Conflicts swing and swerve the mind. The result is that either the mind tends to melt, or it remains extremely rigid. Both are not auspicious. The right response will be to understand the conflicts and assimilate their impact. Allow the mind to look at the world for what it is, not for what it should be.
Let all persons, places and events strike the mind with their respective forces. Have love, and express it when the mind is moved by that sentiment. Feel sympathy, and express it too as much as you can, by words, actions and sacrifices. Help, if that is possible. Otherwise, express your helplessness. Even if such a confession is not verbally made, feelings to that effect should emerge from the mind.
Even under conflict, be sympathetic to the needs and sufferings of others. Try to mitigate others' pain to the extent you can. But realize your limitations and, within your own mind, come to a harmony with the situation.
Assess your personality with its worth and qualities. Do not negate or condemn any emotion or other human traits. Instead, understand them judiciously. Any emotion is a mental urge. Like breath, it has to express itself. Following it by words, physical actions or otherwise, do whatever you can, and stop the process at that. But do not allow the emotions to haunt or assault you. Assimilate the conflict. Be in harmony with it.
Body has its traits, the mind too. Let the intelligence understand and evaluate the situation comprehensively. It is like taking a boat across a river, which has its different levels, currents and waves. The boat has to go forward whatever the levels, currents and waves are.
The ability of the mind to host conflicts, and yet continue to perform the tasks ahead, to steer the complex life from stage to stage, situation to situation, is the real psychological stability, spiritual and religious strength, the most effective form of harmony.
What is greatness of mind? Is it merely to avoid unpleasantness and misfortune, and to have a smooth, unhindered course? Or is it the enrichment, expansion and depth, by virtue of which the mind is able to course through any difficult, unpleasant situation? To seek a life of mental and moral greatness and excellence is to have the readiness to welcome any kind of conflict.
In fact, conflicts are inherent in the very existence itself. To find conflicts is to be aware of the worldly varieties. To understand conflicts is the
first symptom of mind's growth and expansion. Then, to discover a greater and subtler harmony in assimilating them by rising to a higher level of emotion and wisdom, is the fruition of the human mind. At no time should a seeker or Knower of Truth feel that there is a situation, which he cannot contain and be in tune with!
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
