Hello Everyone!

Before I begin with the article, let me tell you – today is Buddha Purnima – a sacred day related to Buddhism. No, it is not the day when Buddha got birth. Rather, it is the day when he got enlightened.

Now, let us focus on the basics of enlightenment. I will quote an incident as it happened.

A man met Buddha and asked him – I too wish to get enlightened. How to do that? Buddha replied – just get the basics right and that’s it.

The man asked – please explain. What are the basics for enlightenment?

Buddha replied – try washing utensils after eating.

The man understood nothing and replied – I am doing it. I could not understand though.

Buddha replied – you need to wash them from inner side more than outer side. Similarly, you need to clean yourself from inside rather than outside and you will feel enlightened automatically.

Understanding it better

As said by scholars, purifying the mind is the real challenge. You can purify body by taking bath OR visiting holy places. You however cannot purify your mind easily even if you keep on doing pious activities. If you become arrogant, then even the best of all pious activities will do more harm than good. GOD knows your actual intentions and you cannot deceive GOD.

It is always debated among scholars on how to purify your mind. However, it isn’t as easy as it seems. Mind velocity is often compared with scientific term tachyon – the hypothetical particle which technically beats even the speed of light. It is virtually impossible to stop human mind from wandering and research has confirmed that mind goes to prohibited destinations more often.

So, what could be the solution? Well, it depends from case to case. This is what I do – I prefer to use double negative. As the rule says – (-1) multiplied by (-1) results in +1. So, the moment I encounter any wrong thought – I do not instruct my mind not to think like that. Instead, I watch them till they fade out and then think the opposite. I allow my thoughts to settle first and then by thinking opposite, negativity is replaced. This is what I do. What do you think can help mind get rid of negativity and aid enlightenment?