Anihilation of the Mind (Remembrancer)

Anihilation of the Mind (Remembrancer)

by Swami Sivananda

Mind is Atma-Sakti. Mind is a bundle of Vasanas (desires) and Sankalpas (thoughts, imaginations). Mind is a bundle of Raga-Dvesha (likes and dislikes). Annihilation of mind is Manonasa.

Manolaya is temporary absorption of the mind. This cannot give Moksha. The mind can come back again and wander in sensual objects. Manonasa alone can give release or Moksha.

VICHARA

How is the mind purified, brought under control and how are its activities stopped and how is it annihilated? Here are some useful and practical points. Mind can be controlled and annihilated by Vichara or enquiry of “Who am I?” This is the best and most effective method. This will annihilate the mind. This is the Vedantic method. Realise the unreality of the mind through philosophical thinking.

SLAY THE EGO

Eradicate the feeling of egoism. Ego is the seed of the tree of mind. “I” thought is the source of all thoughts. All thoughts are centred on the little “I.” Find out what the little “I” is. This little “I” will dwindle into an airy nothing. It will be absorbed in the infinite “I” or Parabrahman, the source for the little “I” or Ahankara (egoism).

The Sun of Self-realisation is fully seen when the cloud of ego disappears.

VAIRAGYA

Vairagya (dispassion) is another method for annihilating mind. It is distaste for objects of sense-pleasures by finding out the defects in the sensual life. Objects are perishable. Sensual pleasure is momentary and illusory.

ABHYASA

Abhyasa or practice is another method. Concentrate the mind by fixing it on Brahman. Make it steady. Abhyasa is ceaseless meditation. This leads to Samadhi.

NON-ATTACHMENT

Asanga or non-attachment is a sword to destroy the mind. Take the mind away from objects. Detach. Attach. Detach it from the objects. And attach it to the Lord. Do this again and again. The essence of the seed of the sprout of world experience, which is desire, can be destroyed by the fire of non-attachment.

VASANA-KSHAYA

Vasana-Kshaya is another method. Vasana is desire. Renunciation of desires leads to Vasana-Kshaya. This will lead to annihilation of mind (Manonasa). Desire for objects of pleasure is bondage; giving it up is emancipation. Desire is the most essential nature of the mind. Mind and egoism are synonymous.

PRANAYAMA

Vibration of Prana causes movement of the mind. It gives life to the mind. Pranayama or control of Prana will stop the activities of the mind. But it cannot destroy the mind to its roots like Vichara.

CONTROL THE THOUGHTS

Control the thoughts or Sankalpas. Avoid imagination or day-dreaming. The mind will be annihilated. Extinction of Sankalpas alone is Moksha or release. The mind is destroyed when there is no imagination. The experience of the world illusion is due to your imagination. It vanishes away when imagination is completely stopped.

RENUNCIATION

Mental renunciation of possessions is another method. The absolute experience can also be realised if you learn to be in a state of thought-suspending Samadhi.

BE BALANCED

Attainment of equanimity is another method. Be balanced in pain and pleasure, heat and cold, etc.

He alone experiences everlasting peace and eternal bliss who has transcended the mind and rests in his own Satchidananda Atman.

DEVOTION AND SERVICE

Japa, Kirtan, prayer, devotion, service of Guru and study are also means to annihilate the mind.

Anihilation of the Mind – Ego-Dissolution, Inner Silence, and Self-Realization

Anihilation of the Mind is a deep spiritual teaching that points to the dissolution of ignorance, ego, desire, and restless thought. It does not mean physical destruction of the brain or loss of ordinary intelligence. It means the ending of the false mental identity that makes a person feel limited, separate, fearful, and bound. When the lower mind becomes quiet, the light of the true self begins to shine.

