Understanding Harmony within the Self 2.4.

 

Understanding Harmony within the Self

“You can’t control the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Every person wants to live with continuous happiness and peace. But the question is—how do we actually achieve that?
The answer lies in creating harmony within the Self—that is, aligning our thoughts, desires, and expectations with what we truly accept as right.

The Three Activities of the Self

Image Generation Source- Chat GPT

The Self constantly performs three inner activities:

1. Desire (Imaging): “What do I want to be?”
   Example: “I want to be kind.”

2. Thought (Analyzing): “How can I fulfill it?”
   Example: “Should I help my friend or not?”

3. Expectation (Selecting): “What should I choose to do?”
   Example: “I choose to help—it feels right.”

When these three work together with understanding, we experience peace. When they clash, confusion and stress show up.

Imagination and Inner Harmony

Our imagination is like a movie constantly playing inside our mind—it includes our desires, thoughts, and expectations.
Harmony happens when what we imagine (what I am) matches what we naturally accept (what I want to be).
When they disagree—boom—inner chaos begins.

Sources of Imagination

1. Preconditioning: Things we believe because society told us so.

2. Sensation: Reactions to what we see, hear, taste, or feel.

3. Natural Acceptance: Our inner voice of truth.

When guided by preconditioning or sensation, we become slaves to trends. When guided by natural acceptance, we gain self-control and peace.

Dynamics of Sanskar

• Think of Sanskar as your inner programming—built from your imagination and understanding.
• Healthy Sanskar develops through reflection, awareness, and honest living. 
• Unchecked Sanskar leads to confusion, conflict, and moral dilemmas.
• Sanskar refers to the accumulated imagination (past desires, thoughts, and expectations) combined with our Right Understanding. 
• It acts like a mental blueprint or groove that shapes our future thoughts and behavior.
• The dynamics of Sanskar describe how these mental impressions change or get reinforced over time. 
• This dynamic process is represented by the formula:
• Sanskar​=Sanskar(t)​+Environment(t)​+Self-exploration(t)​

                                       Image Generation Source- Chat GPT

When your desires, thoughts, and expectations are aligned with your inner truth—not social pressure—you experience true harmony.

The direction of your Sanskar (whether toward harmony or confusion) depends on Self-exploration. If you actively reflect and verify your imagination, your Sanskar becomes clearer and healthier. If you ignore reflection, your Sanskar is simply reinforced by external environmental influences and trends.