Spirit over mind and matter

Spirit over mind and matter

By Suma Varughese

September 2014

The mind and the body are finally becoming subservient to the spirit, says Suma Varughese.

The journey to become who we really are can only conclude when we dissolve the person we think we are. In other words, the mind-made construct of thoughts, feelings and reactions which is known as the ego.

The difficulty is that this construct seems so solid, so us. When thoughts, feelings, or strong reactions invade our inner space – it seems almost impossible to believe that these entities are not us, and that who we are is something apart from them.

And yet the more we energize our conviction that we are not these, the less their impact on us. This has been my practice for more years than I can remember, and finally it is bearing fruit. These days most of the time, I can free myself of my feelings and thoughts, when I remind myself that they are not me. And that who I really am is wholeness, perfection and completion.

When angry and upset, the reminder dissipates these feelings. When stuck in traffic on a rainy day in Mumbai, the reminder frees me of my impatience and frustration, and restores me to the moment. When envy and jealousy grip me, the thought that they are not me loosen their hold. When random thoughts invade the mind, the reminder frees me of their presence, if only momentarily.

When this happens I find myself breathing deeply and settling into a space of peace and stillness. One of the beautiful side-effects of this phenomenon is that it also helps me dissolve physical issues. I am often subject to cramps in the legs, but when I remind myself that these cramps are not really who I am, they recede and disappear. When I get a cold or chest congestion, this conviction helps me eliminate the phlegm. They free me of any fear or anxiety I may feel about a bad stomach. In short, this practice helps dissolve most bodily discomforts, at least the minor ones, and reminds me that ultimately it is the spirit that is far more powerful than either the mind or the body.

Once we learn to dissolve our thoughts and feelings, their karmic imprint too disappears.

When spirit reigns supreme in your world, you are finally aligned to your deepest calling, the dreams that your Higher Self has dreamt for you. No longer are you constricted by what the mind wants, or what the body feels. You have the power to dissolve them, and to bend both mind and body to serve  its commands.

No wonder the spiritual greats were and are capable of such powerful feats. Once the mind and body are tamed, bridled and obedient to the dictates of the spirit, anything is possible. No wonder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar makes himself available to people almost round the clock, snatching just a couple of hours every night for sleep. No wonder Amma can go on hugathons lasting for over 24 hours without the slightest exhaustion.

Furthermore, once we learn to dissolve our thoughts and feelings, their karmic imprint too disappears. Thoughts and feelings come and naturally dissolve in the reservoir of spirit, and we return to our peace, calm and joy. Because they disappear they do not incite action. Therefore all action is conscious, and free of karma.  In this way gradually we stop adding to our karmic account and as the prarabhdha karma (the karma we have taken birth to expiate) dwindles, we free ourselves of the hold of karma.

So finally we enter into the domain of freedom, of joy, love and abiding peace.

Bio: Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, seeker, latent crusader and Editor-in-Chief of Life Positive. Write to her at suma@lifepositive.net