Book #2 in 2022
Having read Swami Rama's Living with the Himalayan masters last year, I picked up this book with the belief that his writing would resonate with me again. It was a quick and easy to read book that summarizes the importance of our mind and its role in our happiness.
As always, spiritual and philosophical books arrive at the right time to answer our questions. The very first paragraph answered one of the questions running in my mind - "The key to happiness lies in bridging the two worlds - the world within and the world outside".
In today's times, it is so important to remember this phrase - "The body may influence the behaviors of our mind, but it is the mind that controls the body". In this context, the author explains the role of Yoga and how it creates a harmonious balance between our body and mind. I loved the way he beautifully connected the linkages:
Happy/Joyful Mind <--- Quiet Mind <--- Inner Purity <--- Removal of impurities (anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, attachment, ego, insatiable desire) <--- Yogic techniques
He then briefly explains the eight limbs of Raja Yoga and moves onto the role of meditation in cultivating a quiet mind. It is ironic that I read about the Brain last weekend and picked up a book on the Mind this weekend :-)
This analogy gave me an aha moment - "The brain is like a computer's hardware. Its performance depends on the software. The mind is the programmer".
He goes onto explain the mystery of the mind - the power of our unconscious mind, our perceptions and actions without awareness. There were multiple insights that I have highlighted throughout the book, which need a deeper reflection:
"It is after knowing who you are that you will understand what you want to become"."Expectation is a deadly disease that kills love.""Expectation is the mother of all frustrations and disappointments""Safeguard your mind, for once it is safe, the whole world will be safe""Fear caused by insecurity drains vitality from your body"
This book is a proof that powerful messages can be conveyed in 115 pages - through simple words and impactful stories.