LIVING WITH MINDFULNESS

 LIVING with MINDFULNESS

The new age phobia is FOMO - Fear of Missing Out.  In life everyone has the desire to fit in, live up to peer pressure and meet the expectations of society. Hence they feel the compulsion to follow the ongoing trends. People are willing to even live beyond their means to fulfil their desires, unmindful of the repercussions. 

No doubt desire is necessary for survival but it is also like the ever burning fire that is difficult to extinguish. It overpowers the senses and when unfulfilled leads to anxiety, restlessness, envy, resentment and many such vices. The quality of life is diminished and one fails to find peace and happiness in life.

When people are blindly driven by desires, they lose control of their thought processes. Their mind becomes troubled and lacks clarity of thinking. The need to fulfil their desires overpowers logical reasoning and hence they are unable to make the right decisions in any given situation. Constant comparison with others makes them feel dissatisfied and unhappy, which in turn adversely affects their relationships with others, creating disharmony in life.

Life lesson

Each one of us is unique and so is our journey on this planet. The need to belong comes naturally to every human being. However, it is important to understand that what is right for one person may not necessarily be right for another. Hence anything that is wrong must be firmly condemned, even if the majority are in favour of it.

 In a world that is full of distractions, one can easily get carried away; therefore it is important to pause, think and ask yourself - Is this right for me? What is it that I genuinely need at this moment?   It is wise to de-clutter the mind and focus on what is really needed at the moment to lead a happy and meaningful life.  So make sure that you are always in control of your desires and conscious of your thoughts and actions. This is the right path to true contentment and happiness in life.

 In the Bhagwad Gita, Shri Krishna shares the secret to wise and mindful living in the following shloka-

Bg. 2.58

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ५८ ॥

yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ

kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Translation

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is established firmly established in Divine wisdom.

Written by Saraswathi M V

Mentor credits: Prof. Shalini Pujari