The Dart theory and Mind control

I am pasting below an excerpt from a very good article by Mr Nate Klemp. You can find in this link

http://lifebeyondlogic.com/experiment/the-yoga-of-neuroscience-%E2%80%93-how-to-change-your-brain/

"When things are good, the waves are calm, peaceful, and uplifting. When things get crazy, the waves become scary and chaotic. We cannot change these thought waves. On this view, the best we can do is learn to surrender to them – to shift from resistance to acceptance.

This is the way I’ve usually thought about the mind.  But after reading Rick Hanson’s Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, & Wisdom, I’ve becoming intrigued by a slightly different view.

Here’s the basic idea.  Using the metaphor of “darts” borrowed from the Buddha, Hanson talks about two kinds of thoughts.  Some thoughts come and go without any conscious control.  They are what he calls “first darts.”

Imagine that you’re walking past the corner where a girlfriend or boyfriend from your past dumped you.  All of a sudden you feel a quick wave of sadness and anger moving through you.  That’s a first dart.

Then there are “second darts.”  These are our reactions to first darts.  These are the thoughts that send us into a feedback loop of negative thinking.  Thoughts like, “I can’t believe she left me” or “If only she could see me now.”

Here’s Hanson’s big insight – You can’t control first darts, but, if you interrupt the assembly of neurons and synapses that habitually get activated by them, you can shift the second darts.

You can do this by consciously shifting out of negative thought loops and into more positive ones.  As he says, “Every time you do this – every time you sift positive feelings and views into painful, limiting states of mind – you build a little bit of neural structure.  Over time, the accumulating impact of this positive material will literally, synapse by synapse, change your brain.”

So for this week’s experiment, let’s explore experiencing this shift first hand.  Let’s see if it’s possible to shift from negative second darts to more positive ones."

Zen and the Art of Car Driving

I could have also titled this post as "Clutch - the Crux of Driving a Car", however the above title seemed more eye catching - imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Besides the "Zen" in the title is very important as there is lot about understanding of the mind, balance etc which one can learn in the art of car driving.

I am learning to drive a car in the middle of the fourth decade in my life - a pretty advanced age considering that most people of my age and income group have learnt to car driving around 10-15 years back. It is just one of the ways I feel I am an oddity.

Also I think it becomes more challenging, though not impossible to learn new things as you age older.

Nevertheless as they say  - Better late than never.

My driving instructor - Pugazh, is his name, is very astute, experienced and wise. He has the teaching instinct and knows exactly when and how he has to intervene. One of the hallmarks of a good teacher is that he realizes the doubts, insecurities and fears of his pupil and knows how to address them. Pugazh is pretty good at it.

When you learn some new skill, the most important thing is getting the control and balance. Pugazh has astutely instructed me that the crux of getting control is the clutch, which is something no one before could tell me and he also showed practically how to get that control. It's like - whoooosh - all my fears went off immediately as I realized that controlling the clutch is key and I can then control the car.

Now it is not that self evident initially and it doesnt easily impress in the mind of a fearful pupil that clutch is the crux. For there are other distracting parameters. There is the brake and accelerator bunched near the clutch for one, then there is the gear handle and also the steering wheel. But Pugazh was quite emphatic - control the clutch, keeping the car engine on. Then you have all the time in the world to maneuver the steering wheel, change gears, apply brakes or even step on the accelerator.

You have to have the subtlest to subtlest feel of the clutch and slowly by slowly you should gain mastery of it - millimeter by millimeter. Be aware of precise position, when as you release the clutch, the car begins to move. If you can maintain this position, the car can keep moving, yet to retain control.

Today in just the fourth day, I was able to be completely calm as in narrow - 15-20 feet roads with bus approaching from opposite, pedestrians walking by the side and even two wheelers zipping by, I was able to keep control. It was a liberating, enthusing feeling.

Now where does the zen and mind come in here.

I feel mind is akin to clutch. If we have to gain mastery over our emotions, moods and thereby our lives, we have to operate on the clutch i.e. the mind, and not the body or anything else. And the way to apply control on the mind is through breath. Like you control the clutch by pressing or releasing it with your left foot (for right hand drive), similarly you use breath by paying attention to it, to control your mind.