The ordinary mind is full of waves. It runs after pleasure, avoids pain, remembers the past, worries about the future, compares, judges, desires, fears, and reacts. Because of this movement, a person rarely experiences real peace. Even when outer conditions are good, the inner world may remain disturbed. Therefore, spiritual life teaches the seeker to understand, purify, and finally transcend the restless mind.

Anihilation of the Mind does not mean becoming dull, inactive, or careless. A person whose lower mind is dissolved becomes more aware, more peaceful, and more compassionate. Their intelligence becomes clearer because it is no longer clouded by ego and craving. They act in the world, perform duties, serve others, and speak wisely, but inwardly they remain free from selfish agitation.

The root of mental bondage is identification. A person says, “I am angry,” “I am sad,” “I am the doer,” “I am superior,” “I am insulted,” and “I am incomplete.” These thoughts arise from the ego-mind. Vedanta teaches that the real self is not these passing thoughts. The true self is the witness of thought, emotion, body, senses, and ego.

Anihilation of the Mind begins with discrimination. The seeker must observe what is changing and what is unchanging. Thoughts change, moods change, desires change, opinions change, and memories change. But the awareness that knows these changes remains steady. By repeatedly reflecting on this truth, the seeker slowly stops treating the mind as the final self.

Desire keeps the mind alive and restless. One desire is fulfilled, and another rises. The mind says, “I will be happy after this,” but satisfaction does not remain. This endless craving creates bondage. When the seeker practices contentment, self-control, devotion, and detachment, desires lose their force. A desireless mind naturally becomes peaceful.

Anihilation of the Mind requires purification. Anger, greed, jealousy, pride, hatred, lust, fear, and selfishness make the mind strong in a lower way. Truthfulness, compassion, humility, forgiveness, moderation, prayer, mantra repetition, and selfless service purify it. A pure mind becomes calm and transparent, like clean water through which the bottom can be clearly seen.

Meditation is a direct method for this inner dissolution. Sit quietly and watch the breath, body, thoughts, emotions, and ego. Do not fight thoughts with violence. Observe them as passing waves. Every thought appears, stays for a moment, and disappears. The witness remains. Resting in this witness again and again weakens the false power of the mind.

The method of “Neti, Neti” is also helpful. Reflect: I am not the body, not the senses, not the breath, not the mind, not the intellect, not the ego, not pleasure, not pain, not birth, and not death. This practice removes wrong identification. It does not create emptiness; it reveals pure awareness beyond mental limitation.

Anihilation of the Mind becomes practical in daily life when the seeker stops obeying every impulse. When anger comes, pause. When desire comes, examine it. When pride comes, remember humility. When fear comes, turn toward faith. When jealousy comes, practice goodwill. Every moment of awareness weakens the old mental pattern.

Devotion also plays an important role. Prayer, surrender, worship, and remembrance of the Divine soften the heart and reduce ego. The mind cannot be conquered by dry force alone. It becomes quiet more easily when filled with love, faith, and surrender. A devoted heart naturally turns away from restless craving and rests in divine remembrance.

Selfless service helps dissolve ego. When actions are done only for personal gain, the mind becomes more bound. When work is offered to the Divine and done for the welfare of others, selfishness becomes weaker. Service teaches humility and expands the heart beyond narrow personal identity.

The seeker should not fear the quieting of the mind. Many people feel that without constant thinking, they will lose themselves. But the opposite is true. When unnecessary mental noise becomes silent, the real self is more clearly known. Peace does not destroy life; it reveals the deeper beauty of life.

The final state is inner freedom. Thoughts may still arise for practical purposes, but they no longer bind the seeker. The ego becomes thin, desires become weak, and awareness remains steady. The person lives in the world, but the world does not fully imprison the heart.

In the end, Anihilation of the Mind is the dissolution of ignorance, ego, desire, and false identification. It is achieved through discrimination, detachment, meditation, devotion, service, purity, and self-knowledge. When the restless mind becomes silent, the seeker realizes the peaceful, luminous, and eternal self beyond all mental waves.

Manonasa (Annihilation of the Mind)