Universe: Controlling the mind

In chapter 296 of Aranyak Parva of the ‘Mahabharata’, Yaksha asks Yudhishthira 125 questions relating to gods, metaphysics, philosophy, individual and society. In Shloka 40, he asks, “What is swifter than the wind?” Yudhishthira’s reply is: “The mind is fleeter than the wind, and our thoughts are more numerous than grass.”

To attain moksha — freedom from the cycles of birth and rebirth — and tranquility, one has to subdue one’s senses, give up all desires, see everyone with equal vision, focus the mind upon God alone, and meditate upon Him with an unwavering mind. All these can be achieved by controlling the mind. Without control of the troublesome mind, Arjuna says, none of them is achievable, and the methods taught by different kinds of Yoga — Jnana, karma and Bhakti, become impractical. They are unattainable and unviable because of the restlessness (chanchalta) of the mind. Due to the wavering nature of the mind, ‘steady continuance’ and concentration on the goal is impossible.

In ‘Bhagvadagita’ 6.34, Arjuna describes the mind as “very restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate”, and asserts that the mind “is more difficult to control than the wind”. The mind is restless because it keeps flitting in different directions. It is turbulent because it creates upheavals in one’s consciousness, such as hatred, anger, lust, greed, envy, anxiety, fear, attachment, etc. It is strong because it overpowers the intellect with its vigorous currents and destroys the faculty of discrimination. It is obstinate because it clings to a harmful thought and continues to ruminate over it even to the dismay of the intellect.

Krishna, endorsing Arjuna’s view fully, says in ‘Bhagvadagita’, 6.35, “O mighty-armed son of Kunti, what you say is correct; the mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice — abhyasa, and detachment — vairagya, it can be controlled.”

Patanjali, in his ‘Yog Darshan’ 1.12, reiterates the same instruction: “The perturbations of the mind can be controlled by constant practice and detachment.”

An old habit can be changed, and a new habit can be developed and perfected by practice, or a concerted and persistent, planned and deliberate effort. In all fields of human endeavour, practice is the key that opens the door to mastery and excellence. Take, for example, a mundane activity such as typing. The beginners can type with only one finger; they can type one or two words in a minute. They are very conscious of the keyboard and search for each alphabet before they press it. However, after due and consistent practice of typing, they do not look for the alphabet on the keyboard, and their fingers fly on the keyboard at a considerable speed.

This proficiency comes solely through practice. Similarly, the obstinate and turbulent mind has to be made to rest on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord through abhyas.

Vairagya — detachment from the objects of the world surrounding us — is the second requirement for controlling the mind from fleeting from one object to the other. We observe that the mind runs toward the objects of its attachment, toward the direction it has been habituated to running in the past. The elimination of attachment eradicates the unnecessary wanderings of the mind.

— The writer is former professor of philosophy, Delhi University

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