#226 How to control your mind

To control the mind, we understand what the mind is. In the Vedic tradition, the mind is called antah karana – an inner instrument. The body is bahya karana, an external instrument. This antah karana, inner instrument is four fold. Born of the sattvika aspect of the panchamahabhutas,  the mind is actually looked at as a four fold faculty because it has four functions – Manas, Buddhi, Chittam, Ahankara

1. Manas, loosely translated as the mind – Sankalpavikalpaatmakam manah When there is desire or doubt or emotion, we call it manas or mind. –

2. Buddhi loosely translated as the intellect – Nischayaatmika buddhi – When there is distinct knowledge or a decision taken, a resolve or will, then we call it determinate knowledge or buddhih.

3. Chittam loosely translated as memory – Chintan kartra karma – When there is recollection of any incident along with sense data then that function is called chittam.

4. Ahankara loosely translated as the ego, or self concept- Ahankartaahankritih – The one who identifies with the manas, buddhi, chittam – is I , ahankara, Really speaking, I is the limitless Atma but identified with these is a limited individual, ahankara.

Do note that these are NOT four entities. Different names do not mean different entities. Each of these four words is used to indicate a different function of the same inner instrument or mind. And hence we make a 4 fold separation, although it is the same mind.

Anyone who asks ‘How to control my mind’ is seeking to control –  

1. manas – repetitive thoughts, overpowering desires or overwhelming emotions of fear, sadness or anger.

2. chittam – memories of difficult incidents,

3. buddhi – thoughts leading upto a decision related to manas

4. ahankara – self concept

Mastery is a better word than control.

Some of the things we gain when our mind is mastered  are –

1. Better mood regulation and reduced stress. E.g. If one is stressed in the work role, then one can keep it aside while playing with one’s child.

2. Aligning with Dharma g. You are angry with your son for speaking rudely to you but eh anger does not consume you because you value ahimsa as well as self-expression. Rather than slapping or humiliating your son, you are able to say – I can see that you are angry. I am upset at hearing what you are saying. These words are not acceptable to me. Please do not talk to me like this.

3. Better decision making as we can give up the instant gratification of the short term and focus on the long term. E.g. Investing in mutual funds rather than blowing up all the money. Saying no to the second piece of chocolate brownie. Not shifting to the next job just because it pays a little more money but thinking strategically about money as well as opportunities and furthering one’s career

4. Enhanced focus and efficiency – We can prioritise what is important and avoid distractions. Mantra Japa practice helps us to return again and again to the mantra although the mind may go all over for a world tour or even an inter-galactic tour.

5. Fulfillment of our pursuits – To stay the course, be it the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, contribution to society or even the moksha pursuit, a mastered mind gives us the persistence and fortitude to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals.

Everyone has to learn how to master the mind. The good news is that it is my mind and hence I can easily master it and use it as an instrument.

The question is – If I am trying to control one part of me, who is doing the controlling and who is the controlled?

Kathopanishad  gives us a beautiful imagery and points the way forward.

Aatmaanam rathinam viddhi shariram ratham eva tu

Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva cha

A person along with his driver is travelling in a chariot drawn by five horses. The chariot is the physical body, the Intellect, buddhi is the driver who decides the destination and the direction of the travel. The mind or manas is the reins connecting the intellect to the horses. The horses are the 5 sense organs and the  mind controls the chariot.

The horses or sense organs are walking on the five paths of sense objects. Each of the five paths are related to our five senses – sights, sounds, touch, taste and smell.

The horses can go towards experiences related to different sights like travel, or experiences related to sound – music, or experiences related to touch, massages, body work, sensual delights or the horses can go towards experiences related to fragrances, perfumes or good food. Or the horses can be drawn to experiences that combine all these senses. The horses or our sense organs i.e. eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue are innocent, faithful reporters of our sensory world. They just do their job of reporting non-stop as we go through different activities of the day. Then who decides? The one who has the reins – the Mind, manas.

Sure, the sensory world can throw up desires. Should I continue to flirt with this colleague at work or not? Should I have another helping of this brownie with ice-cream and chocolate sauce or not? Should I splurge on this new fragrance of Estee lauder or not?   Should I watch some more youtube videos and be on insta or is it time to get back to work. This is what the manas does. It throws up different desires and related emotions. If the desires are in keeping with your life priorities then please go ahead and fulfil them. E.g, the birthday of a family member is coming up and you are playing with different options of how to celebrate the birthday.  

However, if only the horses and the reins are in charge, they will just jump from one experience to another to another. If we are only focused on our feelings and sensations then we can easily be consumed by them.  

The question is ‘what we do want in that situation’?

If traumatic memories trouble us then we need closure. We need to come to terms with what has happened. We heal when we acknowledge what happened, the law of karma that made things happen and finding new meaning and purpose in life.  We refuse to allow ourselves to be defined by a few incidents and shift our attention to our intrinsic nature which is unchanging. 

If fear of losing someone overwhelms me and I find that my mind is out of control, it is clear that I am building fear by sitting in the car of ‘What if I fail’? driving at break neck speed, thinking of the worst possible consequence. The breaks need to be applied immediately. I shift to ‘So what if I fail? And continue the enquiry, seeing that I can handle anything with Bhagavan and my support system.         

