ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
How did you first think of the term ‘deconditioning’?
As per my knowledge, the term ‘de-conditioning’ in the sense in which I take it is not used in the dictionary. This term first came to my mind when I read a Hadith of the Prophet of Islam. According to this Hadith, every person is born as Mr. Nature, but due to environmental influences he very soon becomes Mr. Conditioned. I learnt from this Hadith that the first task before a person is to remove his environmental conditioning and return to his original nature. Therefore I say that a person must break down his conditioning, and hence become de-conditioned. It is only after going through this process can right thinking be initiated in a person.
What do you mean by de-conditioning?
I would like to give an example to explain my point. When a person is born, he instantly begins to benefit from the life-support system provided universally in nature. This system is a human being’s prerequisite to lead life on earth. But experience shows that every person takes for granted the resources of nature’s life support-system. As a result, one does not show gratefulness to the Creator for all the blessings that one enjoys right from birth. Here one must de-condition himself and must consciously discover these support systems as bounties of the Creator, otherwise one will continue to remain ungrateful to God.
Please give an example to explain conditioning.
An example of conditioning is that when a person is born, he receives everything from his parents. This is why all of his emotions become associated with his parents: his affections are for his parents alone. As a person matures, he must think and realize that whatever he gets in this world is entirely from the Creator. When a person de-conditions himself, he will discover this reality and then will be able to form a bond with the Creator and draw in nearness to Him. Generally, people are unable to de-condition themselves in this matter as their emotional attachment is only with their parents, although it is the Creator who should be the centre of one’s emotions.
What is the method for de-conditioning our wrong conditioning?
There is only one method for undertaking one’s de-conditioning. This method is to engage in introspection. A person needs to develop selfthinking. Without any bias, one must study on one’s own. One should be so serious in this matter that one should even go to the extent of self-hammering to overcome wrong conditioning. This is the only way of de-conditioning ourselves, there is no other method in this regard.
What will happen if we do not de-condition ourselves?
In the light of my experience, not doing one’s de-conditioning leads to failure in life. De-conditioning develops rational thinking in a person and makes him adhere to value-based ethics. One who does not decondition himself is left with only self-interest to guide his life. After de-conditioning one develops objective thinking, whereas without it, one is driven only by self-interest. The latter kind of person is unable to develop his personality.
How much time does it take to de-condition years of wrong conditioning?
Overcoming one’s wrong conditioning depends upon one’s own willpower. If a person possesses strong willpower, he will be able to instantly and completely de-condition himself. However, if a person is devoid of strong willpower his process of de-conditioning will be delayed depending on the level of his determination. It is also possible that one who has weak willpower may never be able to de-condition himself at all.
How to prevent further wrong conditioning?
There is only one way to save oneself from wrong conditioning, and that is by way of intellectual development. Without intellectual development a person cannot even know that he is a case of wrong conditioning. And when a person is unaware about himself, he will also not be able to de-condition himself.
An example of an intellectually developed person is one who does not get offended when somebody critiques him, rather he takes it as an opportunity to think why he was criticized. This approach would help him understand that he was a case of conditioning and that he should come out of it.
Is it possible to become fully free of wrong conditioning?
It is true that one takes the influence of one’s environment, and hence becomes conditioned. But if a person is intellectually awakened and at the same time has a strong spirit of self-correction, he will surely be able to completely de-condition himself.
Can one de-condition oneself on one’s own or does one necessarily require a mentor?
In my view a person can undoubtedly do his own de-conditioning. For this self de-conditioning two conditions are essential: first is that one should be intellectually awakened and second is that he should have a strong desire for self-correction. Without these two prerequisites, self de-conditioning is not possible. Since most people do not possess these two qualities, it is advisable that the majority should discover some competent person and take him as their guide or mentor in this matter.
If de-conditioning requires a guide, then should it be done in person or can we do it by reading the literature and listening to the talks given by the person whom we choose as a guide?
If one reads the writings of one’s guide and regularly listens to his talks, then this method can be an alternative of having a personal audience with the guide. But the condition for this is one should repeatedly read the writings of the guide and listen to his talks on a daily basis.
To train oneself spiritually, the most
important thing a person must do
is to train himself to refrain from
taking offence. The moment one
allows oneself to be offended, the
door to spiritual training closes.