We think of about keeping awareness for 5 min, 10 min etc and about 4-5-7, 4-5 etc breathe cycles, but what we should start off with is with the subtlest and smallest duration of control. We have to start our focus on awareness by doing it moment by moment. Stay with your breathe moment by moment. When your mind wanders off, as it surely will, as soon as you are aware about it, bring it back to the moment by moment awareness. Gradually over a period of time, the number of moments increases and with that lengthening our meditation should become deeper. We have to be slow and patient. There's no point speeding the car - we are always in a hurry to reach somewhere. There's no somewhere to be reached. You are where you want to be i.e. the present moment.

jaya ina kulodharana

A song praising Lord Rama, composed by Sri Vadiraja Tirtha, soulfully sung by Sri Vidya Bhushan
You can find on youtube in this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEsLpLKqI4

Jaya Jaya!

Hail the emancipator of his clan
Hail the refuge of every pious man

Where demonic forces meet destruction
Hail that dispeller of False delusion

With a pearl-like face, form full of lustre
The long bow and a never empty quiver

Such distinguished mein,
And an unrivalled queen
Such a great empire
And unlimited means

To the envy of gods and the three worlds
who possesses it all, but you

To destroy demons, sinful burden
Unbearable to the hapless earth,
Listening to pleas of celestials,
You mercifully took a human birth

O Sage among sage, with lotus like face
You were born from Dasharatha's seed
To live a life, pious and upright
Fulfilling every mortal's deepest need




The complete lyrics given below courtesy the following link

http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?4847-Lyrics-queries-and-meaning-Kannada/page19

Complete song has 15 charanas. 
Singers have selected only 7 charanas in different order. The song narrates few episodes of ‘Ramayana’ epic. 

rAga: nATa
tALa: Adi
racane: shrI vAdirAjaru

jayA jayA /pa/

jaya ina kulOddharaNa jaya munikRuta sharaNa
jaya danuja vidAraNa jaya tamaharaNa /3/

I muddumuKavo matte tanuvina kAMti
I billu I bANa niMta bhAva /1/

I tanuvu I rANi I baMTa I bhAgya
Ava dEvariguMTu mUlOkadoLage /2/

dhareyoLu atibhAravanu iLuhi kamalaja muKya
surara moreyanu kELdu nararUpa tALdu /4/

dasharathana garbhadali janisi munna muniya
manOratha kAyda puNyacaritra /5/

dEvargaLu haruShadali hUmaLegareye 
bhUmijeya sahita saumitriyoDagUDi /14/ 

kShEmadiMda ayOdhyapuradi suKadallirda
svAmi shrIhayavadana raghukula tilaka /15/


Remaining charans of the song:


asuraranu aLidu ahalyaLigittu varavittu
mithila puradi harana dhanuvanu muridu /6/

atuLa baladali sIteya olisida bhArgava ma
hitaLa balavaMta dEvOttuMga jayatu /7/

bharadiMdalayOdhyApuravanu shRuMgarise 
haruShatanadali rAmagarasutanavenalu /8/

kiriya mAteyu baMdu bharatanige paTTavene
sirisahita horahoraTa karuNALu jayatu /9/

anuja avanije sahita vanavAsava mADi
vanajAkSha patiyAgeMdu rAkShasiyu baralu /10/

anuvAyiteMdu nAsikava haridu bhaMgiside
binugu hommagavecca Ganamahima jayatu /11/

jakkida vAliyanu koMdu kulasainya sahita
nillade sEtuve kaTTi asuraroDagUDi /12/

Kulla dAnava kuMbhakarNa raNamuTTi
ellaranu taridaMtha ballidane jayatu /13/

Aisa sama na hota

Another more refined attempt at translation

Aisa sama na hota

Kuchh bhi yahan na hota

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Would love be in the air and this
Perfect clime for a blissful two,
My love, if it werent for you..

Mausam yeh na aata, yoon na chhaati yeh ghata

Aise gungunati, yoon na gaati yeh hawa

Gul shabnam ke moti na piroute

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Wherefrom would come this monsoon and overcast skies

Or the wet breeze chiming in 

Would flowers have such pearly dew

My love, if it weren't for you...

Raahein wohi, vaadi wohi badla kuchh nahin

Phir bhi tere milne se hai duniya kyun haseen

Kahin khwabon mein hum gum na hote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

These vales, these paths are all the same

Yet it all seems so wonderful, now that I've met you

Would I have lost myself in dreams, through and through

My love, if it weren't for you...

Hum tum jo na milte, to na chhaata yeh nasha

Hota kuchh bhi hota, yeh na hota jo hua

Yahan milke na dil aise khote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Had we not met, would all this have occurred
Certainly not this langurous obsession

Would we have lost our hearts for true

My love, if it weren't for you...

Aisa sama na hota

Kuchh bhi yahan na hota

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Would love be in the air and this
Perfect clime for a blissful two,
My love, if it werent for you..

It wouldn't have been so wonderful....

