Taatiche Abhang: A mental health perspective

Taatiche Abhang :A Mental Health Perspective 

Perhaps on the one and only occasion in his life when Dnyaaneshwar lost his cool and locked himself up inside the hut, his little sister who was barely 9 years old at the time, rose to the occasion to remind him of who he really was. With the study of the twelve short poems one is struck with the simplicity and direct approach of the poetess. The essence of the poems involves knowledge of the universal spirit( Bramha Vidya) along with a descriptive definition of a saint. If read between the lines, underlying these intricate spiritual concepts is a beautiful lesson on mental health! 

In this context, Abhang #5 serves as the best learning tool. In addition there are select lines from rest of the taatiche abhang that highlight key elements towards optimal mental health.

संत तेचि जाणा जगीं

संत तेचि जाणा जगीं ।

दया क्षमा ज्यांचे अंगी ॥१॥

लोभ अहंता न ये मना ।

जगी विरक्त तोची जाणा ॥२॥

इह परलोकीं सुखी ।

शुद्ध ज्ञान ज्यांचे मुखीं ॥३॥

मिथ्या कल्पना मागें सारा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥४॥

Those people should be recognized as evolved (saintly) who hold mercy and forgiveness in the heart. Who embody detachment by not allowing greed and false egoism to enter the mind. Who remain happy wherever they are by holding on to pure knowledge. Keeping aside false imaginations of the mind, always keep the door to your mind open, oh wise one! 

In the course of citing qualities of saintly people the poetess has listed those behaviors that maintain peace of mind. Less ego, less greed, and willingness to forgive all invite less agitation. Lack of delusion ensures being in touch with realities of life. Needless to say a delusional mind is an ineffective mind. To keep the mind open ensures learning and thus ongoing self improvement.

घर बांधिलें डोंगरीं ।

विषया हिंडे दारोदारीं ॥

People believe that moving away from crowds will bring peace. They seek dwelling in mountains with such false ideas. Truth is that a mind remains restless due to the burden of insatiable desires. Whether in company or solitude, one cannot find peace unless desires are reined in. 

Simple living has its merits. Contentment is a virtue. In today’s society financial insecurities are common cause for stress and mental illness. Imbibing basic habits of living within one’s means and valuing satisfaction over greed can take long ways to cope with financial stress. 

एकें उंचपण केले ।

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥

इतकें टाकुनी शांती धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

False pride( too much self importance) is an impediment for learning and growth. It also invariably leads to hurt and humiliation. Keeping ego in check makes it possible to experience peace to a great extent. 

ऐसा नटनाटय खेळ ।

स्थिर नाही एकवेळ ॥३॥

Nothing is permanent in this world. We are all actors with assigned roles in a divine play that we call life. Taking work, and not yourself, too seriously helps to sustain a balance in the ever changing landscape of success and failure, happiness and sorrow. 

रागें भरावे कवणाशी ।

आपण ब्रम्ह सर्वदेशी ॥

ऐशी समदृष्टी करा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

The poetess repeatedly reminds us to control anger by seeing God in everything and everyone and adopting an attitude of equanimity. 

In daily life, being mindful that everyone is human like ourselves and often dealing with their own problems and shortcomings may help us to not be confrontational at every turn and to let go many things.

वेळे क्रोधाचा उगवला ।

अवघा योग फोल झाला ॥

Merit is acquired over a prolonged period through efforts, perseverance and good deeds. And squandered away in just a moment when anger gets better of the person.

At another place she says

विश्व रागें झाले वन्ही ।

संती सुखें व्हावें पाणी ॥

शब्द शस्त्रें झालें क्लेश ।

संती मानावा उपदेश ॥

If you follow the news you know how frequently people snap and cause damage to themselves and others. Previously well behaved individuals turn into monsters due to anger out of control.

The poetess points out that the world erupts in anger fueled by numerous desires and greed. The wise (saints) can douse these fires by their natural tendency to remain cool and level headed like water. 

The world will continue to create anguish with sharp words. The wise must take even the harshest of such words as a valuable lesson.

Full understanding of the damage caused by anger at an individual level as well as at broader societal level makes the case why continually good behavior must be reinforced and young people must be taught to rein in anger. 

This is indeed a master class in anger management.

