Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits

By Swami Sivananda

The mind in the vast majority of persons has been allowed to run wild and follow its sweet will and desire. It is ever changing and wandering. It jumps from one object to another. It is fickle. It wants variety. Monotony brings disgust. It is like a spoiled child who is given too much indulgence by his parents or badly trained animal. The minds of many of us are like menageries of wild animals, each pursuing the bent of its own nature and going its own way. Restraint of the mind is a thing unknown to the vast majority of persons.

This wandering habit of the mind manifests itself in various ways. You will have to be alert always to check this wandering habit of the mind. A householder’s mind wanders to cinema, theatre, circus, etc. A Sadhu’s mind wanders to Varanasi, Brindavan and Nasik. Many Sadhus do not stick to one place during Sadhana.

The wandering habit of the mind must be controlled by rendering it chaste and constant by Vichara. The mind must be trained to stick to one place for five years during your meditative life, to one method of Sadhana, to one path of Yoga – either Karma, Bhakti or Vedanta – to one spiritual objective and to one guide. – A rolling stone gathers no mass. When you take up a book for study, you must finish it before you take up another. When you take up any work, you must devote your whole-hearted attention to the work on hand and finish it before you take up another work. – One thing at a time and that done well, is a very good rule as many can tell. This is Yogi’s way of doing. This is a very good rule for success in life.

Do not have goat’s mind or a prostitute’s heart. A goat grazes for a few seconds in one patch of green grass and then immediately jumps to a far distant patch, even though there is plenty of grass to eat in the first patch. Even so, a wavering mind jumps from one Sadhana to another Sadhana, from one Guru to another Guru, from Bhakti Yoga to Vedanta, from Rishikesh to Brindavan. This is extremely deleterious for the Sadhana. Stick to one Guru, one place, one form of Yoga, one kind of Sadhana. Be steady and firm. Then only, you will succeed. Have a steady, resolute-mind.

Discipline the mind. Tell the mind, – O Mind! Be steady. Be fixed on one idea. Absolute is the only Reality. If it wanders, if it wavers, go to a lonely place, give two or three sharp slaps on your face. Then the mind will become steady. Self-punishment helps a lot in checking the wandering mind. Frighten the mind as if you will beat it with a whip or rod, whenever it wanders from the Lakshya, whenever it entertains evil thoughts.

Mind tempts and deceives you through objects. Distance lends enchantment to the view. Until you attain the object, it will seem to you as a pleasurable object from a distance. When you actually get it, it becomes a source of vexation and pain. Desire is mixed with pain. Objects are so delusive that they often deceive even the wise in this way. He is a really wise man who can detect the illusive nature of these objects.

Mind always tempts you to go to various places for sight-seeing. It is all a vain trick of the mind to divert you from the goal. Use your Viveka always. Address the mind thus: – O foolish mind, have you not seen before, various places and sceneries? What is there in sight-seeing? Rest in Atman within. It is self-contained. You can see everything there. It is Purnakama; it is Purnarupa. (it contains all forms; it is beauty of beauties). What are you going to see outside? Is it not the same sky, the same earth, the same passions, the same eating, the same gossiping, the same sleeping, the same latrines, the same urinals, the same cemeteries everywhere?

In the beginning, I used to give a long rope to my mind. It will whisper to me, – Let me go to Allahabad Kumbha Mela. I would say, – My dear friend, my mind! You can go now. As soon as I would return, I would ask, – O mind, are you satisfied now? What did you enjoy there, It would hide itself and drop down its head in utter shame. Gradually, it left off its old habits and became my true friend, guide and Guru through the true counsels it imparts in the way of obtaining the highest goal.

Mind wants repetition of a pleasure once enjoyed. Memory of pleasure arises in the mind. Memory induces imagination and thinking. In this way, attachment arises. Through repetition, a habit is formed. Habit causes strong Trishna. Mind then exercises its rule over poor, helpless, weak-willed worldlings. As soon as discrimination arises, the power of the mind becomes weakened. The mind tries to recede, to retrace its steps to its original home – the heart. Its poisonous fangs are extracted by discrimination. It cannot do anything in the presence of discrimination. It gets dethroned. The will becomes stronger and stronger when discrimination is awakened. Thanks to Viveka which enables us to get out of this miserable Samsara.

