Contemplation: Scattered Thoughts

  
Contemplation:  Scattered Thoughts

Scattered Thoughts

Uncontrolled, scattered thoughts are like a speeding car. Unless you brake you'll crash. We need to put on the brakes if our minds are to work naturally. A natural mind is peaceful and a peaceful mind brings clarity.

Be like an elastic band

When something comes along and gets under your skin, what do you do?
Do you hook onto it?  Does it tug, pull and stretch you to the point
of tension or breaking point?
All you have to do is, let whatever is bothering you go, let it go.
It wasn't holding onto you, you were holding onto it.

Observing But Not Absorbing

To observe means we take a new, appropriate mental position in whatever situation, or in whatever relationship, we find ourselves. Observation is a silent skill -- a skill we need to learn if we are to assess clearly what positive changes are needed to be made in the self in a particular situation or relationship.

If we fail to learn this art of observing, we are likely to react and absorb ourselves in the negativity of the person, or event. We get lost in the quicksand of what's wrong? which prevents us from putting things right.  As we absorb and fill ourselves with negative emotion, we become heavy and remain helplessly rooted  to  the ground.  The gravity of overload does not allow us to rise above a situation and to understand the reality of what is happening. As a result, we lose perspective and overreact.

If we wish to understand how the mental position of observation gives us the power of perspective, we can look at the example of the bird and the ant. The ant, extremely busy, running here and there, scrambling over everything in its rush to find and collect food, will see only what is in front of its nose. The bird, on the other hand, leaves the earth and, as it flies higher and higher, starts to see the bigger picture, compared to when it was on the ground, or on the branch of a tree. Seeing the whole picture, it has a completely different perspective. It is only then that it can truly see where to go and what to do. When we get absorbed in a situation or relationship, we lose perspective, we are like the ant, we get too involved in the details, missing the obvious, and cannot imagine, or think of other possibilities.

Soul Sustenance 

Effect of Food On The Mind 

All foods have their own subtle (non-physical) vibrations or energy levels. Food feeds more than the stomach; it not only affects the working of the body but its subtle energy influences the mind. Consumption of food allows the energy levels to have an effect on our system, for better or worse. 

Experimenting with the effects of different foods, three categories were defined corresponding to the particular energy that existed in them. 

The first is Satwik or sentient food – this type of food if filled with vibrations of purity, self-awareness, love, peace and joy. This category of food includes fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, grains, milk and dairy products. It helps our emotions and mind to remain in a stable and peaceful state. This in turn affects our thoughts, attitudes and behaviour. 

(To be continued tomorrow .... ) 


Message for the day 


The combination of lightness and seriousness gives the best results. 

Projection: When we are working seriously on something, we usually find ourselves getting very serious and grim. We cannot be light at such circumstances. At the same time, lightness is sometimes seen as being careless. So we are encouraged to continue in that way and we can rarely be light while fulfilling our responsibilities. 

Solution: We need to remind ourselves that while working at some important task we need to make effort to maintain our own internal lightness even while doing our best for the success of the task. This lightness will enable us to bring perfection to our task, as we do not feel the burden.