Conquering the Mind for Meditation
Lord Krishna says “If one can conquer the mind, one can gain the self”. In other words, conquering the mind is synonymous with self realization. Swami Chinmayananda used to say, “The mind stilled is self gained”. Meditation is futile if mind is not conquered.No amount of sitting still and trying to meditate will bring us closer to GOD, if mind is not tamed unconditionally. As the old saying goes: Man is mind and mind is man. If mind is agitated, man is restless and agitated. If mind is calm, serene and equipoised, man is calm, serene and equanimous...A calm mind is meditative mind.If we are mentally agitated,we cannot meditate.If we are unmeditative,we cannot have peace.If we are not peaceful,how canwe be happy?(says lord Krishna.)
Through prayer and worship, we can develop mental equanimity. If we have a quiet mind, then we can meditate. In a nutshell, if we truly meditate, in our deepest meditation, we will become aware of our true nature.
An ignorant man can argue that the mind cannot be conquered and hence, the self cannot be realized, because the mind is always restless, unyielding, agitated, tortured, and tossed about. Hence, infinite bliss and enduring equanimity cannot be achieved easily. Far from it, mind can be conquered and ultimately, through meditation, infinite bliss can be achieved. Mind is our greatest enemy, but if we can tame the mind it could become our greatest friend.
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, that only a man of wisdom and spiritual knowledge through constant practice can ultimately conquer the mind. Lord Krishna says further in the Gita, that with true renunciation of the so called power, pleasure, and wealth, through dispassion and constant practice, one can ultimately conquer the mind. This is Lord Krishna’s declaration. It does not mean that one cannot have power, pleasure, or wealth. It means “ renunciation of clinging attachments to the objects of the world and lingering expectations for the fruits of our actions”, says Swami Chinmayananda.
Because, attachments to the objects of the world and expectation for the fruits of actions are the main causes for mental agitation leading to uncontrollable mind and egocentricity. If one can control these two aspects of the mind, through constant practice and deep meditation, one can ultimately conquer the mind. Renunciation and detachment will lead to control of flood of thoughts in the mind and thereby deepens true meditation to realize the self. If one can live a sattwic life to the exclusion of rajasic and tamasic lives, follow ethical values, develop self control, one can ultimately conquer the egocentric, wandering, and agitated mind and thereby go into deepest meditation to realize the self, our true nature.
If we can live a sattwic life of purity, nobility, self-control, compassion, charity, selfless love, devotion, steadfastness, nonviolence, etc, we can develop intellectual and spiritual growth and our clinging attachment to the objects of the world and expectations for the fruits of actions will drop off. Then mind automatically comes under our control because it has no other thoughts to wander hither and thither. Then only deepest meditation to realize our true nature is possible.
Controlling sense organs is another important aspect of controlling the agitations and restlessness of the mind. An agitated mind is not fit for reflection, contemplation, or meditation. Controlling the sense organs and thereby controlling and ultimately conquering the agitated mind is the beginning of discriminative intellect and true spiritual life to meditate and to realize our true nature. “The Self”. Mind you, we did not gain our true nature. It was there already. Our ignorance has disappeared. That means, knowledge has dawned. Hence, we became aware of our true nature. The Self will shine forth in all its glory.
An ignorant and not so ignorant person also may argue that controlling sense organs is fool hardy because when sense organs go after various sense objects ,it gives them joy and happiness. But spiritual thinkers and sages argue that the joy and happiness that you get by pursuing sense objects is finite, ephemeral, transient, and perishable whereas controlling sense organs and thereby conquering the mind through meditation and realizing the self will give you infinite bliss and infinite joy which is eternal.
If one is looking for infinite bliss, one has to avoid through self control all the ephemeral and finite joy temptations of this sensuous gross world here.
Desirelesness is another aspect of controlling sense organs and the mind. Desires will agitate the mind. Mind becomes restless because, any desire we entertain will leave an indelible impression on the shores of our mind like a footprint on the shores of the beach. These footprints in our mind are called “vasanas”. Vasanas are nothing but tendencies, temptations, and agitations of our mind. If one wants to conquer the mind, one has to keep desires to a minimum and exhaust the vasanas.
