear and there are no waves, we shall see the bottom. That bottom of the lake is our true ‘self,’ the lake is the Chitta, and the waves are the Vrittis”.
Let us expand the example of the four teammates and understand the process that took place in Chitta.
When the first teammate heard the request for help, he attached his mind to spoken words and listened carefully. He internally processed the message. The intelligence that processes, compares, and evaluates the external signals in our system is known as ‘buddhi’ or intellect. He received the confirmation from his memory that Rahul had not followed him as he expected. He felt a force of repulsion at this idea of help. His ego, as a senior and knowledgeable person, was hurt. He thought of teaching him a lesson.
The buddhi and ego of other teammates worked differently. The second teammate received his desire from his memory. He wanted to become a manager, so he saw this request as a reward. His ego as a future manager influenced him to control the situation. He thought of helping and receiving credit for his effort.
The third teammate stayed connected to his bliss of sharing knowledge and helping others. He decided spontaneously without self-deception and inner conflicts.
Our senses—mind, buddhi, and ego work together to perceive and understand the external world. The impression of foreign objects creates waveforms in Chitta. These thought waves are known as ‘Vritti.’ When these Vrittis act on our Chitta, it creates disturbances. Consequently, a person reacts to their dominant quality of mind: tamas, rajas, or sattva.
During spiritual development, a spiritual seeker looks to grow towards sattva. You can connect to your spirit with a sattvic mind.
In Raja Yoga, the yoga of the mind, certain aspects of lifestyle help us move towards a sattvic mind. These enable us to be aware and to take ownership of our own emotional and mental well-being. These are necessary to discipline the mind.
When was the last time you made an important life decision? What was the state of your mind during the decision-making process? Clarity of thoughts comes only to a calm mind. Psychological disturbances are a lower state of mind such as anger, jealousy, hatred. Our inability to manage our emotions and thoughts can affect our behavioral patterns which can manifest as compulsive habits. In an agitated state of mind, we lose our life force energy. This can distort our perception to distinguish between real and non-real.
The law of attraction works on the principle of our inner state of mind. We attract people, events, and circumstances that resonate with our state of mind. If we stay longer in the tamas and rajas mind, our life revolves around these inner vibrations. In a sattvic mind, we can receive clear thoughts and make better life decisions. In calmness, we naturally chose the best optimal path for our life.
A yogic lifestyle aims to balance the body, mind, and spirit. It provides guidelines for practices that help us to attain a sattvic mind. Non-violence is a natural outcome of this learning process. A non-violent mind knows how to remain joyful and do good for others. I saw a person who forced himself to stay calm but unfortunately, he just became more agitated. In such situations, thoughts can bounce back with more power. The solution is to witness the rise and fall of the compulsive and limiting thought waves during spiritual practices. If we become aware and observe these thoughts, we can dissociate with their negative effects. It is a gradual learning process. We become better at managing our thoughts and emotions with sincere spiritual practices and self-inquiry.
People who speak without pause or any purpose confuse others. This further leads to misunderstandings. Our words and thoughts are reflections of our inner world. The internalization of intent helps us to choose our terms and the quality of ideas. This also enhances interpersonal relationships.
How often do you validate your feelings, along with your thinking and actions? Consider that you are going to decide your career path. You have all the information available to test its prospects. You compared the positive outcomes with consequences.
However, the possibilities depend not only on what you think but also on how they resonate with your heart. Visualize a regular day in your professional life. Execute a piece of the task and validate your feelings. For example, if you are going to be a software engineer, you will develop a prototype software. So, it can help you verify your feelings by doing it.
Integrity is a state of being where the thinking, feeling, and action are in harmony. People who live with integrity can connect with their spirit and move closer to their purpose of life.
Life with extreme attachment to any object and person is like a ship with an anchor. The vessel can sail if we pull the anchor. In the same way, we can evolve if we disassociate ourselves from extreme attachment. In intense attachment, people judge their worthiness through external objects and relationships. We shall strive to find worthiness in our intrinsic human values.
Imagine you planned a holiday trip with your family. You booked a pleasant room at a hotel. After you reached the hotel and checked in, the hotel staff guided you to your place. As you entered the room, you found dust around the corners. Soon, you felt disgusted and angry. However, the hotel employee apologized and cleaned the room.
External cleanliness enhances our positive emotions such as joy. A person with a restless mind may not pay attention to cleanliness. The external environment and our state of mind are correlated and impact each other. A small and significant change in our daily lifestyle such as making bed sheets, arranging clothes, and dusting can make us feel kind and responsible. This way, we can also create a space for care.
What is the difference between need and greed? How can we identify our needs? We can classify our needs as physical, emotional, and mental. Requirements are the absolute necessities for survival in life, whereas anything beyond that becomes desires. Our desires can be endless and they vary for each person. People who fix their minds on the expected outcome and look for more of anything become restless. Ask yourself: "Does the chase for desires affect my well-being?"
Our understanding of how much of something is enough in our daily lives can help us move towards equanimity. Moderation is the key to appreciating the beauty of life.
A phone frequently beeps with messages and social media simulates our emotions. Peers, society, and advertisements influence our daily choices. They overload us with vast amounts of data and visuals every day through different media sources such as television and the internet. Do you feel compelled to act towards these external stimuli? Who regulates the quality of mental and emotional states during these interactions?
We may distract our minds with various sources of entertainment but deep down, disturbances still exist. A person can perceive the body as a gift of life or merely an instrument for sensory pleasures with a bundle of habits and desires. Believe it or not, this perception creates a vast difference in our attitude towards life. Unless we take charge of our senses, we remain stuck with the patterns of compulsive reactions.
