We are not sufficiently aware of the extent to which our minds are conditioned by our own past. We realise what little control we have over our minds only when we sit down to meditate and try to focus on a given object or on a process. Let us see why we fail to bring our minds under our command.

Every thought that arises in our minds, whether wholesome or unwholesome, passes away leaving behind an impression. Some of these impressions are indelible whereas others can be very light and can be erased easily. Billions of impressions accumulated by this process through many lifetimes are stored in the "hard disc" of our "Samsaric minds". They are converted into positive or negative energies as the case may be. These energies lie dormant until such time they are retrieved by our present thoughts.

Quite unknowingly we develop our own "passwords" to retrieve these energies. When they are unleashed they can have a mild impact to start with. As it proceeds it can have a cascading effect and can overwhelm us and take complete control of our minds.

In order to understand the process better, let us take the example of a real life situation. The following thought can cross the mind of a wife who feels that she had been wronged by her husband. "How ungrateful". This thought can serve as a password to retrieve a wave of negative energies. Past unpleasant memories of her sufferings can surface leading to depression and frustration. She has unknowingly opened the floodgates of her stored up anger and aversion.

What happens when she gives vent to her anger through a harsh word or an angry gesture? She will further nourish her "reservoir" of negative energies. If the same thought crosses her mind the following day, the impact will be stronger as the force that drives her on the second occasion would be a cumulative negative energy. The process of "inter nourishing" the past and present energies goes on in every moment of our lives.

Is there no escape from this vicious cycle? It is possible for a disciplined mind to break this cycle. However we need to use three instruments described in Buddhist texts as "Sati" (mindfulness), "Panna" (wisdom) and "Appamada" (heedfulness).

Let us get back to the example of the wronged wife. If she can "still" or empty her mind through "Anapanasati" (focusing on inward and outword breath) or through any other meditation technique, she can exercise "bare attention" on any external thought that crosses her mind. These external thoughts will present themselves in three dimensional form and she can take note of them without any judgement. She can simply make a mental note of a thought associated with aversion floating and lingering in her mind. It is looking for an opportunity to take root and find nourishment.

An extremely subtle process takes place at this moment which can be captured only by a penetrating mind through intense mindfulness, detached observation and wisdom (Panna). The mediator can observe heaving waves of negative energy, in an attempt to connect up with the present thought of aversion, as if drawn by a magnetic field.

This process can be applied to different situations such as a person harboring a sensuous thought, seeing a beautiful human form and allowing such thoughts to proliferate.

Once the process is seen, half the battle is won and it is not difficult to prevent the linking of past negative energy with the present. Sheer observation will prevent the linking up. However, "Appamada" – a strong determination and continued vigilence is needed to prevent the recurrence of this process. It can happen anytime we lose our "Sati" – mindfulness. It is possibly in this context that Buddha admonished us to exercise continued mindfulness.

When the negative energy does not get any new nourishment from the present thoughts, it remains dormant for sometimes and gradually loses its vitality and eventually will die of attrition. When the mediator reaches greater heights he will cease to draw from positive energies too. That is the mind of the "Arahant". The negative forces, positive forces as well as the life force is totally spent and he has reached the journeys end. This was described as "freedom from bondage."