Control of Mind

Mind or Anthakarana is our inner organ of coordination. It is made up of thoughts. The thoughts can be divided into four categories, based on the their nature or function.  They are Manas, of the nature of doubt; Buddhi, of the nature of decision; Ahamkara, of the nature of ego; and Chitta, of the nature of memory. The mind receives the stimuli from sense organs and interprets the information, which is conveyed to the brain and transmits the brain’s commands for action to the sense organs.  Thus it is the most important part of one’s personality along with the body as one’s action, reaction and understanding depends upon its function.  As all the joys and sorrows, successes, failures and relationships exist as thoughts only it is said “Mind can make hell of a heaven and a heaven of hell”.  

The following four faculties of the mind and brain distinguish the human from the animals

1)    Faculty of reasoning and understanding

2)    Faculty of emotions and sentiments, of sharing and caring, interacting emotionally

3)    Faculty known as ingenuity that enables one to be inventive or resourceful

4)    Indomitable will

To make good use of these faculties for conquering one’s animal nature one should have control over mind. Control over mind means that one has the ability to determine the nature and direction of thoughts all the time.  The control is so complete that the mind must be ready to do one’s bidding at all times.   If this control is an asset in workplace for ordinary person, it is an indispensable requirement for a spiritual seeker for achieving the goal of Liberation.  As Amrita bindhu Upanishad states:

Mana eva manushyanaṃ karanam bandha-mokshayoh I

Bandhaya vishayasaktam muktham nirvishayam smrtam II2II

Mind alone is the cause for people's bondage and liberation.  When attached to objects, it leads to bondage. When free from objects, it leads to liberation.

So it is all the more necessary for a spiritual seeker to be a master of the mind to take the extrovert mind away from the glamour and glitter of the outside world and turn it inward, and harness its powers of reason, emotionality, ingenuity and indomitable will to achieve the goal of Liberation.

But control of mind is a tough job as Arjuna observes in Gita (6-35):

Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi balavad dridham;

Tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram.

The mind verily is restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, O Krishna! I consider its control as difficult as control of the wind.

Sri Krishna agrees with Arjuna that it is not an easy job to control the mind and also suggests the way to achieve it in sloka, 6-36:

Asamsayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham chalam;

Abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha grihyate.

O mighty-armed one, undoubtedly the mind is difficult to control and restless; but, it can be brought under control by practice and by dispassion.

So the key to mastery of mind is abhyasa, practice and vairagya, dispassion. We shall see them in a little more detail.

Abhyasa – In Patanjali Yoga sutras (1-14) abhyasa is defined as “sa tu dirghakalanairanntaryasatkarasevito drdhabhumih (It becomes finally grounded by being continued for a long time with reverence, without interruption)". This implies three things.  The practice must be with complete faith and dedication; the practice must be pursued without break; and the practice must go on for a long time.  One cannot set a deadline and get impatient after certain time nor do it by fits and starts depending upon the mood.  One should get so attached to abhyasa that one should feel disturbed if he misses daily practice even for a day.   Satsang and constant self-analysis are great help in keeping the mind on the path of abhyasa

Vairagya – In the Prakarana grantha,Tattva Bodha, vairagya is described as, "Iha svargabhogesu iccharahityam (The absence of desire or addiction for the enjoyment of sense pleasures of this world as well as of the other world)". This dispassion arises not out of frustration or failure to achieve but is born of wisdom that the peace and happiness sought through worldly experiences, possessions and relationships are only temporary and transitory in nature and suffer from the three defects of Dukha misritatvam, mixed with pain, Atrpti karathvam, not giving total satisfaction, and Bandhakatvam, creating dependence. In acquiring, in preserving and in the inevitable losing one suffers pain and even after acquiring one does not get lasting satisfaction and finally the material objects, that give temporary pleasure and satisfaction, create a sense of dependence over a period of time. Dispassion does not mean one hates worldly objects, experiences and relationships or runs away from them but only does not crave for them in their absence or gets attached to them in their presence. Dispassion arises out of the wisdom that dependence on them for one’s happiness and peace is like leaning on a cardboard chair.  A cardboard chair can be treasured in the showcase, admired as an ornamental piece but cannot be leaned upon. One has only disinterested detachment towards all the pleasures and objects of the world and is not averse to enjoy them as long as one’s punya allows. Nachiketas in Kathopanishad exhibits this vairagya when tempted by Yama with wealth and longevity, as much as he desires, including overlordship over earth and celestial pleasures and sticks to his request concerning Athma as the third boon saying they are all ephemeral and wealth does not satisfy a person (Ch. 1 Valli 1, Mantras 20 to 29)

