Nirvana for Gen X Rediscover Your Inner Zen

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Introduction In the beginning, man was only slightly better than the rest of Creation. In fact, man was not half as strong as the mightiest creatures on land or sea. However, man's distinctive power of thought and an inquisitive nature differentiated him from the rest. With the help of his mind and the power of thought, he has been able to cut through hilly terrains with an intricate network of roads that connects distinct worlds. He has been able to connect a diverse people through a smart digital network, empowered by a technological revolution. This same mind has also been instrumental in enabling man to walk on the moon and dream of lands far beyond the realms of this mortal world, and embark on a quest for outer space to establish himself as the dominant species in this universe.

Yet it is the same mind that man has been unable to conquer and guide; that creates obstacles in his union with nature and the diversity within the universe. Consciousness is an aspect of the mind that has enabled man to develop qualities like subjectivity, sentience and the ability to distinguish between oneself and one's environment. Thus it has helped man to start thinking.

Actions Follow Thoughts

Our actions are the outcomes of our thoughts. Man's power to think has enabled him to create innovations that help the entire human race. Our thoughts have helped us evolve and progress. They have helped us sustain and create new life. Yet, it is also the negative, impatient power unleashed by restless thoughts in agitated minds that has caused the chaos and confusion we see all around us-violence, environmental degradation, terrorism, disease, sorrows and suffering. Just as our power of critical thinking helps us, conversely, it is also the power of the toxic thoughts-anger, guilt, fear, insecurity, revenge and anxiety-that slowly poisons the mind and the body, which is man's undoing. Man has created elements of both creation and destruction with the help of his powerful mind. On one hand he aspires to research outer space; on the other, he aspires to put weapons in space.

Unforgiving and harmful ideas flit between the extreme ends of the thought spectrum, from love to hate, from anger to calm, desperately seeking balance. This apparent 'truth' of cosmic duality motivates us to look beyond the chaos and the confusion to those fleeting moments of calm, as man yearns for 'Oneness'-the moment when time and space merge and nothing else matters. When we feel one with everything around us and experience inner peace. A union between man and nature oneness with the universe.

Let us imagine a situation-on a rainy day, a passing car splashes muddy water on us. Our natural reaction is annoyance, and even anger, at the unknown stranger. Can we reverse time with our anger and make the incident not happen? Absolutely not. We simply cannot turn around time and undo the action already taken or rectify the situation. Humans have not yet come up with a tool to manipulate time. Despite being unable to create any impact through our anger, we still tend to hold these negative emotions within us for long periods of time. Alternatively, if our mind is calm, we may simply ignore the event. The same mind can think and react in two opposite ways to the same situation. Why do we get angry or display other negative emotions? We tend to get angry when our mind feels threatened or attacked, or it gets the impression that people do not respect our feelings or possessions. We get angry when things do not go as planned, or if we feel sidelined or suppressed. Everyone has their own triggers for what makes them angry.