How to Control the Mind? - Sri Adi Sankaracharya

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Radhe Krishna To All,

 

Just as a tiger confined to a place surrounded by high walls makes repeated

efforts to jump over the walls and, becoming exhausted, lies down panting,

the mind, failing in its efforts to go out on account of the sense organs

being restrained, becomes calm. Then it gives up all effort.

 

The mind gradually gives up all agitation if the breath is controlled

through pranayama, if the company of sages is resorted to, if the vasanas

are given up, and by the cultivation of devotion to the feet of Hari. The

mind and the breath are like two sides of the same coin and so when one is

controlled the other also becomes calm.

 

Restraint of the mind

 

If the mind is not allowed to go out towards external objects, but is fixed

on the Self, it will become identified with the Self. When the mind is

thinking of sense objects it becomes tainted and tamoguna predominates. When

the mind withdraws itself from sense objects and attains dispassion towards

them, sattvaguna will begin to manifest. (Prakriti, which is the material

cause of the whole world is said to be composed of three gunas or modes,

namely, sattva, rajas and tamas. The mind is also constituted of the same

three gunas.

 

The proportion of these gunas varies from person to person. In the same

person the proportion varies from time to time, depending on the activities

of the mind, and one guna or other predominates. When sattvaguna

predominates, the mind is calm, receptive to knowledge and pure. When

Rajoguna predominates, the person is actuated by greed and is inclined to

engage in action for the fulfilment of his desires, heedless of the

consequences. When tamoguna predominates, the person becomes lazy and goes

into a torpor). The mind of the ordinary person constantly seeks pleasure

through the sense organs. If the desired object is not attained the person

thinks that he has lost something very valuable and is very unhappy.

 

Every one has to experience the consequences of his actions in this life or

in past lives. This is the inexorable law. The only way to prevent the mind

from running out in search of sense pleasures is by the cultivation of

dispassion.

 

The happiness experienced in deep sleep is not born of any sense object

because at that time there is no contact of the mind with external objects

through the sense organs.

 

The mind gradually gives up all agitation if the breath is controlled

through pranayama, if the company of sages is resorted to, if the vasanas

are given up, and by the cultivation of devotion to the feet of Hari. The

mind and the breath are like two sides of the same coin and so when one is

controlled the other also becomes calm.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

--

Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram