Conquest of Mind

Sri Swami Sivananda

Conquest of Mind

THAT form which the Infinite, All-pervading Atman has assumed through its power of imagination is called ‘mind’. Mind creates and destroys. It creates the whole universe by its power of imagination. The chief characteristic of the mind is imagination. Mind is the creator and enjoyer of all happiness and miseries. It is the cause for bondage and liberation. Mind is all in all. It is everything. It is your true friend and bad enemy. The lower mind is your enemy. It causes various sorts of attachment. It is filled with various base desires and appetites. The higher mind is a rare friend and benefactor because it imparts true counsels in the way of obtaining the supreme goal of life. The higher mind becomes your guiding Guru. Hear its sweet, small voice and follow its instructions. The voice of the pure mind is the voice of God. It is an infallible voice. In Gita you will find: “A man should uplift himself by his own self, so let him not weaken the Self. For, this self is the friend of oneself and this self is the enemy of oneself. The self is the friend of the self, for him who has conquered self, the self is inimical (and behaves) like (an external) foe for him who has not conquered the self.” (Chapter VI. 5-6). There is no other vessel on this earth to cross the ocean of Samsara than the mastery of the lower instinctive mind.

This world is a very big wheel. It is revolving unceasingly. The mind is the nave of this wheel. Those who are egoistic, proud, passionate and greedy are caught up in this wheel. If you can stop the mind from moving, the world-wheel will come to a standstill and you will be freed from the rounds of  births and deaths. If you wish to stop the mind from moving, you will have to annihilate egoism, pride, desire and greed.

It is the mind that is the root of the tree of Samsara with its thousands of shoots, branches, tender leaves and fruits. If you annihilate Sankalpas or thoughts, you can destroy the tree of Samsara at once. Destroy the Sankalpas as soon as they arise. The root will dry up through the annihilation of Sankalpas and the tree of Samsara will wither soon. This demands considerable patience and perseverance. No pains, no gains. You will be bathed in the ocean of bliss when all Sankalpas are extirpated. This state is indescribable. You will have to feel it yourself.

Mind and Prana are interdependent. Prana is the overcoat or vehicle of mind. Wherever there is Prana, there is mind and vice versa. If you think deeply on any subject, the breathing becomes slow. When one suffers from asphyxia, the functioning of the mind comes to a standstill. Mind is the rider, Prana is the horse and the body is the chariot. Prana vibrates and mind is set in motion. Mind thinks when Prana moves. If Prana departs from the body, all functions of the body will stop. The body will remain like a log of wood. Separation of Prana from the physical body is called death in common parlance. Control of Prana leads to control of mind and vice versa.

You should not try to control the mind through violence. You will not succeed if you do so. You will have to adopt the approved or prescribed means, such as association with the wise, Vichara, renunciation of Vasanas, Pranayama, etc. If you attempt the control of mind through force, it is like trying to bind a furious elephant with a thin twine or a plantain fibre. Just as the goad is the effective instrument to control the furious elephant, so also Vichara is the effective means to control the mind.

You should first conquer the mind through Vichara or enquiry of “Who am I?”. As long as the mind is not destroyed, the Vasanas will attack you again and again and you will have no peace of mind. When the mind does not think of any object, when the mind is completely destitute of all Vasanas, you will attain the state of mindlessness and you will enjoy indescribable peace. As long as you do not attain Self-realisation, as long as you have not controlled the mind, so long you should follow implicitly the teachings of your Guru and the scriptures.

You will have to coax the mind in the beginning just as you coax the children. Mind is also like an ignorant child. Speak to the mind, “O mind! Why do you run after false, worthless and perishable worldly objects? You will undergo countless sufferings. Look at Lord Krishna, the Beauty of beauties. You will get everlasting happiness. Why do you run to hear worldly love-songs? Hear the Bhajan of the Lord. Hear the soul-stirring Sankirtan. You will be elevated.” The mind will gradually leave off its vicious habits and get itself fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. When it is freed from Rajas and Tamas it will guide you; it will be your Guru.