Until the wisdom of the transitory nature of peace and happiness that comes of worldly pleasures, objects and relationships take unshakable roots in the mind, one should exercise vigilance to see mind does not slip back to old ways of dependence on worldly objects and relationships for peace and happiness. For this purpose one should adopt karma yoga way of life conducting all his transactions with the outside world with Iswararpana buddhi and accepting the results of his actions with prasada buddhi. With a strong devotion to Iswara, he acts with the thought of Iswara always in his mind and accepts all results without like or dislike as he would accept prasada.  He continues carrying out his duties without raga and dwesha colouring his attitude. In short he changes his way of life to God- centric one from world –centric one. Secondly he should be careful of the company he keeps as Satsangha fortifies his will in his efforts and Dussangha weakens his resolve. So association with spiritually-minded people, exposure to spiritual literature and daily religious routine with Shraddha helps one to make the spirit of vairagya rock-solid.

One passes through three stages as one tries to wean the mind away consciously from attachment to worldly desires and experiences.  In the first stage all the likes and dislikes towards objects of the world are active in the mind and is characterized by struggle to control the natural tendencies of hate, violence etc.  In the second stage where one has partial success in overcoming the effects of raga and dwesha, he should persist with the above precautions.  In the third stage the conscious aspect of raga and dwesha is exterminated although the roots may be there in the subconscious as latent vasanas. This also is completely extinguished and vairagya  becomes one’s second nature when one is established in Self-knowledge.

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The Spiritual Journey Within

Adhyathmika Yatra

(Based on the lectures of Swami Paramarthananda)

A spiritual seeker, seeking answers to the questions, “Who is God?” and “Who am I?” etc., needs to undertake a spiritual journey within to get the answers.  The starting sadhana for this spiritual quest is given as Karma yoga in scriptures.  Karma yoga is elaborately discussed in the third chapter of Gita and can be briefly defined as proper actions performed with proper attitude backed by proper values.  Swami Paramarthananda defines Karma yoga using an acronym “RIDE”, where each letter stands for an instruction.  R stands for ‘Reduce Adharmic activities’; I for ‘Increase Dharmic activities’; D for ‘Dedicate all actions to the Lord’; and E for ‘Experience everything as Prasada’.

Reduction of Adharmic activities: - Adharmic activities are the actions and responses that do not conform to Dharma, as laid down by the scriptures.  They act as obstacles to one’s spiritual progress and they must be reduced gradually over a period of time with commitment. Lord Krishna has given a list of qualities that gives rise to such actions as Asuri sampath in the 16^th chapter of Gita. In simple language it can be stated as avoidance of all actions and responses which one does not want from others towards oneself.  In short, don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you, is the prescription. That means one should strive to be alert and watchful all the time to avoid all prohibited actions and responses completely.

Increase Dharmic activities: - Simultaneous with reducing Adharmic activities, one must try to increase the performance of Dharmic actions.  These are popularly known as Pancha Maha Yajna in the form of reverential attitude and worship/service of 1) deities symbolizing divinity (Deva Yajna); 2) sages and rishis and scriptures (Brahma Yajna); 3) parents and forefathers (Pitru Yajna);  4) society at large (Manushya Yajna); 5) animals and plants and the environment itself (Bhutha Yajna). 

