Free movement of energy between Nature, Body, and Mind. Why this matters.
In the body, there is constant movement and interchange of energy from one form to another. By trapping energy from air, food, and water, the body takes shape, grows, and pulses with life. The mind has its unique energy field, which everyone experience as changing thoughts and experiences. The cells which are the building blocks of the body and thoughts which are the building blocks of the mind play a key role in generating, storing and distributing energy, through which everything is accomplished in life.
The link between the mind and the body
The mind and the body are linked through three distinct aspects of the body-mind complex. They include physical, physiological, and psychological realms. These may be compared to the three states of matter - solid, liquid, and gaseous states. The bony skeleton supporting the fleshy structures represents the solid state, the life energy in the form of the ever-flowing bloodstream represents the liquid state, and finally, the mind is representative of the gaseous state of matter.
Just as cells are indispensable to the physical and physiological aspects of life, thoughts are the essential components of the subjective experience. We cannot say which aspect, physical, physiological, or the psychological aspects of our being is more important. Taken as a whole, all three are essential. As individuals, we transact with the world as a collective of these three. In Nature, there is a silent harmony between land, water, and air, which promotes growth and sustenance of life. Similarly, when there is a balance between the physical, physiological, and psychological layers of our being, it supports a new growth, that of awareness.
Growth of the body is slow and takes time. Awareness can grow instantaneously in any given moment, and this growth is maintained as long as there remains a seamless integration of the physical, physiological, and psychological aspects of our being. When there is awareness, there is no division. Energy becomes a free-flowing river.
The body is like an industrial enterprise
Managing the energy needs of the trillions of cells of the body is a considerable enterprise. The cells of the body have given up most of their mysteries to the microscope. When examined through such an instrument, each cell resembles a busy industrial complex. In every cell, there is a power plant in the form of specialized structures called mitochondria. Besides, there are areas for the production, storage, and breakdown of proteins required for the maintenance of life in the cells. Each cell is fenced off, and anything imported into or exported out of the cells needs to go through checkpoints in the walls of the cells. This cellular security helps maintain the purity and integrity of each cell in the body.
The body has self-sustaining mechanisms which play a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of the physical and physiological layers of our being. The body has been studied in depth, and scientists have exposed many of its closely guarded secrets. Human-made instruments, however, cannot probe beneath the outer physical and physiological layers of our being. There is very little understanding of the extent and significance of what lies deep within the interiority of each human person.
The subjective mind can be the object of exploration
The mind is not a dead-end. Depending on how we approach the mind, it can be an impenetrable wall, a window, a door, or an ample open space that does not have any limitations. When the mind becomes the subject, it is the personal reference from which we interact with the world. The world is always objective. However, within an individual, the personal space of the mind can become the object of exploration when awareness works from a deeper place from where the happenings in the mind are observed. This ability to witness the mind is there is everyone, and this witnessing energy is inexhaustible and never disappears. It goes hand in hand with awareness.
Time and energy - Two critical elements of life
Getting the most out of life requires optimal management of two key elements, one is time, and the other is energy. From the standpoint of the body, both time and energy are finite quantities. But in the perspective of existence, they are infinite. The mind stands somewhere in between the limited body and endless existence. The mind is very loosely bound to time. Hence the difficulty in staying with the present as far as the mind is concerned. It can travel far back in time to the past, or forwards towards the future. When the mind can be made to remain steady and dependable, it becomes a precious resource. A stable mind is a bridge between the outer and inner aspects of existence — the strength and longevity of this bridge influence what we achieve in life.
Thoughts are energy forms
At the physical and psychological levels, energy transfer between cells occurs within the confines of the body. At the subconscious level, there is no skin barrier which hinders the movement of energy. Thoughts of one person can influence many, either negatively or positively. Ideas are our single most valuable export. In this respect, everyone has the necessary infrastructure, the mind, and the body. However, most people are net importers of experiences which take up valuable space within thoughts. Our consumption mentality overrides the creative potential of the mind.
Good and bad investment of time
In every transaction, there is a giver and a taker. The transacting arm of the mind is no different. When it enjoys importing experiences of the world, we give up time. Time is finite and ever diminishing. Every moment that the mind indulges in experiences of the world, that moment is deducted from the total lifespan of the individual. Experiences may be nourishing, enriching, and educative resulting in inner transformation. In these instances, it may be worth the investment of time. However, craving experiences to keep the busy mind’s wheels rolling, staving off boredom, or for an automated habit that needs servicing, is a poor investment of time.
The mind is a transformer
The focal point from which the mind transacts is the ego. Higher the ego, weaker is the investment (in the form of time) that the mind is likely to make on our behalf. Growing something imaginary like the ego amounts to throwing away the valuable resource of time. Greater the awareness, the more cautious the mind becomes. Awareness is an ever-present overseer of the mind, in the presence of which the mind cannot fritter away time easily.
Lack of awareness allows the constant intake of experiences that serve no more than just entertainment value. The wealth that matters in the world these days is peace and happiness. These don’t come from the world but the inside. The mind functions as a transformer, turning the energy of awareness into many forms.
The energy of peace and happiness are a form of awareness. Another type is love and compassion. Contentment and satisfaction matter more at the individual level. Once these are established, love, and compassion, which matter more at the level of humanity, can easily manifest. The highest form of human expression is completing the energy circuit of drawing in energy from Nature for the body, transforming mental energy into peace and happiness, and giving it back to the world as love and compassion.
