Observing and Bringing Peace and Silence to the Mind-Stuff

Most people do not observe closely the status of the ‘mind-stuff’ as they focus on the impulses, or ‘ripples’ of the mind stuff. The yogic practitioner has a unique position in that observation of the mind stuff and bringing it to a state of quiet, focused receptivity is essential for opening to and integrating the spiritual force into his mind, life-energy and body.

This examination opens up an enormous new process of review. Normally, all sensations, emotions, feelings, thoughts ripple through the mind-stuff, but there are also newer vehicles that add to this complexity. Ultra-processed foods trigger an addiction-type response that constantly bombards the mind-stuff with requests for ‘more’. This is similar to the use of addictive drugs. Various hormones get released under different conditions and experiences and they too may create, not only ripples in the mind-stuff in the near term, but also a craving or addiction-type feeling that wants to repeat the experience. Intense excitement, adrenalin addiction which craves repeated excitement or challenges, electronic equipment such as cellular phones, tablets, computers, etc. all set up a vibratory pattern as also video games, gambling addiction, identifying with sports teams or other collective actions can build virtually a type of ‘buzzing’ experience in the mind stuff. There can be an intense pressure internally to always be “doing” something or being occupied in some way. People become ‘addicted’ to their electronics or to background noise, music blaring at all times, or they feel like they must talk or otherwise occupy themselves with something that keeps the mind-stuff vibrating. Times of quiet and silence are thus difficult to program into the being and maintain with any continuity. The practitioner soon learns that trying to observe and manage the status of the mind-stuff is both an interesting and intensely focused effort.

It is within this context of the forces that work to create these ripples or vibrations that the yogic process of working to bring the mind-stuff to a state of quiet, calm, silent strength has to be seen and understood. The culmination does not come immediately. There are thus stages of the process as the practitioner goes ever further. The observer of the mind-stuff (chitta) can understand the progress by reviewing the qualities of each step as Sri Aurobindo points out.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “The words ‘peace, calm, quiet, silence’ have each their own shade of meaning, but it is not easy to define them. Peace – shanti, Calm – sthirata, Quiet – acancalata, Silence –nishcala niravata.”

“Quiet is a condition in which there is no restlessness or disturbance. Calm is a still unmoved condition which no disturbance can affect — it is a less negative condition than quiet. Peace is a still more positive condition; it carries with it a sense of settled and harmonious rest and deliverance. Silence is a state in which either there is no movement of the mind or vital or else a great stillness which no surface movement can pierce or alter.”

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pg. 7