16. From Firm Mind to Freedom of Mind..........

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/from-a-firm-mind-to-freedom-of-mind

A Firm Mind keeps the individual unruffled to the duality that the world presents. Freedom of Mind helps the individual to be indifferent to the duality that the mind presents.  

The world is amalgamation of pain and pleasure. Change is inevitable in the world of duality. Just as the season changes so does the opposites. Opposites need not be something that happens to be contrast. Instead they can also be like the other side of the same thing. Swamy Vivekanada said, “Happiness comes to us wearing the coronet of sorrow. If you welcome it, you must be ready to accept sorrow also.” And a firm mind does know this truth and is not rattled when there is a change of scene in the play.

A seeker with a firm mind even though gets involved in all the worldly activities will never get puffed up by the success or disheartened by failures. The reason being he credits his success to Absolute and failure (if any) to his destiny, since he is sure that he has given his best. He goes on with his duties and responsibilities with an undeterred mind as he relates work to worship. With such an attitude he always thinks that work is done through him and never by him and hence he never develops attachment to the fruit of the action. He is sure that the Providence will provide him all that he needs and he certainly has no greed. 

Mind is full of thoughts and if let to prevail there is a network of endless thoughts both negative and positive. These endless thoughts induce strain when it becomes too noisy. An individual struggles to shy away from noisy thoughts. He often thinks he needs a break and plans a vacation, but if he is carrying the same thoughts the vacation is no better. This situation will in a way make an individual the hostage of mind and is always in a fear of how the mind might react to the circumstances. Freedom of mind is to be free from ignorance which is the cause of fear, anguish, doubt, abhorrence, and bewilderment. All these emotions imprison the individual of his limits not offering assurance and inner peace. He forgets his true nature and has to depend on false identity to face the problems. The more he tries to dodge from his inner freedom to act as per his wishes, the more ineffective he feels and the more futile his existence seems to be. If his existence loses its meaning the individual become desperate and will be ready to dance to whims and fancies of his negative thoughts.

Freedom of mind can be attained when awareness of the “now” is experienced. Thoughts can never be stopped but when the “I ness” gets involved the thoughts get the wings to fly high beyond reach. “I ness” gets the support from the memory to fuel the thoughts and the fire is at rage. Being a mere witness to a thought will annihilate it and stops it from prevailing in the first place.

What Say?????