There is a constant tussle between our heart and our mind every second of our life which we don’t recognize. Most of us don’t seem to see it that way. We hardly ever believe it to be so.
While the mind represents our discretionary abilities, judgment and decision making capabilities, to control or be controlled by emotions and desires, the heart represents our soul and life force energy. While the mind is volatile and scheming, the heart is peaceful and unassuming, unpretentious. While the mind is materialistic and religious, the heart is plain spiritual.
To borrow from the thoughts of Abraham Lincoln, “The tussle between the heart and the mind is the tussle of life, for life and by life”. Chasing the objective of a better life, the heart and the mind have their own perspective of looking at it. Each adopts a different interpretation for the word ‘happiness’. Each has a different direction.
The mind desires, cultivates ambitions, wants to learn from the past and plans for the future. It dislikes losing and adores accumulation of money, assets, reputation, etc. It seeks pleasure and comforts and abhors pain, discomfort. It is easily influenced by fear, anger and can take to unfair means to achieve.
The heart simply likes to enjoy the moment, the present one. It wants to enjoy and spread the enjoyment around. It values freedom of every kind and would strive for a smile on every face. It fears nothing. It has nothing to lose. It displays a complete detachment and disinterest in worldly possessions.
While the mind sees itself as an island different from the sea, the heart sees no difference between the two. While the mind wants a distinct identity the heart seeks to surrender itself. While the mind limits itself to this life time the heart can visualize the eternity of life.
Mind is the ego. It has a name, an identity. Another aspect of identity is the body associated with the name. Happiness is all about sense pleasure. Since the body has an age limit, the mind is in a hurry to acquire all kinds of means to happiness like fame, reputation, money, property, and other comfort providing tools and equipments. It therefore fears not-getting or losing such means to happiness.
Heart which is our soul wishes to unite with the universal soul or the universal energy. It sees itself as a part of the creation. Therefore it has nothing but love to offer to every other form of creation. It wishes to break away from the bonds of life and death, the continuity of karma and the need to exist in a body.
Therefore there is always a tussle between the heart and the mind, between love and fear, between surrender and self ego. We have a choice and we always make the choice. The life that we lead is a result of our own choice.
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