Spirituality is the science of understanding and managing the human mind. Bhagwad Gita, the essence of all Upanishads, has dealt with the human mind vividly. Krishna says, ‘Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam’ -- One who has acquired skills to manage his mind is capable of executing any other worldly activity in a most efficient manner.
In chapter six, verse 34 of the Gita, Arjuna expresses his doubt to Krishna about mind control. He says the mind is so restless and powerful that it is impossible to control it. However, in the very next verse, Krishna explains that while it is definitely difficult to control the mind, one can achieve control through abhyasa, continuous practice, and with a sense of vairagya, detachment.
Mind is perceived as a continuous flow of thoughts. Reportedly, an average of eighty thousand thoughts is generated in a day. These thoughts are pertaining to our past experiences or future dreams. When we attach ourselves to a specific thought, we stay attached to it till we realize and become aware of the situation. This implies that a person who remains alert and observant of the thought process, does not get easily attached to any thought. This is what Krishna means when he says, be an observer of mind and remain always detached. This process of alertness sublimates the flow of intensity of thoughts and the mind becomes less overpowering.
As human beings, we may entertain some thoughts that indicate kama, desire. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But, there are possibilities of success and failure in fulfilling these desires. Depending on the outcome, we become angry in case of failure and become fearful of losing acquisitions in case of success. These emotions, emanating from desires, create turbulence and agitation in our mind, and consequently, we lose the mental peace.
In the Gita, Krishna advises Arjuna to create mental vastness like an ocean (2:70). He explains that an ocean remains unmoved and unperturbed when river water gushes inside it because of its vastness. Similarly, human beings should create a mental vastness so that worldly desires fail to create emotional agitations and we achieve a state of inner silence and peace.
The Gita recommends the practice of Karma Sanyasa, an attitude of selfless, dedicated actions without desire for the fruits of these actions, which will eventually help the practitioner to achieve an expansive state of mind.
Mind works like a pendulum, oscillating between two extremes of dualities. Consequently, our life experiences also oscillate between dualities of happiness-sorrow; love-hate etc. While we do have little control over the external happenings, we can definitely control our emotional outcomes due to the external triggers, provided we have control over our mind. When our mind becomes subordinate to us, we achieve a state of the middle path or Sthitaprajna, which has been explained by Krishna in 2:56 of the Bhagwad Gita.
The mind is a tool to achieve higher levels of consciousness, wisdom, and bliss. But, the mind is also a double-edged sword, which could lead to low levels of human suffering, if not used properly. Hence, there is a need to understand the functioning of mind, the process to control it and make it subservient. A person who succeeds in controlling the mind and creating a state of inner silence gets access to sat-chit- ananda, the field of universal truth, wisdom and bliss.
