This is not a discussion on conserving energy resources given by Nature like oil and gas. This is a discussion on conserving the energy we human beings possess at the individual level so that we can make the optimumuse of the resources that are given to us: the body and the mind. It is too common to miss the obvious and concentrate on things that sound glorious, all the while ignoring that which is nearer to us and that which can be accomplished easily. It is a fad today to speak of conserving energy, of mapping non-conventional energy sources, and of decreasing our use of non-renewable energy sources. In the momentum and intensity of such discussions, most of which do not find practical solutions, we forget that each one of us has been blessed with tremendous sources of energy in the mechanisms of our body and mind. We need to focus on how to harness these sources that we possess to excel in our endeavours.
Our body is a
storehouse of energy but unfortunately, we not only do not know how to use it,
but often times we waste its energy without bringing any good. Most people use
their limbs for purposeless actions. Abusing physical energy is so common that
some people think it is the natural course to take. It is really ironical that
most of the times people put their bodies to severe stress and misuse its
energy in the name of recreation or leisure. In the pretext of resting their
bodies, most people just torture it. The
ancient sages of India were very particular about the energy of the human
body and acknowledged even the minutest expenditure of energy like that which is expended while we blink our eyes. The first
step in preserving our energy is to preserve our physical energy, the energy
that is produced by and contained in the body. It is surprising how much
physical energy can besaved by just doing a rapid mental calculation about the
work and motion involved in any action.Yoga begins with the taming of the
physical body. Only a body tethered in silence and moving only on purpose is
fit for yoga. Needless swaying of heads and moving of limbs creates a strong
disturbance that percolates to the deeper recesses of the mind.
Just like a camera consumes energy even if it is just switched on, similarly our sense organs consume energy even if they just stay put on a particular object. The best way to conserve the energy of the sense organs is to restrain from taking in any sensory input that one does not need. Then, the eyes would see only what has to be seen, the ears would hear only what has to be heard, the tongue would taste only what is to be tasted, the skin would touch only what has to be touched, and the nose would smell only what has to be smelled. Trained in such a fashion, not only would the distraction caused by the senses be reduced to a bare minimum, the sensory experience of such trained senses would be accentuated and superfine with a remarkable intensity.
We constantly blame
the mind for distractions and for losing focus. Our complaint is that the mind
is wandering all the time. Imagine a person who is served several plates of
mouth-watering dishes at the same time, all dishes exuding mind-blowing scents,
and served with royal dressings. How can that person concentrate on only one
dish then? Such is the predicament of our mind. It is constantly being
simultaneously fed several sensory inputs. When the eyes see, all the other four
senses do not shut down and so is the case with the other sense-organs. Much
like a person,who is aware of the usage of electricity,would switch off the
electrical appliances that are not needed; we should switch off our sense-organs that we are not using at that moment. That would lead to an enormous energy surplus in our body.
In preserving the
physical energy the importance of sleep
cannot be over emphasised. Numerous present-day ailments can be cured by a regular
and full dose of sleep. Conservation of individual energy has to be done at the
level of breathing also. Long and sustained breathing cycles help the body to be calm and have better reflexes. It is not for nothing that all traditions of martial arts give tremendous importance to the control of breath. This also shows the importanceof living in pure and unpolluted environments.To produce a good breathing cycle, we need to also eat nutritious and wholesome food. It is quite common to have one’s body spend lot of energy on digesting unwanted or improper food that was supposed to give energy in the first place!
Human beings possess an exceptional intellectual capacity. Most of it is squandered in unnecessary ruminations on things that are of no use either at the individual or the collective level. To focus our
thinking and analysis is an art that has to be perfected in order to get
the most of our brains. Precision of thought and a daring to do intellectually
daunting tasks preserves and also invigorates our intellectual energy. A
thorough grounding in logic helps one to eventually transcend all linear
thought. A trained intellect can ably rein the mind.
In the pursuit of
the preservation of individual energy the biggest challenge is preserving the energy
of the mind, mental energy. Thoughts consume
the mind. To preserve the mental energy and also to preserve the mind itself,
one needs to constantly question the need for a particular thought to arise in
the mind. Brooding on the past and worrying about the future are the most
common leaks of the mental energy. When our mind is drained of its energy, it
goes into ill-health commonly known as psychological
ailments that could range from a minor bout of depression to an acute incidence
of schizophrenia. Day dreaming and
fantasising also rapidly consume the mental energy. To train the mind from
abstaining from activities that needlessly consume its energy, one should root
it on a theme of focus that the mind would hold on to when it does not have any
purposeful activity to do. Too many
attachments clutter the mind. A minimalist lifestyle and a detached
attitude help the mind to focus its energy and prioritise its goals. Strong
attachments are like forgotten anchors that do not allow the ship of the mind
to move forward. Uncluttering one’s mind from attachments and unrealistic
expectationshelps the mind to behave in a trained and disciplined manner. With
less and less of garbage the mind would not have to suffer itsstench!
If one can preserve
the mental energy, then it leads to the preservation of the intellectual and
physical energy as well. Such conserving of energy is one of the first steps
towards a spiritual life.
To read same article in HINDI
About Author: Swamiji is Editor of Prabuddha Bharata.This article was first
published in the Prabuddha Bharata, monthly journal of The Ramakrishna Order
started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896. This article is courtesy and copyright
Prabuddha Bharata. I have been reading the
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