Drifts & Habit Watching

"Mind and thinking -and how both Drift?" Experience says that while engaged in thinking we have our main subject, but off and on we go off the track into other disconnected subjects or processes. Such processes are called drifts or drifting from the main subject. There are two intensities of drifts; (A) Controllable and (B) Uncontrollable or unrecognized. A) Whenever we drift from the main subject, but in the midst of adrift realise that we nave drifted and so come back to the main subject.
B) Whenever we drift from the main subject, and are not aware that we have drifted and further drift into some other disconnected subject till we end on a subject so different that we are even unable to trace the main subject or the in between drifts. Both (A) and (B) can take place when an individual is thinking or rather is engaged in the process of thinking or even this can happen when a group of people are engaged in light conversation. In the scriptures is an interesting though a simple story illustrating this drift of the mind and the great difficulty of preventing a drift from becoming the main subject; the main subject quite forgotten or put aside.
One day sage Narada and Lord Krishna were passing over the holy Ganges river and were discussing about man on Earth. The sage said, "Lord, the only thing that I cannot understand is, how and why so easily does this poor creature man fall into the snares of illusion. If he can only keep his mind on one subject and not drift, i.e. have one subject -God the Divine being, there is no chance for him to go astray and take such ages to be enlightened. Lord Krishna said, "Yes, Narada, if they can see the stars or the sky or as you see, so clearly and if their minds were as steady as yours is, perhaps they may be able to avoid the snares of illusion. But let the poor man go his way, for as I see the holy Ganges below, I would like to have a cup of water from this cool and refreshing holy river. Can you oblige me?" The story goes on to say that sage Narada came down to the 'banks of the river Ganges with the purpose of fetching some water when he saw a young girl. Though beautiful, she could have no influence over the sage, but she started discussions on the subject of life, death, immortality and the Divine Being. Who could know more than the sage Narada and yet she spoke so convincingly that even Narada found it difficult to match her great wisdom. The sage was anxious to know who this young sage was. He spent a long time discussing with her and the cup with the Ganges water in hand; he completely lost sight of the fact that Lord Krishna was waiting for him and about his purpose in coming down below on the banks of the river Ganges. The young girl then once again took the form of Lord Krishna. Sage Narada bowed his head. Lord Krishna said, 'You see Narada, even after seeing and knowing the divine being, it is possible to forget the purpose, and mind however steady like yours, drifts from the contemplation of the main subject -then how much more difficult it should be for these mortals down below, who thought they know not well their purpose as you do, drift away and completely forget it."

The great sage Patanjali very rightly said that if a man can bring his mind again and again to the main subject, whatever the subject may be and keep the mind for a moment on the main subject then that could be called the beginning of concentration.
A human being is both, the computerised organism as well as Transcendence itself, being a fragment of Transcendence. Transcendence is the highest aspect of God and these two aspects must remain in communication, only then is one a whole human being. Normally, though one functions as the computerised organism only. There is no harm in functioning as one, but in that case the various. lesser computers that are installed to work in conjunction to create the splendid computerised organism should all be set right for they are not functioning properly. .The proof? Are you free from brooding and/or day dreaming? Are you free from emotions? are you free from impulse/response type of thinking and living? Are you free from inner dialogue between your various centers? Are you free from frequent and unwanted drifts? If you are free from these then your thinking instrument is educated.
The mechanisms of brooding and/or day dreaming are the video games of ; the human brain and have done enormous harm to whole of humanity. These games repeat whether we want them to or not, and create fear, doubt and anger. The drift very ably supports both mechanisms mechanism which depends on incoming impulses that enter haphazardly and at random, and so are drifts. These drifts serve as hooks and we are caught on it.
Yet, in accordance with the law of nature, individual structure will, like a magnet, draw in certain incoming impulses. If two persons are walking together along both will invite completely different series depends on individual interest', but it is d each of them, which has been formed and over past ages.

