The Hindu Mind

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Technique of Controlling the mind

 

By Gyan Rajhans

 

 

In Bhagvadgita Chapter 6, Shloka 35 the blessed Lord Krishna says to

Arjuna :

 

Asamsayam mahabaho mano durnigraham calam

Abhyasena to kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate.

 

Doubtless O mighty armed, the mind is restless and hard to control

but by practice and non-attachment, O son of Kunti, it can be

controlled.

 

In my opinion the Lord has given us via Arjuna the secret of

controlling our mind which remains ever so restless. But before one

strives to understand what the Lord is saying, one must be able to

recall what Arjuna asked in previous Shlokas. In Shlokas 33 and 34 of

Chapter 6 of The Gita Arjuna had talked about the restless nature of

mind and hence, he had told the Lord that the mind is as hard to

control as the wind. In this shlok 35 the Lord gives Arjuna the

technique of controlling the mind. However, first the Lord agrees

with Arjuna that the mind is not easy to control and then the Lord

gives us via Arjuna two important means to control the mind. The

first one is Practice and the second one is Non-attachment.

 

Now let us try to understand these two techniques. Why do we find it

hard to control our minds? Because we have become slave to our minds.

We have completely surrendered ourselves to the bent of our minds.

The Lord says we can change our old habits if we so desire. The

uncontrollable and restless mind can be controlled and made calm by

earnest and persistent practice. What is Practice? A consistent

attempt.

 

To wean the mind from its old habit of restlessness requires regular

and persistent attempt to draw it towards someone who is always at

peace. Who is that someone? God who is always at peace. Mind becomes

pacified as it gets drawn to God. Lord Krishna however cautions that

the practice alone may not work because the mind runs after those

objects to which it has been attached. What should we do then?

 

The Lord gives us the second watchword- " Non-attachment " . How? Tell

your mind that you as the soul are its boss and you have experienced

the evils of such attachments of the mind. You have to remind the

mind of these evils every time it wanders. Ask your mind what had it

achieved by running after worldly attachments? More pain than

pleasure? Is there any worldly relation that is not based on

selfishness? Is there any thing in the world that has given your mind

ever lasting pleasure? Remind your mind about all the sufferings due

to attachments. Thus, you will see that when all the worldly

attachments are put down through discrimination, the mind slowly but

surely comes under control.

 

The essence of Lord's message is that if we want to succeed in the

practice of meditation for controlling our mind, we have to learn the

practice of non-attachment.

 

SHRI GANESHARPANAMASTU.