The intricate network of staircases sprawled across the mansion of the mind connects one room to another: one memory to another. Grand chambers lay isolated, catching dust, while gaunt dining halls are frequented daily. Exploring this puzzling labyrinth is tough, requiring time and, more importantly, experience.
Try closing your eyes for a moment. You’ll notice that the black canvas that blankets your eyes does not reflect the canvas of the mind. Some fleeting images, some pending tasks, and some not-so-faraway memories project themselves on that inward screen. Try closing your eyes once again, this time consciously trying to erase all the active thoughts that are plaguing you. Again, your mind won’t go blank. Instead, another deeper layer of your thoughts will be exposed. This one might differ from person to person. The literati might weave words while the art enthusiasts might glimpse picturesque landscapes, the romantics might find themselves embracing Nature, and the humble thinker might just find that locked room that had been locked away for ages.
The humble little lump of flesh that resides within the cranium is a lot more complex than it may seem. It can control each and every part of the body, feel, interpret, create and above all, imagine. This gargantuan mansion confined within the boundaries of our skull is Nature’s masterpiece: a crystal palace that has the power to house anything and everything that can ever be dreamt of. But this crystal palace stands on glass pillars: a single tremor and the whole structure may come crashing down. Don’t ever underestimate shattered glass: the splinters may wound, but their beauty parallels twinkling diamonds.
The mind is an onion, having layer after layer of unending tales, memories, stories and ideas. Each layer has its own origin story and is a page torn off the complex book of life. But what do you get when you peel all these layers away? The onion blooms, metamorphosing into a dandelion, its parachutes blowing away into the vast blue sky of imagination, and all that’s left at the centre is the unbending truth of humankind. In the fast-paced lifestyle that most people currently lead, reunion with Nature has almost become a distant dream. The force that built this enigma has been locked out of it forever.
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." Sir John Lubbock
So how must we find the key to this dilemma in the murky depths of our mind? How must we find the very essence of our existence in the endless infinity of thoughts that plague us daily? Different people and cultures have resorted to a plethora of ways to climb back down the precarious ladder of what makes us human. Yoga, breathing and meditation are a few techniques that we use to relax our minds. Only upon the relaxation of this overused machine can it get time to repair and heal.
The mind frees itself from its shackles when the body is asleep. Try to take an aerial view of your mind and zap; you’ll be pulled right back into the vortex. But when the body is sleeping, the predatory lion allows the meek rabbit to explore the world outside its burrow. It peeks into the undreamt and glimpses at the unseen. Dreams enable people to experience what the senses combined cannot. And all of this magic of dreams stems from the grandeur that Nature followed.
To explore the unexplored, one does not necessarily have to be bereft of vision! Expression raises the mind to a pedestal, giving it access to a panorama of the most magnificent proportions. Even in this seeming ascent to enlightenment, we move closer and closer to Nature. Art and literature have evolved by refashioning and beautifying Nature. From the earliest cave paintings of man to the hieroglyphs of the Egyptians, from the poetry of the romantic poets to the designs of countless human-made objects: we have always relied on Nature for inspiration. Without Nature, we wouldn’t have existed in the first place. Even if we did, our minds would be arid and dry, incapable of exploring, imagining or feeling. There is a reason why the mind meanders back to Nature for rejuvenation. A walk along a forested trail or a calm lakeside stroll has the serenity which most urban landscapes can barely provide. The raw rejuvenating power of Nature can heal the mind.
"Nature has a way of calming your physical body, easing your busy mind, and filling your soul with the essence of the Universe. Ah, Nature, you truly are my sanctuary!" Sandra Watson
Over time, the human mind has given birth to books, food, religion, love and everything in between and beyond! But in doing so, it has increasingly distanced itself from the inspiration that gave rise to all of this. Under the clever subterfuge of progress and development, modern humans are blatantly ignoring the forces that gave birth to them in the first place. This ignorance will do nought but spell our doom. Instead, appreciating our mind for what it truly is will take us back into the warm embrace of Nature. The co-existence of the mind and the world would mean the progress of both!
In conclusion, for the progress of the world, we must know ourselves better first. Even as this article bore fruit, there have been instances when my mind went blank, but finding meaning in the pauses is the need of the hour. So let your thoughts flow freely. Dive deep into the ocean of the mind but don’t forget to carry your compass along. Peel the layers of your mind through meditation or expression and embark on the hunt for its core. Those ideas in your brain are like fireflies in a bottle; all that’s left to do is uncork it.