Tame the Six Wild Beasts

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You have a whole menagerie within, with the lion, the tiger, the

serpent, the elephant, the ape, and the peacock. Bring them to

subjection. The beauty of the flesh is really due to the life-giving

principle Prana. The beauty is attributable to the light that

emanates from Atman. The nasty body with oozing discharges from nine

gutters is composed of five elements, is Jada-Vastu and Apavitra.

Always entertain this idea. Have a clear-cut, well-defined image-

picture like this. You will conquer lust by such a mental drill. If

you understand the doctrine of unity in variety, if you know there is

only one Matter, one Energy, one Mind-substance, one Life, one

Existence, Sat, one Reality, and if you entertain always such a

thought, you can control Krodha. If you remember that you are only an

instrument in the hands of God, that God is everything, God does

everything, God is just, then you can get rid of Ahamkara. You can

annihilate Dvesha by Pratipaksha Bhavana. Look to the brighter side

of persons. Ignore the dark aspect.

 

Emotion is a motive power like the steam of an engine. It helps you

in your evolution. Had it not been for the presence of emotion you

would have passed into a state of passivity or inertia. It gives a

push for action or motion. It is a blessing. But you must not become

a prey to emotions. You must not allow the emotions to rule over you.

You must not allow them to bubble out. You must purify and calm the

surging emotions. You must allow it to rise slowly and subside

quietly from the mind-ocean. You must keep the emotion under perfect

control. Do not mistake physical sensations for higher sublime

emotions. Do not be carried away by emotions. There are certain

people who like to hear some new sensational events just to arouse

their emotions. They live on emotions, otherwise they feel quite

dull. This is a great weakness. This must be eradicated if they like

to have a calm, quiet life.

 

All evil qualities proceed from anger. If you control anger, all evil

qualities will vanish by themselves.

 

Ahamkara, Sankalpa, Vasana, Prana have intimate connection with the

mind. There cannot be any mind without these four. Prana is the life

of the mind. Ahamkara is the root of the mind. Sankalpas are the

branches of the tree mind. Vasana is the seed of mind. This deep-

rooted tree of Samsara of dire Ajnana which ramifies in various

directions with branches full of flowers, tendrils, fruits, etc., has

the mind as its root. If this root-mind is destroyed, the tree of

Samsara, this tree of birth and death will be destroyed. Cut this

root-mind with the axe of Brahma-Jnana. Chop off the branches-the

Sankalpas-with the knife of Vichara-Viveka.

 

The ever-restless mind becomes quiescent when all desires vanish.

Desire raises Sankalpas (thoughts). Man performs actions for

acquiring the desired objects. Thus he is caught up in the wheel of

Samsara. The wheel stops when the Vasanas perish.

 

Just as there are doors in a bungalow between the outer and inner

rooms, so also there are doors between the lower and higher minds.

When the mind is purified by the practice of Karma Yoga, Tapas, right

conduct or the practice of Yama, Niyama, Japa, meditation, etc., the

doors between the lower and the higher mind are opened.

Discrimination between the real and the unreal dawns. The eye of

intuition is opened. The practitioner gets inspiration, revelation

and higher Divine Knowledge.

 

It is extremely difficult to have a calm and pure mind. But you must

have such a mind, if you want to have progress in meditation, if you

desire to do Nishkama Karma Yoga. Then only you will have a perfect

instrument, a well-controlled mind at your disposal. This is one of

the most important qualifications for the aspirant, you will have to

struggle hard for a long time with patience and perseverance. Nothing

is impossible for a Sadhaka who has iron-will and strong

determination.

 

Just as soap cleanses the physical body so also Japa of a Mantra,

Dhyana, Kirtan and practice of Yama cleanse the mind of its

impurities.

 

(Source: Essence of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda)