Mind Matters: The Secrets of Mental Wellbeing

By Nadarasar Jeganathan

A personal exploration of aspects of the mind, its processes and applications. Finding personal wellbeing through critical reflection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781326975708

Book preview

Mind Matters: The Secrets of Mental Wellbeing

MIND MATTERS: THE SECRETS OF MENTAL WELLBEING By Dr Jega

Copyright © 2017 Dr N Jeganathan

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2017

ISBN 978-1-326-97570-8

MIND MATTERS

An insight into the workings of the mind and how to achieve a peaceful life

By

Dr Nadarasar Jeganathan

In dedication to his parents

Foreword

In 2016, the author, Jega (Nathan), celebrated what would have been his father’s 100th birthday. To commemorate this occasion and celebrate the achievements and heritage his father had bestowed upon his children, Jega spent many months reflecting on the complex issues surrounding life and death.

Jega’s brother, Yoga, and I were privileged to read his evolving ideas, and to support him in making his thoughts accessible to a lay reader. This has not been an easy task for any of us, as we have grappled with the fundamental dilemmas that have faced man since the beginning of time. Matters were further complicated by the difficulties of translating words and concepts from the native Tamil language into English. What emerged was a series of themed reflections which pose questions and reveal Jega’s own views. They were initially published as a booklet for circulation among friends and family.

Inspired by the success of this booklet, Jega has continued to explore the mysteries of life and death and has added new chapters to his original manuscript, which he is now sharing with the public at large, particularly anyone who is struggling to make sense of their life. He invites readers to join him in a quest for individual enlightenment and peace of mind, without seeking to impose his own conclusions.

The chapters can be read in any order: their titles explain the theme of each. Themes are discrete but inevitably interrelated. However you read them, you will certainly go back time and again and reflect on your own place in this world.

Thank you to Jega for the love and dedication he has shown in this work. I am sure readers will find much food for thought in his courageously honest musings. We welcome feedback on this book, and plan a second edition.

Dr Jenny Willis July 2017

Preface

What am I trying to prove or convince myself of in thinking deeply about this subject? Am I wasting my time? I did ask myself these questions at some stage. Our awareness should not be limited with passive learning from gathering information as knowledge. It has to be harnessed as a potential, which requires logical and critical thinking.

Some of us may be content that that is how they are, and or have come to know enough to get on with their lives. If they remain content and have peace of mind, then that’s fine. It is doubtful that they would be so, unless they had some belief system for dealing with serious challenges or changes in life, especially concerning death. There may be others who lead a ‘carefree’ life and have no concerns with anything, but they will be a minority. The majority will be on a ‘path’ for some fulfilment either materially or ‘mentally’.

They say that when there are many remedies available for an ailment, none stands out as the absolute one. On the other hand, a multi-faceted approach is required to overcome some ailments. Mental illnesses come under this category. Illnesses don’t affect the body or mind in isolation. Those considered to be totally psychological in origin, are now known to have an anatomical, physiological or biochemical cause, or some combination of the three.

It is not straightforward to understand the complexity and workings of the mind. The mind allows room for use or misuse of our thinking power. For whatever reason, being carried away with a single discipline in seeking understanding is inadvisable here. One should take into account concepts that are sensible and appropriate from all disciplines available.

If we have made unhealthy choices on what to eat and drink, then our body will pay the ‘price’. So it is with our thoughts and mind. If one lets every thought that comes spontaneously ‘absorb’ one’s mind without reflection, the consequences would be similar.

This book is dedicated to my parents, not just as a mark of respect, although I sincerely feel the gratitude that I owe to my parents, for giving birth to me and for their upbringing which has made me the person I am today. Whether I have a soul or am carrying karmic deeds is not my concern. I’m certainly carrying my parental genes, my personality and mind have evolved from this ‘genetic load’ and the nurturing I have had.

Many take pride in and want to know more about their family tree, without caring to learn from this information. They should learn both the negative as well as the positive qualities of their family members and address the negative issues when nurturing their own offspring so that such shortcomings are dealt with. Otherwise these will persist and go on to the next generation as their destiny or karma, if I may refer to such a transmission, genetically.

Letting destiny lead the way for our personality development may cause us to miss out on opportunities. It is no different to allowing a plant to grow and let nature take care of it, without providing any attention. If you are not aware of the care that is necessary for it to grow and give the desired results you will leave that to nature or maybe to God, I suppose.

I do feel that I haven’t conveyed anything beyond what has already been done by many great philosophers from the past to modern world. It was my life experiences, more than my professional training that prompted me to go ahead with this project. I’ve heard from people who have said that writing an autobiography has cathartic effects (if the book is truthful). Let us remember, ‘the truth is powerful and will prevail’.

Preparing this book has certainly been cathartic to me as well as a revelation into my thoughts and beliefs. It is not intended to undermine the choices and beliefs of other people. A belief need not be challenged, if believing it is good for an individual or for the world at large. The mind will keep its secrets and we can mainly aim to unravel as much as possible with whatever knowledge that is available, that matters to the mind.

When we say ‘It’s all in the mind’, we are attributing it to something unknown - the mind. Is it worth exploring? Exploring the mind is like space exploration, where the sky is the ‘limit’. We should see all the benefits all the way as personality development and that is evident to others. ‘Enlightenment’ remains at a personal level. Any other ‘end goal’ (in mind), would remain beyond our awareness in our lifetime, in my view.

I’m thankful to my brother Dr Yoganathan and Dr Jenny Willis for their encouragement and suggestions on my thoughts as well as for editing the contents of this book.

Dr Jega

July 2017

1 Wonders of the Mind

Is the study of mental wellbeing an art, or science? Life is for living and we shouldn’t be living simply to go through life as an existence. To live a successful life is an art, it is essential to ensure the wellbeing of the mind.

Don’t be dismissive of this subject as being difficult to comprehend, or remain uninterested. Do not assume that the interest you show, if any, in religion and spirituality will be sufficient. Many are content with the working of their PC and mobile devices and not their mind. It is easy to repair or replace them, if they malfunction. It is not so with the mind. Practising meditation and seeking counselling can be useful. Having a good understanding of our mental wellbeing is essential, if these measures are to benefit us to the full.

The special feature of the human race is our mind. Some of us are in search of the best ways to deal with it, before our demise. The Bible, Bagwat Gita, Koran and other religious texts are all considered to be handbooks to reach our goal. The spiritual path may lead to