Just Be Alert – In Gita Verse 16.11-12 They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.
In Bhagavad Gita Verses 16.11-12, Krishna elucidates a profound truth: human civilization frequently misconstrues the gratification of the senses as its foremost pursuit. This pursuit leads to an endless cycle of desires, bringing forth immeasurable anxiety, fueled by lust and anger, where individuals resort to unethical means for obtaining satisfaction.
In the modern day, when anxiety takes hold, our instinct prompts us to solve it through deliberation, which only embeds us deeper into the quicksand of our anxious thoughts. However, logic and worry are bedfellows in a dance of discomfort – thinking cannot dissolve anxiety, for it is but another form of it.
So, what should one do when caught in the grip of anxious thoughts? The answer is simple yet profound: remain alert and absolutely do nothing. Be presence itself.
Consider the practice of Bokuju, a Zen master who lived in solitude. He would call out his name during moments of anxious thought, grounding himself in the present. “Bokuju,” he’d say, and with a firm “Yes, I am here,” anxiety would wither away. This soul-deep conversation with the self would return him to clear skies. Eventually, the master found there was no longer a need to call out; Bokuju’s presence was enduring and unshakable, no longer eclipsed by fleeting clouds of worry.
Invite yourself into this narrative by experimenting with Bokuju’s method. In moments of intense anxiety, boldly state your name, and with a staunch affirmation of “Yes, I am here,” observe the dispersing fog of anxiety. This glimpse into the clear sky of mindfulness can be nurtured into a permanent vista.
It is essential to evolve into a spectator of your inner landscape, to notice the thoughts and anxieties as they pass by. Remain at the banks of your consciousness’s river, watching your thoughts flow like water, or observe the procession of your worries as birds crossing the breadth of the sky, or clouds rolling across the heavens. Do nothing but watch. Let each thought come and go, unimpeded and unchallenged.
Through this witness state, it becomes evident that there is a critical distinction between the thinker and their thoughts, between the feeler and their feelings. Wrapped in the cocoon of this realisation, an extraordinary peace envelops you. In the midst of turmoil, there will be no turmoil within you. Surrounded by thoughts, you will stand apart, not lost within them.
Echoing the teachings of Krishna in the Gita, acknowledging the non-ownership of your thoughts and anxieties strips away their vitality. Their power is borrowed from the misapprehension that they belong to you. In a dispute, you claim, “My thought is,” yet this is a fallacy. No thought belongs to you; they are as separate from your essence as the changing weather is from the sky. Become a witness to them.
In this realm where you stand detached, anxiety cannot maintain its hold; your thoughts become but distant murmurs, not overwhelming cries for attention. From this elevated vantage point, your emotions and thoughts are relegated to mere events in the vastness of your mind. Unshackled from these spectres, you inhabit a state of tranquillity, a core serenity that remains impervious to the fleeting dramas that play out in the theatre of your psyche. This is a peace profound, akin to the serene depth Krishna portrayed as the essence of an enlightened existence.
When anxiety mounts its charge, summon your presence as your shield. Greet your name as a grounding call to the now and watch thoughts and worries pass like leaves in the wind, separate from the tree of your being. Comprehend that you are the sky, unchangeable, and these mental phenoms are but weather, ever-changing. In this wisdom, liberate yourself to a peace that endures, sturdy and serene amidst the tempests of life’s perpetual unfolding.
Tags: Just Be Alert
