My son is becoming more and more forgetful. he works very hard through the day, but forgets everything when he sits to write the examination. what do we do?
Firstly, parents should stop worrying. Worry is like a rocking chair. it keeps you busy but leads nowhere. Many things in life do not happen as per our expectations. Yet, if we can keep our mind calm and stay committed, a different level of motivation happens.
Most of us are forgetful; this is due to fear and worry that drain our mental energy. When that happens, the ability to retain what we studied gets affected. For example, tell a person to walk on a road that is two feet wide. He can walk very easily. Let him walk on the two feet wide space that is placed 500 feet high. He will be nervous. Why is it so? Fear and worry erode efficiency.
Similarly, your son has studied well, but at the time of examination - as his mind is filled with worry and fear- he forgets. The answer is to cultivate consciously the spiritual quality of non-worry. Stay calm and focus on the present. Worrying happens when we imagine what will happen if we fail. This negative auto-suggestion should be replaced by positive thoughts. Let the mind say: "I can I can". The cans create success and cant's create failure.
Incidentally, we tend to 'forget' the significance of ancient customs and traditions. How many of us know why we break coconuts in the temple? It symbolises the breaking of the ego. Inside the coconut there is sweet water. When the ego is broken, the sweet water of joy and love emerges. The 'tilak' we draw on the forehead symbolises the third eye, the eye of intuition.
Consider this real-life situation that occurred many years ago in Thailand. An ancient statue of Buddha made of clay, was being shifted to another place. During the journey, it started raining heavily. Some of the helpers held umbrellas over the idol. Others fashioned a thatched roof over the idol with coconut leaves. Still, the idol was getting washed away.. Lo and behold the disappearing clay revealed a figure of gold. A golden idol had been camouflaged in clay to prevent thieves from stealing it. This is the story of golden Buddha in Thailand.
Covering ourselves with clay, we have forgotten the golden Buddha within us. Catering only to body, we have neglected the inner self. Worrying is mudding the mind. Our real nature is like the calm, Golden Buddha.
Once a beggar who lived under a tree died. A year later, when the land was being ploughed, workers found buried treasure of money, rubies, diamonds buried beneath the spot where the beggar lived. Adi Shankracharya pointed out most of us, like the beggar, are seated on great treasure of love, joy and silence within us but our worrying mind makes us live like beggars. We are forgetful. Remind yourselves that you are not a beggar.
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