According to some estimates, around 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts cross our mind everyday. That works out to almost 2,500 thoughts per minute. Enough to shame the most efficient assembly line of the top factories of the world. Literally, a thought train constantly runs in the background in our minds amidst all our activities. We can deal with this hyperactive thought current. And we can reform our minds to ensure the thought generation process is tempered. The science of the same is enshrined in our shastras — in ‘I’. In the absence of any formal technique to control our thoughts, our minds are scattered.
Swami Vivekananda compares the restless nature of the mind to that of a drunken monkey and he says. “The human mind is like that monkey, incessantly active by its own nature; then it becomes drunk with the wine of desires, thus increasing its turbulence. After desire takes possession, comes the sting of the scorpion of jealousy at the success of others, and last of all, the demon of pride enters the mind, making it think itself of all importance. How hard it is to control such a mind!”
The unchecked mind and a flourishing thought factory is disastrous for us, our communities and the nation.
They create desires that produce reactions and behaviour patterns leading to conflict.
Revered Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj, the thirteenth president of the Ramakrishna Mission and one of the most accomplished commentators of Swami Vivekananda’s Practical Vedanta says, “When we are living ego-centred lives, the relationship between two individuals is like two billiard balls. The only thing possible is collision.” He goes on to say that organic evolution has no meaning. What we need is moral, spiritual and ethical evolution. Psychosocial evolution. And only then will the genetically limited individual transform into an expanded personality. Leading to real progress and inner growth.
The process of transforming our inner being is indeed slow. Through prayer, reading, assimilation, imbibing and realisation of scriptures and spiritual books — sravanam, mananam, nidhidhyaasanam — meditation, sadhu sanga, the company of holy men, satsanga and mantra-diksha from a guru. The wind of his grace is always blowing. You have to set your sail to catch it.
The sage of simple analogies and metaphors, Sri Ramakrishna equates the act of setting up the sail to effort in spiritual life. This simply means self-effort and grace are two blades of a scissor. Both work in tandem.
With Divine Grace, an individual becomes an integrated personality in tune with the divine rhythm, operating with the tail wind of spiritual efficiency and focus. This inner transformation progressively reorients the thought current of the person, empowering the seeker with a concentrated mind — chitta ekagrata. And eventually purifying the mind — chitta shuddhi.
This positive, spiritual thought train is infectious and inspires a band of people around the person to turn inwards. When a whole community of seekers generate an abundance of positive thoughts of truth, love, compassion and service in their respective thought factories, communities can get transformed inside out. And communities are the lifeblood of a nation.
We are blessed that less than 200 years ago, yuga avatar of our age Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Yuga Purush Swami Vivekananda and our Divine Mother Sharada Devi, lived among us and showed us in multiple ways the need to reform our minds and reform our thoughts. Swami Vivekananda had said, “Whatever you think that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be;if you think yourself strong, you will be.”