MIND'S FICKLE NATURE

The fickle mind continuously runs after fleeting things.
Mind's this filthy nature is incompatible with
the Pure and True God (sggs 222).
<><><><>

The Gurbani indefatigably depicts this truth: The human mind is very fickle. But what is a fickle mind?

A fickle mind is well defined in the Gurbani as follows: the mind that "continuously runs after fleeting things"; the mind that identifies with material "cleverness and corruption"; the mind that "does not know the way"; the mind that "wanders around chasing after wealth"; the mind "intoxicated with worldly love and emotional attachment"; the mind "entangled in a dream" (illusion, ignorance or absence of the Self-knowledge); the mind that is "foolish, stupid, masterless, fickle, powerless, lowly and ignorant"; the mind that "continually committing sins, again and again"; the mind that is " foolish, thoughtless" (without understanding); the ego-mind that identifies with Maya (duality, etc.); the mind that "does not remain stable"; the mind that is under the sway of the "five thieves" (i.e. all evil passions); the mind that remains "unsatisfied, and begs for more"; the mind that has become "miserable"; the mind that "gave up good deeds, righteousness and truthfulness, self-discipline, purity, and spiritual discipline"; the mind of the "Manmukh" (material or ego-being); the mind of the "intellectually confused person wanders around lost, misled by his fickle consciousness"; and so on. As a consequent of this fickle mind, we remain separated from our Mool (Source, Origin, Jot...).

In short, a fickle mind is false ego-sense in action. It's essentially akin to saying this: modification of one's essential being (concepts, percepts, thoughts or sense-datum), mental conditioning and limitations, disturbance of consciousness, material substantiality, psychological tendencies, mental disposition, relativist consciousness, ordinary consciousness, worldly or material consciousness, divided consciousness, deluded or illusioned mind, ignorant (of the Truth) or bonded mind, individualized consciousness, psychological construct self-image, instinctive mind, sense-blind mind, subject-object division, mundane consciousness, unwise mind, lower dimensions of the mind, realm of relativity, impure mind, finite consciousness tied to memory and tendencies, agitated or restless mind, mental aberrations, vibration in consciousness, finite intelligence, conceptualization, differentiated consciousness, unequanimous consciousness, "I-am-ness", bodily concept, conditioned or false self, uncentered or imbalanced mind, extroverted mind, consciousness caught in the memory of the past and anxiety of the future, and so on.

So the fickle mind is like the ocean with infinite variety of creatures (thoughts) within it. These creatures of thought-wanderings ruminate on the nonessentials of life. A fickle mind so laden with Vaasnaas — the undigested desires, psychological conditionings, latent memories, innate tendencies, inherent inclinations, dispositions, obstinate clinging to a fancy or conceptualization — is the cause of delusion. According to the Gurbani, one with such fickle consciousness cannot appreciate his Divine Status, which is free from all conditionings.

Along with the phenomenal body, the fickle mind is beset with conflicts and contradictions of various pairs of "likes" and "dislikes" — pain and pleasure, praise and insult, life and death, good and bad, success and failure, attraction and repulsion, and so on. These arise on account of the contending modality of the modes of material nature. In other words, the fickle mind is vast in its combinations of time-space-name-form-cause-effect. Its tendency is to justify one's misdeeds (resulting from lust, greed, fear, selfishness, etc.); to twist the scriptural guidelines to substantiate one's own actions; to be easily swayed by emotions and the influence of others ( immoral influences, etc.) who would like to bring a person around to their views; and so on. Thus, the Gurbani calls the phenomenal human body to be the plaything of the fickle mind.

When clouds appear, the sun is hidden from our vision. However, when the same clouds disappear, the sun shines forth from behind the clouds. Clouds come and go, but the sun remains the same. Similarly, our Mool (Source, Origin, Jot...) ever remains the same. It never undergoes any transformation or modification. It remains the same in the beginning, middle and end. What appears and disappears is the ghost called fickle mind. And, as we are time and again reminded by the Gurbani, what comes and goes has no real substance.

Therefore, the Gurbani asks us to remove the cloud of the fickle mind (Haume, false ego-sense or body-consciousness) with the breeze of Spiritual Wisdom: knowledge of the true nature of the Mool (Aatm-Giaan). One's True Nature shines forth from behind the same mind when the cloud of false ego-sense disappears. This Infinite Consciousness was there Intact before the fickle mind and associated mirage-like world-appearance arose, and remains in the same state after the disappearance of the world-appearance. Due to the rise of the phantom of the fickle mind, the Infinite Consciousness reflects itself with itself and conceives of itself as duality (two-ness or Doojaa Bhaav), though it's without name and form or time and space. For example, in a golden bracelet there is this two-ness — gold and bracelet — one being the reality (gold) and the other being the temporary appearance (of bracelet). Similarly, in the Self there are both Transcendental Consciousness and the notion of material substantiality (Sarguna). Once the notion of material substantiality disappears, the mind regains its Unmodified or Intact State (Joti-Svaroopa). Just as the gold regains its unmodified state after the disappearance of the name and form associated with the bracelet.

The Gurbani's truth holds the fickle mind can certainly be reformed. It can be made to transcend negative and evil influences; thus transforming itself and helping others in the world. But it goes without saying the fickle mind is very strong and stubborn! Therefore, it is necessary to engage it by force to think of its True Nature (Joti Svaroop). One example often given is that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly think of ourselves as Unmodified Spirit or Truth, it is certain that in the same life our mind will have the same constitution as "Joti Svaroop". The Gurbani assures us such total transformation can take place even in a weak person when he moves with Truth and virtuous company, and refrains from wicked propensities of the fickle mind.

To overcome amorphous sensory gratification, the fickle mind must be "conquered". This is the Gurbani's edict. For just as a knife, which is blunt cannot chop well so also the fickle mind which is lured by sensory distractions cannot intuit theMool (Source, Origin, Jot...). This requires sincere self-efforts (Shabad-Vichaar...). Among the innumerable living beings in the world man has an advantage because he is endowed with the faculty of discerning intellect (Bibek Budhi ) which can be utilized to realize his Spiritual Nature and thereby put an end to repeated suffering. But in his daily engagement with the world he gets carried away easily by sensory attractions and becomes more involved with material pursuits without striving for the Spiritual Goal (Gurmukh Life Style). To overcome this human weakness, the mind which is "restless as wind" must be controlled. Once total mental focus is achieved, Divine Grace awakens within, spontaneously.

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Updated on Thursday, April 18, 2013 3:01 PM (PST)

[Home] [Article Menu]