Mind is the Greatest Gift of God

Mind is the Greatest Gift of Godrn[Vinod Anand]
Mind is the greatest gift we have. All our activities are controlled by the mind. In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna says that controlling the mind is more difficult than subduing the wind.

The mind is the source of all that is good and bad, too. When goodness comes from the mind, it is a constructive mind and all evil comes from a destructive mind. In other words, a saatvik person has a good mind and a tamasik one has a bad mind. Ordinary people, the rajasiks, come in the middle category. A saatvik mind can elevate the individual to status of devata, divinity.

A saatvik mind’s ideas can change the course of history in a positive way and a devilish mind could create unforgettable agony and devastation. Great thinkers such as Jesus Christ, Gautama Buddha and M K Gandhi have enriched civilization from time to time, showing us the right direction. This is in the spiritual domain.

In the social domain, too, there have been great contributions that strengthened democracy and free thought. On the other hand scientists and scientific ideas have also played an important role in shaping human destiny. Science is a product of human curiosity.

It has enriched our knowledge and contributed in enhancing the quality of life. New knowledge is created; new technologies are invented. In order to give predictive power to his laws, Newton developed calculus in a substantial way, although few others had also contributed to it.

In the 19th century two other English physicists, Michael Faraday and James Maxwell changed our ideas about the forces of nature. The twentieth century witnessed the development of Quantum Theory and Relativity, which completely changed our ideas about nature and the universe. Ideas that come without reason and experimentation would not stand the test of time.

For this, too, a great deal of thinking and planning is necessary. A great idea that results from a great thought must not be scattered by random and stray thoughts. These are impediments to great ideas.

We use a phrase very often for success – ‘single-minded devotion’. Disorder causes localization. It is a well established law in science. Thus for a smooth flow of great ideas, the mind should be free of disorder.

However, it is never guaranteed. We are always in different kinds of stress. Complexities of life can create distractions in our concentration. Proper control of mind can diminish the effects of exte
al and internal distractions. And through practice, one can attain a state of fertility that can yield great and new ideas. Sometimes exte
al stimulation is required for amplifying internal thought.

The mind should be open to accept new ideas for consideration and incorporation. This is called collaboration. Collaboration could be at different levels -- among equals and unequals. The former pertains to collaboration between two masters and the latter between a master and protégé. Very often the latter collaboration gives us better and new ideas than the former.

The guru-sishya parampara has enriched our knowledge. There is a level of natural development of mind. Beyond this, it requires proper education for nourishment. Apart from moral and spiritual control, scientific stimulation of the mind can make it progressive and dynamic.

Creativity would be at its best if the mind is intuitive, fearless and conforms to truthfulness. A healthy mind and healthy body can only contribute to ideas that last and actions that impact.