Do You Mind?
“The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.”
— Kahlil Gibran, in The Broken Wings
The above holds valid and true for all things that matter, and matter not. In an ordinary day of mindless clutter, it is easy to get caught in on already “labelled” preconceived notions of people, things and situations, and thereby get disillusioned easily.
While this may be the deliberate intended course of action for some, sometimes, for most of us, it can be very useful to get by the day without getting lost in such. And you’d be surprised at how mindbogglingly simple it is to unearth Peace of Mind from within, simply by being aware of what goes on inside your mind.
Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to give a piece of my mind on arriving at such peace in your mind, as shown below.
The illustration here depicts individuals X, A, B and C and their interactions with each other.
Enter A. Fluttering butterflies. X being the primary object of distraction. Ah! “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”(1) What would the world be devoid of art that springs from Love and the very absence of it! A mind full of wonder. That being that, tracking A’s productivity for the day gets Lost in Translation, literally.
Then strikes B. Life has been a little more than unfair to B, displaced by X in the ascent up the corporate ladder. Scheming, plotting, dragging the day through grudgingly becomes part and parcel of daily life. Phonetically speaking, after all it has been universally unanimously accepted that all “ex-es” (X, in this case) must rot in Hell. Amen! Full of spite, that one.
Indifferent C. Oblivious to the obvious around him, C strides along a plain plane of interactions against X. C therefore, is able to maintain a conscience clear of biases, paving the way for mindful interactions equally well with all of the above.
Take X. X may or may not comprise of all the attributes perceived by A, B or C.
But X has become the object of “distraction” for A, that of “distress” for B and “indifference” for C. Point being, distraction, distress and indifference are all in the minds of A, B and C.
X is merely the object upon which all such is conferred by the minds of A, B and C. Dissipate that with control over each of those minds and you simply have X, A, B and C. Just as they are.
Whilst as plain and uncomplicated as it sounds, sometimes, it is easier and far more pleasing to ride along the plethora of vice that comes along with the perceived notions. So be it.
But just be aware that it is a choice (not a condition), and one that you consciously make.
So much for the clarity of Mindfulness, a Mind Full of clutter it yearns to be!
Mind over Matter, FTW.
References:
- (1) From A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.
- (2) Mindfulness vs. Mind Full contrast and comparison is inspired by teachings of Venerable Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thero, (the Abbot and Chief Meditation Master of Nissarana Vanaya, a forest monastery in Sri Lanka) at Sati Pasala.
