How to Learn Better Through Focus and Not Worrying

How to Learn Better Through Focus and Not Worrying

A boy is studying.

While studying, he might suddenly think that if he does not pass his examination he will:

• face much criticism
• have to repeat the same class, along with younger boys who may no longer respect him for his seniority

These mental thoughts may help his concentration.

Such thoughts keep the objective and subjective minds engaged.

But they create a bifurcation in the mind.

• One mental flow is engaged in memorizing what is being studied.
• Another mental flow worries:
  • “What will my parents and seniors say if I fail in the examination?"
  • “The juniors in my locality will cease to respect me, they will say all kinds of unpleasant things…” and so on.

Obviously that boy’s mental power has become bifurcated. What should a wise person do in such circumstances? He should think nothing else except:

He should keep his mind whole:

Boy

I will memorize whatever I’m reading now, without bothering about my gains if I succeed or my losses if I fail. I will not allow any portion of my mind to flow in an undesirable direction. I will keep my mind exclusively engrossed in learning.

In the case of unit beings, what should the subjective mind do when it sees something in the external world?

It should see it, and know it perfectly.

You can convert a portion of your subjective mind into an object perfectly.

So, when learning something, you should:

• empty your mind of all other thoughts
• give full importance to what is being learned

Then, in the future, when you convert your subjective mind into objective mind, you will do it well because you were fully concentrated when you [learned] received the objectivities of the external world.

As a result, you will develop your thinking capacity.

Along with thinking comes the question of retention.

For example, after reading 200 pages of a book you will surely forget 199 of them if you did not pay full attention.

• You cannot remember even one complete page, not even one full sentence.
• You are likely to confuse this word with that.

How can you become more attentive?

Usually you acquire academic knowledge by studying through the eyes.

To aid memorization, however, you may also use your tongue by reading loudly so that 2 sense organs are used:

• the eyes and
• the tongue

This will give you a double benefit.

If you read aloud, your ears will also hear those sounds.

This method of reading is more beneficial for students.

In the case of fiction and plays, however, it is better to read silently.

• There is a special advantage with silent reading: the parents are unaware of what their children are reading.

Retention is facilitated by reading aloud.

One can have great control over:

• the objective mind
• the objectivated subjective mind
• all that the objective mind receives as its object from the objective or objectivated subjective world.

Often, part of the incoming message is lost due to a defective vibration of the nerve cells.

• This is purely a physical defect of the human body.

To rectify it, one will have to adopt physical means to make the brain function properly through certain physical processes.

When psychic vibrations are carried through different nerves – optical, auricular, the nerves of the tongue, etc. – they often need proper adjustment.

For example, some people may be able to see things distinctly and read with ease and yet not be able to hear very well.

In such a case, the vibrational wave that comes through the ears has trouble adjusting with the optical nerves.

Stammering can be rectified if a psychic approach is adopted.

Here the physical approach would not be appropriate.

Physical waves cannot bring a mutual adjustment amongst themselves.

For that, psychic pressure is required.

By exerting this psychic pressure the maladjustment can be rectified.

For this there are 2 approaches:

1. Pure psychic approach

2. Psycho-spiritual approach

When you receive an object or an idea through either the ocular or auricular nerves, you should bring it into a certain rhythm.

Make your object of vision or ideation dance rhythmically.

Such a rhythmic vibration can rectify the defects in the eyes, ears and tongue.

This is why the rágas and ráginiis were created.

Whatever the mind receives through rhythm and melody brings about this proper adjustment.

There is no scope for any deviation this way or that.

This is why Shiva developed the science of musical notes, svara shástra or svarodaya, or shabda shástra.

Due to the strict rules as outlined in svara shástra, there is no room for any deviation at the time of singing.

If any deviation is attempted, one will have to break the established rules.

While attempting to go beyond the set rules, kheyál was invented.

• In adjustment with tál (metre), gazal was composed.

Indo-Aryan music is based on a system, a rhythm.

• There is no room for any mistake, no scope for deviation.

Initially when kiirtana was in vogue, it was not based on hard and fast rules, just as folk songs do not conform to many rules.

Later, however, it was also subjected to fixed rules.

• This led to the different schools (gharáńá) of rága and ráginii evolving out of various rhythmic expressions.

Similarly, as soon as kiirtana was brought within the framework of fixed rules, it became elevated from folk music to classical music.

When you want to memorize something, you should subdivide the matter into meaningful parts or components.

Suppose a boy wants to memorize the spelling of the word “assassination”.

He may have some difficulty because the word is lengthy and difficult to remember.

The word can be split into 4 parts: ass-ass-i-nation.

As the boy already knows the meaning of all four words, he will easily memorize its spelling. This is another aspect of the pure psychic approach.

A good way to stabilize the memory is to meditate on someone who has a unique photographic memory.

• This will increase your own memory.

How can we know the Supreme Subjectivity?

If we simply look towards that Subject who remains the witnessing entity and goads us all into action, He will be displeased. He will say: “Go and do some work.”

It is enough if we only think that the Subject is watching each action we are doing.

By ideating that the Supreme Subjectivity is watching everything, we are thinking of Him as well, and this idea itself becomes objectivated.

The Supreme Subject does not become objectivated, but the thought of the Supreme Subjectivity does.

Ultimately, the best way to meditate on Parama Puruśa, or remember Him, is to bear in mind that in all actions, the Supreme Subjectivity is maintaining a constant and close watch on me.

Thereby, the subjectivity as such does not come within your objectivated mind, but the ideation of the Supreme Subjectivity becomes objectivated.

When this ideation becomes clear, stable and permanent, then one fine morning you will see that you have become one with the Supreme Subjectivity.

This is the final stage of the faculty of knowledge.

2 June 1980, Calcutta