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 I 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 headaches along with other health hazards. The 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 from the 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 the physical body. We also know that one needs the 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 on medication and remedial help without any disease or health problem. The same should be true in the case of the mind also.
Evolving State of The Living System:
In their normal states, the 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 Nature’s system, it does not get disturbed or tired in transacting these duties. A laborer who does his job sincerely and with interest gets a sound sleep at 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 shelter and self-defense. 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 the 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 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 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 labor 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 (chetana). Human species is supposed to be the most evolved lifeform. The evolved manifestation of chetana 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, honor 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 is made up of inert matter and 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. A good sleep of a 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 imagination don’t stop and keep creating ever-new worlds in dreams as well.
But after all, the 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 lifestyle, 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 passion delude it by showing it a mirage of the 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 shortcuts, a fast-runner rabbit might lose the race to a slow tortoise. A Jackal can’t become a lion by wearing a fur coat. Its ambitions of ruling over the forest by coloring the skin eventually ditch it in the dark well of humiliation, scorn, and endless suffering. 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 about 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 the sky is not possible for a normal being. Similarly, there is a limit to what one can earn by honest means and sincere endeavors. Unchecked ambitions and cravings for 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 suffering.
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 blows’ with the violent force for a few seconds but devastates 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 produce maddening depression, irritation, or hoards 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 lifestyle because we have just gotten 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 checks and rectifications. But then who sets the trends? Who makes a 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 some way being influenced by ambitions, arrogance, or selfish attachments.
We should review our life-style and set 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
