Mind Control - by Prof Devdas Menon

When it’s hot, we switch on the fan,

When not needed, we switch it off.

When it’s dark, we switch on the light,

When not needed, we switch it off.

We switch things off when they are not needed,

To conserve power, avoid waste and be efficient.

We switch things off because we can switch them off.

We are their masters, we can decide: on or off.

But there are some things we cannot switch off.

We cannot switch off our minds.

They operate relentlessly, whether we like it or not.

We like it, when they serve our purpose, which is rare.

Most often, they serve no purpose.

Mental activity is just a lot of noise.

Mental noise interferes even in the best of times,

When we try to enter into relaxed concentration.

Ever tasted fully every bite of your favourite meal?

Ever listened to every note of your favourite music?

Within a few moments into every such activity,

The mind slips away into needless distraction.

And yet we believe we own and run our minds, our thoughts,

When in truth we are not their masters, we are but their slaves.

They draw us away from the task at hand, the present reality,

Into an unreal world of fantasy, into the future or the past.

We are at the mercy of thoughts and emotions,

It is they who run, and often ruin, our lives.

As when we get confused or enraged

And say and do things we regret later.

Or when we are consumed by desire

And cannot rest till the craving is fed.

Or when we fret and worry endlessly,

Unable to concentrate and plan skilfully.

Or when we are bored and feel lethargic,

And the mind engages in mindless ‘surfing’.

It’s like a computer that keeps running,

Scorning our best efforts to switch it off.

So many hidden programs run in the background,

Draining off our attention, energy and efficiency.

No wonder, at times when we really need to focus,

Distractions get the better of our concentration.

And at crucial times, the system just ‘hangs’,

Paralyzing our efforts to respond appropriately.

Why allow the uncontrolled mind to govern our lives this way?

Why be victims of random thoughts and conditioned reactions?

Look for ways of taming this mental noise,

Of gaining control over the on-off switch.

And moving consciously in the ‘right’ direction,

Rather than operating helplessly on ‘auto-pilot’.

Are there such ways? Sure, there are!

Though not yet in our curriculum.

Modern education gives us a livelihood.

It does not teach us how to live wisely.

It takes wisdom to realize that we cannot be happy,

Pursuing never-ending desires for money and fame.

It takes courage to pause in the rat race, to question,

And see that we need a radical change in attitude.

And it takes skills to nurture a meditative mind,

That is anchored in stillness, harmony and wisdom.

Such a mind acts as a moral compass that points clearly

To what is wholesome and skilful, and what is not.

It enables us to watch the rising and passing of every experience,

Not getting trapped and ego-identified, and yet responding skilfully.

May our education expand to include this art of wise living,

May we all awaken and stop sleepwalking through life!

PS: Posted here with the permission of Prof Devdas Menon (Prof, IIT Madras)

Traffic jam

Traffic jam on the flyover,

Curses abound from fellow passengers;

Splendorous full moon above the flyover,

Goose bumps all over my body!

What / Why / How Yoga?

Have you ever sat silently in solitude noting down every single thought that surfaces automatically in your mind. Try it out. At least once before you die. The thoughts that surface are not arbitrary. They are almost always about you, though the connection is a little subtle and takes some practice to establish the connection. It might be related to how others want to perceive you, it might be related to some fight you had with a colleague / sibling / friend. It might be some fantasy that you want to live out. It might be about some sad event that happened to you in the past. It might be about some apprehension you have about future. It is always connected to you in some way - some way how you might become happier / better or how you might avoid / might have avoided something bad. This noting down is especially useful after a verbal tussle with someone. Have you ever paused to observe your mind after such a situation? For the vast majority of people, every single thought that comes racing through the mind is one that justifies their position in the argument. Of course, in most cases, truth is distributed between the two parties but one seldom has a thought about the truth on the other side.

It is an interesting exercise to note down all the thoughts that come automatically to ones mind. Dont worry, this process wont go on for ever. For most people, the thoughts revolve around a few areas and, very easily, we will be able to notice patterns in these thoughts. The patterns are not arbitrary. The patterns reveal something. They reveal something nasty within us. They reveal the ghost within us. This ghost is the sum total of all the thoughts that we have had in our lives - thoughts about our fears, hopes, pride, anger, sorrow, friends, relatives, career etc. How does the ghost come about to inhabit us in the first place?