Dedicate all actions to the Lord: - Doing all one’s actions as worship of Lord, treating material consequences as subservient to spiritual growth. This is also called Iswararpana Buddhi. 

Experience everything as Prasada: - To accept and experience the results of actions as Iswara Prasada, without complaint, and without question ‘Why me’.

Before the seeker starts on the spiritual journey, God is in one’s life, only for a brief moment during prayer at home or in occasional satsang or during a visit to temple, where he seeks something for himself or for people close to him or where he seeks to avoid something for himself or for people close to him.  He blames everybody else including God, for things going wrong with him.  He wants to change everything else and everybody else except himself.  As he progresses in following the ‘RIDE’ in Karma Yoga, God-consciousness underpins all his thoughts and actions. In fact the priority shifts away from material pursuits and his prayers also reflect it.  The seeker seeks Lord’s Grace only at all times for his spiritual advancement.  Even the material benefits he seeks are to equip him better for progress in the spiritual path.  And as he progresses in the practice of Karma Yoga, spiritual goal becomes the primary goal of life and he develops purity of mind conducive for the acquiring and absorption of Jnanam through Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga consists of three stages; Sravanam, Mananam and Nitidyasanam leading to acquisition, absorption and assimilation of Self Knowledge through the analytical study of Sastras. Of these Sravanam, the first stage is consistent, systematic study of Sastras under a competent Guru over a length of time where the Guru’s teaching of Sastras acts as a virtual mirror to discover one’s Self removing Self ignorance.  The subject is so subtle and truth it reveals is so ‘startling’ that Swami Paramarthananda advises one should prepare for it through PORT reduction where PORT stands for possessions, obligations or responsibilities, relationships and transactions, which with their demands on time and mental preoccupation will be an obstacle for deep study and contemplation.  So to get quality time for the study of Sastras and to benefit by it PORT reduction is advised. When one with PORT reduction goes through consistent and systematic study over a length of time one learns the Truth from the Vedantic scriptures that was termed ‘startling’ earlier.  This message Swamiji sums up in five capsules which run as: 

1)    I am of the nature of eternal and all-pervading Consciousness.

2)    I am the only source of permanent, peace, security and happiness

3)    By my mere presence, I give life to the material body and through the body, I experience the material universe. The word “body” includes the mind because the mind is also a subtle form of body

4)    I am not affected by anything that takes place in the material world and in the material body, including the material mind

5)    By forgetting my nature, I convert life into a struggle and by remembering my nature, I convert life into a sport or entertainment.

Consciousness, which is defined as oneself, has five features which are, again in the words of Swamiji:

1) Consciousness is not part, product or property of the body

2) Consciousness is an independent entity or principle which pervades and enlivens the body

3) Consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body

4) Consciousness continues to exist or survive even after the death of the body

5) The surviving consciousness is not accessible because of the absence of the body medium

When the seeker learns the five features of the Consciousness and relates it to “I” and tries to use the word ‘I’ in the meaning of Consciousness, several doubts assail him, which have to be cleared through Mananam.  Mananam is the process through which all the intellectual obstacles in the way of absorption of this knowledge is removed and the knowledge gets converted to conviction. Discussion with Guru and fellow-seekers and also self-contemplation helps the student to have the doubts clarified and be intellectually convinced. This doubt-free knowledge has to be assimilated deconditioning all the negative emotions developed in the ignorant mind so that it becomes his second nature, which turns him into a Jivan muktha.  This process of internalisation of knowledge is effected  through  Nitidyasanam, Vedantic meditation.  Chapter 6 of Bhagavad Gita discuses this meditation only.  Nitidyasanam involves meditation on Mahavakhyas that spell out the Jiva Brahma Ikyam.  With successful assimilation of Mahavakhya teachings, the Vedantic message “Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva na Parah”, the seeker blossoms into a Jivan Muktha, with his views of world, God, himself and Moksha completely transformed. 

