Conscious awareness – The Economic Times

Nobody wakes up in the morning wishing for more trouble that day. However, emotional trouble is essentially our own creation. I   think it is largely due to two things. The first is lack of knowledge of reality due to absence of a holistic view, and the second is a self-centred attitude. These two things create unnecessary problems. Ultimately, we have to realise that the cause of these problems lies within ourselves. We deal with them through understanding and awareness – what we may call wisdom.

Just like pleasure, pain is also part of our experiences. Usually, people are under the impression that the mind is independent, absolute. Science, too, is not yet clear about the distinction between the sensorial mind and consciousness. It is important to make that distinction. When people seek pleasurable experiences, they rely mainly on the sensorial level to attain that pleasure – watching something beautiful, listening to music, tasting or smelling something. This includes tactile pleasures, including sex.

If you develop a mental level with certain positive experiences, the experience of pleasure lasts longer. However, no sensorial pleasure can be had if the basic mental state is that of fear, anxiety and stress. Mental-level happiness is not about pleasure; it’s about mental satisfaction or fulfilment.