8. Cut short the Life Span of your Mind for a Single Day....!!!

Charvakas (advocates of materialism) ask, “Bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya punaragamanam kutah rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavad jivet sukham jivet”

Meaning- Once this physical body is burnt to ashes after death there is no question of having a next life. So long as you live, live happily, make a loan and relish ghee. 

Yes, on the surface their statement is true as we have never seen anyone coming back after the body is buried or cremated. But the real question is what happens to the “I” does that get eliminated when the body is disposed?
 

What is that “I”?

“I” is a thought or a collection of thoughts that give rise to what is called “Mind”. So in brief Mind is the storehouse of numerous thoughts and experiences that has been experience in this life as well as many past lives. This “I” is a vital spark that transcends the body. The body might decline, degenerate and decay but the “I” thought is never touched by death.
 

This “I” thought which lies in the mind has unfulfilled desires and untold ambitions is what this blog is trying to talk about. The hindrance of this physical body and the inconsistency of our achievement have made us unable to fulfill all that we desire in the short span of life. Unfortunately when this physical body loses it ability to continue this “I” though does not and cannot fulfill the desire and ambitions. It needs the support of a physical body not necessarily a human body. Hence that remaining residue of unfulfilled desire and untold ambitions leap forth our “I” thought to that specific condition in space and time so that the unfulfilled longings can materialize. That is the reason for the “I” thought to don a new body and this is termed rebirth. The conclusion is that “I” thought has to take a body in the way of rebirth to fulfill its unfulfilled desires, this agony continues for ever in the future life also and this is termed as Samskara Dukha (Suffering due to Instincts) in Vedanta.
 

Is there as remedy to minimise this “I” thought? Yes, that is what is called “Manonasha” (Destruction of Mind). A Vichara (contemplation) of “Who I am?” is the best and most effective method. This will annihilate the “I” thought that is the reason for the rebirth. This is the Vedantic method of realising the unreality of the Mind through philosophical thinking. But then we are in the physical world what to do with the “I” thoughts that gets generated in this life span. Some say Manolaya (Dissolution of Mind) helps and it can be experienced in Nada Yoga (Merger with Music) and also by performing Pranayama (Breath Control) but unfortunately this phase is a temporary absorption of the mind. There are possibilities that “I” thought could spring back again into action.
 

This “I” thought is the source and the seed that manifests as a huge tree called Mind. All thoughts are centered on the little “I”. If a little effort is made to find out what the “I” is then it will fade away into an airy nothing. The food for the “I” thought is mainly the unwanted and uncontrolled thinking. “I” thought gets destroyed when there is no imagination of unwanted. The experience of the world is due to your imagination but positive one not the negative. 

In totality if the way you live is transformed such that you cut short the life span of the “I” thought to single day it is possible to see that there is no rebirth. Is it possible to live with a new mind daily??? Yes, definitely it is possible. Start by using mind on monthly basis and gradually get down to weekly basis and ultimately day to day basis. Everyday when you go to sleep it is deluge in your mind. It would be just like a smart housewife keeping her kitchen clean by clearing unwanted rubbish when she decides to close the kitchen for the day. She is not immature to say she will not cook as she wants the kitchen spick and span............... will she?????