We often chase external escapes, yet the true sanctuary lies within
We should develop a holiday home in the mind to relax. Instead, we build concrete jungles of thoughts where we fear to tread. Summer was simmering, temperatures were rising in Delhi, and the beer-guzzling husband and wife duo, and their college-going children fed on junk food, were looking forward to their first overseas trip ‘together’. “Eureka,” he screamed, “Leave sanctioned.”“Trip to Chiang Mai will now be a reality,” screamed the children and wife.“Bonding at last,” the wife mused effusively. The manic and frenetic-paced lifestyle had invaded a bonding that ought to have been a natural part of their living.
This is a familiar tale of several upper-middle-class families and the ones who mimic them as they crave to keep up with the Joneses. The prana levels of such individuals are low. In several cases, opulence without proper responsibility has corrupted their minds and they carry the burden of the twin maladies of inflated egos and judgmental attitudes. But this was not the case with the family. Would they have relished the getaway to Chiang Mai?
The human mind is both a friendly retainer and a dangerous liege. A beleaguered mind causes immense suffering to the individual, those around him and also society at large. An alert mind learns positive lessons from life to take recourse to remedial measures and discovers ingenious ways to address and arrest negativity. Just as an architect designs buildings, we humans can construct an oasis of peace in our minds where we can luxuriate on a genuine holiday. This is mandatory for individuals who are at the worn-off edge or the precipice of disequilibrium. The landscape of the mind should be attractive and harmonious, which one would like to frequent. Aeon’s ago, there was an old farmer. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours came to commiserate. “Maybe,” the farmer replied laconically. The next morning the horse returned, bringing along with it three other wild horses.
Taken aback at the turn of events, the neighbours congratulated the farmer. “Maybe,” was the reply. His son tried to ride one of the untamed horses and was thrown off the saddle and broke his leg. The neighbours expressed their grief. “Maybe,” answered the farmer. Shortly, some military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. The wounded son was not recruited. Soon congratulatory messages poured in from the neighbours as the son escaped the hazardous employment.“Maybe,” said the farmer.
The stoic farmer remained unfazed in all situations. The supercilious family from Delhi was so full of themselves hurtling towards an imminent disaster that it would undeniably benefit by learning a few secrets from the old farmer. Instead of planning an annual holiday, the family ought to create a sacred space within their hearts and minds where positivism mushrooms and develop a delicate balance of detachment like the old farmer. They could visualise and connect to a soothing terrain in their minds, which would restore equilibrium to their disoriented lifestyles. This topography could upend the pyramid and radically alter a desultory lifestyle to a more harmonious one. Imagine the mind conceptualises a retreat within its containments, where supposedly a thousand monks practice meditation, observe their breath and remain in silence say for three months. Pranayama and the practice of yoga – be it for the propertied or poor, healthy, or unhealthy – help in mental reconfiguration, rejuvenation, and revitalisation, which soothes frayed nerves and makes individuals happy. This should rekindle happiness, energy and joy in their minds.
(The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd.and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living; views are personal)
