A personal exploration of the mind through some modern and ancient concepts and lived experience.
Mindfulness, Mindlessness, Mind your business……
If you speak English, you've probably heard this word a lot. Mind this and mind that.
But what exactly is this Mind?
Can we see it? Can we touch it? Or can we feel it at least?
If not, then what is it? Is it inside the brain? In the heart? Or somewhere outside the body?
It’s clearly not a material object because if it were, it would be sitting on a table in some big lab, under a microscope.
But before we delve deeper into this mystery of mind, let’s take a quick look at its etymology.
The word ‘mind’ comes from the Old English “gemynd”, which originally meant memory or the ability to remember.
Over time, the concept of "mind" has evolved. In the modern world, it's often treated as something like a mental object, an invisible system or container responsible for various internal functions such as memory, understanding, emotions, decision-making, and more.
Growing up in the Indian subcontinent, I was somewhat familiar with a few words that point toward what we might call the “inner world.” But even now, I find them hard to fully define. They seem to carry layers of meaning, depending on who’s using them, in what context, and why.
Here are a few sanskrit terms or sanskrit-derived terms often used in everyday speech, poetry, and classical texts that gives us some ideas about our inner world:
- Manas (मनस्):
Often described as the part of us that receives and reacts to sensory input like sound, light, heat, taste. It’s the one that “notices” what’s happening and has an initial response. - Buddhi (बुद्धि):
This refers to discernment or decision-making. Someone who makes wise choices is often called ‘buddhimaan’ in many regional languages. It’s not just intelligence, but the clarity to know what feels right or true. - Chitta (चित्त):
This one feels the hardest to explain. It’s often used to express an emotional tone or mood like when someone says in Nepali, mero chitta dukhyo (my chitta is hurt). It refers to a kind of feeling-awareness, sometimes described as “heart-space.” It holds emotional impressions and memories that can quietly shape how we experience the world. - Ahamkāra (अहंकार):
This is the part that says “I.” The sense of self that owns thoughts, feelings, and actions — like the inner voice that says, “I am happy” or “I am hurt.” In English it often gets translated as “ego,” but that word doesn’t fully capture its role. It’s not the arrogance; it’s the structure through which we refer to ourselves.
Together, these words don't form a single “thing” but rather a composite experience like four lenses or layers through which inner life happens. And honestly, even this is just one way of looking at it. These words change shape depending on whether they’re used in devotional poetry, meditation instructions, philosophical texts, or ordinary conversation.
My Personal Reflection:
It's so interesting how I only started getting curious about the “mind” when I realized something was off with mine. My attention span was a joke. I was zoning out every four seconds and I’m not even exaggerating. Literally four seconds. I still don’t know why.
Brain chemistry? Environmental stuff? Behavioral patterns?
It probably started in high school — that’s when I began having trouble following instructions in class. I do think that I might have developed a habitual pattern due to consistent daydreaming leading to frequent ‘unconscious zoning out’. After puberty, I developed a habit of daydreaming a lot. Like… a lot. Maybe I wasn’t happy with my real life. Maybe I was bored. Maybe my core needs weren’t being met, and I was building a world where everything I craved actually existed.
Little did I know, the fantasy world slowly took over my life.
Well… “took over my life” is a bit dramatic, but you get what I’m trying to say.
Fast forward to college, I found out that a lot of students struggle with attention. There’s even a term for it: “Attention Deficit Disorder” or ADD. Doctors say that somer medication might help. And for some people, it does.
But for me, it wasn’t just about focus. I had, like, 35 thoughts per minute — all in different directions. Like having every tab open in one browser window, all playing music. Life felt overwhelming. Disorganized.
Time blindness. Memory glitches. No sense of how long a task takes. No real planning skills. It felt like I was missing the basic life manual like I’d been dropped into a world where I didn’t speak the language. Life got stressful and felt stuck.
Anyway, long story short, In 2023 I discovered a Buddhist meditation practice called "Shamata", it is a Sanskrit word which means "Calmabiding". The meditation practice is about focusing on an "object of meditation" for extended period of time, either external object or an internal object. It is easier to use external object for a beginner. Initially we start with 5-10 minutes and gradually increase to 20 minutes or more. While meditating, we are supposed to have a one pointed focus and if we get distracted or zone out, we simply bring our attention back to the object as soon as we notice without any judgement. If we do this exercise persistently, our ability to focus on a desired object gets better and we can focus for longer.
Since 2023, I have been meditating pretty regular (I can definitely do better), and I have noticed that my focus has improved a little bit. I do believe if I train my mind to stay at one place for long enough, I will make good progress. I did notice some improvement in my attention span but due to lifestyle stress and other psychological factors, it tends to shorten sometimes. But overall it is not too concerning as it used to be.
These days, with meditation, I am also learning to sit still, not just physically, but mentally. I am still easily distracted and I still escape into daydreams pretty often. But I also return a little more each time. And in that returning, I think, the mind starts to feel less like a storm and more like a calm water. This is just the beginning of my exploration. I do not know where it will lead, but I am glad I started. I do not have all the answers yet and maybe I never will. But I’m learning to stay, to feel, to witness. And maybe that’s where the mind begins to unfold.
And maybe that’s where the mind begins to unfold.
So… what really is mind?
Is it a mirror?
A web of thoughts?
A whispering cloud?
If any part of this resonated with you, I would love to hear your reflections.
What is your relationship with the mind?
Do you have practices that help you stay present or centered?
Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences below. Let this be a space for gentle unfolding, together.
Thank you for reading :)