The process by which it gets created is not too dissimilar from the process by which we accumulate stress in our wrists after a long day at the computer - by inappropriate posture and lack of cleansing at the end of it. Sadly, in every activity we do in our lives, we assume inappropriate mental attitudes. Most often, our happiness and sense of worth depend on how effective we are in doing that task. As a result, at the end, either we are proud of our accomplishment or desolate about our failure. Herein, the ghost gets created. At the end of the event, we do not realize that the event is now over and that we should not be carrying over stress. We do not pause to blow away the stressful residues. Instead, the society, with its constant appreciation and condemnation makes us dwell over and over on the event, which by now is well and truly over and is best consigned to history. Then, the uncontrolled thoughts on this subject commence. The ghost in us acquires a new dimension. Observe how some people constantly gloat about their successful careers, or about their pathetic marriage lives. If its not their own, its their child or sibling or relative or friend. The darkness within us thus slowly grows and encompasses the entirety of our hearts.

Thankfully, this darkness does not come and go very stealthily. It leaves traces and it can be tracked down. The uncontrolled thinking is the trace. Every single unwanted thought is a trace. It is telling a story. It indicates a dimension of the ghost. Be aware and catch it. The more you catch it, the more you come in contact with the ghost. The more you come in contact with the ghost, the more you will realize the stupidity of letting a ghost run your life. The more you are aware of it, more that dimension falls apart. Slowly, with sincerity and effort, all the dimensions will fall away over the course of time. When the ghost disappears or mostly so, uncontrolled thinking comes to a minimal point and might even stop.

This is what, the great shrink Patanjali calls as yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ - Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. This, in my opinion, is the answer to what is yoga. This state of being is obviously not an experience. I cringe every time people talk being in a state of yoga. If you can get into and come out of a state of yoga at will, you are probably deluding yourself. Its like learning and forgetting to ride a bike. Once you know it, you know it for life (albeit with minimal practice now and then). This state has nothing to do with getting into weird contortions or being able to inhale non-stop for 40 seconds. Asana and Pranayam have their uses, but reducing yoga to either of these two or to meditation is beyond ridiculous.

Now, comes the question, 'Why Yoga'? Lets observe a little bit what this ghost within us does. If one of its dimensions is to have a successful career, then every time ones colleague gets a promotion, the individual feels a little / deep pain in the heart. If one of the dimensions is about being a successful parent, then the parent almost does not want to be called the parent of a non (academically) performing child. If the child does perform, then the parent keeps pushing the child for more and more, much like a slave driver, robbing the child of his / her beautiful childhood. One small word, one minor incident is enough to make it a bad day. The individual then starts barking at every one for every trifle. No, these are not exaggerations. Pause to look around and see the normal mode of functioning of people. If the dimension is about caste and religion, the moment the son/daughter wants to marry someone else outside of the caste, all hell breaks loose. The true colors of ghost surface. The ghost shall never let the individual be in peace. Of course, most individuals are blissfully sleeping and enjoy the ride with ghost until a rude reality check arrives. Buying apartment and earning in lakhs becomes the prime objectives of life. If none of this is true, then the individual is constantly jumping relationships in the hope of becoming happy due to the relationship. Not every thing is true for everyone, but quite a few of them is true for a lot of people. Can it get more ridiculous. This is what the ghost does. It is easier to dissolve the ghost when the ghost has a few dimensions. With more dimensions, its roots go deeper into our hearts. Only those who encourage the ghost become our friends. Only those who soothe the requirements of the ghost can have a relationship with us. Everyone else can literally fuck off! This includes - sibling relationships, marital relationships, parent-child relationships, friendship and everything else.

Now, if this is not suffering, then what is? To avoid this suffering, one needs to dissolve the ghost in oneself. As long as the ghost is at the driving seat, can one truly love anyone else? And this, is precisely is the reason for yoga. Patanjali says heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam - all yet to be manifested suffering may be avoided.

Our society and its institutions, which are primarily set up by these ghosts and manned by these ghosts, can be expected to be no better than the individuals that set up these. In fact, it will always be at the lowest common denominator. This directly implies that all the violence around us in todays society, (man to man, man to beast, man to environment), are a direct consequence of individuals being in a mode of deep sleep and letting the ghost within them dominate their lives. When more people awaken, all the violence will be questioned more intensely and the yet to be manifested suffering in the society may also be prevented. This is the answer to the question, why yoga.

