Mental Immunity
मानसिक प्रतिरक्षा-- दलाई लामा के द्वारा
हर कोई जानता है कि शारीरिक दर्द बुरा है और इससे बचने की कोशिश करता है। ऐसा हम न केवल बीमारियों को ठीक करके करते हैं, बल्कि उन्हें रोकने की कोशिश करके और अपनी शारीरिक रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता को मजबूत रखने की कोशिश करके भी करते हैं। मानसिक पीड़ा भी उतनी ही बुरी होती है, इसलिए हमें इसे भी दूर करने का प्रयास करना चाहिए। इसका उपाय है मानसिक रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता का विकास करना।
मानसिक प्रतिरक्षा केवल विनाशकारी भावनाओं से बचना और सकारात्मक भावनाओं को विकसित करना है। सबसे पहले, हमें मन को समझना चाहिए - मन की कई अलग-अलग अवस्थाएँ हैं - विविध विचार और भावनाएँ जो हम दैनिक आधार पर अनुभव करते हैं। इनमें से कुछ विचार और भावनाएँ हानिकारक हैं, यहाँ तक कि विषाक्त भी हैं, जबकि अन्य स्वस्थ और उपचारात्मक हैं। हानिकारक विचार और भावनाएँ हमारे मन को परेशान करते हैं और बहुत मानसिक पीड़ा देते है। स्वस्थ और उपचारात्मक विचार और भावनाएँ हमें सच्ची खुशी देते हैं।
जब हम इस वास्तविकता को समझते हैं, तो मन से निपटना और निवारक उपाय करना बहुत आसान होता है। इस तरह हम मानसिक प्रतिरक्षा विकसित करते हैं। और जिस तरह एक स्वस्थ प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली और स्वस्थ संविधान आपके शरीर को संभावित खतरनाक वायरस और बैक्टीरिया से बचाता है, उसी तरह मानसिक प्रतिरक्षा मन के एक स्वस्थ स्वभाव का निर्माण करती है ताकि यह नकारात्मक विचारों और भावनाओं के प्रति कम संवेदनशील हो।
इसके बारे में इस तरह से सोचें। अगर आपकी सेहत मजबूत है तो वायरस आने पर वे आपको बीमार नहीं करेंगे। अगर आपकी सेहत कमजोर है तो छोटे-छोटे वायरस भी आपके लिए काफी खतरनाक होंगे। इसी तरह, यदि आपका मानसिक स्वास्थ्य ठीक है, तो विघ्न आने पर आपको थोड़ी परेशानी होगी लेकिन जल्दी ठीक हो जाएंगी। अगर आपका मानसिक स्वास्थ्य ठीक नहीं है तो छोटी-छोटी परेशानियां भी आपको बहुत दर्द और तकलीफ देंगी। आपको बहुत भय और चिंता होगी, बहुत उदासी और निराशा होगी, और बहुत क्रोध और उत्तेजना होगी।
लोग एक ऐसी गोली लेना चाहेंगे जो उनके डर और चिंता को दूर कर सकती हो और उन्हें तुरंत शांति का अनुभव कराए। ये असंभव है। समय के साथ मन का विकास करना चाहिए और मानसिक रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता को विकसित करना चाहिए। अक्सर लोग मुझसे किसी समस्या का सबसे तेज़ और सबसे अच्छा समाधान माँगते हैं। यह भी असंभव है। आपके पास सबसे तेज हो सकता है या आपके पास सबसे अच्छा समाधान हो सकता है, लेकिन दोनों एक साथ नहीं। हमारी पीड़ा का सबसे अच्छा समाधान मानसिक रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता है, लेकिन इसे विकसित होने में समय लगता है।
एक बार मैं अमेरिकी उप राष्ट्रपति अल गोर के साथ बात कर रहा था। उन्होंने कहा कि उन्हें बहुत सारी समस्याएँ थीं, बहुत सारी कठिनाइयाँ, जो उन्हें बहुत परेशान कर रही थीं। मैंने उनसे कहा कि हम इंसानों में तर्कसंगत स्तर और भावनात्मक स्तर के बीच अंतर करने की क्षमता है। तर्कसंगत स्तर पर, हम स्वीकार करते हैं कि यह एक गंभीर समस्या है जिससे हमें निपटना है, लेकिन गहरे, भावनात्मक स्तर पर, हम शांत रहने में सक्षम हैं। जैसे समुद्र की सतह पर कई लहरें हैं लेकिन गहराई में यह काफी शांत है। यह तभी संभव है जब हम मानसिक रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता को विकसित करना जानते हों।
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मनन के लिए मूल प्रश्न: मानसिक प्रतिरक्षा का आपके लिए क्या अर्थ है? क्या आप कोई व्यक्तिगत कहानी साझा कर सकते हैं जब आप स्थिति को तर्कसंगत रूप से स्वीकार करते हुए विनाशकारी भावनाओं से बचने में सक्षम थे? आपके दिमाग के लिए एक स्वस्थ स्वभाव बनाने में क्या बात आपकी मदद करती है?
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Excerpted from The Book of Joy.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What does mental immunity mean to you? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to avoid destructive emotions while still acknowledging the situation rationally? What helps you create a healthy disposition for your mind?
