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Observing and Bringing Peace and Silence to the Mind-Stuff · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Most people do not observe closely the status of the mind
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  stuff as they focus on the impulses or ripples of the mind
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  stuff. The yogic practitioner has a
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  unique position in that observation of the mind stuff
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  and bringing it to a state of quiet, focused receptivity is
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  essential for opening to and integrating the spiritual force
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  into his mind, life, energy and body.
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  This examination opens up an enormous new process of review.
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  Normally all sensations, emotions, feelings, thoughts
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  ripple through the mind stuff, but there are also newer
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  vehicles that add to this complexity.
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  Ultra processed foods trigger an addiction type response that
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  constantly bombards the mind stuff with requests for more.
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  This is similar to the use of addictive drugs.
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  Various hormones get released under different conditions and
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  experiences and they too may create not only ripples in the
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  mind stuff in the near term but also a craving or addiction type
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  feeling that wants to repeat the experience.
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  Intense excitement Adrenaline addiction which craves repeated
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  excitement or challenges. Electronic equipment such as
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  cellular phones, tablets, computers, etcetera all set up a
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  vibratory pattern as also video games, gambling addiction,
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  identifying with sports teams or other collective actions can
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  build virtually a type of buzzing experience in the mind
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  stuff. There can be an intense pressure
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  internally to always be doing something or being occupied in
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  some way. People become addicted to their
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  electronics or to background noise, music blaring at all
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  times where they feel like they must talk or otherwise occupy
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  themselves with something that keeps the mind stuff vibrating.
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  Times of quiet and silence are thus difficult to program into
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  the being and maintain with any continuity.
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  The practitioner soon learns that trying to observe and
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  manage the status of the mind stuff is both an interesting and
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  intensely focused effort. It is within this context of the
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  forces that work to create these ripples or vibrations that the
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  yogic process of working to bring the mind stuff to a state
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  of quiet, calm, silent strength has to be seen and understood.
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  The culmination does not come immediately.
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  There are thus stages of the process as the practitioner goes
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  even further. The observer of the mind stuff.
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  Chitta can understand the progress by reviewing the
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  qualities of each step as Srioro Bindo points out.
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  Srioro Bindo notes quote the words peace, calm, quiet,
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  silence have each their own shade of meaning, but it is not
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  easy to define them. Peace shanti, calm sterata
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  quiet, achanchalata, silence nishchala niravata.
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  Quiet is a condition in which there is no restlessness or
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  disturbance. Calm is a still unmoved
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  condition which no disturbance can affect.
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  It is less negative condition than quiet.
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  Peace is a still more positive condition.
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  It carries with it a sense of settled and harmonious rest and
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  deliverance. Silence is a state in which
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  either there is no movement of the mind or vital, or else a
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  great stillness which no surface movement can Pierce or alter.
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  End Quote. Reference Fioro window Bases of
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  Yoga, Chapter 1. Calm, Peace and Equality, page
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  7.