What Interests Us Most

   'Gossip' is the most interesting thing since it does not concern us! The moment the subject matter of our gossip concerns us we tend to stop indulging in it and become serious? It is the idle mind that pokes its nose everywhere. In fact, practically everything- men and matters, objects of the senses, and all sorts of things interests a mind that has no discretion! The jiva gets entangled in unnecessary things, people and matters and thereby gets into trouble. An intelligent person will be quite judicious in its interests and takes precaution to avoid unnecessary wranglings. It is best to avoid thinking and talking about persons, things and matters that do not concern us. Most of the time nothing concerns us and still we poke our nose in all sorts of worldly matters. Also, it is better to avoid anything that is past and future and try to remain in the present (that is fast fleeting!)! The real problem is every sense organ as multifarious objects that try to catch immediate attention and the mind prompts the sense organ towards it! So, we go after looking, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling things. There is no end to these!
   There is a beautiful verse in the Gita that states, "No body can just sit quiet"!  All are engaged in some task or the other from morning till night. It is so difficult to sit quiet in one place that we start moving about and doing something o the other. This is the reason why accumulate karma. Desire prompts action and action brings forth its fruits, karma phala. Now, what is the source of 'desire'. This desire is an in-born trait and nobody knows what prompts it! It is said, "Desire is brahman". The entire universe is the result of desire of brahmn. 

    The five sense organs and the mind play a dominant role in our everyday life. The mind is prompted by ego and supported by intelligence. These three instruments- the mind, the intelligence and the ego, are called antahkarana. They manifest from the soul, Atman. It is said, "Atman is brahmn". Hence everything is attributed to Atman, brahmn. 

    The problem with us is that the five senses are constantly on errands as directed by the mind and mind is directed by ego to get its desire fulfilled.  The real crux of the problem lies here. Neither the senses nor the mind have any control. They are whimsical and free to act as they wish. The eyes look anywhere and everywhere and will not pay heed to any advice! So also the ears, the tongue, the skin and the nose. They are always active from the time we get up from sleep till we go to sleep. The mind is much worse! it continues to work (as dream) even after we go to bed and get into deep sleep (sushupti). The only controller of all these senses, mind, ego, and intelligence is the "Conciousness' (prajnya). There is no mechanism to control the mind, except in yoga. However, everything works in a sync when Consciousness sheds its light. The intelligence works well (not in a perverted manner) when it gets light from prajnya. This prompts the mind and the senses to work sensibly. The ego (ahankar) keeps quiet under the control of the Consciousness (prajnya).

   Thus, one can just keep quiet when the mind, the senses, the ego and intelligence all are controlled by consciousness.  

   This Consciousness (prajnya) filters all that is not useful to the jiva and protects it from wandering in search of happiness in useless things sought by senses and the mind.

    What prompts us most to look out for joy and happiness are the objects of the phenomenal world. There are always people (vyakti), things (vastu), and news (vishaya) that interest us. All these external phenomenal objects, transient, subject to constant change, diminution, and hence do not give us everlasting happiness or joy. This is what pure consciousness tells us. The moment we take the advice from the Atman, Consciousness, we tend to keep quiet! The Gita advises to withdraw mind and the senses from the external worldly objects and rest with the self.