Building Resolve through the
habit of Witnessing
It you are like me then you have resolved many things and
started many projects without following through on them. And
this is a habit that most of us get into. We decide to quit
smoking or swearing or to get up one hour earlier in the
morning and go to the gym. But sooner rather than later our
determination flags. We lapse back into our old habits and put
off these goals for some future date.
The habit of following through on our decisions, being true
to our resolve and making them work is perhaps the quality that
is prized most in our day and age. People respect the person
who resolves to do something and then makes it happen. It is a
habit that will help you in your career and in your personal
life. You will be more respected by people. In general people
do not respect a person very much who is weak – no matter what
his other qualities may be. It you do not have this habit you
will find it difficult to trust yourself or believe yourself to
be deserving of success of any kind. And it goes without saying
that you will not achieve your goals or succeed in your
projects unless you form this habit. These are the benefits of
building resolve.
The picture I have of a resolute person is summarized by
Rudyard Kipling in his immortal poem – If:
If you can meet with triumph and
disaster,
And treat those two imposters
just the same.
Normally when we think of a person with resolve or if we
picture ourselves as acting with determination we think of a
person with gritted teeth who is determined to succeed and have
his way no matter what However such a person is I think mostly
driven by fear or greed or at the very least by the ego, You
may succeed if you have this attitude but it is tense and
strenuous and you will not enjoy the journey very much. And for
most of us, maintaining this attitude and this amount of
tension is not something that we can do habitually.
How then are we to build resolve.
In Hindu mythology we picture the Universe to be God’s Lila.
God created this world and he keeps it in motion almost light
heartedly without effort of any kind. There is no attitude life
of “I must have my way”. And if we believe in the Divinity
within us it should be possible for us also to run our lives in
the same way – without effort, almost light heartedly, able to
take both triumph and disaster with the same unmoved spirit.
This is my conception of resolve.
This state of mind can be attained and made habitual through
Eastern philosophy. I would recommend that you take up good
meditation practice seriously. I am doing Vipassana meditation
and am seeing changes in myself in a short period of only six
months. If Vipassana does not suit you then Paul Brunton’s
meditation technique described in his books -
The Secret Path and
The Quest of the Overself is also very good. I have also
benefited by reading books on the Vedanta and I can recommend
that to you.
The state of mind or the insight that I am aiming for
through Vipassana meditation and reading the Vedanta is that
our Body, Mind and Intellect that we consider to be ourselves
is not really our true selves. Also the Body–Mind–Intellect or
the BMI that we so identity ourselves with is changing all the
time and is impermanent. Our bodies are not the some as they
were 20 years, back. Nor are our minds. They are processes that
change from moment to moment. Buddhist philosophy assures us
that nowhere in the BMI is there to be found a fixed unchanging
self. This is the Buddhist concept of Egolessness and is one of
the main concepts of Buddhism.
So if we learn to dis-identify from the BMI we can gain an
insight that can totally transform our lives. Specifically in
this case, to form the habit of resolve – we must learn to
dis-identity from the mind . The mind with its hopes and fears
and habitual responses to situations, both internal and
external keeps us imprisoned in our habits and way of life and
we cannot break free of them. Whereas if we could simply
witness them it would help to build resolve.
Let me describe the state of mind or the insight that
sometimes comes to me as a result of meditation. Since the BMI
is impermanent and is not the true self I do not need to take
the antics of the mind seriously. I can simply witness it
without reacting. Since here is nothing that I can do to
preserve the BMI beyond its allotted lifespan I do not need to
change my mind in any way. I can surrender to the thoughts and
feelings that arise without reacting to them, and with a
feeling of equanimity and well being. I can simply witness them
without being disturbed. This habit goes a long way in building
resolve.
This means that I need not take my fears or complexes of the
mind seriously. I can just watch my thoughts float by as they
will without bothering with them. Osho Rajneesh says that we
should set into the habit of observing the antics of the mind
with indifference. I sometimes find myself doing so and I hope
to progress further in my practice.
How does this help in being resolute? Well suppose you have
made a financial plan and are worried about if you can make it
work. You need not take your doubts and fears seriously. You
can simply witness them without reacting and they will pass.
Suppose you develop a craving to splurge on something that you
know does not fit in with your financial plan. You need not
give in to the craving. Simply witness it, dis-identity and it
will pass.
This applies to any and all resolutions that you choose to
make. Suppose you resolve to quit smoking. You are doubtful
whether you will succeed. You remember the many failed attempts
in the past. You fear the withdrawal symptoms and wonder
whether you will be able to enjoy life without cigarettes. All
of these are habitual responses of the mind. This is the mind
working overtime and in a way that does not benefit you. But if
you have the habit of witnessing without reacting you need not
take any of this seriously. Simply surrender to these thoughts,
observe them with indifference and they will pass. Vipassana
stresses knowledge of Impermanence. If you develop some
understanding of impermanence you will certainly travel some
way to being able to meet with triumph and disaster and treat
those to imposters just the same. It will help you dis-identify
and witness the antics of the mind. For all these reasons I
highly recommend Vipassana to those motivated enough to give it
ago. This will help to build resolve.
But the important thing is the habit of witnessing. Just
about any meditation practice will help you to form this habit.
The important thing is to take up the practice and be
regular.
In forming the habit of the witnessing remember the
following :
1. Observe without reacting – This is what is taught in
Vipassana and it has many uses from moment to moment in our
lives.
2. Surrender to the antics of the mind – In the Bible it is
said, “Lord, let your will and not mind be done.” We need some
of this attitude of surrender when we are observing the mind
and doing our meditation practice.
3. Do not turn yourself into a battlefield. All that happens
both within and without you is – if you like – a manifestation
of God. In observing our internal state we are not working to
change them. We are not reacting with our likes and dislikes.
We are simply observing. This is the way to grow spiritually
and transform yourself.
So take up a meditation practice and be regular. In a book I
was going, through I came across a line that said, “Do everyday
something that you don’t like doing. This is the sovereign path
to a strong will.”
By a making the effort to meditate regularly we will be
doing just this and our willpower will benefit as a result.
Treating Life as a Game to be played.
For more information on treating Life – with all its
problems, challenges and difficulties – as a game please read
The Book by Alan Watts.
This book explains the essence of the philosophy of the
Vedanta using modern terms and concepts. It is an arriving at
the core conclusions (of the Vedanta) as regards the Self in
each of us using a new and modern line of reasoning.
After reading this book you will never be able to look at
Life in the same old way ever again.
On to the next chapter on Mindfulness of death and its benefits
spiritually and in our day to day life.
Top of page Resolve
Back to page Free
ecourse
Back to Home page Eastern Philosophy and
Meditation
|