Let conscience reign ~ Life Stylzz

There might have been many exceptions to Freud's view suggesting, the nicest person has the nastiest thought. One premise that still remains debatable is concerning nicety and self-control. Nicety is not sufficient for self-control. When we do not have self-control, there is a nagging frustration in our subconscious mind, which prompts us to designate others as indecent. This is an easy mechanism for deriving self-satisfaction. Fortunately the law of nature is just and impartial: sooner or later the truth comes out.

Evil never dies: it is as intrinsic as the good is. The twin co-exists in us. It is constant introspection and self-analysis that makes us aware of our thought process and helps us control the mind. The left toe of goddess Durga presses down on asura - an imagery representing conscience over-powering the evil in us. Evil can arise anytime, it cannot be killed, it can only be made subservient to our conscience.

All of us have a conscience. To what extent we are able to accept its command is a critical question. Religion, by making us god-fearing, brings clarity and stability necessary in the initial stages. It enables us to analyse and understand. We become mature enough to experience realisation. Without realisation, the knowledge that we acquire is useless. Ramakrishna says one has to delve deep in the ocean to find gems. Waves on the surface yield nothing. If you have a good memory, you may remember all the scriptures but if you don't practise what they preach, why waste time in learning them.

For self-analysis, being truthful is of paramount importance. Your ego should not interfere in the thought process, the mantra should be 'let me be truthful, at least to myself.' Once you start practising this sincerely, you will be able to take a big step towards being perfect. On the other hand, by believing that we are perfect, we only allow ignorance to dominate us. Justifying a wrong action to the self is perhaps the biggest crime on earth. On the other hand, repentance, as every religion preaches, is the greatest tool for correcting wrong actions.

We have only one life at our disposal. Why not take full advantage of it and be at peace and bestow peace on others around us? If we don't scrutinise our own thoughts and actions, we become set in our ideas and justify our thoughts. The inability to analyse the self makes one adamant and self-justifying. On failing to convince everybody, most people become vindictive. It kills the self, gradually, unknowingly. One day the person realises that he has become a liability.

Spiritual master Sharada Devi recommends productive activity to keep the mind constantly engaged and to avoid negative thoughts.

Creative activities, meditation and social service help us in emptying out the mind so that it can hold newer things.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, no action is perfect: so withdrawal from karma, fearing criticism is not the solution. The role of conscience, in this regard, is important. It creates a positive impact and minimises social evil. If we are conscious of this fact, a better world, with less strife, can emerge. With greater possibility of convergence, an efficient system will emerge to ensure greater welfare. The mind will acquire the ability to rise above dogmas. It will think creatively, from which will emerge new discoveries and paradigms.