Film: Zameen Aasman (1984)

Lyrics: Anjaan

Music: R D Burman

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Picturized on Anita Raj & Sanjay Dutt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0erpeqaiiBc

Also see this link, for a great & detailed review on this song - one of the best I have read

http://panchammagic.org/2014/03/aisa-sama-na-hota/

Aisa sama na hota

Kuchh bhi yahan na hota

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Would it have been so wonderful,

Would I find all this beauty here,

My love, if it weren't for you...

Mausam yeh na aata, yoon na chhaati yeh ghata

Aise gungunati, yoon na gaati yeh hawa

Gul shabnam ke moti na piroute

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

This spring wouldn’t have come, nor this cool overcast sky

Nor would the winds chime in with such musical breeze

Would the flowers of dawn have these pearly drops of dew

My love, if it weren't for you...

Raahein wohi, vaadi wohi badla kuchh nahin

Phir bhi tere milne se hai duniya kyun haseen

Kahin khwabon mein hum gum na hote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Those same hilly tracks winding through valleys unchanged

Yet the world has turned so wonderful ever since you came,

Would I have lost myself in yearning dreams,

My love, if it weren't for you...

Hum tum jo na milte, to na chhaata yeh nasha

Hota kuchh bhi hota, yeh na hota jo hua

Yahan milke na dil aise khote

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Would've we not met, would such lazy languor set,

Whatever it may be, nothing thus would've surely happn'd

Would we have ever lost our hearts full and true

My love, if it weren't for you...

Aisa sama na hota

Kuchh bhi yahan na hota

Mere hamrahi jo tum na hote

Would it have been so wonderful,

Would I find all this beauty here,

My love, if it weren't for you...

This feeling that I have from within that I am not complete, that I am not whole, that something is missing, that I am not able to feel compassion, yet I want compassion for the pain I feel – why does this happen. Why do I feel inadequate, why do I feel my achievements are meaningless, why is my self-esteem so low, why does it always require a boost of glucose (literally) to prop it up – it feels so hollow inside. There has to be some sense to this – there has to be some way out. I want to feel happiness, calmness, serene pleasure – if not forever at least occasionally borne out of meaningful achievements. 

There are times in life, when against all the sanest voices of reason, and in the face of gravest danger to one's very existence, a man decides to stick onto something steadfastly - perhaps that is loyalty, be they ties of loyalty or the bondage of loyalty, however you may put it. It's like staying on in a sinking ship, when you can still jump off easily and save yourself. Not that I had this much time to think all these things over in my head - I just knew that by not running away, by staying with my Raya, I was probably doomed, yet I knew I couldn't run away as many others were doing. For how could I run. There he was, my brave Raya, my dashing Raya, my hero holding aloft his sword, exhorting everyone to stay put. But how could these poor souls listen to the Raya, when one could see the face of one's impending doom.

There, in the horizon, like dark clouds loom just before the heavy downpour, the vast hordes of Turushka horsemen were charging towards us at a breakneck speed. They were still more than a mile away in the open field, but very well visible as if the very Yamadutas astride their bovine vehicles. And in the field in front of them, fleeing from them was the remnant of our first army, our magnificent advance guard of thousands of horsemen and countless infantry, not to mention a few hundred elephants. All of that great army was probably reduced to less than half it's original number, as they were being cut down, mowed down, and even in distance I could see the glee in faces of the accursed Turushkas. 

I looked again at my Raya wondering if he wasn't beset with the panic that I could sense fluttering in my heart. Could he not be beset with disappointment, as when one feels, when one's most brilliant chess moves have come to a nought, and checkmate is round the corner. But looking at his face, I could see a mixture of many emotions - there was rage, ah! bellowing rage at that, there was exasperation and desperation, anxiety even, but there was one attitude that foreshadowed all of that and that was determination. It was evident from the way he clutched at his sword, the way he tightened his legs against the saddle, the way he set his jaws sight and looked in grave determination against our approaching enemy. Then he made a forward movement and then all of us, the few hundreds of us, who were not dithering, who were steadfastly milling around him, noticed that and mirrored his stance. We waited for the inevitable fall of the raised sword in the direction of the foe and when it came, with the shout of "Jaya Virupakshe", we charged towards the Turushkas, even as many of our own fleeing brethren crashed against us. Suddenly the anticipation of doom was gone, replaced by exhilaration. Even now several years later, as I reminisce this incident, I wish I could against taste that feeling of exhilaration, mixed with fear and foreboding. It's a heady mixture that the best wines cannot match. We felt a sense of purpose and we were confident that our Raya would lead us to a glorious victory or a glorious death - either of which were infinitely preferable to being meekly slaughtered or running away.