If you take a long walk along a rough and bumpy route without any preparation or training of your muscles, you will feel cramps and pain in your legs and you may require massaging or medication to alleviate it. Overeating would result in stomach upset, acidity etc., which will also require some cure. Disorderly metabolism, disturbed sleep and tension give rise to headache along with other health hazards. Persistence of such problems leads to acute and chronic ailments. Remedies like massage and medication alone will not be effective in such cases; better medical expertise and more severe measures would then be required to eliminate or control the illness.
Apart from diseases, there are many disorders and deviations of normal functioning of the body that need proper care and cure. Many of these are psychosomatic. Irritation and fatigue in spite of a normal routine are among some common disorders, which often have psychological roots. Boredom also falls in this category, as it is not a natural characteristic of the mind.
As we all know, one requires medication to cure the sickness of physical body. We also know that one needs entertainment to get rid of boredom, stress, mental fatigue or irritation. Thus, entertainment is also a kind of ‘medication’ or ‘remedy’. One does not go to the doctor and waste money and time in medication and remedial help without any disease or health-problem. The same should be true in the case of mind also.
Evolving State of The Living System:
In their normal states, brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and other organs continue to perform their functions throughout one’s lifespan. Mind is also endowed with immense potential to carry out its job of thinking, decision-making, planning and finding optimal solutions to problems occurring in different phases of life. As per the Nature’s system, it does not get disturbed or tired in transacting these duties. A labourer who does his job sincerely and with interest gets a sound sleep in the night. This is sufficient to relax his body and mind and to energize them for the next day’s work. Thus, his routine continues without any problem and he does not require any additional means of rejuvenation.
Birds and animals live in complete consonance with Nature. They have to strive hard to collect their food every day and to arrange for a shelter and self-defence. Many have to traverse long distances in different seasons. They communicate via their own voice-signals and share their joys and sorrows in their groups. Knitting a nest, diving into deeper depths of sea for food, being vigilant and quick to defend against enemy’s attack, fostering the offspring, etc. demonstrate that their minds also remain engaged in activities that demand somewhat ‘developed’ skills with planning and attention. But they never fall ill or get tired or bored, and don’t need any external source of entertainment.
Human species too is a member of the animal kingdom. Nature has also arranged for its healthy sustenance and keeps guiding and inspiring it via brain signals and functions of the other components of the body, when what is required for optimal functioning of the mind-body system as per the biological clock. (Feeling cold when the temperature outside falls below a threshold, feeling hungry when the body needs energy, experiencing a pinch when an insect bites etc., are amongst the enormous activities that illustrate this self-regulatory management every moment.) Tribal communities residing in forests and living in total harmony with Nature do not fall sick. In spite of hard labour and near total absence of comforts they never feel deprived of anything; neither do they suffer any tension, anxiety or any other kind of stress, nor any boredom. They are happy and energetic in their routines.
If life were really so complicated and burdensome, no creature would have existed here. Why would the individual self (jiva, also called the molecular soul) agree to be born in any life form if life were only a hard test?
Life is manifested in different forms (species) as per the intrinsic nature of the individual selves (jivas). In its natural course, life in every form is driven by the smooth flow of Consciousness Force (chetan). Human species is supposed to be most evolved lifeform. The evolved manifestation of chetan in a human being has endowed him with such willpower, that he can carve his own destiny and orient the course of his life in his own ways. A person’s rise or fall, glory or infamy, honour or disgrace, etc. — all are consequences of his own past or present actions (karmas). He is free to determine his actions and thus be the architect of circumstances according to his mental state.
Body Vs Mind:
Physical body being made up of inert matter has limitations. It gets tired after a finite interval of time and cannot be dragged to continue the work at the same stretch. But its rejuvenation is also easy. Good sleep of few hours is sufficient to refresh and make it ready for work again. However, things are quite different with the mind. Except in the case of animals and in infants, it is found to continue its activities in the subconscious and unconscious state even when the body is fast asleep. Its agility, aspirations and imaginations don’t stop and keep creating ever-new worlds in dreams as well.