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits – Discipline, Awareness, and Inner Transformation

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits is a practical spiritual teaching because the mind is largely shaped by repeated patterns. A person does not become restless, angry, fearful, jealous, or attached in one day. These tendencies become strong through repeated thoughts, emotions, reactions, and actions. If the seeker wants mastery over the mind, they must understand and transform the habits that secretly control inner life.

Mental habits are like paths made by repeated walking. If the mind has walked again and again on the path of worry, worry becomes natural. If it has walked on the path of anger, anger rises quickly. If it has walked on the path of devotion, patience, truth, and self-control, noble qualities become easier. Therefore, changing the direction of the mind requires repeated right effort.

The first step is to recognize one’s own patterns. Some people are habitually anxious, some are easily offended, some constantly compare, some complain, some postpone spiritual practice, and some run after sense-pleasure. These patterns may look small, but they shape character. A seeker must not merely blame circumstances; they must look within and see how the mind has been trained.

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits begins with self-observation. Watch the mind during ordinary situations. Notice what thought comes first when someone criticizes you. Notice how desire speaks when pleasure is near. Notice how fear creates stories about the future. Notice how pride defends itself. This observation should be calm and honest, not filled with guilt or self-hatred.

A habit becomes weak when it is not fed. If anger rises and the seeker refuses to speak harshly, anger loses some force. If desire appears and the seeker examines it with discrimination, craving becomes weaker. If worry begins and the seeker turns to prayer or practical action, anxiety loses its grip. Every refusal to obey a lower habit is a step toward freedom.

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits also requires substitution. The mind cannot remain empty in the beginning. If a harmful habit is removed, a noble habit must be created in its place. Replace complaint with gratitude, fear with faith, anger with patience, jealousy with goodwill, laziness with regular practice, and selfishness with service. This is how the inner nature is rebuilt.

Regularity is the secret of transformation. Occasional inspiration cannot conquer long-standing habits. A little meditation every day, a little mantra repetition every day, a little self-examination every day, and a little restraint every day are more powerful than intense effort done rarely. The mind learns through repetition. What is repeated becomes natural.

Speech habits need special attention. Many people speak harshly before thinking, gossip without awareness, complain automatically, or argue to protect ego. Such speech strengthens restless thinking. The seeker should practice truthful, kind, measured, and useful speech. Silence, when practiced wisely, breaks the habit of unnecessary expression and gathers mental energy.

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits becomes strong through meditation. During meditation, the seeker sees how the mind repeats old patterns. It may run to memory, desire, fear, planning, or imagination. Do not become discouraged. Bring the mind back gently to mantra, breath, divine form, or witnessing awareness. Each return creates a new habit of steadiness.

Good company is very helpful because habits are strengthened by environment. The mind absorbs impressions from people, books, conversations, entertainment, and surroundings. If one remains among restless influences, old habits become stronger. Satsang, noble reading, spiritual discussion, prayerful atmosphere, and association with disciplined seekers create higher inner patterns.

Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits also depends on self-examination. Before sleep, review the day quietly. Ask yourself: Which habit ruled me today? Did I react with anger? Did I waste time? Did I remember the Divine? Did I replace a lower thought with a higher one? This daily review reveals progress and gives direction for tomorrow.

Devotion gives sweetness and strength to the effort. Prayer, surrender, worship, mantra, and remembrance of God soften the heart and weaken egoistic habits. Some patterns are deep-rooted and may not disappear quickly through personal effort alone. Divine remembrance gives courage, patience, and inner support when the mind feels weak.

The seeker should not become impatient. Old habits may return many times. A fall does not mean failure. It only shows that more awareness and practice are needed. Begin again with humility. Every sincere effort creates a new impression. Every controlled word, every noble thought, every prayer, and every act of restraint has value.

The highest habit to cultivate is remembrance of the witness. Thoughts change, emotions change, habits rise and fall, but awareness remains steady. When the seeker observes the mind instead of becoming lost in it, freedom begins. Gradually, the mind becomes less mechanical and more obedient to wisdom.

In the end, Mind Conquest by the Conquest of Mental Habits teaches that the restless mind can be mastered by changing repeated inner patterns. Through self-observation, substitution, regular practice, speech-control, meditation, good company, self-examination, devotion, patience, and witness-awareness, old habits weaken and noble habits grow. Such discipline purifies the mind and leads the seeker toward peace, wisdom, and liberation.

Mind Conquest by Overcoming Raga-dvesha