JOIN USWe all know that the mind is powerful. When somebody says, “It’s mind over matter” about some heroic act, we are absolutely cognizant with that.
Yet, we don’t always use this powerful mind positively, lovingly, non-violently, do we? At a crowded place, we rudely elbow somebody aside. When the delivery boy from the restaurant hands over the wrong order, we are ungentle in chastising him.At home, we speak sharply to our spouse.
It is violence. Even subtle negative attitudes have negative consequences. By harbouring ill-will towards another, we darken our own consciousness. By shooting down another’s innocent enthusiasm, we don’t just extinguish his light, we crack our own inner lamp too.
By being disrespectful towards and deriding somebody, we upset the fine balance of our own hormones and impair our brain’s self-repairing mechanism.
On the other hand, if our attitude is one of ahimsa, a universal sweet benevolence towards all, it means we are using our powerful mind wisely; we are encouraging our brain to produce peace-promoting, pain-killing hormones and helping it to maintain its self-healing system. Even the subconscious relaxes and our streams of consciousness flow from the Fab Four—love, understanding, joy, equanimity.
The more we hear about violence on the streets, the more determined we must be to be personally kind and gentle in our ways. If, in every district, one hundred people embrace sweet non-violence, the law and order situation will improve. It has to because our calming vibrations will spread out to slow down and soothe crazed minds.
I am reminded of a very special man called Morris—a bus-driver in busy New York. When the weather was freezing, he’d halt between regular stops to let elderly passengers disembark closer to their homes.
There was one blind passenger, a regular on his route. If the blind guy was a little late, Morris would put the engine on neutral and do a song-and-dance routine until the passenger boarded the bus. Were the other passengers irked at being held up? Not at all. Even in their busyness, they were touched by Morris’ compassionate and caring act. Kindness is contagious—if we are receptive. So, let’s all pause to appreciate such divine, kind acts that we often ignore or even curse in our rush to reach somewhere.
The rushed mind is a stressed mind sending out “Get-out-of-my-way” signals. This rush becomes an obstacle to well-being, to love and kindness. Please turn that rush into a hush. Slow down. You don’t have to sit to meditate. You can walk along leisurely. To slow down the racing thoughts, keep chanting, “I..am…here, I…am…here.” There is great joy in being all here instead of always rushing to be there.
If you’re subjected to vituperative stuff, remember the mind has this terrific power to be strong and resilient. Exercise patient self-restraint. Keep your mind free of any reaction. This is great mind-management. To exercise inner passivity in a provocative situation is wisdom too. “Be a big zero,” says the Master softly.
If you aren’t able to sustain inner passivity, visualize a halo-ed saint, eyes lovingly calm, divine light emanating from the palm raised in blessing. It is normally the intellect that signals hurt. And since the intellect is intensely visual, giving it this wonderful divine imagery literally nourishes it back to wholeness. Then it is, once again, ready to proceed with a new, glad, unbounded energy.
Finally, cap this experience by affirming powerfully, “I am in harmony with the universe.” Ah yes, mind your mind-power—be always gentle…