Importance of Madhyamaa

 

The post on Paraa pashyanti was a bit difficult to understand for many. These are higher, much too subtle forms of speech that most people are unaware of. The subject is just for those who want to understand the entire flow of words, ideas and speech from origin to expression.

What is of more practical use are the lower two stages, Madhyamaa and Vaikhari. These are not so difficult to understand.

 Vaikhari is the most obvious, visible or audible form of speech. Language that is spoken, written or communicated through gestures. That is vaikhari.

Madhyamaa is just one stage before you speak. When the thoughts are running through your mind and you are aware of them. 

Wow, what a beautiful woman! 

Yuck, how filthy is that place.

I am feeling so lost in this crowd!

 Here the thoughts are fully formed and you recognize them but for one reason or other have not yet spelled them out loud. 

Madhyamaa is important because you can control her. You can influence and modify her. You can train her. You can avert many disasters by not saying some things aloud. Madhyamaa is also important because she is a truer portrait of your thinking. What you are thinking but not always saying. 

Health, both physical and mental, is tightly connected to our thinking. Negative thoughts that pull you down sooner or later begin to manifest with physical complaints. Feeling tired, wanting to sleep more or unable to sleep at night, headaches, body/ joint pains, tingling, numbness, dizziness, lack of appetite, over eating to combat stress, all sorts of symptoms begin to appear when thoughts are clouded with negativity, fear, low self worth, sustained anger, jealousy, frustration, despair etc. 

Therapists( psychologists and psychiatrists) work to instill positivity into their patients because they know that the problem lies in the thinking more than the circumstances.

 All intervention can be much more effective if the person learns to observe his/ her thoughts and becomes proactive to work on them. First requirement is being honest about these thought patterns. Recognize and acknowledge that they are what they are. Next stage would be to replace negative with positive, one step at a time. 

I am ignorant ! 

This can be replaced with ‘There is so much for me to learn and I will learn as much as I can’.  What does that do for your self image? It raises self worth without diminishing someone else’s worth or harboring envy of others. 

I work hard each day but my efforts are not recognized! 

Replace with ‘it gives me joy to put in my best efforts every day’. 

It takes strength to assert yourself that approval from others doesn’t matter for your work.

The same work becomes a source of happiness instead of disappointment. 

You see your friend or relative after a long time. First reaction ‘ I couldn’t recognize you. You have put on weight and started to look old’ ( I have actually been told this by someone 😃) . 

Instead focus on the joy of meeting your friend or relative, cherish that moment. Don’t ruin it.

It is midnight, I am stressed about tomorrow’s meeting with the boss, I am unable to sleep. Perhaps a cigarette or the leftover cake may take my mind off the worry.

Replace it with ‘tomorrow’s meeting is tomorrow. I will not let it affect me today. I will read a few pages from this book before I go to sleep. This book always brings me peace. ‘ 

Madhyamaa is your accessible workshop. It is a life changing tool at your disposal. 

As I mentioned in the earlier post, Madhyamaa is the Communications Director. Vaikhari is the face of Public Affairs. Once madhyamaa begins to get refined, Vaikhari will automatically follow suit. You will not need to think one thing and speak another. Both thought and speech will be pure. It will translate to a feeling of personal wellbeing. When you have a sense of wellbeing your body does not create mischief with nonspecific symptoms like I described above. People want company of someone who is not constantly whining about their health. Thus modifying your madhyamaa will improve your relationships with others too. 

My entire work with preventive medicine involves changing outlook and behavior. Changing the way people normally think and making them aware that they have the power to change their thinking. In fact they are the only ones who have that power. I don’t use the word madhyamaa but making them practice awareness of their thoughts is teaching them to observe madhyamaa. Once they gain mastery over their thoughts they will need to see a doctor fewer times. 

Thoughts influence behaviors. Repetition of behaviors lead to habits. Undoing old habits is tougher than forming new habits. Therefore the message of preventive medicine is most useful and easier for young people before their thoughts are solidified and invite harmful behaviors and habits. Unless thinking is addressed you can get nowhere with changing behaviors. I have to equip them with control over their thoughts. Show them their options and prevent them from becoming automatic casualties of the tide of societal downturns. The work is just beginning in Pune. We have received a warm reception from many notable schools and colleges to talk to their students. I consider it a huge blessing from the Almighty to let me do what I love to do. 

Saree is a cotton Bhujodi.