Should we not watch our mind., our heart, our eyes, our tongues, our hands and or feet from drifting? Can we top this drifting? Is there a method? Is any price too high to achieve this one success -the control of the tendency to drift.

1) Make a note of various drifts that are noticed when you walk down the street. If an honest and correct registration of the drifts is made . and analyzed, the structure and the spectrum of the person is gradually revealed. Do this over a period of few weeks.

2) For another practice take up any subject for study. While on it the mind (brain) will keep drifting, so put your mind to the feeling of the sensation of breath in the nostril. Keep to this exercise for five minutes daily over a period of a few weeks, and note where the mind (brain) drifts on each occasion. Note as many drifts as possible and group or classify them.

3) For some weeks, spend ten minutes daily on the following exercises. Let your mind (brain) roam freely and make no attempt to control it, allowing it to drift from one thing to another. Once again make a short list of the drifts observed in order of maximum repetitions.

If you study the lists made from time to time it will come to you as a revelation as to what are your aspirations, fears, and doubts, wl1ether you tend to be intellectual or emotional, whether sex center is very strong or suppressed, whether you are. superstitious or falsely religious, whether angry or hurt often, or secretly envious or jealous of someone, or afraid of someone or something, or some sort of unknown fear is dogging you. Do this and observe over a sufficient period of time. Do not be convinced in advance that you are suffering only from such and such drift and emotion -study yourself! Every time prepare a short list of the most recurring drifts in order of importance.

It will not surprise you to know that an average human being spends 75% of his waking and sleeping time in brooding and/or dreaming. Both awake and sleep states are therefore only dream states -so one is never awake really.

In order to correct the magnetic point created by each individual over the past ages we shall follow the corrective methods. As it is corrected, the incoming impulses that are drawn in will also change and day dreaming and/or brooding will lessen. As you will be less and less oppressed by these mechanism, the chemical reactions that were earlier generated will alter also and health will show definite signs of improvement. Our body is a chemical factory where reactions take place. Health, physical, emotional and psychic, is dependent on fear, doubt and anger.

4) Now for some weeks note the habit mechanism: how many times daily you express, or want to express, some particular type of thoughts or how many time is you mechanically do a thing you had not actually wanted to do. Again, the magnetic point sharpened by your false structure is behind this. Over a period of time make a short list in order of most frequent occurrences: based on this we shall introduce corrective methods.

By these methods we want to check what data is fed daily into our computerised organism which, however sophisticated, can only work by the useless data fed. It does not matter if it is religious or philosophical -if it keeps you in the past or in the future and oppresses you with fear, doubt and anger and brings about the hook, even for intellectuals, than we must feed in useful corrective data only. This is the practical work we have to do when deal with our computerised organism and our own brain.

Whenever you make a list do not refer to it or memories it. Just put it aside each time. After a month or two, or even more, pullout all the lists. Group together those that are similar and separate out those that are dissimilar. If you find that the group of similar lists is much larger, then only go for the appropriate corrective exercises. Consciously understand your memory properly. This will betray your magnetic point. Be careful in your observations. There is nothing to be ashamed of. All humanity is sick, not taking into consideration chronic or psychological cases. If only we can introduce this method in schools there will be no sad cases later in life that we encounter today. We can periodically repeat in teenage and early youth stages for fresh improper data accumulated and correct the same. Every grudge, hatred, fear (known and unknown) and antisocial behavior is the expression of causes deep down; inferiority complex, aggressiveness and other syndromes all point to many silent causes. Most of these are planted very early in the child's life. If we take up this healing on war footing throughout the world, then in one or two generations we shall get unmistakable signs of great improvement in human nature and health, physical, emotional and psychic.

Remember, we have to be free from all oppression of life and death and also from fear, doubt and anger. One has to intelligently set up inner communications between re- educated computerised organism and the inner Transcendence in each individual case. If this is not done, life's purpose is not fulfilled.