For proper functioning in life, for achieving anything, and, for progress in our efforts to march ahead towards a right ideal that we have set to ourselves, what is indispensable is, mind and body be in good shape, and in proper upkeep. There has to be peace of mind, and body be in sound health. There is much interaction between body and mind. One has a significant effect on the other. During some discussion on this topic, including impediments to our efforts in the pursuit of our goals, there were some queries raised concerning control of anger and feeling of guilt, as also regarding bridging the gap between theory and practice in living as per directions in our Sastra-s. Also, for being blessed with proper upkeep and good health of mind and body, how to keep remembering God, while performing the daily chores. These issues being of a general nature, I wished to share with you all the above queries, as also my responses to them:
1. The first query was regarding what the best way would be to face the difficulty in overcoming anger, and the feeling of guilt consequent of it, and, how to avoid both these. In response to this, following was my response:
Overcoming anger and consequent guilt: In Bhagavad Geeta the Lord stated " The doors of hell are threefold whereby men to ruin pass ... the door of lust, the door of wrath, and the door of avarice. Let a man shun these three ". That is it. Hence is the need to subdue, mitigate and reduce anger. It is a negative trait. A rajasic and impulsive one. A dissipater of energy, and a thing that disturbs mental equilibrium and equipoise. Even knowing all this, we often fall into its trap. Tumble into its net. Not easy to escape, but still have to, and not give up trying to control our mind. Mind is everything. A means to hell, as also a means to heaven. The difficulty is, we have to control mind by the mind itself ! It is a split personality. Dr Jekkyl and Mr Hyde. We have to raise our mind to a higher plane, in order to control the mind at the lower plane. We have to more and more try to identify ourselves with the 'higher' mind, to mitigate the power and vagaries of the lower mind. We have to persist in doing so. As the Lord stated in Geeta, " Beyond denial, hard man's heart is to restrain, and wavering; yet may it grow restrained by habit, by wont of self-command ". Illustratively, if sense-organs are the horses driving the chariot of this body, then, let the discriminating intellect hold the reins, and not the mind. Come to realize more and more that you are not the mind, but the Supreme Power Itself which activates and empowers the mind. That is the only way to check mind's impulsiveness. Then, regarding the consequent guilt, once the mind is held under check, and, anger and impulsiveness controlled, guilt is automatically taken care of.
2. The second query was: Often, mistakes are committed which create a wide gap between how one has to be as laid down in Sastra-s, and how, in practice, one actually turns out to be. How this problem is to be faced ? The response is as follows:
Reducing gap between theory and practice: In our philosophy, we have the three terms: Siddhaanta, Saadhana, and Siddhi. The bridge between Siddhaanta and Siddhi is Saadhana alone. No other way. It is not that bad to make a mistake, as not to learn from it, and make it again. The more we keep our mind in control, and steer it on the right path, the better for us. Mind is our only means, the only equipment, for good or bad. By 'sravana' (listening to scriptures), we have to know the right things to do. By 'saadhana', we have to straighten the kinks in the mind, and eradicate its waverliness and fickleness. Then alone, we progress towards the cherished objective of steadfastness and equanimity.
3. The third query was to know the best way to keep remembering God during all the day-to-day activities, and not be carried away by the little pleasures and relaxations of life, and get bogged down with mundane matters.
The Lord in the Geeta declared: " Whereso any doeth all his deeds renouncing self for Me, full of Me, fixed to serve only the Highest, night and day musing on Me, ... him will I swiftly lift forth from life's ocean of distress and death". The statement is self-explanatory. We have to try to follow and implement it word-by-word. How to remember Him constantly ? The only way is by exercising our Will-power, and becoming strong-willed. Will is mightier than the mind. Mind cannot overpower Will. It dare not. Become the Will to subdue the mind. Invoke Him to strengthen our Will. We have to build up strong determination, intense concentration, and unswerving Faith in the Divine. Faith can achieve anything. Remember the Lord's assurance: " In faith of Me, all dangers thou shall vanquish by My Grace". If we feel our faith is shallow, pray Him for deeper Faith. Surrender ourselves to Him. 'Saranaagati'. Leave it to Him. We will feel lighter. Relax and taste peace and happiness. Fully trust that He will take care of us and everything. As such a faith gets more and more concentrated, we would be more and more dwelling in His thoughts.
Now apart from the above queries and responses, there are a few more practices that can be considered and implemented, for better physical and mental health, as also for equipoise and peace of mind :
Pranayama is good for both physical and mental health. It is an age-old practice. Early morning is a good time, as for meditation. The conventional Pooraka-Kumbhaka-Rechaka type (four-sixteen-eight counts) and/or the 'Anuloam - Viloam' type (as shown by Swami Ramdev), can well serve the purpose. Apart from these, the 'Bhastrika' and 'Kapaala Bhaati' practices of Swami Ramdev, are also said to do a lot of good.
Then, for early morning prayer, Mrityunjaya Mantra, Dwaadasaakshari Mantra, and Gaayatri Mantra (especially the last), are powerful Mantra-s that would certainly benefit a Saadhaka (aspirant) immensely.
Well, if all the above can be fitted into a disciplined time-frame in a daily routine, coupled with a frequent reading of enlightening messages and articles, surely, one can hope to keep both body and mind in a good shape, and hope to lead a life with peace and happiness.
Hari OM Tut Sut
Krishna M. Gutala
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