Desirelesness alone can lead to vasanalesness. Vasanalesness alone can lead to ultimate thoughtlesness and conquering the agitations of the mind. The mind that is conquered is now ready to meditate and in deepest meditation, one becomes self-realized.
Why do we need to control the senses and conquer the mind to realize the self? Because, self is our true nature. We are not this body, this mind, and this intellect. We are the self, the illuminator of this body, mind, and intellect. The illuminator, the self, and the illumined, the body-mind-intellect, are different. We are the self, the illuminator.
Self is that beyond the knowing of which there is nothing else to know. Self is that beyond the seeing of which there is nothing else to see. Self is that beyond the bliss of which there is no greater bliss. Most of all, self is that beyond the realizing of which there is no more death. That means that you have rea ched deathlesness. This is called Moksha, Kaivalya or Nirvana in Buddhist parlance.
To reach that state of “Jivanmukta” (liberated while we are still in this embodiment), we need to control the senses and ultimately conquer the mind to go into deepest meditation leading to self unfoldment. This is what Mahavakyas of four Vedas are saying: Pragyaanam Brahma (Pure consciousness is Brahman),Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art ), Ayam Atma Brahma (This self within is Brahman), and fourth Mahavakya finally roars: AHAM BRAHMASMI (I AM BRAHMAN).
When we reach that state we are “God upon the earth”. We are “Krishnas” of our life and times.
Dr. K. Eswara Dutt
Lord Krishna says “If one can conquer the mind, one can gain the self”. In other words, conquering the mind is synonymous with self realization. Swami Chinmayananda used to say, “The mind stilled is self gained”. Meditation is futile if mind is not conquered.No amount of sitting still and trying to meditate will bring us closer to GOD, if mind is not tamed unconditionally. As the old saying goes: Man is mind and mind is man. If mind is agitated, man is restless and agitated. If mind is calm, serene and equipoised, man is calm, serene and equanimous...A calm mind is meditative mind.If we are mentally agitated,we cannot meditate.If we are unmeditative,we cannot have peace.If we are not peaceful,how canwe be happy?(says lord Krishna.)
Through prayer and worship, we can develop mental equanimity. If we have a quiet mind, then we can meditate. In a nutshell, if we truly meditate, in our deepest meditation, we will become aware of our true nature.
An ignorant man can argue that the mind cannot be conquered and hence, the self cannot be realized, because the mind is always restless, unyielding, agitated, tortured, and tossed about. Hence, infinite bliss and enduring equanimity cannot be achieved easily. Far from it, mind can be conquered and ultimately, through meditation, infinite bliss can be achieved. Mind is our greatest enemy, but if we can tame the mind it could become our greatest friend.
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, that only a man of wisdom and spiritual knowledge through constant practice can ultimately conquer the mind. Lord Krishna says further in the Gita, that with true renunciation of the so called power, pleasure, and wealth, through dispassion and constant practice, one can ultimately conquer the mind. This is Lord Krishna’s declaration. It does not mean that one cannot have power, pleasure, or wealth. It means “ renunciation of clinging attachments to the objects of the world and lingering expectations for the fruits of our actions”, says Swami Chinmayananda.
Because, attachments to the objects of the world and expectation for the fruits of actions are the main causes for mental agitation leading to uncontrollable mind and egocentricity. If one can control these two aspects of the mind, through constant practice and deep meditation, one can ultimately conquer the mind. Renunciation and detachment will lead to control of flood of thoughts in the mind and thereby deepens true meditation to realize the self. If one can live a sattwic life to the exclusion of rajasic and tamasic lives, follow ethical values, develop self control, one can ultimately conquer the egocentric, wandering, and agitated mind and thereby go into deepest meditation to realize the self, our true nature.
If we can live a sattwic life of purity, nobility, self-control, compassion, charity, selfless love, devotion, steadfastness, nonviolence, etc, we can develop intellectual and spiritual growth and our clinging attachment to the objects of the world and expectations for the fruits of actions will drop off. Then mind automatically comes under our control because it has no other thoughts to wander hither and thither. Then only deepest meditation to realize our true nature is possible.
Controlling sense organs is another important aspect of controlling the agitations and restlessness of the mind. An agitated mind is not fit for reflection, contemplation, or meditation. Controlling the sense organs and thereby controlling and ultimately conquering the agitated mind is the beginning of discriminative intellect and true spiritual life to meditate and to realize our true nature. “The Self”. Mind you, we did not gain our true nature. It was there already. Our ignorance has disappeared. That means, knowledge has dawned. Hence, we became aware of our true nature. The Self will shine forth in all its glory.