But after all, mind is also a creation of Nature, a tool of the soul, so Nature must have crafted some modes of relaxing and recharging it for constructive and meaningful activities. Indeed so! The natural mode of life is very simple and adept to provide substantial support for mental rest and rejuvenation. But what to say of the intelligent being, the human species, which wanders away from Nature and prefers an artificial life-style, and which willingly accepts to be a parasite of artificial gadgets and runs after the hype of glamour?
Driven by its ignorance, immature ambitions and false ego it thrives for more and more power, materialistic possession and social recognition. Marauding forces of passions delude it by showing it a mirage of ephemeral thrill of amusement. So instead of smoothly sailing in the natural spring of mental peace, it opts for tidal waves of stormy oceans of mental excitements, frustrations, cravings and restlessness. Being engulfed in its self-created web of complexities and worries it strives for liberation, peace and joy through external means.
Following a steady and straight path, even an ant can reach the great heights of mountains. But because of his false impressions and agile tendency to adopt short cuts, a fast runner rabbit might lose the race to slow tortoise. A Jackal can’t become a lion by wearing a fur coat. Its ambitions of ruling over the forest by colouring the skin eventually ditch it in the dark well of humiliation, scorn and endless sufferings. These play-school anecdotes warn us of the need to introspect and recheck our approach to life. But either we have no time, or we find these teachings as naïve or obsolete. Fine! But, have we ever thought who has found absolute joy in wealth and fame? Who has felt fully contended by hoarding luxuries and pompous resources?
Keep Off From the Web of Negativity:
It is a common observation that more ambitious people are more restless, short-tempered and tensed. Spreading the legs from the earth to sky is not possible for a normal being. Similarly, there is a limit to what one can earn by honest means and sincere endeavours. Unchecked ambitions and cravings of excessive possessions compel one to adopt immorality in several ways. Success earned by deception, extortion, unfair means, exploitation of others’ natural rights, depriving others of their shares, etc. does not bring anything but the fire of cruelty, hidden fear (of being caught one day), insecurity, company of cunning and jealous fellows, and malice and threat of rivals. It drags one under the irreversible pressure of psychosomatic sufferings.
Anatomy of the brain and the processing units of neurophysiology are such that they finely regulate the functions of the mind and body and adapt to the changes within natural thresholds (e.g. during seasonal variations).
Unrestrained ambitions, passions and egotist ventures induce abnormal excitation in the brain and hamper delicate nuclei of bioenergy. Negative emotions like jealousy, revenge, anguish, apprehension, despair, etc., also stimulate or suppress the flow of bioelectricity in brain circuits beyond the natural limits. Momentary invigoration by narcotics and intoxicating liquor etc. is also hazardous, like a hurricane that makes the trees ‘dance and blow’ with violent force for a few seconds but devastate the entire forest in no time. Mind is the worst hit victim of these hazards. It gets shattered, weakened and perverted. Unfulfilled ambitions or scratched arrogance produces maddening depression, irritation or hordes of negative emotions. Infirm and astray mind then pulls one into the shelter of carnal pleasure, intoxication and even obscene, heinous and debauching activities for instant relief and entertainment. But these kinds of diversions or passion-driven entertainments trigger a vicious cycle of obnoxious effects that continue to compound and enhance negativity.
Wake Up!
We find nothing wrong or missing in our life-style because we have just got used to it. Even, by chance, if sometimes we realize the need for re-orientation, our intellectual superficiality instantly overtakes and digresses our thought-process. We are so used to following the prevailing trends that we do not feel the need for any check and rectification. But then who sets the trends? Who makes the society? Who contributes to the social generalities? Each one of us is a part of it. It’s time we pause and rethink, introspect if we are, in someway being influenced by ambitions, arrogance or selfish attachments.
We should review our life-style and set the things right without further delay. Else, no amount of wealth, sophistication and
advancement will gift us the desired mental calm.
Source: The Real Joy of Entertainment
