12. Camp Twelve : The Control of Mind

Our mind is active and brisk like monkey. Monkey's mischief will be terribly increased if it is over drunk. Besides that if a scorpion bites it, its hyper active nature crosses all its limits. We satiate our monkey like mind with the wine of desires and cravings. In addition to this, a scorpion in the disguise of jealousy stings. To control our such mad mind which has reached the climax of hyper active smartness is extremely difficult.

In the text of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, Arjun asks Lord Shri Krishna: 'O Krishna, Mind is shaky, pain giving, powerful and obstinate. So to get control over mind seems to me as difficult as to control wind.' (6/34) The question of Arjun is also the interim question for all of us. Day by day, new desires in bundles push a man's mind towards the skirts of hyper-activeness. The answer to this question given by Lord Shri Krishna is also enjoyable by laymen. Shri Krishna says: 'O Arjun, Mind is undoubtedly hyper active, shaky and very difficult to control, but by means of study and non-attachment (Vairagya), control of mind is feasible.' (6/35)

The answer of Lord Shri Krishna is optimistic. The control of mind is very difficult, but not impossible. When Lord Nrusimha manifested out of the pole and protected Prahlad, Prahladji said : 'O Lord, you have saved my life by protecting my body, but I do not believe it my protection in true sense, because this body is subject to perish at any-time. It is my earnest prayer that please protect me from internal enemies such as passion, anger, avarice, attachment, jealousy etc. That will be my real protection, Prahladji's this prayer must be the eternal prayer of every aspirants. lf our prayer has originated from the inner most of our hearts, God will definitely heed it. When the inner foes are won, our entry in the region of non-attachment becomes definite.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan has defined non-attachment in the text of Shikshapatri: ' Non-attachment to all objects of the senses except to God is Vairagya (renunciation)'. When we naturally accept the mortality of the world from the bosom of our hearts, our mind becomes dry towards all the subjects of the world except God, the treasure of all happiness. Turbulent topsy turvyness in our physical, mental, economic and social circumstances sometimes lead us to renunciation. Vairagya is such a fire that purifies our mind. As much pure is the mind, easier to control it. So control of mind depends upon its purity. We have learnt in prior camps that mind is made up of food, so the purity of our mind is also reliant on our diet. Here diet does not mean only the food stuff we eat but the intake of each and every senses too. Hence it is concluded that one of the prime remedies to control the mind is not to provide such intakes to senses which beget attachment, aversion or illusion in mind. The diet of beneficent attributes helps a man in reducing attachment, aversion and illusion. Man should command Rajas and Tamas qualities with the aid of Satva Guna. Then Satva is also commanded by pure Satva Guna.

Mind is to be brought from Satva to pure Satva and then from pure Satva to state beyond three Gunas i.e. Gunatit Sthiti.

Bhagwan Shri Swaminarayan says in Vachnamritam (Gadhada-F-38):

'I believe that the mind should be free from passions. A person may indulge in many physical activities but if his mind is pure, the worst would not happen to him. .... Just as Bharatji remembered his pet young deer at the time of death and so he was born as a deer. This happened despite the fact that Lord Rishabhdev was his father. So it is My principle that one should be mentally free from desires.

... And those who are house holders may deal in worldly affairs physically but like saints they should be free from desires. ... A king like Janak ruled as he had not truly renounced all and yet his mind was as noble as that of a Master Yogi. So mental renunciation alone is worthy to be practiced.'

So says Lord Shri Krishna in Shrimad Bhagwat : ' Satsang destroys all the affinities of the world. Vrat, Yagna, Veda, Tirth and Yam-Niyam are not so able to convince Me as that by Satsang. Holy fellowship (Satsang) makes the control of mind easier.

Moreover,Bhagwan Shri Swaminarayan says in Vachnamritam( Kariyani-12): 'A person however passionate, angry, avaricious or lustful, he may be, all his mental perversions would end if he listens to such an explanation with affection. For example, a person may have teeth strong enough to chew raw grams. lf he eats raw mangoes, he would not be able to chew even cooked rice. In the same way, a person may be very lustful but if he listens to such discourse with faith in God, he would not be able to enjoy the worldly pleasures. He may languish the body through observance of hard vows like Tapta Kruchcha Chandrayana etc. but even then his mind would not be as free as it would be through listening to the narrations about God. Listening and contemplation to the spiritual scriptures with faith is a crucial instrument for the control of mind.

The scriptures on yoga insist that the persons pursuing control of mind must study Yam and Niyam. Yam comprises five virtues : Ahimsa, satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha. The devotees of Lord Swaminarayan call them panch Vartaman (five precepts). Once a devotee named Harji Thakker asked Lord Shri Swaminarayan:

'O God, how can Nishkam vartaman (Celibacy) be made more strong?' To achieve this, Shriji Maharaj pointed out three types of remedies. The first one is 'to get complete command over mind.' Now showing how to command over mind, Shri Hari said : 'One should constantly ponder over that I am a soul, not merely this physical body. Secondly, to engage the mind in Navadha Bhakti ( Nine fold devotion of God ) viz. listening to the narrations of God etc. Not to let the mind be free from the pious activities even for a moment. Just as a man who had command over a ghost, when he did not award any job to it, it would be ready to devour him. In the same manner, the mind is like a ghost, when it is not concentrated to the devotion of God, it would forge plans for irreligious activities. In that case, it can be said that the ghost has been prepared to devour the man. so mind should be kept engaged constantly in the worship of God viz. listening narrations of God and recitation of devotional songs etc. and such mind is called to be fully controlled. (Gadhada-M-33)

when our mind is shattered or disturbed, we breath speedily and irregularly. One of the remedies to pacify the mind is to regularize our breathing. The study of pranayam is extremely helpful for the control of mind. but those who do not observe celibacy or whose heart, lungs and nervous system are week should not practice Pranayam.

The most effective means of controlling mind is meditation upon the God, but for that purpose proper practice of discriminative power is required. In this regards, Lord Swaminarayan says : 'When sattva Guna prevails, one should meditate upon the form of God and when Tamo Guna prevails, there would be no proper thinking and mind would be quite dull. So meditation should not be practiced with such a mind. when Rajo Guna prevails, there would spring up many thoughts and desires, so meditation should not be practiced at that time.' (Gadhada-F-32)

Once an old aspirant approached our beloved Guruji A. Mu. P. Puj. Shri Narayanbhai and asked: 'Bhai, I earnestly desire to meditate, but my wavering mind never settle, so please guide me what to do in this regard.' Guruvarya told him with mild smile : ' you should try to be in constant touch with God's remembrance along with continuous recitation of Shri Hari all the while. Mind well that it is also a meditation itself.'

There would be hardly any easy and effective weapon except this to control the mind. If recitation is practiced for a longer, mind would throw away all the former instinctive urges and passions by attainting its original pure nature.