Silence is the first step to tranquility. With perseverance and dedication it can be achieved
The Art of War is a popular book written by Chinese general Sun Tzu over 2,500 years ago that is supposed to provide useful insights to students of management on the fine art of strategic management. I have always wondered if it is only the art of war that we need to know to learn strategic decision making. I have realised that more than the art of war, it is the art of peace that we need to learn. The scenario today suggests rather clearly that humanity is on tenterhooks. The rising cases of dependence and anxiety are grim pointers to the state of affairs of the present as well as the future. We are developing guided missiles but unguided human beings; tall buildings but small people; a world where coffers are full but souls are empty. There is a need to ponder, whyIJ We are perhaps not at peace with ourselves and that is what explains the rise in neuroticism and stress-related diseases. lao-Tse had famously said that if you are depressed then you are living in the past, if you are anxious then you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in present. It is the calmness of mind that brings peace. How do we acquire this state of calmness of mindIJ
We need to know that the nature of the mind alone determines the type of people we are. As we think, we form a logical statement because our thoughts drive our actions. What has to be the strategyIJ How to train the mindIJ But before looking for an answer to these questions, we need to find out why the mind is so restlessIJ Well, the simplest answer is that it is the nature of the mind. Thoughts keep on pandering and pondering. It is the disciplining of the mind that has to be done. While we all look to different techniques of meditation to train the mind, we find it very difficult to practise them. But this does not mean that achieving mind control is not possible. With perseverance and dedication it can be achieved.
One of the most time-tested means is learning the art of self-awareness. look inwards to find yourself. For this we need to practise silence. The Maitri Upanishad says that there is something beyond our mind which lives in silence within our mind. As Osho says, “Silence is the inner health, mind is the inner disease.” Begin with practising silence everyday. However, the silence of the external world will not be of any use if the internal noises are not contained. So learn to enjoy the bliss of quietude.
The writer is professor, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
(Jharkhand). He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com