एक मन चेष्टा करी ।

भूतें बापुंडी शेजारी ॥

अवघी ईश्वराची करणी ।

काय तेथें केलें कोणीं ॥

पुन्हा शुद्ध मार्ग धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Man can control all his senses. He can control eating, can control what he listens to or what he sees with his eyes , or what he touches with his hands. However control over the mind is easier said than done.The mind is wild and difficult to tame. Here’s when the role of spirituality becomes something to consider. The principle is that only the Creator would know how to control his own creation. So turn the mind to a divine power. Devote your life to God. Take a path of truth and purity. Pursue spiritual quest and growth.

तुम्ही तरुनी विश्व तारा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Uplift yourself every day and alongside uplift others. A wise man wouldn’t put oneself down or others. 

Just as much as too much ego is harmful, low self esteem, self deprecation and self destructive behavior are unhealthy. So recognize when these arise and learn to steer clear of them. Adopting positive behaviors and encouraging others to do the same leads to building a strong society with robust mental health.

ऐशी थोर दृष्टी धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Keep the larger good in mind with such magnanimity of attitude and open the doors of your heart Oh wise one! 

आपआपणा शोधून घ्यावें । 

विवेक नांदे त्याच्या सवें ॥

आशा दंभ अवघें आवरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Self search or introspection is immensely helpful. A person who knows himself finds wisdom and with wisdom comes peace of mind.

Giving up false expectations and hypocrisy and keeping an open mind is a necessity for retaining mental stability. 

Self search is essential for evolution.There is nothing more purifying for the mind than learning and knowledge. 

शुद्ध ज्याचा भाव झाला ।

दुरी नाही देव त्याला ॥

For those that have a pure heart, divinity is ever close to them. That implies they will enjoy lasting peace.

The perils of too much materialism:

If you think over it carefully, excessive desires and greed create restlessness and lead to anger and frustrations. Too much materialistic pursuit puts a strain on personal wellbeing and distances one from people. Too much pride creates barriers in relationships and blinds us to understanding another person. 

Mind the great conjurer:

The mind frequently conjures up ideas that are not consistent with reality( mithya kalpana in Muktabai’s words). If we don’t recognize such imaginative troubles in time it can lead to great misunderstandings and problems. Communication is a useful channel to discern false ideas and conclusions.

The unnecessary burden of grievances:

How many of us carry grievances in the heart about someone else’s wrongdoing? Instead if we could learn forgiveness (kshama) it would save us a lot of suffering. 

Positive processing of grief:

Many of us carry prolonged grief over the loss of a loved one. If we realize and accept the impermanence of every thing we can remain aware of the limited time we have to spend with our people and hold gratitude for them. When the inevitable parting happens we are better prepared to overcome grief. To mark the virtues of the departed loved ones and try to carry them forth in our own lives is a more practical way of staying connected with them forever and honoring their legacy. 

Accepting change:

Just like people, prosperity and physical attributes do not remain in the same condition forever. Accepting change gracefully makes things so much easier. Simultaneously keeping focus on positive thinking influences change of a different kind. It permits continual growth and adaptability.

Meaningfulness must be sowed:

A life led with purity of thought, appropriate effort, contentment, introspection, kindness and service brings meaningfulness and peace to the mind. 

Long term vs Short term goals:

Taking cues from Muktabai’s wise words, the principles discussed thus far ensure lasting peace. These changes however take time, conviction, persistence and practice.

Not everyone may be ready immediately for much introspection and refinement.

For short term too there are measures to keep the mind from going crazy.The daily ups and downs tend to put a strain on the mind. A few minutes each day to rejuvenate the mind can do a lot of good to maintain mental health. Whether listening to good music, reading a good book or taking a walk outside. Playing with kids or tending to plants. Taking up a painting brush or putting on your ballet shoes or ghungroos. Reciting a poem or striking a yoga pose. Sitting down to meditate, listening to an inspirational talk or lending a hand to serving food to the homeless. Small things can restore the mind to its state of wellness. 

Whilst choosing such good options as above we need to consciously avoid harmful options like taking solace in smoking, alcohol or other drugs to  feel good. These are like bad friends who will ultimately lead us to regret. 

This essay was initially written on occasion of World Mental Health Day in 2023. Each year October 10th is marked as World Mental Health Day. The truth is that every day ought to be Mental Health Day! Who is available to care for the mind 24/7 other than ourselves? The best day and really the only day to start is today because any other day is a blur. Just as much as The Taatiche Abhang will eternally enlighten spiritual seekers on their path towards Bramha Vidya, they will continue to be valuable guideposts for maintaining optimal mental health.