Often, conventional and commonplace ways of thinking lead only to climbing the ladder without bringing about meaningful transformation. A person leading a humdrum existence is invariably complacent and satisfied with a prosaic lifestyle. Those with curious minds and unconventional or atypical thinking patterns, however, strive to reshape their personalities from within. They possess the assiduity to carve a niche for themselves and become role models.
Certainly, such a journey is not restricted to youngsters. Even the elderly, who have been burdened by life’s responsibilities or have carried their crosses throughout their lives, can venture into the realm of re-engineering their personalities.
The Tale of an Old Man
Aeons ago, there lived an elderly gentleman. In the winter of his life, he decided to embark on a spiritual journey to re-engineer his personality. His immediate family was concerned about his well-being and, at the same time, perturbed by what they considered an unusual desire.
The elderly gentleman embarked on his spiritual sojourn and enrolled in a monastery. Upon completing his tutelage, armed with various nuances of Zen teachings, he returned to his small town. Once an emaciated and enervated individual, he had transformed his mind and was now suffused with joy.
As he stepped out of the portals of the temple of knowledge, he accidentally slipped into a rivulet.
“Oh, the old monk has fallen into the river!” chortled some young students. However, the elderly gentleman emerged from the surging stream.
He went on to declare dramatically that the re-engineering processes and techniques he had acquired had enabled him to accommodate water within himself, rather than the other way around.
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves,” said Gautama Buddha.
Thus, our minds and the thoughts that constantly occupy them are the deciding factors in determining an individual’s performance in life.
Thought processes, thinking patterns, the building blocks of thought, organised thinking and goal orientation are five key elements in re-engineering the mind to transform and reshape our lives.
It is essential to appreciate that thinking forms the basis of all cognitive activities and processes and is unique to every individual. Human beings are endowed by the universe with the ability to reshape and transform their lives and become constructive contributors to nature and society.
An ingenious individual seeking to re-engineer life and change existing patterns begins by identifying the problem. Such a process helps delineate the problem within the mind. Being mindful and discerning, the individual then identifies possible solutions and outlines a set of sub-goals.
Once an inventory of plausible solutions has been prepared, each is evaluated.
The quick-witted individual then selects the most appropriate solution and executes it with precision. The human mind is now brimming with ideas, and it is time to evaluate the outcome, rethink and redefine the problems, and arrive at new solutions. This is a cyclical process that is progressively perfected by a discerning individual.
During the time of Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha, an animated group of people were engaged in a heated argument about divinity and various religions. Despite their efforts, none could arrive at a satisfactory answer.
In sheer exasperation, they approached Lord Buddha. The Compassionate and Enlightened One smiled and reflected for a while. He then asked his disciples to arrange for an elephant and four blindfolded individuals.
And so it happened that the first blindfolded person felt the elephant’s leg and exclaimed that God appeared like a pillar. The second person touched the elephant’s belly and opined that the Almighty God was like a wall. The third gentleman touched the elephant’s ear and observed that God was like a piece of cloth. The fourth man felt the tail and described God as resembling a rope.
Once again, the group of four became engaged in a heated debate about the form of the Almighty God.
After the exercise was completed, Buddha addressed the assembled disciples and citizens. The four blindfolded individuals had felt the same elephant but offered different answers. He asked them what, then, could be considered the correct answer.
The episode demonstrated that no single individual or thought process is complete in itself. One should always be prepared to accept that one’s understanding may be correct only in part and that other streams of thought could be complementary.
Pearls of Wisdom
The human mind views the vastness of the universe from its own limited perspective, shaped by restricted thinking and understanding. The four blindfolded individuals, along with those who had sight, came to appreciate the point made by Lord Buddha: people carry the baggage of past impressions and limited thinking, which often leads them to argue about the form of the Almighty God when they are unable to comprehend or even envisage the complete form of an elephant.
However, a trained mind that looks within gains insight, becomes alert and mindful, and sincerely undertakes the process of re-engineering itself. It takes the necessary baby steps towards transforming life and making it pregnant with possibilities.
Techniques for Training the Mind
Those inclined towards spirituality can re-engineer their lives by undertaking the range of courses offered by the Art of Living or pursuing Vipassana. They can also seek to transform their minds through the practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation.
Others with a logical bent of mind may choose a different path. They can develop a passion, take up a sport, read inspirational literature and explore other constructive pursuits.
However, it is fundamental to re-engineer the mind and thought processes at regular intervals to live life with enthusiasm and purpose.
About the Author
Ravi Valluri is Advisor to Krishnapatnam Railway Company Limited. He has authored both fiction and non-fiction works and is a faculty member of the Art of Living. His latest work is Glimpses of Grace.
He can be reached at valluri.ravi@gmail.com or via WhatsApp at 9618564024.