From Discontentment to Bliss

I consider myself as somewhere in the lengthiest conscious competence stage when it comes to the path of meditation and spirituality. my mind remains usually happy and blissful. but I don’t have it as a state (detached, beyond three modes of nature, always in equilibrium). When it’s unsettled, usually I’m able to control/channelize it by exertion or dosing it with spiritual discourses.

Hence, I suffer from the same ordinary problems (discontentment, restlessness and worthlessness) if I let the mind externalize freely.

For instance, this week good amount of my time got consumed on reading/watching things related to Afghanistan crisis, though gratifying for the mind at the beginning, eventually, on Saturday I felt discontentment with myself. There’s no exact explanation of why and how, but I could relate it to the loosening of grip on the mind and let it roam freely and consume whatever news/article/video came it way.

That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.
Action done in the mode of passion results in misery
(BG 18.38 and 14.16)

Upon discontentment, the other daemons rise effortlessly in our mind. Negativity, lust, anger, these are langotiya yaars (childhood friends) of discontentment.

You can easily lose the state of happiness and bliss if you let discontentment take hold of you.

Solution is easy, be productive; do something meaningful during the day. This is Not something I’ve discovered; it has been shared (more) by our ever-merciful master. I’ve seen it working in action on multiple occasions.

SO, I decided not to read news/twitter on this Sunday.

As I was just working, a thought came to read some news – these are tiny impulses as I’ve observed them – I just let it go. IT’s empowering to be able to let go. A bit of meditation (with daily discipline), surrender and truthful living (and of course plenty of grace of the master) help in attaining this state, I suppose.

Sriman Narayan