Narratives of the mind

Granting that everything involves persuasion, there is no one single narrative but many. The stoics recommend the cultivation of virtue. They believe that virtuous living gives tranquillity to the mind. The Buddhists call it mindful living, as mindfulness does not allow thoughts of the past and the future to disturb the mind. The humanists call it compassion. The thinking mind cannot escape narratives, painful or otherwise. It can only choose the one which suits its nature and mitigates suffering.

The mind is constantly creating narratives to interpret what is seen, heard, or experienced. The thoughts are so potent that they often lead to a mistaken identification of existence with the narrative. The constant dialogue going on in the mind contributes to anger, envy, and dogma. All these are, in turn, the cause of pain and suffering.

Patanjali’s Yogasutras begins with the understanding that even the evolved mind is not free from the fluctuations, modulation and modifications of thought that disturb consciousness or perception. Right perception is drawn from knowledge based on truth and is better equipped to guard against disturbances caused to the mind. Misconception leads to contrary knowledge. The senses can mislead one to mistake the rope for a serpent and to live in fear. When words mislead, there is confusion resulting in the wrong action. Brainwashing can lead the misguided to over indulge, and become intolerant to the point of cruelty. It can even lead one to commit acts of terror. All these experiences and observations are stored by the memory as imprints to be recalled and replayed even in inactive states like sleep. The recall and replay create more narratives which not only convince but may lead to completely biased thoughts and actions. Discernment required to avoid the harm caused by a narrative can come only with constant refinement of the mind. Cultivation of ethical, physical, and moral discipline helps to move from the gross to the more subtle. The refinement must encompass thought, speech, and deed. To the cultured mind, gentle speech and considered actions are no doubt assets. Yet even this can become counterproductive without detachment. It is detachment which gives freedom from passion and desire and distinguishes between the real and unreal. It enhances the refinement and makes it authentic. The narrative will remain, but with refinement, the choices become gentler and avoid harm to oneself and others.