Everyone is solely responsible for their misery. My misery is my own creation as much as yours is your own. This realisation liberates us from the anguish we feel when we consider others responsible for all the ills that we face. At the centre of the misery is the mistaken notion that somebody else is responsible for our misfortunes.
Getting rid of this misconception involves deep understanding. We are accustomed to living in a state of unconsciousness. It is the attribution of our misery to others by our unconscious selves that creates real misery. It is also the unconsciousness that devises false escape routes from misery.
Resorting to drugs and alcohol is an example of such escape routes. Instead, choosing meditation means you have decided to drop misery. For example, in deep sleep all of us are happy as the kingdom of heaven lies within.
Most of us are moody in our own terms. If there are good traits in a person, he she gets good moods. Our moods are a result of certain thoughts we entertain. We are conscious of certain thoughts and we are unconscious of certain thoughts. It is the movement of thoughts that creates moods apart from chemical changes.
Many of the chemical changes in our body are a result of conscious and unconscious thoughts. In order to manage moods, keep a diary and write down every negative mood that you experience. Next to it, write down what you think is the cause. Invariably, you feel the cause is the other. When the cause is the other, then others have control over your life. Then you become puppets in the hand of others. Others hold the remote control of your life.
Next to it, write the real reason for why you are upset. Take it to the other level and you will find you are the cause. Some of your expectations which were not fulfilled could be the real factor. Just be aware of the reality. Such awareness will have the intelligence to change your mood.
Many of our moods operate in circles. On a certain day there could be a pattern of anger; and on another day there could be a pattern of jealousy. If we identify with this pattern, it takes over us. Whenever we are negative there is a negative system that is created around us.
Then the negative system takes over us. Whenever we are moody, there is a negative system which is created. This negative system operates in certain patterns and we are a victim to this cycle. How to break this cycle of moods taking over through its patterns?
The power of will is very important and can be developed by techniques. The power of will is the power of decision. You have to move yourself with the power of decision coming from “I can”.
The best technique is the scramble technique and the superimposition technique. Then adopt the scramble technique, like how you scramble an egg. Similarly, when an angry emotion comes, scramble it, shuffle it and mix it with a laughing mood. In other words, bring a happy thought and mix it with your angry thought. Then you confuse the emotion. This works wonderfully.
Next is the superimposition technique. When you are unhappy, those unhappy memories should be superimposed by happy memories. If you are sad that you are missing your beloved as she has gone away for a holiday, think of the happy times you have had. Bring it to the forefront and instantly your mood would change.
Join Swami Sukhabodhananda Ji’s 3-day residential retreat; Existential Laboratory (E-Lab) along with the Mahabaleshwar Yatra on February 6,7 and 8 in 2025. Contacts: 99017 77003/ 91 91080 70452
Many of our moods operate in circles. On a certain day there could be a pattern of anger; and on another day there could be a pattern of jealousy