O restless mind! O truant! O care-worn Chitta! Why do you wander about in vain after sensual objects. Are you not tired of them? Remember, this world, this body and this life are as evanescent and unsteady as a bubble. This world is full of miseries, untruth, deceit, hatred and diseases. You cannot enjoy an iota of happiness here. Be sure of this. Open your eyes now. Take refuge at the lotus feet of Hari and rest in peace. Enjoy the wealth of the three worlds. Drink the nectar of devotion and become immortal.

The surface of the lake is compared to the conscious mind. The bottom of the lake is compared to the sub-conscious mind. The objects that come from the bottom of the lake to its surface are compared to the images that come to the surface of the conscious mind from the sub-conscious mind. The Vikshepa Shakti that disturbs the mind is compared to the wind that disturbs the water of the lake. During the waking state, the Vikshepa Shakti, the Sankalpas of the individual and the senses disturb the mind. In deep sleep the mind is at perfect rest.

Mind is the commander-in-chief. The senses are the soldiers. The senses cannot do anything without the co-operation of the mind. The senses cannot perform anything independently. They can operate only in company with the mind. If you can disconnect the mind from the senses, there will be abstraction of the senses automatically.

When the mind is Sattvic, you can get glimpses or flashes of intuition. You will compose poems. You will understand the significance of Upanishads clearly. But this state will not last long in neophytes. Tamas and Rajas will try to enter the mental factory. In the beginning your spiritual progress will not be steady and continuous. You may think that you have almost reached the goal and experience for the next 15 to 20 days nothing but disappointment. It will be like a frog’s jump from one place to another but not a continuous development. Have sustained intense Vairagya and do intense protracted Sadhana. Be under the direct guidance and close contact of your Guru for some years. You will have steady and continuous progress.

When you feel extremely drowsy at night, when you wish to retire to bed, you will not be tempted to eat even if very delicious food is offered to you at that moment. You will not like to attend any musical performance also. What you want is peaceful resting. This clearly proves that the mind wants rest but not objects. Worldly people do not know where to find this rest and how to get it. They try to get this peace or rest from external objects. They hopelessly fail to get this peace from them at each step. Eternal rest or perennial peace can be had within one’s self only through Self-realisation.

The mind whirls like an intoxicated bee. Separate the Indriyas from the objects. Get rid of all attractions. Control the Prana. Close the avenues of the body. Just as you can capture an elephant, so also you can capture the mind now. Just as the soldier kills his foes, who rise against him again and again, with his sword, so also kill all thoughts of objects as they arise again and again. When all Vrittis die, you will get the stage of mental darkness. Remove this darkness through discrimination. Then you will get radiant light. Get over this stage. You will have to pass a region of void. Then you will have to cross sleep and Moha. Finally you will enter into Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Taste the immortal sweetness of the beautiful life in the self within by annihilating the mind. Live in Atman and attain the blessed Immortal State. Meditate and reach the deeper depths of eternal life, the higher heights of divine glory and eventually attain the full glory of union with the Supreme Self. Now your long wearisome journey terminates. You have reached your destination, your sweet original home of everlasting peace, the Param Dham!

Conquest of Mind

The journey toward inner peace begins with the Conquest of Mind. Every person faces moments of fear, anger, doubt, and confusion, but spiritual wisdom teaches that true victory comes from mastering thoughts and emotions. In the path shared by Devotional india, saints and seekers have always emphasized silence, prayer, and self-discipline as the foundation of a meaningful life. The power of the Conquest of Mind lies in learning how to remain calm even during difficulties.

Many spiritual traditions connected with Devotional india explain that the mind can either become a faithful servant or a restless enemy. Through meditation, chanting, and positive thinking, one slowly moves closer to the Conquest of Mind. A controlled mind allows a person to experience compassion, patience, and clarity in every action. Without the Conquest of Mind, worldly success often feels incomplete and temporary.

The teachings of Devotional india inspire people to look within rather than search outside for happiness. When desires become endless, the mind loses balance, but regular spiritual practice strengthens the soul. The real Conquest of Mind happens when negative thoughts are replaced with faith and kindness. Great masters believed that prayer and devotion purify the heart and guide humanity toward peace.

In daily life, the Conquest of Mind helps people remain strong during challenges and humble during success. The message of Devotional india continues to remind seekers that the highest victory is the Conquest of Mind, because a peaceful mind creates a peaceful world.

-Yoga for Health, Happiness and World Peace