In the new mindset he no longer sees the world in the triangular format of Iswara, world and Jiva, but only in the binary format of athma and anathma where athma only is absolute Reality while anathma is only apparently Real.  His goal of Moksha at a future date is also changed as he sees himself as a Muktha Purusha all the time with the upadhi of body.  So in his view no bondage, no Liberation; no Jivan Mukthi, no Videha Mukthi applies to him.  If one after realization of his inner Divinity can stay steadfast like this with the inner conviction of the essential Divinity of one and all as well, then that person can be said to have arrived at the end of the spiritual journey. The journey that started at Aham (ego) and continued to Daso’ham (triangular format) now ends with the assertion, after Realisation, of So’ham (binary format).

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Saint & Starter

Bhaja Govindham 7

Verse 18

sura mandira taru mula nivasah sayya bhutalam ajinam vasah |

sarva parigraha bhoga tyagah kasya sukham na karoti viragah || 18 ||

He lives under a tree at the temple premises; his bed is the bare ground and dress is deerskin; he has given up all desires for worldly possessions and enjoyment of earthly pleasures; who won’t be happy, living with this kind of renunciation?

This verse is composed by Sri Nithyananda.  In this verse we have a picture of a true sanyasi, a man of dispassion who has given up all possessions. He lives at the root of a tree outside a temple; his bed is the lap of Mother Earth herself. His dress is only a simple deer skin.  He has renounced all pleasures both physically and mentally.  The life of utter simplicity described here, is not extremism or moderation. This is how great saints like Swami Tapovan Maharaj and Swami Sivananda lived after willingly renouncing their lucrative careers and choosing voluntarily to live the type of a simple life described here, accepting cheerfully all the hardships involved.  After describing the life of a true Vairagi, Acharya wonders why such a person should not be happy, for he has freed himself from the four things that causes mental preoccupation and worry.  They are possessions, obligations, relationships and transactions, which Swami Paramarthananda describes in his lectures as PORT.  His mind is unattached to the objects of the world.   He doesn’t crave for pleasures, and is free from fondness and fear; virtue and vice, attraction and aversion.  He is devoid of longing as he is freed from all desires.  As he has abandoned all the desires of the heart he is free from the delusion created by them.  He is not carried away with happiness or lost in worries.  He behaves with equanimity in happiness or sorrow, gain or loss, victory or defeat.  It is of such a person that Gita describes in 2-55 as one “satisfied in the Self by the Self” (atmanyeva atmana thushtaha).

Verse 19

yogarato va bhogarato va sangarato va sangavihinaḥ |

yasya brahmani ramate cittam nandati nandati nandatyeva ||

One may be immersed in Yoga or indulged in worldly pleasures; at times he may be in the company of others and at other times he may be alone.  But he alone whose mind delights in Brahman experiences bliss.

This verse is composed by Sri Aananda Giri.  He continues with the experience of the Yogi described in the previous verse. This Yogi has realized Brahman as his Real Self.  As Brahman is permanent pure Bliss, he is experiencing pure Bliss all the time as his mind is always absorbed in Brahman.  Whether such a yogi pursues Nivritti Marga (Yogarathaha) or Pravritti Marga(bhogarathaha), it does not matter. Whether he is in Grihastha asrama (sangarathaha) or Sanyasa asrama (sangavihinaha), it does not matter.  What matters is his mind is fixed in Brahman all the time.  Happiness is a state of mind and this permanent happiness cannot come from any external object, individually or collectively, as they themselves are not permanent.  So the happiness of mind in experiencing them has limited life and it binds one also in karma.  But the enjoyment of bliss in the realization of Brahman is permanent and free of karmic baggage.  Transcending the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), his mind is firmly established in a state of equilibrium.  The feeling of “I” and “mine” also disappears.  So with the mind focused on Brahman only, he is free of anguish and agitations and enjoys peace and tranquillity internally all the time.

