Matters of the mind

[1]

Swami Tejomayananda [1]

A frequently asked question is — “How to master the mind?” There can be no direct answer to this question because control over the mind is a very peculiar thing. Never to take your mind for granted. We must be alert and watchful because we can never be sure of the direction it may take and when. This does not mean that we should live in fear. The mind is a great instrument if we can understand, control and master it, otherwise it can be our worst enemy (atmaiva hytmano bandhuratmaiva ripuratmanaù — Gita 6.5).
To begin with, let us gain clarity on why we need to control the mind. When we are riding a vehicle we want it to remain under our control. If the vehicle is under our control, the ride is joyous; if not, then we could be taken for a ride! Similarly the mind, which is the most powerful vehicle we have, should be under our control.
Next we need to know, what is control? What we are seeking is mastery over the mind, but often we refer to it as control. Control signifies suppression. We should have the flexibility to use the mind whenever it is required.
So how and where should we start on this journey to tame the mind? The first step is to get to know the mind through observation. After the stage of data collection comes analysis of data, followed by classification, which in turn leads to certain conclusions. Having learnt about the nature of the mind and its functioning, one is ready to inquire into how it can or should be used for the best results. Fighting thoughtlessly with it is going to be counterproductive.
When we begin to observe the mind we notice that it is nothing but thoughts. You may give these thoughts different names, like desire, fear, knowledge, love, etc. These emotions are in the form of thoughts and are constantly rising in the mind. We do not know from where they come and how they arise. Why do these thoughts keep arising in the mind? What is it that the mind wants? Though desires of the mind are many, the entire search is for happiness alone.
Our sense organs are constantly illumining the outside world, which is glittering and glamorous, through the different mediums of sound, light, form, taste, touch and smell. The sense organs are constantly focused on all this and our intake through them is what we experience. Naturally, we find that whatever little happiness the mind has found, is through indulging in these little pleasures. Therefore, the mind goes only to the known and is always restless. We want more and more of what we have and if we do not get what we want, we become angry.
The mind is wild, filled with all kinds of perceptions, inclinations and tendencies called vasanas. In the beginning all our vasanas are out going, so through substitution we have to change the vasanas. Here we remove the existing habit through a process of substitution. Suppose we want to give up our addiction to tea and coffee, we can start by taking herbal tea. In the next stage the desire itself is destroyed and tea or coffee no longer has the power to entice us. In the third stage, the desire for one object may have been destroyed but the desire for other objects remains. The source of desires is the identification or attachment with the body. To the extent we are attached to the body, to that extent we will desire comforts for the body. The desire for satsang — company with noble people — should be cultivated as this makes our ideals become nobler and nobler. Then the vasanas change and the resulting purity of mind gives us single-pointedness and concentration.
There is a saying which goes, “If you always do what you always did, then you will always get what you always got”. So we have to bring a total change in our outlook for this transformation to take place. A thousand-mile journey starts with the first step. To gain mastery over the mind, begin with the first step!

— Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya
Mission Worldwide, is an orator, poet, singer, composer and storyteller. To find out more
about Chinmaya Mission and Swamiji, visit www.chinmayamission.com [2].
© Central Chinmaya Mission Trust.