Any spiritual practitioner must learn to recognize the sources of distraction and minimize their impact. I found the Pareto principle: the 80-20 rule, useful to exercise this task. It states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. You can list down all sources of distractions and find out the 20% which form the major distractions. This shall help you to minimize distractions in your daily life. If you can use your saved time towards your creative pursuits, you can learn to nourish your spirit.
Our quality of food affects our health and well-being. According to research, food with high sugar, salt, and fat triggers our brain’s pleasure center. The study states that in the long run, people with such dietary habits develop physical ailments such as obesity. Our biases with food items inform us about our emotional and mental state.
The quality of food and the way we consume our diet affect the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of our life. Developing a healthy food environment helps us to make conscious choices in our food habits. For example, a diet with fiber aids in digestion and absorbing essential nutrients from our food. We can observe the difference in energy and emotions with the regular intake of a balanced diet. If you learn to listen to your body, you shall observe the lightness and vitality in yourself.
Any spiritual seeker must learn to enhance their attention span in daily life. Pay attention to what you speak, listen, and see. Observe its impact on your thoughts and emotions. For example, take a daily mundane task and see if you can do it with awareness and with your heart and mind’s involvement. This helps to develop the power of concentration.
It is a gradual learning process. If we learn to improve our attention span, we can develop the capability to discover the deeper dimension of life. It also helps us to develop trustworthy relationships. In due course of time, one can learn to resolve inner conflicts and attract significant life opportunities.
We can learn to conserve and use life force energy for a higher purpose in life. Energy is an asset. We require social interaction for our economic, social, and personal needs. However, we must also observe the quality of interactions and their impact on our well-being. Any toxic relationship that saps energy is a warning sign in life. We can self-inquire and disassociate with those people and circumstances. If we associate with people who live on authentic and spiritual life principles, we can enhance our understanding of life’s nature.
We can also associate with any learning resources such as spiritual books of any realized spiritual masters. In my life experience, I have observed that few people prefer to gain an intellectual understanding of religious teachings and life principles. This can distort the actual intent of teachings. However, I believe that learning by doing is a better approach.
King Janaka was a mighty king. He was the father of Sita who was married to Lord Rama. He achieved fame and abundant wealth. However, he was not attached to those material possessions. He served the people of his kingdom and took care of their welfare. One day, Lord Rama and Laxmana along with Sage Vishwamitra, took shelter near his city. As soon as King Janaka received this news, he rushed to the venue. Janaka prostrated to Sage Vishwamitra and received his blessings. He glanced at the two brothers and felt captivated. Their divine presence sincerely delighted him.
He lost the awareness of his body and mind. He opened his heart to feel the bliss. Soon, he gathered his thoughts and inquired from Sage Vishwamitra. Sage Vishwamitra smiled and briefed him about their background but did not reveal their divine nature. King Janaka served them and invited them to his kingdom.
On a certain day, King Janaka invited all the mighty kings to a special ceremony for Sita. He challenged them to lift his powerful ancestral bow. Lord Rama, Laxmana, and Sage Vishwamitra were also present.
The kings who were proud of their strength failed to lift the bow and faced shame. In contrast, few of them were wise enough to remain seated. King Janaka felt disappointed with the failures of the kings and thought that Sita would remain unmarried. He felt pained and maintained his integrity even in the worst situation. At last, Sage Vishwamitra sent Lord Rama. He took his blessings and went to lift the bow. As he was walking, most of the people observed his external form and doubted his strength. However, a few of them were aware of Lord Rama’s divine nature and power, so they felt delighted and confident. Lord Rama lifted the bow, put the string on its end, and broke it into two pieces. King Janaka felt joy and peace of mind, and the people sang about the glory of Lord Rama.
Vibhishana was the brother of King Ravana. He was a scholar and a respected advisor in Ravana’s court. Despite living among demons, Vibhishana disciplined his mind and served Lord Rama. Lord Hanuman met him for the first time during his visit to Ravana’s kingdom. While Lord Hanuman was searching for Sita, he saw a beautiful palace. Out of curiosity, he entered the palace's premises and found a separate temple surrounded by many Tulsi plants. He felt strange in the presence of a holy environment.
When Lord Hanuman walked into the palace, he found Vibhishana. Vibhishana greeted him with respect and inquired about his background. Lord Hanuman talked about his and Lord Rama’s relationship. This association uplifted their thoughts to share the glory of Lord Rama. They communicated with an open heart and mind. As a result, they developed a trustworthy relationship.
When Lord Hanuman appeared as a hostage in Ravana's court, Ravana, in a rage, ordered his soldiers to kill Lord Hanuman. Vibhishana interrupted and convinced Ravana to change his mind. Vibhishana knew the secrets of Ravana and his armies which he revealed to Lord Rama. On the battlefield, Ravana targeted Vibhishana and fired a powerful weapon. However, Lord Rama took its blow upon himself and saved Vibhishana.
Vibhishana not only acted as a devotee but also as a genuine leader. He realized that his kingdom would prosper only with the grace of Lord Rama. He walked on the path of faith and goodness.
Senses, mind, buddhi, and ego receive and process suggestions of an external object. Any natural forces such as attraction, repulsion, and control which arise in the Chitta create disturbances. According to the quality of mind, these disturbances find their expression through our actions. These qualities of mind are tamas, rajas, and sattva. We know the waves of thoughts in Chitta as ‘Vrittis.’ The purpose of Yoga is the cessation of these Vrittis.
Any spiritual seeker can attain a sattva mind: a calm and joyful state of mind with sincere spiritual practice and a disciplined lifestyle. The quiet mind has the power to use the inner creative forces towards a higher purpose in life.
