Consequences of Time and Location – II

Just as the different periods of the day have a pronounced effect on us, the kind of places we frequent affect our mind, too. Locations that evoke a sense of peace, harmony, mental quietude, places that engender a feeling of at-oneness, are sattvika. On the other hand, places that stoke your passions, appeal to your baser instincts, or deaden your sensitivity toward your fellow human beings or even animals, are rajasika and tamasika. Nightclubs, for instance, with their loud thumping music and flashing lights, are obviously not going to make you very sattvika. Nor is a boxing show, where talent is displayed in terms of blows and punches exchanged, nor a bullfight, where man teases animal into a fight to the finish. One should therefore seek out vistas and venues which, more than titillating the senses, delight the mind and intellect, places that prompt a sense of wonder, and deepen our conviction in the knowledge that there is a higher, infinite Power at play in the universe. If you need to be surrounded by beauty and comfort, hike up a mountain or pop into your neighbourhood garden. If it’s spectacle and drama you want, try catching a sunset (especially a pink one), or a snow laden forest scene… or even one of the so called seven wonders of the world! Let your choice of environment or destination always be one that contributes to your inner efforts at taming and uplifting the mind.