4. Camp Fourth : Basis of Mind

There is a nice story narrated in 'Chhandogya Upanishad.' When Shvetketu, the son of the great rishi Uddalak attains the age of twelve, he is sent to the hermitage of the master for acquisition of knowledge. After a span of twelve years, he returns to his father. He has been well-versed in all texts including Vedas. Being an expert in Vedas, Shvetketu becomes proud. He becomes arrogant because of this vain pride. He comes to his father and says: 'O father, I am quite conversant with all the Vedas. I would recall whatever you ask for.' The learned Uddalak at once realizes that the son has not procured perfection in studies. He is imperfect, so he boasts of his so-called knowledge. I must clear up whatever a pinch of misunderstanding he has.

The great rishi said to him :' My son, please avoid eating any food for fifteen days. lf you feel thirsty, you can take water. Come to me after fifteen days. At that time, I will ask you about Vedas.'

Shvetketu has agreed to this. Shvetketu started fasting. One day...second day ... thus passed a week. Now he felt bodily weakness, His mind became dull and lethargic. Because of empty stomach, he could not even take sound sleep at night. His memory grew faint and feeble.

His thought process was going disappeared. The energy of his mind was decreasing day by day like the moon in the dark second half of the month.

On the sixteenth day, he approached his father and said: ' Sir, may I recite ?'

The great rishi looking into his son's eyes said: 'Dear son, Please quote the stanza from Rig, Yajur and Samveda.' Shvetketu began to awaken his memory and recall but alas, he could not do so. He made meticulous efforts but all were in vain. His pride melted like snow. His eyes were filled with the tears of repentance. He brust out weeping placing his head on the lap of his father and cried : 'O Lord, I can't remember anything. What happens to my knowledge? '

The eyes of the great rishi were filled with tears of joy. Uddalak explained to his son : 'O Saumya, without food, the energy of mind gets decreased upto nil due to fasting. O son, you must understand the fact that if a great fire is extinguished and out of its ashes even one of the spark is left off, it cannot burn big objects. In the same manner, your memory has been decreased upto negligible due to fasting. That is the reason why you cannot recall difficult things like the stanza of Vedas. Dear son, Now first of all, please take your food and then you will comprehend my advice.'

Shvetketu breaks his fast at the end of sixteen days. He becomes cheerful as soon as food reaches his stomach. After lunch, he responds to every question that his father asks him. Shvetketu is also astonished. Uddalak explains to him : ' Dear son, As I told you just now when great fire is put out and yet the remaining spark blazes the straw thrown on it and ultimately converts into big fire. In the same way, the energy of your mind got ablaze when the arrear of the sixteenth part was provided with the food. Consequently, you can memorize the stanza of Vedas. O Saumya, Mind is based on the food whatever we eat. अन्नमयं हि मनः'

Pausing a little, the great rishi said : 'After taking meals, the food digested by the fire of stomach is divided into three parts. Out of that, the third crude separated part enters the intestine in the form of waste-material. The medium part goes forward converted by various secretions and finally turns into flash. The first finest part moves upwards and by reaching the heart through the finest nerve called 'Hita' ultimately converts into mind.'

It is easily understood from this narration that mind is made up of food. That is why there is a proverb 'As is the food, so is the mind.' Brooding over this, it is perfectly understood that the subtly effect of the input (food) of our sense organs is definitely visible on our mind.

It is crucial whatever food we consume has been prepared by what kind of persons, from which quality of raw-material and with how much hygienically it is cooked. How many and what type of individuals have noticed that food visually has a great bearing on mind. That is why whatever we eat is first offered to God and then only that food should be utilized as His grace in the form of Prasad. Thus we can avoid the possible negative effects on our food. Swami Vivekanand writes in 'Rajyog': ' Certain rules are inevitable while taking food. We should take the food what turns our mind in its purest form. You can realize this fact when you visit zoo. Inspite of being a huge animal, elephant is very calm and cool for being pure vegetarian. Whereas the tiger and lion, being non-vegetarian, are cruel and restless by nature.' However, two individuals take their meals together at the same time, the effect on both person's minds is quite different, because the circumstances and the sentimental condition at the time of meal play a great role. Meerabai gulped the poison sent by Rana and considered it to be the God sent nectar. As a result, the poison turned out to be life-conserving nectar.

Once upon a time, Lord Buddha was resting under a tree in Lumbivan. A reputed merchant went to have his darshan (divine look). He asked a question: 'O Lord, what is truth ? 'Lord Buddha replied cheerfully: 'Only your mind is Sat, Chit and Anand, if you can understand it properly.' Lord Buddha stressed the latter portion of His statement - If you can understand it properly. lf we can have proper perception of mind, the experience of our soul in the form of perennial rapture beyond mind becomes natural!