What is Mind and Mind Conditioning

Every one is born fresh. For an Infant every thing is new and unknown. The Infant does not have any idea about things and cannot distinguish between things. The Infant is not even aware of its own Body.

Slowly with mother’s touch the Infant starts recognizing its body. Then the Infant starts recognizing the Mother, father and then after some time it starts recognizing its own name given by the parents. With time the Child gets identified with more things like - this is my body, these are my toys, these things are good and these things are bad and so on. Slowly a belief system is formed which defines good and bad for the child. Society, Parents, Religion and upbringing plays an important role in shaping the belief system of the child.

This belief system act as a protection for the innocent and pure child. Because if we act according to the society then we are accepted otherwise we have to face their criticism. E.g. small Children often play and suck their thumbs, explore their genitals and eat sand. But mothers stop them from doing so. So the child comes to know that these things are not allowed. This information forms the belief system of the child. In a subtle way every child is programmed to act in a certain way. Every Child goes through this programming and starts functioning as per the programming. This programming is our Mind.

For understanding we can compare our Mind with operating system of our Computer. But this programming done in our childhood is not the only factor which shapes our mind. Many beliefs we carry from our past lives also. These Past lives tendencies can be compared with “Read only memory” of computer.

In a way we are a Biological Computer. Our actions are decided by our Programming. No person is a fool to do any thing wrong. Even criminals have a valid reason to commit the crime. For a criminal that is not the crime because in his belief system that is the right thing to do. Every moment Mind works in the background and makes us to do things. Even while reading this article our Mind is acting as a Judge.

Mind has many layers of conditioning. Suppose some one dies after falling from a high building in previous life then in this life that person will be afraid of heights. Every experience adds one layer to our mind. It’s like a wall which is being painted with different color every moment.

Our mental state or Mind is always in Flux state, with many emotions keeping on coming and going. Emotions start with a thought. Idea of doing any thing also starts with a thought. Our Mind is always full of thoughts. In spiritual world Mind is recognized as the ‘thinking mechanism’. Thought is a door to Mind or thought is Mind. Twenty fours in a day we are thinking and dreaming. One thought comes, then next thought comes which is always related with the previous thought. Those who practice meditation say that “thoughts are always related. One thought leads to another thought. It’s like a continuous Traffic of thoughts in which one thought is followed by another thought”.

Most of us believe that they are thinking good and bad thoughts. If that is the case then we can definitely stop this process of thoughts for a while. But no matter how hard we try we cannot be with out a thought for even a single second. Even the idea of having no thought for a second is itself a thought and will lead to another related thought and the Next thought is already in the Traffic. Thoughts come from outside. That is reason we can not stop our thoughts because they are not ours.

Most of us not only take the responsibility for good and bad thoughts and but we even fight for them. Many times fulfilling a single thought consumes our whole life. What ever actions we do in life starts with a Thought and thought is Mind and Mind means the programming done from so many lives. We make our decisions in life based upon our thinking but no thought is ours. Then what are we doing in this life which we can call ours? Until and unless we become aware of the Mind then our life is no more than a dream because we are sleeping. No action of ours come from our Individuality but is influenced by our Mind.

Mind is a Limitation which limits the Man to mediocrity otherwise if Man works from its source then Man has an infinite potential. Meditation is one device which brings us closer to our source. Any action done with meditation is authentic and is not influenced by Mind. Meditation liberates man from the slavery of Mind. With meditation what ever we do is as fresh as a new Born Baby. All that corruption which Mind has done to us loses its strength against Meditation. Meditation is the only medication.

As of now all our actions are controlled by Mind. Mind has become our master and it’s not so easy to get rid from the slavery of mind. Even if we come to know of this slavery then also Mind is going to deceive us. Mind is very cunning and plays subtle games with us. First step towards becoming more authentic is to be aware of the Mind games. Thinking is the door through which Mind enter again and again all the time fooling us, making us do things which we feel we ourselves have decided to do and all the time creating misery for us and then rationalizing every thing and every action which we have done. Mind deceives us through various ways.          

1. Mind is either in Past or in future. All the time our thoughts are moving in past or future. Always we are dreaming. When ever we come to present moment, Mind stops for a while.
    
2. We are driving at 100Kmph and suddenly to stop accident we apply break. Then for a brief moment our mind stops. Because if in that dangerous situation we start thinking , we will be dead. Then in that situation the decision of applying brakes, comes from our being or our center or from spontaneity or from our soul. These are all same but different authors have used different terms.
    
3. Rock climbing, Fast driving, Bungee Jumping - there is so much thrill. because mind stops for a while in those rare moments.
    
4. In deepest experience of Sex or in ejaculation again mind stops for a while. But it happens for a while and then again it comes back.
    
5. But whenever mind stops suddenly on that occasion either we are in shock or thrill but we are never relaxed.
    
6. Mind also stops in deep meditation but then we are relaxed and blissful. That is the beauty of meditation. In Samadhi state mind stops completely.
    
7. Some times when we are very relaxed then also for few moments mind stops. Some times when we are with our lover watching sunset or seeing some beautiful thing or sharing intimate moments then also Mind stops for a while. Or we are desiring for some thing for so long and we are putting so much effort for it and suddenly we get that thing then also mind stops for a while. But only for few moments and we cherish those moments through out our life. Same blissful moments are experienced in deep meditation.
    
8. But these moments when mind have stopped are few because mind again finds some excuse to think. Mind can say now you have found your beloved, you have attained your goal, what a beautiful sunset or rose flower etc. Through thinking mind comes. We verbalize every thing. If see a rose flower then immediately thought comes what a beautiful rose flower. We feel we are appreciating beauty but mind is doing its work. It comes back again and again. But if we keep on doing meditation then these silent moments when mind stops go on increasing and one day its stops on its own. When we completely stop cooperating with mind then its days are numbered.
    
9. Mind generates guilt feeling. That is another door through which again thinking starts and we get involve in thinking very seriously. Mind starts finding the cause why I acted that way. How can I act that way? I could have done some thing else and all the time mind is discussing some thing which has happened in the Past.
    
10. Mind loves Comparison. Mind compares with its colleagues, friends, relatives. Suppose my friend gets a better pay hike than me. Mind will be very disturbed. But Mind is not bothered with Bill Gates who is much richer than me. Mind only compares with close ones.