There is symmetry and a fine sense of equilibrium in the universe, or the cosmos. When we think of symmetry, our mind automatically goes into a state of stillness. It connects us to attuned contexts. For example, the time we spend with our five senses in appreciating, or analysing, things around us. For some of us, seeking quietude is time well spent, not time wasted, as we delve deep and examine things with more than an element of composed zeal. This slowly and quietly leads us to a still-point of conscious awareness. Reaching, or arriving, at this tranquil point is not as easy as stealing a candy from a child. It is apparent that life is full of distractions and fables — this is what disturbs our purpose to engage and identify ourselves in calmness, or conscious quietness.
It is a virtual smorgasbord of distractions, out there, that wobbles our focus. Picture this — each of us is flooded with approximately two-thousand-five-hundred media-related messages a day. We are not speaking of E-mail, voice mail, mobile phone messages, or our office meetings, yet. Just think of it — from TV adverts and snapshots, or banners on the Internet, to baby food. They all carry and project a definitive image — the message as the medium itself. Not so much the other way around. We are also incessantly processing information at the speed of thought. It is only a handful of composed souls that filter unwanted information — most of us ingest excess information that provide no real benefits in daily life, living, or career.
Modern machines and gadgets have revolutionised our world, while enhancing our quality of life, all right. But, they have also diverted us and dislodged our inner peace, or spending quality time at the dining table with our families. A friend of mine, a corporate honcho, does not attend to his E-mail, or mobile phone, after 9.30pm. He has a simple technique to deal with clutter and distraction. He ‘coaches’ himself, “I need time for myself, after a hard day out. My mind is full; I have had my load of work. Let me distil the ‘baggage’ when I’m in the ‘information yacht,’ tomorrow morning — not when I have sought refuge to accept stillness and conscious awareness through a good night’s sleep.” Sleep is therapeutic. It has all the goodness of gentle herbs — it rejuvenates our mind, body, and soul, like no other mode. Yet, the fact is, we are a sleep-deprived society — blame it on stress, information excess, or unwanted distractions, looming large, day-in and day-out.
Yes, our mind needs and loves entertainment. Likewise, it also needs regular periods of rest, or phases, when there is no unnecessary stimulus, noise, or alarm. A quiet mind denotes harmony; it also connotes our ability to handle stress with equanimity. Medical research attests that people who, with intent, rob themselves of sufficient sleep show signs similar to psychosomatic illness. We need to balance our set of scales, as it were, after endless information bombards us all through the day. Our ancients were right. They underlined the fact that it is only when we ‘fine-tune’ our five senses and simplify our infinite range of stimuli would we be rewarded, or blessed, with success.
You’d call this sublime idea an elemental process — the first stride in our soul-searching voyage. This is analogous to your office inventory — one in which you make entries for your catalogue of thoughts, feelings, perceptions and attitudes. It also corresponds to the measureless landscape that resides within us — our soul. Let this be our small, ‘step-by-step’ progression and a truly conscious leap to awareness.
