Mind Pollution - Swami Nikhilananda

The mind is an expression of the Self. It is like a ripple in the pond. The ripple is not different from the water but it appears different, depending on the way we look at it. Similarly, the mind is not different from our own Self but at present we experience the difference because of the variety of thoughts that come to our mind…creating a sense of division between me and God or the Self. It is this thought of difference that pollutes the mind. This sense of division creates a sense of incompleteness with a consequent rise of desires. In an endeavor to become complete, we pursue various different paths…we try to fulfill our desires.

The mind is polluted from outside. So logically the first step in removing pollution is to be careful of the input. Someone asked my teacher, Swami Chinmayananda for some technique to clean the Ganga. Very simply he said that if we stop polluting the river it will become clean. Nature has its own methods of cleaning the rivers. To remove any pollution we have to go back to its source. You have all seen birds fearlessly perching on the back of a cow or other animals, but have you seen birds sitting on human beings? No, because they can sense the violence in our hearts. This violence is the polluting factor in our minds. Some scientists performed an experiment on some monkeys, who they separated into two sets. They worked with one set and changed their habits and to their amazement found that the same changes of lifestyle became apparent in the second set of monkeys as well.

This is a kind of ripple effect because through consciousness all of us are connected…what affects one section of the species will also affect the others. The Scriptures say that if I change, it will produce a ripple effect that will help change my family, the society and the world around me. In the Gita, Bhagavan Krishna says that even the worst person can be transformed overnight by changing his/her decision. The minute you decide to become good…you decide to attain God, you are transformed. With the strength of this transformation, you can transform the world

© “The World Wisdom Review” (October 2006) published by Full Circle Publishing, J-40, Jorbagh Lane, New Delhi 110 003. Website: www.atfullcircle.com

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