The mind is everything; what we think, we become

CHENNAI: The mind not only absorbs information, it also transforms it into knowledge and translates it into action. An open mind is like a sponge that absorbs water effortlessly, retains it and can be squeezed dry whenever we wish. When we have an open mind, we readily absorb fresh information. We then integrate it creatively with what we already know and put it into action. If we want to make maximum use of our capacity for absorption, the mind must be as soft and flexible as a sponge. Then information and inspiration are blended harmoniously together in our lives. If the mind is closed, it becomes as hard as a rock. Just as a rock is impervious to water, information that falls on a hard mind bounces off without leaving any trace behind. All of us have experienced this at times. What makes our minds hard or closed? Existing information in the mind offers a strong resistance and prevents the flow of new information into it. That is why, many times when we encounter an idea or a situation that is not in line with our present mode of thinking, we immediately close our minds to it by putting up a block called a mindset. This is nothing but a defence mechanism of our ego which creates these mindsets to define its  identity. Our mindsets also map out our physical, mental and emotional comfort zones. For instance — we are used to a certain kind of pillow, we like our tea and coffee in a specific mug, we follow our own route when we drive to work, we love interacting with some people and not with others, we are used to doing each task in a particular way, we have our own beliefs or value systems. Our habits, likes, dislikes, phobias, superstitions, cravings and addictions are also mindsets. As long as we are operating within the framework of our comfort zone where our mindsets are not challenged, we feel confident and secure. As soon as some situation or person in the outer world punctures our mindsets, we feel insecure and become defensive and argumentative. Arguments nurture the ego and destroy our mental peace. They wreck the harmony and cordiality in our relationships. That is why we have the well known saying — ‘Win an argument and lose a friend’. There is an exchange of negative energy and karma between us and the person with whom we are arguing. So every time we argue, all the peaceful, divine energy we have generated through meditation is drained away, and negative energy takes its place. Though we may meditate every day, until we give up the habit of arguing we will never make progress. We always think that it is essential to argue if we want to convince others. We feel that if we do not argue and defend our viewpoint, we will never be able to establish our identity and people will take us for granted and walk all over us. However, the truth is that the more we argue or try to convince others, the more rigid and rock hard our mind becomes.