Be the Flow

I felt like seeing my kids. They were staying nearby at their grandmother’s house. As I started my Bullet and set off, it began to rain just as I had to cross the Gauri stream near our house. What to do? I didn’t have a raincoat. I had my mobile and wallet in my pocket, if they got wet, that would be another mess. As I was thinking that, I suddenly remembered my life in Bangalore. There, whenever it rained while riding, the usual habit was to stop under some flyover to escape the rain. I did the same here. I parked the Bullet on the bridge, climbed down from the side, and stood under the bridge. Strange. Everything had changed. This was the first time I had come under the new bridge since it was built. When I was a child, even though there was a small bridge, we used to cross the stream from below on our way to school and back home. Crossing the stream itself used to be such joy. Back then, it looked so wide; today, it felt much smaller. Yes, it had shrunk. The silt and mud it had carried along had settled to one side, making the actual flow of water much narrower. On the silted areas, grass and wild plants had grown, swallowing half the stream. No. It shouldn’t have been like this. As I wondered how no one seemed to care about this, my gaze drifted to the flowing water, realising that the stream had no attachment to any of this. It simply flowed, cool, clear, at its own pace. As I couldn’t hold back, I stepped into the water. The coldness and the gentle current instantly brought back childhood memories. Standing there with my eyes closed, just feeling that flow, I realised the stream was teaching me a lesson about life.

When you think about it, our mind and a stream are quite alike. Both flow naturally, following the pull of direction, that’s the law of nature. But there’s one small difference. When too much rain comes and the stream overflows beyond its capacity, it quickly cleanses itself, regaining clarity as it flows. But when our mind is disturbed or agitated, instead of letting it flow and clear itself, we try to dam it up, to hold it in. We trap all the silt and dirt, the unwanted thoughts and emotions, until they stagnate and begin to stink. Then we give it fancy English names. We say, I have stress, or I have depression. These days, Gen Z has invented newer names for such things, “mental health problems.”

When the stream gets muddy, the fresh water flowing from behind helps push the silt aside. Gradually, the new flow clears it up, carrying away what doesn’t belong. You can even see big logs or debris piled up along the sides of the stream, nature’s own cleanup process. Isn’t that the same for our mind? If we allow new, fresh thoughts and perspectives to flow in, won’t the old, stale, dirty ones drift away naturally? A pure mind creates a pure personality. Just as a clean stream or river attracts life and becomes an integral part of nature, a clear mind too attracts goodness. Our clarity can inspire others, help others. We can become a source of positive energy, a part of a healthy, thriving society.

Now think about it, have you ever found a muddy pond or a dirty drain beautiful? Have you ever felt like playing in it? No. Such filth only attracts pigs like animals and disease, not us. Likewise, a dirty mind attracts only more dirt. We lose good friends and relationships. Good thoughts stop coming. Life turns bitter, we become lonely, cornered, and that’s when we label it “depression” or “stress” and become dependent on pills.

The only solution is to let the mind flow freely, on its own. Just once, try observing the flow of your thoughts the way you watch the current of a stream. You’ll suddenly feel how clear you actually are inside. When your thoughts align with your inner conscience, your mind becomes clear by itself. You become clear. Remember, disturbance or agitation is natural. Just as rain is natural, so are emotions like anger, excitement, and joy. But they shouldn’t change our very nature, right? If they alter our essence, our personality, then it’s no longer natural. It’s artificial.

Anyway, by then the drizzle had stopped. I walked a bit in the water, reliving childhood memories, then climbed back up the bridge and started the Bullet. The kids were waiting for me. Even as I rode, these thoughts lingered, so I decided to share them with you. My mind feels clear now. May yours too.

While writing this, one shloka came to my mind.

चित्तं नित्यं शुद्धयतु पवित्रं भवतु।

दुष्टवासनां जहातु, सत्यं वदतु सदा मनः॥

Cittaṁ nityaṁ śuddhayatu pavitraṁ bhavatu।

Duṣṭa-vāsanāṁ jahātu, satyaṁ vadatu sadā manaḥ॥

(May my mind be ever purified and made holy. May it abandon all impure desires and always speak and act in truth.)