An ignorant and not so ignorant person also may argue that controlling sense organs is fool hardy because when sense organs go after various sense objects ,it gives them joy and happiness. But spiritual thinkers and sages argue that the joy and happiness that you get by pursuing sense objects is finite, ephemeral, transient, and perishable whereas controlling sense organs and thereby conquering the mind through meditation and realizing the self will give you infinite bliss and infinite joy which is eternal.
If one is looking for infinite bliss, one has to avoid through self control all the ephemeral and finite joy temptations of this sensuous gross world here.
Desirelesness is another aspect of controlling sense organs and the mind. Desires will agitate the mind. Mind becomes restless because, any desire we entertain will leave an indelible impression on the shores of our mind like a footprint on the shores of the beach. These footprints in our mind are called “vasanas”. Vasanas are nothing but tendencies, temptations, and agitations of our mind. If one wants to conquer the mind, one has to keep desires to a minimum and exhaust the vasanas.
Desirelesness alone can lead to vasanalesness. Vasanalesness alone can lead to ultimate thoughtlesness and conquering the agitations of the mind. The mind that is conquered is now ready to meditate and in deepest meditation, one becomes self-realized.
Why do we need to control the senses and conquer the mind to realize the self? Because, self is our true nature. We are not this body, this mind, and this intellect. We are the self, the illuminator of this body, mind, and intellect. The illuminator, the self, and the illumined, the body-mind-intellect, are different. We are the self, the illuminator.
Self is that beyond the knowing of which there is nothing else to know. Self is that beyond the seeing of which there is nothing else to see. Self is that beyond the bliss of which there is no greater bliss. Most of all, self is that beyond the realizing of which there is no more death. That means that you have rea ched deathlesness. This is called Moksha, Kaivalya or Nirvana in Buddhist parlance.
To reach that state of “Jivanmukta” (liberated while we are still in this embodiment), we need to control the senses and ultimately conquer the mind to go into deepest meditation leading to self unfoldment. This is what Mahavakyas of four Vedas are saying: Pragyaanam Brahma (Pure consciousness is Brahman),Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art ), Ayam Atma Brahma (This self within is Brahman), and fourth Mahavakya finally roars: AHAM BRAHMASMI (I AM BRAHMAN).
When we reach that state we are “God upon the earth”. We are “Krishnas” of our life and times.
Dr. K. Eswara Dutt
Dr.Dutt,
ReplyDeleteCan Self be realised without meditating? I mean by conquering the mind alone, can Self be realised? Looks like conquering the mind itself will take a lifetime. Or is it a process of first conquering the mind and then meditating? Please clarify. Thanks.
Dear Uma, Thank you for your comment and question.As we are learning now in the 2nd chapter,SELF is infinite. Mind is finite.How can we apprehend the SELF ,the infinite with finite Mind? That is not possible.Because,the finite Mind is illumined by the infinite SELF.
ReplyDeleteBut,If one leads a Sattwic life to the exclusion of Rajasic and Tamasic lives, and if one follows Karma yoga (Nishkama Karma),one will eliminate all Vasanas. If Vasanas are purged,Mind becomes purified. Purified mind is a pre requisite for meditation.Through meditation alone you can transcend your mind intellect equipment. Transcending Mind Intellect equipment through transcendental contemplation and meditation is essential for ultimate realisation of the SELF.
In other words,you need to conquer the Mind first and meditation is necessary to become aware of the SELF.
I hope this answers your question.
Eswara Dutt.
Dr.Dutt,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response. You gave me a beautiful answer. Is Nishkama Karma, performing your duty or action without any expectation for the fruit?
Sincerely,
Uma
Dear Uma,
ReplyDeleteYes. As you said, Nishkama karma means performing your duty without anxiety or expectation for the fruit.We are going to study more about Karma yoga in the next chapter. i.e, chapter 3. Lord krishna says, "you have the right to work,but no right for the fruit of your work".One should not have anxiety for the fruit.Karma yoga is one of the important paths to realise the SELF.
Sincerely,
Eswara Dutt.