There are billions of us living on this planet, and yet, you won’t find two people who have a similar mind. By “mind” I am specifically referring to the “thinking” part of you. The “thinking” center in a human body is biologically the Brain. So, basically, no two brains are similar in the way they “think”. It’s amazing to know that the way your brain “thinks” is unique, and hence the way you perceive your reality is unique. There may be a lot of similarities in the way humans think, but no two human will have the same “thinking” in all aspects – there is always something unique about each mind. Your uniqueness is what makes you who you are as this human being you are present as. Very few of us really know our own “mind”, and its unique behavior patterns, and hence we are always conflicted about what is right or wrong for us – indecisions, guilt, inferiority complex or low self esteem are all issues stemming from the core issue that you are not accepting/appreciating yourself as who you are and are trying to “compare” yourself with the way others are living.
Take the time to be with yourself
Everything you really need to know is already within you because all you really need to know is your mind. There is a lot of knowledge and information that you can imbibe from the outside and it’s enjoyable to do so, but the core knowing that is needed is the “knowledge of who you are” as this human mind. Without this knowing you will just be like a boat adrift in the ocean with no oars, with no real sense of direction. When you know who you really are as a person, when you know your mind, you automatically have a clear sense of direction – you always know what you should be doing at any given moment, there is an immense clarity that is present.
The problem is that “know yourself” seems so clichéd as an advice that very few people take it seriously enough. Most of us just know our minds on the surface without really digging deep into its layers. A surface level understanding of who you are, is hardly of any use because it does not help resolve the conflicts that you are dealing with respect to your life’s movement. So how do you get to know your mind? By being with it, by taking the time to really be with the mind. Most of us are just trying to run away from our mind, a lot of spiritual seekers are trying to get to “no mind”, a lot of misguided teachings ask you to suppress your mind and these pointers give a very wrong message because your “mind” is your uniqueness, and if you try to keep escaping it you will never be able to find yourself as a human being or express your uniqueness.
You are pure consciousness in essence, but right now you are also a human
A lot of people who try to escape their mind, try to find “refuge” in the truth that who you are is ultimately the one consciousness or the source of everything. They want to merge with their “source” nature and what to disassociate with their human nature. They associate humanness with suffering and hence try their best to detach from their human mind, trying out all forms of meditation to “zone out” into some transcendental realm. They try to detach from their human desires, from their preferences/drives/inclinations, and try to dissolve into some “mystical” realm. Such a person is no different than a cocaine/heroine junkie who is trying to escape his mind by numbing it with drugs. There is nothing wrong with wanting to experience some “mystical experiences”, but make sure you understand that it’s just an experience, it’s not a “superior” way of living.
When you really understand your human mind – its behavior patterns, its inclinations/preferences, its outlook, its eccentricities, you will know how unique it is in its make-up. You “are” the human mind right now, and you are a unique mind. Your mind’s desires, and preferences, create a unique life stream for you, and it attracts a unique set of circumstances for you to experience. Everything that is born is created from a unique “intention”, and when you are true to yourself you fulfill the intention that lead to your birth – in other words, you fulfill your destiny. This destiny is not a “narrow script of life” that you are forced to live out, but rather “potential realities” that you have the capacity to manifest from the uniqueness of your mind’s thinking.
Who you are is fine just the way you are, the only problem is with the “negative thoughts” created out of fear, and lack, based thinking. You don’t need to compete with anyone, you don’t have to push your way around, you don’t have to struggle and strive, you don’t have to put others down, to be yourself or to manifest your desired realities. When you love yourself unconditionally, and accept/appreciate yourself as you are in every aspect, and you accept others as they are, it opens the door to allowing the flowering of your expression automatically. Hatred and fear are the two blocks that keep you from being true to your expression. Stop undermining your mind, stop judging yourself, stop comparing, stop trying to “fit in” and be true to yourself, as you are. Only when you are true to yourself will you be able to attract a reality that is true to you, or congruent with you – this is the end of living a conflicted life.
Again and again constantly amazed with posts and pointers you give as they keep inspiring, wakening and shaking all sleepy narrowness.
Thanks
Sen, is there such a thing as the mind or is it only thought. I have heard the quote no thinker, no thinking, only thought. So when you say get to know your mind, its just to get to know certain thinking patterns that occur in the brain/mind? The way i see it is that thoughts appear inside the mind, and the mind being formless or the space in which they arise. What I don’t get is when a thought arises, do I see it as JUST a thought or see it as my mind?
Hello Sen,
You said that ‘know yourself’ is the most basic pointer and we neglect it.I have been suffering from inferiority complex for many years as I was picked on as a child and was never accepted as I am.Theses patterns have a very strong influence on my behaviour as a grown up. I am still clinging to child identity and constantly compare myself to other’s which has increased my inferiority complex.I have been following your blog for 1 year but I dont know whether I have released negativity because the intensity has only increased.I am currently in lot of confusion and depression.Can you tell me objectively what it means to know yourself and how do I remove my inferiority complex from its root?Also I get easily hurt by others judgement and negativity.So how do I stop getting hurt?I am also unsure whether I have enough awareness or not, because I am doubtful whether I have released negativity over the past year as I do not find relief from my mind.Any insights?
Also, do you think I just need to allow any discomfort without analyzing,just to keep it simple?
Viraj, that’s right, just keep it simple in terms of being in a state of “total allowing” to develop a real foundation of openness, after which you can employ aspects of reasoning/understanding the mind and your expression.