Building the Gerkhin

We return from where we started.

All my life, I tried to control my thoughts – By control, probably we mean to ‘not acknowledge’ the impermanent character of existence. Impermanence is because of our changing pattern of thoughts – these can’t be arrested or controlled in an absolute way.

Important learning to be gained is, the factors that define control – and most of them are social constructs (or our own imaginations stemming from our own existence). We are born, we have been given a body, we have a brain and this mechanism of existence leads to the creation of the mind. The mind knows that things change and it has to also ‘die’ one day. This is difficult to acknowledge or accept. Thus, we try to run and control all external factors with the hope that some permanent remedy is found and we would remain at peace!

Situations change, people change, we change, our body changes. People come and go – just as any cyclic event of Sunshine and sunset. By understanding this deeply and intuitively – this pattern of cyclic movement, would we begin to see things as they are and that would lead us to remain calm amidst the changing environment. We make connections of thoughts with everything around us to such a complex level, that any change in the situation leads to a deep psychological cut within us. We get profoundly affected, since that is what we have made ourselves believe!

Of course, it is true to an extent that we experience our existence. Mind will create all dimensions of existence. It is the mind that needs to be understood. What we fear, is our thoughts and what they would lead to. What we fear, is our expression of our thoughts into a reality that we think we can’t handle. However, if we fear, so becomes our nature of thoughts – which lead to a corresponding manifestation of a situation. In order that we therefore build a future which we would like to live (or fully experience our potential), then we need to first do three things –

a)      Acknowledge the terrain of the mind. Mind has positive AND negative emotions, which require constant monitoring.

b)      Being immersed with such thoughts that would lead to fully explore ourselves. At the same time, focusing on the positive nature of thoughts. This is a practice – of visualizing what we wish to become for ourselves and for the people around us.

c)       Building the Gerkhin – Any situation will force us to act. We must act, regardless of the outcome of our actions. The choice of our action is not based on anticipated results, but on what one considers proper for oneself. This is training to the mind. In being engrossed in such a practice of doing what is right, eventually life will turn out the way we want to – which is more truthful, sincere, honest, courageous, fearless and unsophisticated.

I think the greatest thing to accomplish for oneself – is to speak one’s mind without any inhibitions. This feels very hard for a lot of people (even to hear someone talk like this). This maybe, because the person’s speech might inadvertently be reminding others of their falsehood! Therefore, life is not easy for the truthful person. However, everything finally subsides when compared with the honest effort one undertakes to build his/her own life. At the time of death, nothing really is going to matter at all! If this is so, why not live each moment truthfully, so at least we are satisfied regarding the kind of life we have attempted to create?!