How can we balance body, mind and consciousness?
Answer Podcast
Transcription :
Transcriber: Sharan Shetty
Edited by: Keshavgopal Das
Question: How can we balance body, mind and consciousness?
Answer: The working of body, mind and consciousness can be understood with the example of a computer system where the body is like the hardware, the mind is like the software and the consciousness is like the user.
In recent times, science has advanced enormously in terms of improving the hardware. At the physical level, today we have comforts like air conditioning, air transport, mobile communication etc. which were unimaginable even for the royalties a few hundred years ago. But unfortunately, to the extent we progressed at the physical level, we also regressed at the mental level. We have far more mental health problems today than we had a few decades ago, what to say about centuries ago. The hardware is improving but the software is getting corrupted by viruses.
If someone throws away their mobile phone not because it is physically damaged but there are too many viruses, we may call such a person a fool. But we see that there are people who just throw away their precious lives by committing suicides due to mental insecurities inspite of having lavish material luxuries.
We are quite careful at taking care of our physical needs (eat wisely, take adequate rest etc.) but at the mental level we have to see what kind of inputs we are giving. Just like, the kind of food we eat determines the shape and structure of our body, similarly the kind of stimuli we take from the world, determines the condition of our mind. The mind is like the palm of the hand and the five knowledge acquiring senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) are like the five fingers through which we take information of the outer world.
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of stimuli that we take in – temptation and tribulation. When we get too many temptations (to buy things, touch them, taste them, watch them) then the mind becomes overburdened with desires and those desires make us dysfunctional. We do one thing but crave for something else.
Similarly, we also get a lot of negativity. Life has always been tough but in today’s interconnected world the way breaking news is shared, it is as if things are breaking down everywhere. Continuous exposure to this type of media bombardment stuffs too much negativity inside our minds. That is why we need to regulate what we take-in at the level of the mind which will help our mind become more efficient and effective. Our mind then becomes less of an enemy and more of a friend.
Beyond that, the consciousness needs a spiritual connection with a higher reality and that is where spirituality comes in. Balancing all of these means there is proportionate growth in all aspects. All of us were at one point in our mother’s womb as a tiny single cell but now there are millions of cells in our body, all this happened because of growth. Growth is natural but there is one kind of growth which is destructive and disproportionate, that is cancer. When this happens, it is dangerous and hence we have to make sure that there is a proportionate growth in all aspects of our body-mind-soul. If there is a disconnection and someone practices spirituality which is completely disconnected with the rest of reality, then such type of spirituality is more of an escapism rather than spiritual growth. Hence, it is important that there is balance and proportional growth in all the three where we are growing physically, mentally and spiritually. That is primarily done through association. If we are associating with those who are earnestly pursuing the spiritual journey then observing them and asking questions will help us learn how to balance the three.
End of transcription.