04/12/2023
We all, at some point complain of being forgetful?
Let's look into what causes this.
According to the Buddhist teachings Sangharawa Suthraya, there are five states of mind that regulate short-term memory, concentration, and focus. The following Suthraya was preached focussing on the ones who are studying but I believe, identifying these causes can improve anyone's day-to-day life. According to Lord buddha, the following 5 states of mind can disturb our focus hence we tend to forget, regardless of what we are doing, whether we are studying or focusing on a project at work or simply focusing on our loved one at home. We need a clear mind to achieve simple tasks and our full potential.
1. Desire - this affects and fills the mind with many things, such as relationship issues, materialistic wants, basically "attachment to a sensory object". Thinking about such things can take your mind away from the moment. This doesn't mean that you avoid all that you desire but simply practicing mindfulness can drastically improve this state of mind and also improve one's memory.
2. Anger - hatred or aversion. This can lead to loss of memory. Lord Buddha has compared this state to a boiling pot of water. If you try to see yourself from a boiling pot of water there won't be any reflection, likewise being in an angry state of mind will lead you nowhere, in memorizing or simply attending o a task. Meditation is the best tool to control and tame anger.
3. Laziness - this state of mind will keep us from achieving our dreams and goals. It also prevents us from using the full capacity of the brain, both sleepiness and laziness can drift your mind from what you have to focus on. If you are a student, try and choose a time which fits you the best for studying, have a healthy beverage to boost energy, do yoga, and choose a place to study where there's lots of sunlight.
4. Regret - if one lives in the past, regretting and overthinking the mind will be distracted from focussing on current tasks at hand. This then leads to loss of memory. Just like waves created by the wind takes away the visibility of the depth of water, a mind full of uneasy thoughts from the past can lead not only to lose memory but also to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Practice letting go of your past by writing down what’s bothering you on paper and burn it. This will give you immediate relief and bring back the focus on the current time and space, the here and now.
5. Doubt - one who lives in doubt, tends to overthink about their ability to achieve anything, worrying about the future, etc will make you drift away from the "now". Just like a bowl full of muddy water kept in darkness, the mind will lose its capacity of remembering if put in this state for long.
There's also a karmic explanation that overrides all the above. which I will explain in another post. identifying the states of mind written above and practicing mindfulness, meditation, yoga (mind-body alignment) can bring immense value to your daily life, while enhancing your memory in an amazing way.