If people ‘s negative judgments about me i.e. ahankara continue to echo in my mind, I use my buddhi to discern that no one knows me fully. Maybe what they say is true. Maybe it is not. Which part of it is true and is there anything I can do about it? Which part of it is not true and hence needs to junked and or told to the person that it is not correct?

Universally, the ahankara has a need for certainty, a need for connectedness, a need for freedom and a need for power. All these needs co-exist and are present in everyone to some extent. Sometimes we react when these needs are not met.

So, whether the uncontrolled mind is related to memories or overwhelming emotions or repetitive thoughts, only the horses and the reins are managing the show. But when the decisive buddhi enters the picture, things change. In the imagery of the chariot, it is the driver, the intellect who decides – what the destination of the journey is and hence the path to be taken. If the buddhi, the intellect has no idea – the horses can literally and figuratively take the master and the entire chariot for a ride. 

The buddhi, the faculty of knowing and decision making can

seek more information,

seek support,

try out decisions,

evaluate the pros and cons of a decision,

synthesise information,

analyse situations

for the sensory data which are different from feelings which are different from thoughts which are different from actions.

It is the same mind that rapidly shifts from feeling to memory to thought to decision to judgement and so on.

The truth is,

We can master the mind when we are clear about our pursuits.

Then, we use the mind as an instrument in service of something greater than the mind, whether it is dharma, artha, kama or moksha. 

If the intellect decides that the destination is artha, wealth, then the mind will control the horses in a way that the entire lifestyle of the person is involved in earning, investing well, ensuring good savings. If the reins are too tight the person will end up having a lot of wealth but be a miser. If the reins are too loose, then a lot of money will be waster.

If the mind or intellect decides that the destination is pleasure then the entire lifestyle of the person is involved in pursuing the next experience because after all YOLO – you live only once. The experience could be getting spiritual literally in the bar or getting spiritual through different methods or travelling to new and distant places. Even relationships are treated primarily as experiences and therefore there must be sensory delight all the time. What drives the person is uninterrupted pleasure that comes from eating, drinking, relating and so on.

If the intellect decides that the destination is seva, service – reaching out to others, then the mind will control the horses in a way that the entire lifestyle of the person is involved in identifying what other people’s needs are, trying to fulfill them or forming a network of people who can help fulfill the needs of these people living in the slum area.

If the destination is dharma, then yes, artha, wealth and pleasure will be pursued aligned with dharma. I will pursue wealth along with honesty and integrity. I will pursue pleasure and seek fulfillment in relationships with moderation, loyalty and commitment. The horses may come across some difficult mountains to cross but the reins are with me and I will manage.

If the intellect decides that the destination is moksha and the lifestyle of karma yoga, then the mind will control the horses in a way that the daily lifestyle is one of moderation. The person will try to honor all relationships by performing one’s duties unto family, friends, work colleagues and so on along with doing one’s duties unto devatas, teachers, rishis, environment and the community. The person will schedule one’s time such that there is time for shravanam of Vedanta classes, time for other sadhanas like japa, puja, seva and whatever has been prescribed by the guru.

Indriyaani hayaanaahu: vishayaasteshu gocharaan

Atmendriyamanoyuktam bhoktetyaahur manishinah

The wise ones – manishinah declare the sense organs to be the horses and the sense objects to be their paths. The one along with the body, mind, sense organs who is the experiencer is actually the Atma, the owner of the chariot is the Atma, the limitless. But because of its association with the chariot, …it thinks of itself as buffeted by the circumstances.

Suppose the master of the chariot, the ahankara has examined different life experiences and has seen the limitations of the different pursuits, the master sees that no matter what I do, the sense of inadequacy that I am not enough does not go away. The driver, the intellect is exhausted. The driver that is the intellect keeps looking back at the master for direction and the master of the chariot the ahankara drives the intellect further and further, whipping it some more. Where to? Nobody knows. Is the destination death? After controlling the mind, controlling the emotions, controlling the breath, controlling the memories what is next? Is death waiting for me at the end of it all? Surely life has more meaning than that. The manas continues to throw up a lot of desires including Vedanta because of the information the horses have received about it offering lasting fulfillment.

The master suggests that the driver take the chariot to a Vedanta teacher who offers perspective. The Vedanta teacher points out the imagery of this entire chariot and points out the dynamics of it.

In the light of Vedanta, the ahankara backed by the intellect is seeing the play of the mind, the emotions, the desires, the sensual experiences. As the chariot continues to travel through life and through Vedanta classes, the ahankara discovers that perhaps I am the limitless. I just happen to be associated with the intellect, emotions, and memory. 

Mind is a flow of thoughts which keep changing.

The mind changes, I don’t change.

My decisions change, I don’t change.

My emotions change. I don’t change.

I register the changes because I am the changeless.

I illumine all thoughts, all memories, all emotions.

I can enjoy and work with all of them as they are not opposed to me.

It is only now that the master has mastery.  The chariot that is the body-mind-sense-complex existed to serve you. 

Really speaking, you were always free of the chariot.