Spiritual Newsletter No.2
Mind is Matter
The heading ‘Mind is Matter’ may give an impression that Mind is a thing or an object. It is not so. Here it conveys that man should always have concern and conscious of his mind, as the mind is the most powerful aspect in his life. Mind is the important matter to be considered, as it plays a pivotal role in taking decisions in the day-to-day daily life.
Mind resides in the brain. Mind is invisible. Mind’s other qualities such as size, weight and shape are not perceptible and they seem to vary with each individual human being. Five senses are activated by the brain but the guidance comes from the mind. Here mind is a teacher to the five senses, while the brain is their power provided for their various activities.
Incorrect opinion, infatuated decision and improper action are sometimes being taken by the mind due to the effects of various forces acting on the five senses. There are specific three stories to illustrate these three stages of the mind.
They are:
The heading ‘Mind is Matter’ may give an impression that Mind is a thing or an object. It is not so. Here it conveys that man should always have concern and conscious of his mind, as the mind is the most powerful aspect in his life. Mind is the important matter to be considered, as it plays a pivotal role in taking decisions in the day-to-day daily life.
Mind resides in the brain. Mind is invisible. Mind’s other qualities such as size, weight and shape are not perceptible and they seem to vary with each individual human being. Five senses are activated by the brain but the guidance comes from the mind. Here mind is a teacher to the five senses, while the brain is their power provided for their various activities.
Incorrect opinion, infatuated decision and improper action are sometimes being taken by the mind due to the effects of various forces acting on the five senses. There are specific three stories to illustrate these three stages of the mind.
They are:
1. A short story of a couple by Gaudy Maupassant, a famous French short story writer to high light incorrect opinion.
2. An allegorical story of a blind woman and a man to high light infatuated decision.
3. A short story – The last leaf – by O Henry, a short story writer, to high light improper action.
Before going to the narration of these stories, let me dwell on how to strengthen our mind from the onslaught of the five senses – good and bad.
Food and water are the most important item to quench our appetite and thirst. In Hindu house holds, food should be taken only after it is being offered to God. Worship of all members of the family together in the pooja room are being insisted upon, while offering food to God. This custom makes all members to take bath early in order to be eligible to take food. This ensures the cleanliness of the body and the prayer helps to keep the senses under control. The mouth utters some slokas, the eyes see the blissful beauty in god’s images in the pooja room, and the hands are brought together for namaste and the body prostates before god’s images.
During pooja, some devotional songs are played giving soothing effect to the ears. The burning of perfumes during worship gives an electrifying effect to the nose. After bath, one should wear minimum cloth keeping the chest bare which faces god’s images to get their graces. The forehead, the chest and two arms are smeared with the respective religious symbols and one can feel that the body is thus getting purified.
Hence even in day-today daily activities, some sort of religious undertone are being respected and adhered to for the benefit of all in the family. As the food is to be prepared as an offering to God, the lady of the home has to necessarily take bath before going to kitchen. Even the head of the family has to take bath early to perform pooja and to complete his rituals without causing any inconveniences to others going to schools, colleges and offices.
Such cleanliness with religious sentiments will go a long way to have a good control over the senses. When the foundation in the early ages has been laid strong, then the tackling of evil forces in the days to come will become easy.
But, now, things have thoroughly changed. The senses are terribly free to act and to go astray.
With such senses, the people are at a loss to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil.
In short, western materialism due to globalization has almost conquered eastern spiritualism. To be precise, as far as India is concerned, western materialism has become a force to reckon with to save our Hindu Culture.
Before going to the narration of these stories, let me dwell on how to strengthen our mind from the onslaught of the five senses – good and bad.
Food and water are the most important item to quench our appetite and thirst. In Hindu house holds, food should be taken only after it is being offered to God. Worship of all members of the family together in the pooja room are being insisted upon, while offering food to God. This custom makes all members to take bath early in order to be eligible to take food. This ensures the cleanliness of the body and the prayer helps to keep the senses under control. The mouth utters some slokas, the eyes see the blissful beauty in god’s images in the pooja room, and the hands are brought together for namaste and the body prostates before god’s images.
During pooja, some devotional songs are played giving soothing effect to the ears. The burning of perfumes during worship gives an electrifying effect to the nose. After bath, one should wear minimum cloth keeping the chest bare which faces god’s images to get their graces. The forehead, the chest and two arms are smeared with the respective religious symbols and one can feel that the body is thus getting purified.
Hence even in day-today daily activities, some sort of religious undertone are being respected and adhered to for the benefit of all in the family. As the food is to be prepared as an offering to God, the lady of the home has to necessarily take bath before going to kitchen. Even the head of the family has to take bath early to perform pooja and to complete his rituals without causing any inconveniences to others going to schools, colleges and offices.
Such cleanliness with religious sentiments will go a long way to have a good control over the senses. When the foundation in the early ages has been laid strong, then the tackling of evil forces in the days to come will become easy.
But, now, things have thoroughly changed. The senses are terribly free to act and to go astray.
With such senses, the people are at a loss to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil.
In short, western materialism due to globalization has almost conquered eastern spiritualism. To be precise, as far as India is concerned, western materialism has become a force to reckon with to save our Hindu Culture.
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