Mind = Maya

Mind = Maya

Out of Mind, Out of Maya

Maya is nothing but the tricks of our minds. 

The mind is a very powerful and potent possibility. It has phenomenal capabilities. It can create alternate realities and universes right within us! As a matter of fact, we have our own alternate realities and universes. We all have our own unique mental worlds, isn’t it? We cohabit two worlds simultaneously all the time—one is the outside world and the other is the internal world. But, the reality is, we’re not residents of either of these worlds! We’ve lost our true haven and have become NRSB— Non-Resident Spiritual Beings! And unfortunately, we’ve forgotten our home address!

Why? How did this happen? Well, we may not know how we came here, but surely we all know this feeling that we don’t belong here. We all have this innate feeling that we’re lost! Whether we realise it or not, we are all missing home! If this was our true home, we’d have become completely satisfied, right? But, never have this world been able to give us lasting contentment. And never will it be. 

I can’t but share this joke (I am putting my own words here) : 

God made Man. 

Man made Mind important.

(And lo!) Mind made Man mad!

Apart from being a joke, this can be a really good tongue-twister for you 😎.

Mind’s Mischief

Mind creates desires and hankers after it eternally. It gives promises of security and keeps us working for its endless demands. It, like a miserly boss, gives meagre happiness and make us go through a hell lot of torture. Its tantrums are really endless. But we keep serving it like an obedient helpless slave. It beats us with lashes of guilt, threatens us with all kinds of fears and keeps prodding us for its enjoyments. Ufff…God save us!

A time must come when we put an end to this. Should we wait for a special occasion? Or for a special person? Why wait? Let’s put the full stop as soon as possible…why delay…where’s the sense in that!

How to Be Out of This Game? 

But how? One might ask. Is mere commitment to will enough? With willpower you can stop some of the mind’s nonsense; but can you conquer the entire mind with just willpower? It spells out a big NO!

So, what now? I don’t know the answer, honestly speaking. I could say, meditate. It may work well for many, but not everyone will take to it. I could say, pray. Again the same problem. If you lack faith in the Divine Providence, your prayers are useless. Yet again, I could have said, surrender to God. The scriptures repeatedly emphasise the importance of surrender. The Bhagavad Gita, for example, states:

“sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam braja.

Aham tvam sarvapapevyo mokshaishyami ma shucha.” [18.66]

“Renounce every other dharma and only surrender unto Me. I will absolve you of all your sins and give you liberation, do not worry.”

But, the problem is, complete surrender is a journey. Most of us are not yet at that stage where we can just unconditionally surrender. But, if someone is ready for it, fantastic!

I think, for us—the bread-and-butter-bodied beings, the only palpable solution is to SCREAM!

Yes, scream! Until and unless our pain becomes a resounding scream, until and unless there is a strong ‘why’ to be free, until and unless we’re really done with all these mind games, we will not be eligible for liberation. If the pain has not become a scream yet, you are not actually done with all the mind games. You are still playing and being played by the mind. Scream, O Souls, scream!

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P.S: I wrote this with a bit of humour. But, understanding the mind is a serious matter. So, here’s my take on the mind, which you may find quite serious: Understanding The Mind: Part-1 & Part-2. 

Thank you for your patience. With Love, Alok 🍁