Verse 20

bhagavad gita kincidadhita ganga jalalava kaṇikapita |

sakṛdapi yena murari samarca kriyate tasya yamena na carca || 

One who has understood at least a little of the Bhagavad Gita, or drank a drop of water from the holy Ganga, or at least once in his life worshipped the Lord Krishna, has no quarrel with Yama at the time of death.

In this verse three sadhanas are mentioned engaging in which with faith and sincerity, one can make a good start in the path of spiritual salvation. Significantly each of these sadhanas stand for a different path of Yoga, as given below:. 

1)    Study of Bhagavad Gita, that stands for study of spiritual literature – Jnana Yoga

2)    Drinking water from river Ganga, that stands for pilgrimage and bath in holy rivers – Karma Yoga

3)    Worship of Lord Krishna, that stands for regular puja and worship - Bhakthi Yoga

It is significant that Lord Krishna is spoken of as Murari; slayer of demon, Mura, who symbolises egoism. Egoism is a big obstacle for spiritual progress and subduing egoism is an important requirement for progress in the path of Self-realisation. “He has no quarrel with Yama” indicates that this sadhaka has no fear of death.

Acharya lovingly suggests in this verse to the spiritual aspirant who is looking for guidance on what spiritual sadhana to start and how to pursue the sadhana for his spiritual salvation, to start from doing  ‘something small’ and has shown areas from each yoga for his choice.  He is aware that once a person makes a start and begins to derive some benefit, he will be enthused to continue in the path with vigour and keenness.  After all it is from small beginnings that big things are developed.  So these steps singly or collectively, when pursued with a vision of the final goal of Liberation, can lead one to that goal. 

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Actionlessness & State of Brahman

Gita essays 35

 

After concluding the guna-wise analysis of various topics with a declaration emphasising the point that there is nothing in the creation which is free from the influence of the three guṇas, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas that constitute Prakrithi, Lord Krishna applies the characteristics of various gunas to the social fabric and classifies the entire mankind under four different heads viz. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras. Lord Krishna has stated earlier (ch.4-ver.13) that human society is divided fourfold, based on duties and gunas. Now He elaborates further stating that different kinds of duties are assigned to each of these categories of individuals depending on their nature (Swabhava) which in turn depends on the gunas predominant in them.  This classification is based on the quality of the inner personality of the individuals and not on the accident of their birth. The emphasis on Swabhava indicates that human beings are to be treated as individuals and not as types. Predominating guna-wise classification is as follows:

1.     Brahmanas - predominantly  Satva (75%), some Rajas (15%) and a little Tamas (10%).
2.     Kshatriyas - predominantly Rajas (75%) with some Satva (15%) and a little Tamas (10%).
3.     Vaisyas - predominantly Rajas (75%), some Tamas (15%) and a little Satva (10%).
4.     Sudras - - predominantly Tamas (75%) some Rajas (15%) and a little Satva (10%).

The various duties of each of these categories of the individuals depending on their own nature (swabhavajam) are listed by the Lord as follows in verses 42, 43 & 44:

The control of mind and senses, austerity, external and internal purity, forgiveness, straightforwardness, jnanam, vijnanam, and faith in God and Vedas constitute the natural duties of the brahmaṇas born of their own nature. (18-42)

Valour, boldness, fortitude, resourcefulness, not running away from battle, generosity and overlordship are the duties of kshatriyas, born of their own nature.(18-43)  

Agriculture, cattle rearing and trade are the duties of the Vaisya class born of their own nature; action consisting of service is the duty of the Sudra class born of their own nature. (18-44)

