7. Our MIND and the VICES

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 नको रे मना क्रोध हा खेदकारी।

नको रे मना काम नाना विकारी॥

नको रे मना सर्वदा अंगिकारू।

नको रे मना मत्सरु दंभ भारु ॥६॥


Our mind is always trapped in the vicious circle of desires, wants and emotions. Like some slow poison they gradually erode our mind from the within. The never ending chase and expectations from the world do not let us be happy and content. It fuels so much dissatisfaction and angst (KRODH) in us that we stop thinking rationally and become self centered. Becoming slaves to such emotions and desires (KAAM) always results in regret (KHED) but by the time we understand this, it is too late for any damage control. 

We have become so obstinate that when things do not go our way or if we fail to get what we want, instead of engaging in introspection and practicing patience we get angry over the situation. Inability to accept the outcome as it is, we succumb to depression, heartbreaks and mental ailments. So much angst in day to day life makes us blind to the rest of the world. It kills the feeling of empathy and happiness and takes us away from peace. At the end all we are left with is regret for not having had a more considerate point of view. Extreme emotions that stop us from acknowledging reality have to be avoided at all cost.

Another important thing to avoid is our never ending wish-list. Our desires are so many that as soon as one of them is ticked off the list, we begin chasing the other one. Do we take time to sit and enjoy our accomplishments? Do we grant ourselves the happiness after fulfilling some of those desires? Do we ever take a break from desiring more? Very rarely. We have set such high expectations from life and ourselves that in order to make our DREAMS come true, we go on and on without any break. This results in mental and physical fatigue. On looking back at life, we realize that while we were chasing this mirage the actual gifts of life slipped away from our hands. To feel happy for ourselves and for our live, it is important to train our mind to be satisfied with what we have. Greed will always set us off on a wild goose chase but one has to realize that it only leads to (VIKAAR) diseases/disorders. The world needs to adapt to the minimalistic approach in life to be truly content. To be able to keep our needs limited and be happy is vital for a healthy existence. Our goals, our dreams should bring out the best in us. They should be aligned with our sensibilities and demands. And once we accomplish them, we should enjoy a sense of completion. 

What happens when a person is unable to be happy with things as they are? Such individual starts spinning a farce about and around him. He/she often gets angry over others' accomplishments and succumbs to the deadly disease of jealousy (MATSAR). If I am not able to get something, the other person has no right to have it. This sadist mentality drives away all happiness and hope from the heart of the suffering individual paving way to hate and anger for the rest of the world. Such person will soon lose all realistic bearing and live a lie where only he/she deserves bounties of life. More often than not, (DAMBH) hypocrisy will be at the heels. Individuals who can not be happy for others often implement immoral ways of getting what they long for. Once jealousy and hypocrisy are consciously accepted as a way of life, the seeker becomes fully oblivious to his/her own shortcomings firmly shutting the door to self improvement. Such person then prefers escapism over reality. 

Samarth Ramdas was fully aware of the deadly outcomes of the last two vices. He therefore commands a seeker to never indulge in them. Our mind, intellect and body are the breeding grounds for these vices. Hence a seeker has to prevent their infestation. As far as anger and desires are concerned, a common man can not fully eliminate these from life. However, one has to strive for getting a grip on them so that it is possible to channelize their potential in obtaining positive results. Anger has to be converted into determination and desires have to take the form of motivation to give the right direction to our lives. Mastering the vices and getting rid of those which are detrimental to our mental health is a never ending struggle but a seeker of mental wellbeing will have to take up this war and try to win it for his or her own happiness.

Watch the video on Shlok 6 here :



  

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