Develop Viveka Buddhi - shift from Reaction to Response

 Develop Viveka Buddhi - 

shift from Reaction to Response

Impulse driven actions

“Oh! what a fantastic sale. Let me buy some stuff before the sale ends.”

“I am bored. Let me binge-watch this webseries.”

“This reel is so nice. Let me recreate it.”

“Let me share my views on this debate on my whatsapp group.”

Do these lines resonate with you? 

That’s action in impulse.

Leading to action without purpose

Today, our mind is actively preoccupied with so many distractions, that most of our actions are impulse reaction and not a thought through response.

We do things, not to serve any purpose but to fulfil the urge rising inside. Action without purpose is shallow. The immediate gratification that it seemingly provides fills us with a deeper void than giving our life any meaning.

Growing dissatisfaction

If we are asked to reflect on our actions, we ourselves will find no satisfaction in what we do. Most of us are always looking for more - more possessions, more connections, more pleasures. But hardly do we understand that more does not give fulfilment.

Time to take a pause and reflect

Satisfaction is not an outcome of fulfilling desires. It is a reward for the gratitude we express for what we have. Enjoying the company that we have, preserving the things we have, respecting the indulgences. And to do this, it is important to take a pause and reflect. Do I really need more?

Develop the Viveka

But where is the time to take the pause?

You are right. In today’s busy world, we hardly find time to do our routine, where is the time to pause and reflect.

Honestly, you don’t need time to pause and reflect. You need practice.

Our intellect is much more powerful than we understand it to be. It is constantly evaluating, making plans, sending signals to mind and senses and performing many functions. All in a flash of a second. The only thing, we need to do is to train it to question before suggesting.

Now, that may sound tough. I can feel my brain working - but where is the ‘intellect’?

It is right in your heart.

When you train your intellect to question, the pausing and reflecting is happening at the speed of the intellect.

So how do we train the intellect?

Here is where your time will be required initially. But think of it as an investment, for the bliss you will experience later.

I am sure we spend a lot of time from our day in wasteful actions - like watching reels mindlessly, debating on whatsapp trying to prove our point, browsing for sale and discounts or just sitting in front of TV.

What it takes initially is just 10 minutes of your wasted time. Anytime you are able to squeeze it out of your schedule, sit in peace, preferably without distractions like, phone or people. Now in this moment, try to reflect on last 24 hours of your life. What do you recall? Instances, memories, emotions? Stay with them. 

Try to hold onto any one incident. Recall your actions in that incident.

Evaluate the outcome of your action. Did it help you serve any real purpose or just boost and pamper your ego?

View that incident from a third person perspective and see how that third person would view you doing what you did. Does it make you happy or sad? 

The answers lie in your questions themselves.

Try doing this for one more incident if it helps.

Practice these 10 minute regularly and you will start seeing a change in how your intellect pauses every time before suggesting.

Live in peace with actions in awareness

As you train your intellect to respond instead of react, you start taking actions in awareness. Actions in awareness let’s you enjoy life more deeply. Awareness leads to satisfaction and satisfaction brings peace. And that is the natural state of the soul.

This article is part of a 5-part reflection series inspired by the Panchakosha — the five sheaths that veil the soul, as explained in the Vedantic tradition. I'm not attempting to explain the concept, but to live with it. Each article emerges from understanding the scriptures, applying that in daily life, and gently uncovering what these layers hide.

This article reflects on uncovering the second layer — Vijnanamaya Kosha, the sheath of intellect — and how developing Viveka Buddhi helps us respond with awareness instead of reacting in impulse.