What is the mind? What does the mind want? Win over ur mind, Don’t lose

We’ve discussed the primary aim of human life and why we tend to get entangled in the worldly illusion (in article Why do we tend to be entangled in this illusory world?). We also discussed about how the mind is one of the reasons why we get entangled. Hence, in this article we shall discuss the most important topic of life – THE MIND

What is the mind?

Simply said, the mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts put together. And this bundle of thoughts clouds our experience of who-we-truly-are in essence. It is a summation of our core thoughts, behavioral patterns, conditioning’s, and desires. For simplification, the mind can be divided into two parts: the Contrast Mind and the Intuitive mind. The contrast mind is the facet of the mind that compares, divides, labels, imagines, and contrasts one thing from another. The thoughts of the contrast mind are responsible for anger, sorrow, depression, guilt and other such negative emotions. It is these thoughts of the contrast mind that we need to get rid of. It is the contrast mind that dwells in the thoughts of past and future. It is never in the present.

The intuitive mind is simple and works by intuition. It is the facet of the mindthat gets all tasks completed peacefully. It can also be called as natural mind and behaves as per the instructions received from higher intelligence within. This part of the mind helps the Self (our true nature) to express its qualities.

What does the mind want?

The mind desires and dwells in the pleasures of the senses.It deals in one subject for a while and then gets bored with it and desires another. Then it enjoys the new activity for some time only to get bored yet again. This vicious cycle of the mind goes on and on. The outside world is taken in through the windows of our senses. It is the contrast mind that attaches itself with the world through the senses. It takes pleasure in their gratification and is unable to stick to one subject for long. It gets bored easily and hops from one thing to another. This mind is the cause of all our so-called sorrows. In order to achieve our higher purpose in life, it is imperative to understand the nature of this mind.

Essentially what mind wants is the pleasure, even better at that, Happiness. The ceaselesshopping of the mind from one thing to another represents itssearch for lasting and fulfilling happiness and peace. If we can provide happiness to the mind, it can bebefriended and utilized to achieve the highest purpose of life.

If one is able to befriend the mind, then it can be directed appropriately. Controlling would mean trying to intimidate, scare, upstage or make someone a slave, while befriending means to make someone a friend, understand his nature and qualities and help each other to grow collectively. Hence it’s better to befriend the mind than trying to control the mind as controlling and befriending are completely different. If the mind is befriended with the understanding of the truth, then it can perform great miracles. On the other hand, controlling the mind by sheer will-power and discipline is an arduous task. It requires strict discipline, hard perseverance, consistent efforts and complete will-power to maintain the mind on the path without deviation. This is one of the ways, but not the only one.

Let’s now look at those ways that can help in taming the mind

Ways to control the mind?

The first thing to know is that you need to give your mind the recognition of the Truth. The mind needs to know its nature and you need to know yours. This can be achieved with repeated Self-Inquiry. Self-inquiry involves asking the time-tested meditative question – Who am I? With this inner enquiry, you go deeper and deeper understanding the deeper essence of who-you-truly-are, your true nature. You need not ask it loudly or in words, just keep asking deep inside and do not pay heed to all the answers that might bubble up as thoughts, words or sounds. Keep asking repeatedly and go deep and experience your true being. This is one of the most powerful ways to attain realization and stabilization in your true nature.

Without the right understanding, the mind keeps desiring the old and stale. It takes pleasure in temporary relief and by repeatedly resorting to it, gets fixed in a habit to desire more and more. It forms a logic based on previous experiences and then compares the present with these past experiences. This causes boredom and misery. With the understanding of the truth, the mind begins to stay in the present and allow the inner self to shine forth.Hence, new experiments should be done in the light of new understanding.

To make the mind to listen to you, give it the experience of true happiness. Without this, it is going to demand more and more things and the cycle keeps going. During the experience of true happiness you feel that your mind ceases to be! You need to learn the ways to give true happiness to the mind. Only when the mind is happy can it give happiness to others.

After the understanding of the truth, the second way to harness the real power of the mind is Devotion. Devotion is a highest possible gift one can get. Devotion is the state of being immersed in the love for the divine and surrendering all your actions to the divine. Being absorbed in devotion, the mind happily surrenders and sticks to the right path. It gets happiness even while walking on the path of the truth and feels fulfilled in loving the divine. The essence of devotion satiates all the desires of the mind and it feels pleasant, happy and at ease with the present. It then understands the higher purpose and becomes ready to surrender itself in love. It is only in true love that one surrenders.

One that follows this path surrenders every action to the divine. It is due to the understanding that one surrenders and gives away the attachment with the fruit of the action. By detaching from the fruit of action, be it positive or negative, the mind becomes silent and the karma becomes complete. This type of karma does not create a line of bondage. It then becomes a free action, untainted by any desires and can lead to the ultimate fruit that of liberation.

Real happiness of the mind – Understanding, Devotion and Meditation

Understanding of the Truth, True Devotion and Complete Meditation are the three most powerful ways to achieve the highest purpose of life by making your mind really happy. These are the paths on which one can walk and achieve the ultimate fruit by befriending the mind.

By giving devotion to the mind, it can then easily defocus from the illusory subjects of the world. By imbibing the understanding of the truth one understands his real nature and real purpose in life. In Meditation one asks – Who am I?and silently listens to the song of divine presence that is constant.

Asking this question is like pressing the golden button on your spiritual heart (Tejasthan). With repeated asking, eventually mind begins to fall and your real Self begins to live in awareness of its true nature.

I am a Dry wave

Infinite waves come and go in the mighty ocean. Millions of them are formed and dispersed every minute. What if one of the wave says – I am a dry wave!

Perhaps you will laugh at this statement because you know that the wave is really stupid to say such a thing. A wave is inherently the ocean itself; it is just a part of the same mighty ocean that is giving birth to and absorbing millions of waves every minute.

How can a wave that is essentially the ocean itself, be dry? It cannot be.

It always was and will always be the part of the ocean. It is the ocean in essence.

Then why does the wave say so?

It is because of the upper layer. There is a layer on the wave which covers the water. There is a vast expanse of the ocean below this layer and nothing differentiates the wave with the ocean here. But in the upper layer, the wave assumes a separate individual personality and identifies itself as dry.

The journey of the wave begins with this question. By identifying itself as dry, the wave sets on a journey to reach the ocean. Such is the irony!

Then what is the right question?

The right question is: Who am I?

Whenever you face boredom and feel lethargic, you should delve into the source of the mind. The very source of your thoughts. Go deep inside your heart and awaken yourself with the power of self-inquiry. You may ask the following questions:

• Who is getting this thought?
• Who is getting bored?
• What is the source of thoughts?
• From where exactly are these thoughts arising?

These questions will help you to dive within and reach the source of all thoughts. There, you will experience bright silence and infinite waves of Love, Joy and Peace. Then you may laugh at the very thought of the wave considering itself to be dry. By delving into the oceanic experience of your nature, the mind will dissolve into the source and all the waves shall begin to dissolve back into the ocean. This is the way to dive into the ocean and detach from the experience of being a limited individual wave.

Summary:

The whole purpose of spirituality is to remove the layers one by one until the source is accessible. The mind has accumulated layers of dirt (core thoughts) which causes it to identify itself as separate individual. When layers are removed nothing but the ocean of Love, Joy and Peace remains! And this can be done by giving the mind the right understanding of Truth, devotion and mediation. These would not only make the mind happy, but will help in achieving the ultimate purpose of life i.e. to know who-you-truly-are.