Imagine….you are in the middle of your important work, the
work you quite often enjoy doing, expertly resolving each and every issue. As
you work, a small noise in your head keeps talking to you. 90% of the time,
what it talks will be negative. It talks about your relationships, your goals,
your past and future and so forth. Quite often, you are distracted by this
noise in your head and you don’t realise that 70% of your sadness in life is
due to paying attention to this noise in your head! This imagination is the
root of all evil in your mind. It’s because of this noise in the head, you will
have mood swings and your work at hand, remains unfinished and gradually it
slows down your pace towards reaching your goal.
Remember the saying “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop”? It
is very relevant to what I am talking about. While the west has developed
technology to drive the material world, over thousands of years, the east has
discovered the technology to understand the inner world. Only if the root is
strong, the tree will survive the storm. Similarly, only if your inner self is
strong and peaceful, will you be able to survive the material pleasure and
pain.
The noise in your head, is an element or combination of your
emotion(s). When there is hatred or sadness, people often let their emotions
take control and make conclusions of the people and incidents in their life.
That’s when they blindfold themselves from reality. They start resisting life,
instead of enjoying it. The more you resist, the more you will lose the
precious seconds of life!
So…what is the solution to this problem in us? There is only
one solution. That is ‘direct experience’. Face reality and stop hiding from it
and assuming things. If there is a serious problem in your life, enquire….enquire
until you know the ‘actual truth’ and not your ‘cooked up imagination’ from the
noise in your head. Direct experience is very powerful. It slaps you on your
face but you will know the ultimate truth, the do’s and don’t’s, you will
distinguish emotions and reality.
But what about the noise in your head? How will you stop it?
Well….you can never stop it! You can only avoid it. But I wish that was an easy
task. If avoiding your negative emotions was so easy, then life would have been
a paradise for everyone. The only method to learn to balance your emotions and
reality is by distinguishing emotions and reality. By ‘getting present’ to that
distinction. Meditation is a key practice to improve your concentration power
and distinguish between the real and the fake.
Some examples of negative emotions: Laziness, anger, sadness,
hatred, revenge, fear, demotivation etc.
A small assignment for you. For one week, write down how you
feel every hour or so. You will get a lonnnng list of feelings. These are all
emotions. You will be surprised! You are welcome! :D
So…..if you are not your emotions……then WHO ARE YOU? I wont
answer it. Ask yourself, explore the mystery….that’s the fun.
“Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu”