If one agrees with all this, then the individual immediately goes forward to identify the ghost in him / her and tries to cleanse it. Its a hard process. Its exactly like drug de-addiction. Its seems silly to begin with, outrageously hard later on, and finally tremendous relief when it is over. The world appears entirely new and fresh after that. But, the process is difficult. Most people old enough to be able to understand all of this are mostly about 20 years of age and that means, the ghost is probably also quite old and it will need a lot of effort to weed it out. It would mean recognizing the stupidity of ambition, career, identifications like caste / religion / nationality / language and many other things that we all happily indulge in most of the time. Of course, some practical issues like feeding oneself and living in clean places are to be worked out. It is up to the individual to work it out and they can certainly be done without cultivating a ghost within. Many times, suffering is what makes the individual look beyond the ghost. It is the sad reality. But, it need not be so. Constant correct posturing during good times can help us cultivate the optimal mental states that will root out the ghost early on. There is of course no formula. If the individual sees how he/she is drawn into developing mental residues, the individual can work out his/her way out.

Most people who has been on this path often talk about resting in awareness - the pure observer within us that is not affected by all the conditionings that our minds are subject to. By cultivating awareness, we practice the ability to constantly observe our minds. Then, when the ghost induced suffering strikes again, we will be ready. We will be able to observe how we get drawn into many unhealthy moods almost without our control - exactly like a drug addict. In the early stages, the suffering may be as intense as before. But, the awareness will already bring about a little space. With more awareness, the space will widen and continue to widen until one gains enough control over the situation and can refuse to be drawn into the ugly mental states initiated by the ghost within. This, in my opinion, is precisely what Patanjali calls as īśvara-praṇidhānād vā - surrender to the state of pure consciousness within.

A detailed understanding of how the human mind works has led to the identification of its three basic behaviors o - called tamasic, rajasic and sattvic behavior. Tamasic is the state of fear, where there is constant implosion; Rajasic behavior is the path of anger and leads to constant explosion; Sattvic behavior on the other hand avoid both the tamasic and the rajasic and is on the path of truth. While sattvic is free of conditioned behavior to some extent, it still is a product of conditioning, the process that leads to the ghost. Sustained practice of awareness helps one to stay out of all forms of conditioned behavior.

Different people have different natural tendencies when it comes to the natural affinities of their mind. Strongly rajasic / tamasic people generally find it difficult to practice awareness. Asana and Pranayama help tremendously in such situations to bring the situation back to control. While, they are very useful tools, one should not confuse the tool with the target. They have to be used appropriately. Unfortunately, most yoga schools these days have nothing to offer beyond asana and pranayama. Dhyana or meditation is more useful in general. Some silent sitting sessions every day help us to turn our attention intensely towards the ghost and uncover its hidden dimensions and may be even knock off a few. I strongly recommend the appropriate daily usage of these three tools.

This, in my, opinion answers the three fundamental questions on yoga.

To summarize,

What is Yoga?

yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

Why Yoga?

heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam

All yet to be manifested suffering may be avoided

How Yoga?

īśvara-praṇidhānād vā

Surrender to the state of pure consciousness within

PS: Thx for staying through such a huge article. I wrote it on a request from a friend.

PPS: If you agree with this, kindly share it so as to popularize this perspective on yoga

PPS: Excuse the writer if it appears as an exercise in finger pointing. The writer probably goes through most of the effects of conditioning. Nevertheless, the message is what is more important than the messenger.

The rabbit hole deepens

I have recently developed this language of two perspectives on the life - analogous to the primal and dual variants in linear programming!

The primal perspective on life is about looking at ones life from the perspective of 'maximizing world peace'. The dual perspective on life is about looking at ones life from the perspective of 'maximizing personal happiness'. I believe, at this point, that the optimal solution is the same in both cases - never ending laughter that is built on a foundation of total inner peace.

But, the solution cannot be arrived at by taking only either the primal or the dual perspective. Both are needed in good measure. One might have to alternate between the two perspectives to continuously get closer to the optimal solution (which might, possibly, never be achieved).

For the most part of my childhood and teen life, hardly anyone gave me the primal perspective. They neither gave the dual perspective properly. The dual perspective that was presented was mostly presented very wrongly, though some of the basics were presented. The primal perspective was totally missing. Then, as an young adult, once I took charge of my life, for a long time I was never thinking about the dual perspective (does not mean I was not living it, just not paying sufficient attention). These days, I am trying to balance myself from both these perspectives.

Getting the basics right on both the perspectives will help on negotiate ones way through tricky situations, I believe.

The rabbit hole deepens!

