Disciplining The Mind - II

Divine Life Society Publication: Disciplining The Mind by Sri Swami Krishnananda

(Spoken on October 23,1973)

The movement of the finite to the infinite is not a movement in space and time. It is a self-expansion of consciousness. The whole process of yoga is a process of the evolution of consciousness, and is not an activity of the senses or the body. It is a self-evolution of consciousness in all directions, in quantity as well as in quality.

God, the Absolute, which is the goal of the practice of yoga and the goal of the evolution of the entire cosmos, has two characters: infinitude and subjectivity. Infinitude implies transcendence of space and time. Subjectivity implies freedom from the consciousness of externality. This is what we mean by ‘the Atman’ in Sanskrit. The term ‘Atman’ really means the character of subjectivity in consciousness which refuses to get related to anything outside it.

Infinite subjectivity is inconceivable to the mind. In the Bhagavadgita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells us that the more you gravitate towards this ideal in your contemplative processes, the more is it possible for you to control the mind and the senses. Unless you take the help of the higher forces, the lower demonical elements cannot be controlled. The lowest concept of the mind is of objects. The next higher concept is of the senses. The next higher is the mind. Higher than the mind is the intellect. Higher than the intellect is yourself, which is indistinguishable from the Infinite or the Absolute.

In the Third Chapter of the Gita there are one or two verses pertinent to this self-analysis. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ (Gita 3.42): Indriyas, or the senses, are superior in their functional aspect to the gross physical objects outside because the capacity of the senses to perceive or cognise determines the nature of the reaction that the objects produce in relation to our mind. But inasmuch as the senses are only operational branches of the mind, the mind is superior to the senses. But there is something higher than the mind, which is the intellect, the understanding, the judging faculty in us. The higher should control the lower, and the highest is the Self.

The control of the mind, therefore, calls for external discipline and also internal contemplative austerity. Externally we are to so adjust our conduct, needs and activities in the world so that the people around us, the atmosphere in which we live, the things which are connected with us, the diet that we eat, the breath that we breathe, and so on, should not be in any manner contradictory to the ideals that we are cherishing in our mind.

You should live in a place which should be at least to a large extent, in a great proportion, conducive to the fulfilment of your aims. Live in a place which is comparatively free from those factors which will stimulate your egoism. Live in such a place and have such an abode in an atmosphere which is not merely free from negative factors of distraction, but also enshrines positive factors which are constructively helpful in your contemplations.

But you have also to condition your own personal life accordingly; namely, you should not keep such things the loss of which may cause you troubles and grief and sorrow in your mind. That is why sadhakas do not keep things which are unnecessary for the progress that they are seeking in their spiritual lives. Keep only those things which are necessary for your existence as a spiritual seeker. Speak and keep contact with only such persons who are helpful to you in your spiritual practice, or at least not opposed to your spiritual practice.

When you get up in the morning, have a schedule in your mind: This is what I am going to do today. You have to include in your daily spiritual diary such items as study of elevating philosophical and spiritual texts, japa of a mantra or formula or a stotra, passage, chant or song which will ennoble your feeling and help you in the concentration of your mind.

You must also have a chosen method of meditation. You are told that a Guru is necessary and initiation is necessary, etc., which means to say that you have to be told as to how you have to adjust your thought in the spiritual practices which are ultimately going to culminate in meditation or inward contemplation. Everything is easy in this world; the only difficult thing is the collection of the mind, the concentration or focusing of its attention, and contemplation and meditation on the universal goal that is before you. The most difficult thing that you can achieve is this. This is why it is said that the Guru, a master, a guide, an adept to point out the way to you is necessary.

You will realise that the spiritual path is not going to be rosy. You have to walk on thorny bushes, stones and whatnot. The path is precipitous, difficult to tread, sharp like a razor or a sword, as the Upanishad puts it. Of all the dramatic descriptions of spiritual transformation that we have in written texts, the life of the Buddha is most poignant and pertinent. You can read the sixth chapter of The Light of Asia by Edwin Arnold to get an idea as to what these wonderful, difficult obstacles could be on the path of the spiritual seeker.

The world will put on new colours when you try to confront it. Do not have the misconception that anybody is your friend in this world. All the forces of the world will turn against you when you are unable to set yourself in tune with them, which is the obstacle on the path of yoga. More beautiful things will come to you than all the beauties that you can think of in this world. Nachiketas also faced these difficulties, as it is said in the Katha Upanishad.

When you are strong enough to resist these temptations of pleasantness and beauty, you will be opposed by terror. Thunderstorms will start rising from all sides. Death will threaten you. If you cannot also resist that, you will be taken along the wrong path, all while being told that it is the right path. Contradictory and opposing forces of nature will tell you the wrong thing. The devil will speak, and you will think it is God speaking. All these obstacles are to be expected in the path of yoga. The control of the mind is not an easy affair.

But, says Bhagavan Sri Krishna, if you take resort to the higher forces which are more integrating and comprehensive, ultimately resorting to the Self, the supreme Parmatman, Ishvara, God, the Absolute Himself, if you take resort to Him, strength will be drawn from Him. God Himself will help you. Everything will be unfolded before you gradually, systematically, one after the other, until glory will be the name of your final achievement.

The control of the mind, therefore, should start from the external, move towards the internal, and rise towards the Absolute. Japa of the mantra is essential. Yajñānāṁ japayajño’smi (Gita 10.24): Of all the spiritual contemplative sacrifices that you can think of, says Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Gita, japa is the best. Japa is a kind of meditation itself. It leads to meditation and merges into it. They are not two different things. Japa of the mantra is very, very essential, and study of spiritual texts is equally essential. Study the Bhagavadgita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Yoga Vasishtha, the Upanishads, the Sermon on the Mount, the Dhammapada; and such scriptures of similar value may be taken as books for your svadhyaya, which should be a daily feature like your lunch, breakfast or dinner. You should not miss it even a single day. Every day you must sit, even if there is no concentration. Sometimes you may not be able to meditate properly because you are worried. Even then you sit. You should not miss the item of your sitting for meditation, japa and svadhyaya merely because of the fact you have some engagements or you are disturbed that day. It does not matter. Sit. This practice of sitting at an appointed hour for these practices is very essential in the pursuit of your spiritual diary.

And have a daily routine. You must be quite sure as to what you are going to do on a particular day, at what particular time. This is daily routine, well fixed beforehand. Then have the spiritual diary. You have seen a specimen of it here as given by Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj. It has so many questions, such as when you got up from bed, how many minutes of exercises you did, how much pranayama, how much you have studied, how much bad company and good company you have kept, and so on. These questions can be modified to suit your own atmosphere and the station in which you are living. These are some of the tips that Swamiji has given to us for self-control, self-discipline and spiritual regeneration.

Excerpts from: Disciplining The Mind by Sri Swami Krishnananda