Swami Sunirmalananda
Noise pollution is the monster of modern times. Many of us are unaware of the harm this monster does. The never-ending saga of noises throughout the day puts a lot of stress on us.
Scientists say that even a small change of sound intensity, from a 10-decibel intensity to one of 20 decibels, means a hundredfold increase. An annoying 80-decibel intensity is very common in cities. And if it exceeds the level of 90 decibels, we could become deaf.
Most of us living in cities are partially deaf to delicate sounds; we don't know about finer sounds at all - so the love for atrocious music. The result is that due to sound pollution we become exhausted, irritable and full of anger - even mad.
Our normal routine work shouldn't cause exhaustion at all, because to work is our nature. But the present-day noisy world simply drains our energy away.
The brain and the mind need rest, but our rest itself is noisy - viewing violent programmes on the television amidst noisy surroundings. Cities like Kolkata are like a raucous 'hell' where junk-worthy vehicles, loudspeakers and old-fashioned factories whistle for two full minutes, every half hour - at night as well.
Yet another problem is internal noise. We have a hundred thoughts every minute, making us restless. Both external and internal noise make the mind restive, frantic, anxious and exhausted. We age before we should. Why does all this happen?
Motion needs energy. Thought too is motion. Thought-waves rise one after another in extremely rapid succession, and this needs energy. Too many thoughts mean energy loss, and so we become fatigued.
The practice of concentration is the only way out of this jinx. The mind is everything: as are our thoughts, so are our actions, health, happiness and body. A weak mind is a restless mind and a controlled mind is a strong mind.
Weak minds sin, strong ones - never. A madman has the weakest mind: he has absolutely no control over his thoughts and actions. A saint, however, has absolute control over both. So mind control is imperative.
The secret of our mind is, the moment it is observed keenly, it begins to calm down. A better way is to concentrate on some object - external or internal. A flower, a tree, or an image in the external world; our heart or some particular thought, in the internal world - these could be the objects of meditation.
By practicing concentration every day without fail, we can gradually control the mind, and yogis say that samadhi is, when there is only one thought for some time. Initial failures shouldn't dishearten us. Practice leads to success.
When our mind is under control, it becomes our slave. Negative and harmful thoughts become weak. Wrong impulses become faint. We become morally perfect because we work consciously and not impulsively.
Work done by a concentrated mind is selfless, the best, and the most productive one, and to attain this state is to open the floodgates of everlasting peace and bliss.
Although the law should reduce this horrendous pollution affecting our society, silence and peace blossoming out of this chaos may not be possible in the near future. The reason is, that although non-polluting factories and vehicles can be built and air, land and water pollution can be effectively controlled, the will to do that is lacking. People in power do not enforce laws for economic reasons.
The way out for us, if we wish to live in peace, is to control inner noise. The moment the inner noise is controlled, we are not affected by any external noise. External noise is the suggestion, inner noise is the reaction. It's the same logic that operates in the physical world. There are millions of bacteria everywhere.
The strong are not affected, while the weak suffer. So when we are mentally strong, with our thoughts regulated and controlled, no external sound can affect us adversely. That is the way for us to lead happy lives in this miserable world.
Mind, therefore, is what controls the body and its functions. A well-controlled mind provides a healthy body and so no pollution - air or water - can affect it. If the mind is in order, the body too is in order. Right, controlled thinking brings right conduct and, therefore, right living.
Right living is true living. True living means remaining unperturbed and calm always, and an unruffled mind produces the maximum work. Such minds cannot harm anyone, due to moral perfection. There's a perfect balance between them and nature.
Society is safe under such true individuals. Concentration, therefore, is not something 'religious'; it's a science. It's the secret of successful and peaceful living.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
Courtesy: Hindu
Swami Sunirmalananda
Noise pollution is the monster of modern times. Many of us are unaware of the harm this monster does. The never-ending saga of noises throughout the day puts a lot of stress on us.
Scientists say that even a small change of sound intensity, from a 10-decibel intensity to one of 20 decibels, means a hundredfold increase. An annoying 80-decibel intensity is very common in cities. And if it exceeds the level of 90 decibels, we could become deaf.
Most of us living in cities are partially deaf to delicate sounds; we don't know about finer sounds at all - so the love for atrocious music. The result is that due to sound pollution we become exhausted, irritable and full of anger - even mad.
Our normal routine work shouldn't cause exhaustion at all, because to work is our nature. But the present-day noisy world simply drains our energy away.
The brain and the mind need rest, but our rest itself is noisy - viewing violent programmes on the television amidst noisy surroundings. Cities like Kolkata are like a raucous 'hell' where junk-worthy vehicles, loudspeakers and old-fashioned factories whistle for two full minutes, every half hour - at night as well.
Yet another problem is internal noise. We have a hundred thoughts every minute, making us restless. Both external and internal noise make the mind restive, frantic, anxious and exhausted. We age before we should. Why does all this happen?
Motion needs energy. Thought too is motion. Thought-waves rise one after another in extremely rapid succession, and this needs energy. Too many thoughts mean energy loss, and so we become fatigued.
The practice of concentration is the only way out of this jinx. The mind is everything: as are our thoughts, so are our actions, health, happiness and body. A weak mind is a restless mind and a controlled mind is a strong mind.
Weak minds sin, strong ones - never. A madman has the weakest mind: he has absolutely no control over his thoughts and actions. A saint, however, has absolute control over both. So mind control is imperative.
The secret of our mind is, the moment it is observed keenly, it begins to calm down. A better way is to concentrate on some object - external or internal. A flower, a tree, or an image in the external world; our heart or some particular thought, in the internal world - these could be the objects of meditation.
By practicing concentration every day without fail, we can gradually control the mind, and yogis say that samadhi is, when there is only one thought for some time. Initial failures shouldn't dishearten us. Practice leads to success.
When our mind is under control, it becomes our slave. Negative and harmful thoughts become weak. Wrong impulses become faint. We become morally perfect because we work consciously and not impulsively.
Work done by a concentrated mind is selfless, the best, and the most productive one, and to attain this state is to open the floodgates of everlasting peace and bliss.
Although the law should reduce this horrendous pollution affecting our society, silence and peace blossoming out of this chaos may not be possible in the near future. The reason is, that although non-polluting factories and vehicles can be built and air, land and water pollution can be effectively controlled, the will to do that is lacking. People in power do not enforce laws for economic reasons.
The way out for us, if we wish to live in peace, is to control inner noise. The moment the inner noise is controlled, we are not affected by any external noise. External noise is the suggestion, inner noise is the reaction. It's the same logic that operates in the physical world. There are millions of bacteria everywhere.
The strong are not affected, while the weak suffer. So when we are mentally strong, with our thoughts regulated and controlled, no external sound can affect us adversely. That is the way for us to lead happy lives in this miserable world.
Mind, therefore, is what controls the body and its functions. A well-controlled mind provides a healthy body and so no pollution - air or water - can affect it. If the mind is in order, the body too is in order. Right, controlled thinking brings right conduct and, therefore, right living.
Right living is true living. True living means remaining unperturbed and calm always, and an unruffled mind produces the maximum work. Such minds cannot harm anyone, due to moral perfection. There's a perfect balance between them and nature.
Society is safe under such true individuals. Concentration, therefore, is not something 'religious'; it's a science. It's the secret of successful and peaceful living.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
Courtesy: Hindu