Whenever you consider a symbol, place, time, person, or act as sacred, your attention is undivided and whole. Then, why does an act, when performed repeatedly, lose its sacredness?
When things are the same, you tend to slip into unawareness and inertia. This happens, when your memory overpowers your consciousness, and you lose your sensitivity. For e.g., people living in Varanasi do not feel that it is a sacred place.
We can preserve that feeling of sacredness in our acts through sadhana, and by living in the present moment. There is pleasure in rest and there is pleasure in activity. The pleasure in activity is momentary and causes fatigue. The pleasure in rest is magnanimous and energizing. So, to the one, who has tasted the pleasure in rest or samadhi, the pleasure in activity is insignificant. In order to have deep rest, one must be active. The proper balance of both is essential.
Let us examine the five factors that influence the mind:
- Place (or space)
- Time
- Food
- Past impressions
- Associations and Actions
Place - Every place one is in, has a different impact on the mind. Even in your house, you can see that you feel different in different rooms. A place, where there has been singing, chanting and meditation, has a different influence on the mind.
Time - Time is also a factor. Different times of the day and year have different influences on the mind.
Food - The different types of food that you take, influence you for some days.
Past impressions or karma - Past impressions, or karma, have a different impact on the mind. Awareness, alertness, knowledge and meditation, all help erase past impressions.
Associations and Actions: The people and events, you are associated with, influence your mind. In certain company, your mind behaves in one way, and with others, in a different way.
Though these five factors influence one’s life and mind, know that the Self is much more powerful. As you grow in knowledge, you will influence them all.
