Every action we take starts with a thought in our minds. Suffering and happiness both come from these thoughts. We often point a finger at others for how we feel. But really, it’s our thoughts inside us, not what’s outside, that shape our feelings. So, should we eliminate our thoughts since they influence our feelings and actions? The answer is no. We need thoughts to be normal human beings.
There are three ways we exist: happiness, something we all want; sadness, something we all dislike; and the hidden gem, “peace”, often misunderstood. The mind and its thoughts are at the root of many problems. Suffering is not pain or agony of some kind; I call it being unconscious.
The one who is happy is actually suffering; a very happy person is a very unconscious person. It’s the same as feeling sad but in a more pleasant way. Our thoughts shape our feelings. Both happiness and sorrow have the same origin, and it is in our thoughts. As long as there are thoughts influencing our emotions, there is suffering. Imagine a seesaw that keeps shifting between two weights. Picture these weights as our thoughts affecting our feelings. One side of the seesaw is happiness, and the other is sadness. We are on this seesaw too — our body, how we feel, and how we see the world, all depend on it.
If our thoughts lean towards worry, anger, guilt, and negativity, the seesaw tips that way. But the opposite is true too. Positive thoughts make it lean the other way, towards happiness. If you could balance the seesaw to be at a perfect stillness where both sides of it are at the centre perfectly aligned, not one side above the other, that is the state we call peace.
It is due to the fact that the mind itself is incapable of achieving peace on its own. In reality, the mind does not want to achieve peace. Peace means having no thoughts, whether happy or sad. The mind craves thinking — thoughts define its existence. Yet, peace isn’t thoughtless; it’s a shift in how we relate to thoughts. It’s finding stillness amid the mind’s movement, realising we are more than our thoughts. The ultimate goal of enlightenment is to be at peace with one’s thoughts.
The mind is capable of creating some of the most beautiful and frightening illusions in the form of thoughts (none of which is happening at this moment). But the goal is to be in harmony with them, not let them take control of our emotions. Imagine it this way: our minds cannot differentiate between reality and thoughts. The brain and body react exactly the same way if we imagine the worst situation or are actually in the worst situation.
The problem is when we let the mind imagine and are left as a mere hostage that has been forced to watch and believe the content of our own imagination. The worst part is that we do not even realise it, unaware of the fact that it is just an illusion that is caused by our own minds, and it becomes the cause of suffering.
Our mind is like a whole separate self that is meant to have a conversation with us. We can’t get rid of the mind because it is the result of years of evolution. And our mind is indeed our greatest tool, which sometimes works against us. What we can do is make use of our mind rather than letting it use us. We are supposed to make sound decisions by being equally aware of what our mind and what it suggests.
I am using “suggest” because the mind generates creative solutions. We, in turn, decide rationally from these suggestions — not believing them as absolute truth, but as options to choose from and act upon. The problem with the world is ignorance of the presence of the mind and how to use it effectively. If we sit in a room alone with no task in hand, our minds will still be working and thinking about something or other. No tool can be used all the time; it decreases its function and quality. In the same way, our mind is our greatest tool; there is no need for the mind to work all the time.
The main question arises about how to let the mind rest and use it when it’s really needed. The answer to it is very simple. Be an observer. When we walk, simply walk; don’t think about anything, just the steps, and feel the ground beneath our feet as we move. It is called being in the present moment, and in the present moment, the mind doesn’t exist.
When we get rid of the harsh covering of thoughts and mind-made illusions, we can experience the true treasure that is present at this moment. The mind becomes so much lighter. The body feels so much lighter. The eyes relax but still feel alert.
There is a constant, soft smile radiating from the lips. There is no fear of death. No shame. No happiness. No sorrow. Just an undercurrent of peace, as if the body and mind are one with the surroundings, so perfectly blended that we become one with the universe.
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