A particular combination of gunas arise in a human being not because he is born in a particular group or community but because he is a product of his previous actions performed in his previous lives. Given the faculty of freewill, each human being performs different actions. These actions produce results, some of which are immediate and visible while some are invisible and carried forward as a residue. That which is immediate is enjoyed in that birth itself while the residual results come to fruition as vasanas in some future life.  When each one works according to vasanas in him and fully devotes himself to the prescribed duties, he develops within himself and attains gradually the state of spiritual perfection.  Lord Krishna says all these four professions are equally sacred; they are like the four organs of the body called the society; just as every organ is equally sacred in the body every profession is equally sacred.  Lord Krishna points out that karma yoga consists of worship of the Lord through any profession that a person undertakes. Through any profession a person chooses, he directly contributes to the world by way of benefit to the society. Social benefit is the direct outcome; but to convert it into an act of worship one should have the attitude of offering that action to the Lord.  When one learns to work and achieve in a spirit of surrender to God, work becomes worship free from ego and egocentric desires. Lord Krishna says by so performing one's own duties, svadharma, one can evolve into higher state of self-unfoldment.

Lord is not tired of repeating that sense-control and freedom from desire are essential to spiritual perfection, which Lord calls as “Supreme state of freedom from action (naishkarmya siddhi)”.  Attachments to objects, a sense of ego, are the characteristics of our lower nature. If we are to rise to gain knowledge of our true Self, we must conquer our lower nature with its ignorance and inertia, its love of worldly possessions, etc.  The state of actionlessness or transcending all work does not mean complete withdrawal from all work. Such a question is not possible so long as we live in the body.  What Lord advocates is the state of inner renunciation only. For attaining Brahman from this state of naishkarmya siddhi, Lord highlights nitidyasanam, Vedantic meditation, as the path in verses 51 to 53 thus:

Endowed with a clear intellect, controlling the mind by will, renouncing the sense-objects like sound etc., one should give up likes and dislikes. (18-51)

Resorting to a secluded place, taking limited food, controlling the speech, the body and the mind, taking to detachment, one should be ever devoted to dhyana yoga.(18-52)

Having given up egoism, power, arrogance, desire, anger, and possession, being free from ‘Mine’ notion, (and) remaining tranquil, one becomes fit for becoming Brahman. (18-53)

When our intellect becomes free from its attachments and thus controls our mind and body, then alone we are fit for renunciation of the lower ego-sense and reach for the Infinite Self which is the process of meditation.  Vedantic meditation involves sravanam, mananam as well besides nitidyasanam that involves meditation of the fact that I am akartha and abogtha athma which is different from the body and whose identity is Supreme Brahman.   Lord Krishna after summarising karma yoga as purification of mind for spiritual self-unfoldment, summarises jnana yoga as the means of liberation, highlighting the nitidyasanam.  The qualities required for successful meditation are summarised as

1)  An intellect without tendencies to acquire, possess and enjoy sense objects.

2)   Mind and sense-organs firmly brought under the control of such purified intellect

3)    Sense-organs restrained in their contacts with sense-objects

4)    Mind freed from the influence of likes and dislikes.

Further the true spiritual seeker of higher life must

1)        Seek a quiet place and solitude for sadh ana

2)    Have temperate eating habits

3)    Exercise control over his body, mind and speech

4)    Engage in continuous contemplation of Lord

5)    Lead a life of dispassion.

6)    Give up egoism, power, arrogance, desire, anger, covetousness and the notion of ‘mine’ness

Equipped with the above do’s and don’t’s, the spiritual seeker is fit for becoming Brahman, Lord says.  Becoming Brahman is to get firmly established in Self-knowledge that spells out the identity of one’s Athma with Supreme Brahman.  To know Brahman truly is to know that Brahman is devoid of all names and forms which are caused by maya and He is of the nature of the Absolute. It is also to know that Brahman alone is the essence of the diverse manifestations caused by His maya and He is non-dual, unborn, undecaying, unchanging and of the nature of Pure Consciousness. Entering Brahman is to own up the fact that this Brahman is one’s true Self as Athma and to say comfortably “Aham Brahmasmi”.  The acts of knowing and entering are not two separate and consecutive actions.  For such a person the ego is replaced by God Consciousness, the conception of individuality or `I-ness' ends and he is said to have attained the state of Brahman, oneness with Brahman or Brahma-Ikyam.

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