What is the mind?

Mind is the place where thoughts arise and exhaust naturally. However, if we get engrossed in our thoughts, the chain of thoughts continues.

How does it work?

In our daily life, we come across many situations. At that time, we react with a series of attachment and abhorrence, not only towards the situation, but also for the people and things associated with that situation, and thus remain engrossed in various thoughts that emerge in mind. We don’t realize that by remaining engrossed, we are forming the new mind of the next birth.

When the thoughts are good and pleasant, we claim, “I thought…” And when unpleasant thoughts surround our mind, we exclaim, “Why are such thoughts coming in my mind?”, and we try hard to suppress such thoughts.

Now, if we were the thinker, we would never think any unpleasant or bad thoughts, isn’t it? But negative thoughts do come. It is because the mind is really an effect of the karmas of our past life. Therefore, suppressing the thoughts would not work; it is not the right way to deal with our mind. Rather, try to curb the attachment or abhorrence towards the thoughts.

Just observe the mind, don’t become one with the mind!

Let me give you an example here. Our mind may think, “I would like to drink a peg of alcohol, it is very tasty.” In such a situation, observe the mind and converse with it, “Ok. I noted the thought, but I am not interested in drinking alcohol.” In some time, it may show the same thought again. So again, you just make a note of it and let it pass by.

You can even pray to God of your faith for some 10 minutes or so, “Dear God! I am not interested in drinking alcohol.  I don’t want to go to the place where it is sold, nor do I want to stay in the company of one who drinks alcohol.” Doing so, you don’t stop the thoughts but you instead register your vote against drinking.

The thoughts of drinking may continue to come. That does not matter. It will happen until the stock of past karma (your past opinion that was in favour of drinking alcohol) depletes one by one and finally exhausts totally. But you, from your end, continue to cast your present opinion in against of ‘drinking alcohol’. Thoughts do not mean we always have to act in accordance with it. We just have to observe them as a separate entity. Consequently, in course of time, you will get rid of the urge to drink alcohol!

What are the powers of mind?

Mind has the power:

1. like that of a radar: Just like a radar, our mind informs us about things, that this is good, this is fearful, this is like this, this is like that. It does so with the help of thoughts. It signals what it sees and these signals are not to frighten us, but rather to caution us so that we can take remedial action on time.

Mind may overwhelm us at times, but it is because we do not know how to deal with it. If we do not get scared of the thoughts that mind shows and rather pick and put to use the information it provides for constructive purposes, then we are said to have utilized the power of mind correctly.

1. like that of a boat: The mind is like a boat. It can make us wander aimlessly in the worldly life and it can also take us to moksha if we meet a Gnani Purush, who gives our boat a compass. In the presence of Gnani, our mind automatically becomes steady and peaceful. So, just imagine how wonderful and peaceful His mind must be!

Lord Krishna has said in the Gita that mind is the very cause for man’s bondage and mind is the cause for man’s freedom too. Mind is in its own nature, it is we who do not understand the science of the mind and therefore try to push it away. Once we know its nature and the right way to deal with it, we shall be better equipped to work with mind!

Attain Self Realization (Gnan)

The real right way to deal with the mind, we learn that after Self Realization. Gnani helps us realize that, “I am Pure Soul and my nature is only to see and know.” With this, our belief that, ‘I am indeed the one who is having this thought’, drops. This helps us follow Gnani’s words with more and more accuracy, and we slowly learn how to keep separation with our mind and watch the thought arising and subsiding, without any attachment or abhorrence towards the thought.