Wrestling The Intellect

On October 25th, 2022, during meditation, the intellect produced thoughts at the front of the subtle head. I was indifferent towards those thoughts, and continued to shift the attention back to naad, each time it strayed. After some time, the thought production ceased. Then I became aware of naad and a dark environment in the psyche. I experienced a sense of “understanding” though there were no thoughts. For the time being, the usual process of thinking to "understand" things became obsolete. I found satisfaction and contentment being in this thoughtless condition.  

There is a habit of my assigned intellect to offer corrective thoughts whenever unwanted and impure thoughts are voluntarily and involuntarily generated. This intellect supports an idea, and then it issues responses such as: “No! What are you doing?” “Don’t think that.” “That is inappropriate.” “This is the better way of perceiving it.” I have continuously supported this approach. Even considering the process as beneficial, since occasionally my intellect calms its calculations if it is satisfied with the proposed “corrections.”  

However, in my experience, there are many times where this process also further empowers the intellect to present even more calculations and scenarios to be addressed. Recently, I got the idea to reduce this corrective approach. My current attitude is that thoughts are thoughts, regardless of if it is appropriate or not. The Core-self is still victimized even when pleasantries are advertised.  

After the daily morning breath infusion and meditation, I try to cultivate a new habit by directing single focus on the completion of the prescribed duties, whether it be ancestral or social. Thoughts that surface are ignored and disregarded. The attention is pulled away and directed towards the action being performed for the prescribed duties. Whenever I have been successful, the results experienced were a peaceful mental condition, even whilst engaging duties.

Madhva once told me to focus on my duties and less on the thinking of specific circumstances. Or else my energy would be drained. This instruction came after I lamented about some negative features of family life and their impact on the intellect. I think I am now consolidating some instructions I received from him orally and through his books in the past. 

It is difficult to maintain this approach daily. The intellect is easily reverted to its conditioned activities at any second or minute of the day. But with acceptance of this reality. My goal is to restrain my intellect overtime. A task which may take this and future lives. However, my current belief is that this approach may serve as a conduit to that goal.  

A few days later whilst reading, I came across a Bhagavad Gita verse. I believe my approach of remaining indifferent towards thoughts is consistent with the verse. Eventhough, my applied approach may be in the infancy stage. Please see the verse below:  

Excerpt from Michael Beloved’s Bhagavad Gita Translation  

Sribhagavän - the Blessed Lord; uvaca said; asamsayam  

undoubtedly; mahabaho - O powerful man; mano = manah  

the mind; durnigraham - difficult to control; calam - unsteady; abhyasena - by practice; tu - however; kaunteya - O son of Kunti;, vairagyena by the indifference to response; ca and;  

grhyate it is restrained  

The Blessed Lord said: Undoubtedly, O powerful man, the mind is difficult to control. It is unsteady. By practice, however, O son of Kunti, by indifference to its responses, also, it is restrained (Bhagavad Gitā 6.35)