“Retreat (withdrawal) is most basic law of Nature”

Anything that has appeared under “Nature” has to revert or retreat for disappearance. Appearance/disappearance, birth/death, good/bad – are happening under “Natural Law of Retreat”. This retreat can happen in a moment or second or days or years, but that has to happen. That’s why we say, “World is impermanent”. This is one of the basic truth (Absolute Truth) about “Nature’s” creation. One thing appears and apparently it stays for sometime as if not changing during its stay. But no, it is constantly changing during its stay. Finally it reverses back to disappear. It doesn’t mean that the thing has disappeared for ever. Again it will revert back its disappearance phenomenon to appear again in the sight. So, we have to understand that nothing is permanent as it is now, but the phenomenon of appearance/disappearance is permanent. One who is not accepting this “Absolute Truth” about “Nature” is living under biggest Illusion, called Maya.

Human Mind: Mankind has lot many puzzles to solve in life at individual level. Normal questions are: (1) Why am I suffering? (2) Who lives in me? (3) Same world that gives me so much sufferings, why other people are happy with it? (4) Who feels pleasure/pain in me while interacting with world? (5) How to achieve a happy state?

Answer of all above questions is: Mind. In me, mind is living the life, mind has to go through all sufferings, if not lived properly. Mind feels the pressures of all stresses and tensions etc and manifests it on its subordinate, the physical body. My mind fails to achieve the state called happiness. What is happiness! Most of the time, common mind remains in agitated state, like sea surface with waves. The moment mind achieves unagitated state or calm state, we call this as “Peaceful” state of mind. Once an individual mind achieves the peaceful state, even for few moments, to whole human system, right from physical body to centre of consciousness, a feeling of goodness expands, as if mind has taken off all loads of living. This state is called Happiness, Bliss, Joy etc.

Root Cause: Most primary cause of agitation in the mind is, accepting the world, including self, as permanent entity. That is living under “Illusion or Maya”. With this state, mind interacts with the world and continuously stores the results of such illusory living and remains agitated. Intermittently mind realizes the follies, but non-stop onslaught from the world because of interactions don’t allow any respite to work on it (its agitation). And this way life (mind) goes on. How to tackle this situation is a big problem for common mind.

Significance of Retreat: “Great Realized Masters” worked on the above said problems of mind. They came to following conclusions:

  • Unless non-stop external interaction with world is not stopped temporarily, mind will remain agitated and will never find peace.
  • The agitation in mind happens due to illusory perceptions about the world and self. This illusory living distorts the basic code of conduct and regulation of ideal non-illusory living.
  • Illusion is in the mind and not in the world. World is existing under certain basic “Laws of Nature”. Compatibility with laws always brings peace and calmness to an individual mind.

 Approach suggested: Masters advised that individual mind should retreat or withdraw itself, temporarily, from its normal way of interactive living with world for some period of time. This period depends on the state of agitated mind. Mind should withdraw to some isolated place where it can enforce strict code of conduct and regulations, as needed in ideal non-illusory living under watchful eyes of a “Perfect Master”, totally surrendered to his instructions. Under such living some agitation of mind starts disappearing and mind feels better empowered internally to sustain its newfound state. Continuously living in this retreat state, mind realizes the mistake in its actual living and ideal living. Remember: Mind learns by repetition, it’s a natural law. So we have to put our mind to sustained practices until it comes out of its illusion. Periodical retreats are always needed to bring an individual mind fully out of its illusion.  The world will remain the same but free mind, realized mind will now have different perception about the world.

What happens with the Mind: This is quite an obvious question: What happens to a mind free of Maya? Masters say: In fact, fading illusion means more light of consciousness is coming to mind and mind is moving towards its centre of existence. Masters call this phenomenon as “Yoga or Union”. Note: This capacity of mind to move towards its centre of existence is only available in human beings. But, because of illusion we move away from pour centre and suffer as human beings. But, because of illusion we move away and away from our centre and suffer.

If needed, everyone should go for such “Yoga Retreats” under a “Perfect Master” to achieve the ultimate goal of human life, that is: Happiness, Peace, Bliss, Ecstasy, Liberation….