Building Resolve through the habit of WitnessingIt 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:
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