PS: I have been ranting quite often on this blog about things affecting me from the primal perspective. I guess its time to shut up and give some space for Silence. So, I guess, Ill only post sparingly from now on for a few months. Thanks for putting up with all the ranting! :)

ஆதித்யா சேனல்

பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார்

ஆதித்யா சேனல் பார்க்காதார்

Residual Trouble

Anyone who works all day on a computer knows about the pains it causes on the knuckles and wrists know that the pain is the result of the residual stress on the hands. If not attended to in due course of time, the residual stress accumulates into more serious conditions. Usually, we take appropriate measures to maintain correct postures to minimize the accumulation of stress. In addition, we might also do some exercise to get rid of the accumulated stress. Loss of awareness when correct posture is needed and / or loss of discipline to remove the accumulated stress leads to trouble.

There is another level in which residues accumulate. Most people are seldom aware of this. Even amongst those who are aware, only a very small percentage attempt to eliminate it. It is at the dimension of our minds. Like how every action we do with our body leaves a residue in the body and hurts it, every thought we have in our minds leave a residue there and hurts us. The hurt of the thought residue could potentially be much more significant and harmful beyond redemption than the hurt of the residue in the body.

The accumulation of these residues is a complex process and the effect it has on us is an even more complex process. It takes tremendous courage and insight on the part of the individual to be aware of this and to eliminate it. This is because, by the time an individual is an young adult and is ready to observe all this, the society and his/her environs have deeply ingrained into him/her that the residue is part of his/her makeup. Even very few full grown, mature and well meaning adults recognize this. Hence, its not part of our culture to deal with it. Consequently, instead of acting in order to get rid of the residue, we live our lives actively contributing to the growth of the residue.

Consider the case of a young kid who goes to one of the popular singing competitions being aired on television these days. He is constantly appreciated any hyped up by all his friends / family and even random strangers. It is inevitable that the kid thinks of himself /herself as a unique / special person who needs special treatment. This is the residue of the thoughts that the kid has about himself as a singer. Instead of being taught to get rid of this residue, the kid is taught to build upon this residue. His entire life could probably be built on this residue leading to a complex ego who source is totally obscured in his later years. The person would always be acting out of memory, acting out of a compulsive need to enhance these residues and might never know what spontaneity is. The result would be a tortured mind that is so twisted and the sad thing is that the individual might never realize this - leading to a life that is never at total peace internally and never in total harmony with others externally.

Countless such examples may be given. When we look into ourselves, we can see the residues in us at a surface level. The deeper we go into us, the deeper we can cleanse us of our residues. The sense of identity is so deeply identified with all these residues that our true self is always obscured. Most of our residues are related to:

• Successes - Academic /Monetary achievements, Accomplishments of close kin, accomplishments of institutions (country, religion, company) we are attached to etc..
• Failures - Failed attempts at academic / monetary achievements, breakdown of some relationship, failure of institutions we are attached to etc..

When anyone says anything regarding the former, we feel nice and when the focus is on the latter, we feel depressed. Seldom do we face up to these residues and call them what they are - an illusory phenomenon that controls our lives. In Hindu terms, it is the primary contributor to the veil of maya or in christian terms, the original sin!

The sum total of all these residues is what is generally referred to as the ego. To identify all the residues and to rid ourselves of them requires tremendous commitment and awareness to every thought we have. One great thing on our side is that the residues leave a lot of symptoms. Most importantly, the residues need to be replenished and hence there will always be more thoughts to replenish them. So, if we can simply pay attention to every single unwanted / unintentional thought of ours, we can spot the residues. Once we spot them, it boils down to whether we have the courage to rid ourselves of it. It could mean being scoffed at by people we know because we might have to suddenly change our stand on many things and alter our behavior too. The question is, do we want to be socially accepted for something that is evidently false in us, or do we want to stick to what is truth and build relationships based on what is true in us?

To me, the purpose of yoga is ridding ourselves of these residues in at our various levels - the physical, the physiological and the mental. Typically, and unfortunately, most of yoga is focussed at the physical and the physiological levels. They are also important, but no where near as important as cleansing the residues in our mind. Once these are cleansed, the individual will be able to stay clear of all future suffering. Patanjali says, "Heyam duhkham anagatam", meaning "prevent future suffering".

May all of humanity find the courage to cleanse themselves of the residues in them and lead extraordinarily healthy and outrageously happy lives that is underscored by peace!

ஆணியே புடுங்க வேண்டாம்

"தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா"-னா என்னைனு தெரியலைனா பரவால்லை ! "ஆணியே புடுங்க வேண்டாம்"-னா என்னைனு தெரியலைனா தமிழனா?

Memory

Beware of Memory!