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14 Past Reflections
On Oct 20, 2022 Hillary wrote :
I could write a book...................... great article ... in a nut shell... a catalyst for much thought and additional research to back up the healing and how to for the balance and harmony that comes with health and well being plus developing mental immunity .... working on it....................... what a journey best wishes to you all
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On Oct 5, 2022 Peter wrote :
Good post, but rather shallow. Improving immunity be it physical or mental is a journey that takes time and patience. Inner peacefulness is not immunity but the realisation of acceptance that leads to calmness.
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On Oct 4, 2022 kate knapp wrote :
when I say a prayer of gratitude to no particular deity but to the creative force of the universe and my higher power I find that even saying something positive creates the possibility of seeing the positive...I cannot watch the news nor can I feel mentally healthy after a discussion about the very difficult conditions in our country and world today. I can make donations to people and places in need and to those who would help in these situations. I find that focusing on the positive strengthens my mental immunity.
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On Oct 4, 2022 Kristin Pedemonti wrote :
This post brings up many layers for me both personally and professionally as a Narrative Therapy Practitioner. In this perspective, emotions are not to be judged, they simply are. The distinction intros post of 'avoid devastating and seek positive emotions' lands to me as potentially judgment. We are taught in Narrative to notice the emotions and to ask the person we are in service to to notice too. What might the emotion wish to te us?
Avoiding emotions can push those emotions deeper and actually make a person sick: lots of trauma research around this. Speaking of, a person's lived context has a Huge impact on why they are feeling the emotions they feel. I've more to say, but this feels sufficient for now. There are no 'good' or 'bad' emotions. There are simply Emotions.
Avoiding emotions can push those emotions deeper and actually make a person sick: lots of trauma research around this. Speaking of, a person's lived context has a Huge impact on why they are feeling the emotions they feel. I've more to say, but this feels sufficient for now. There are no 'good' or 'bad' emotions. There are simply Emotions.
1 reply: Clifford | Post Your Reply
On Oct 4, 2022 anurekha Jain wrote :
beutiful article. Mental immunity is the main need to live a happy life. Most of the time, physical pain is also because of poor mental immunity. Rational mental immunity is not a permanent solution. It is just a solution to come outside from mental pain from time to time. But Deep mental immunity can be gained by calm and peace
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On Oct 3, 2022 gary marcus judge wrote :
What helps you create a healthy disposition for your mind?Mental immunity is the foresight to understand why you are putting in your mind and in your body will have repercussions in your life. The ability to discern from nourishing and flourishing rather than just "filling" keeps us focused on our well being mentally and physically. I recently had a situation when I was in the wrong and the aggressor wanted to make his point, a little over excited in my opinion, however, I was in the wrong, so apologised and bid him good bye. It took emotional control to not react as he was being aggressive, but the calm and polite way the situation was handled made me the victor, even though I was in the wrong. My early morning routine of exercise, silence and prayer helps me to start my day grounded and I try to carry that through my interactions with people and life.
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On Oct 3, 2022 David Doane wrote :
Mental immunity means to be exempt from mental or emotional disturbance. In my opinion, no one has mental immunity any more than physical immunity. We can increase the chance of mental or physical health, but no one is immune and we are all susceptible. Mental immunity is not "just learning to avoid the destructive emotions and to develop the positive ones." Learning that lesson is major. Developing calmness that is deep down below the surface is difficult for most of us. A key issue is whether we deal with emotions healthily or unhealthily. Sometimes the quickest solution to a problem is the best. When I avoid destructive emotions, I live and act from knowing that destructive emotions are harmful to me and to others, which knowing is more than rational. What helps me create a healthy disposition is focus on myself, looking at my part in my grievance or outrage, looking at my responsibility rather than blaming, and improving myself.
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On Oct 2, 2022 Victoria wrote :
My reflection is based on what happened today, a sunny Sunday, and I had been asked to clean a place which hadn't been cleaned for a year. The time allowed was 4 hours. I saw that 4 hours of cleaning wouldn't make much difference as the place was so filthy. Sometimes people don't respect you, as in this instance - my boss implied how could a one bed take so much time? I feel that in such instances I need to walk out, and this isn't because I have anger or frustration, more that being walked on is not healthy, and sets me, in this case, up for similar cleaning situations which are unreasonable.
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On Oct 2, 2022 Jagdish P. Dave wrote :
There is a wise saying: Prevention is better than cure. This wise saying can be applicable to physical pain as well as to mental and emotional pain. When we have physical pain we take pills to reduce the physical pain. A better way to deal with the physical pain is to find out what cuases physical pain and to take actions to prevent it coming by taking preventive measures to create physical immunity. Likewise, we can prevent or avoid our mental and emotional pain by knowing what cuases difficult and destructive thoughts and emotions. And that way we cultivate our mental immunity.
I have been suffering from physical pain for quite some time. In order to reduce my physical pain I take pain reducing pills. I also have consulted experts to discover the cause of physical pain and do whatever is prescibed to reduce the physical pain. I also apply other ways for managing my physical pain such as relaxing breathing and Yogic stretchings. I have learned not to dwell on painful thoughts and n... [View Full Comment]
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On Oct 1, 2022 Ted wrote :
Beautiful passage! Training the mind via meditation really does work well, finding and appreciating insight, exercising right awareness, right thought, right intention, right emotions leave little for suffering to grasp onto. If *I*, *ME*, and *MINE* are all that fills my awareness, then there are always adversaries, always the threat of "other", so fear, and anxiety flourishes, and the experience is of suffering. When the larger whole is seen clearly, it includes all of the apparent separations within it, every "me" is there, as well as "my" right actions, and none of them take over and require suffering.