Mind and it’s management- Yoga Vasistha
The mind
I do not regard him as a hero who is able to battle successfully against a mighty army; only him I consider a hero who is able to cross the ocean known as the mind and senses. In ignorance, a man binds himself to wife, son and friends; he knows not that this world is like a large pilgrimage centre where countless people come together fortuitously- and they whom he calls his wife, son and friends are among them.
Mind alone is the creator of the world; and mind alone is the supreme person. What is done by the mind is action, what is done by the body is not an action. Mind alone is the seed of the body.
Mental and physical illnesses, and “evil eye”, do not touch the mind that is devoted to the self any more than a lotus flower can split a rock into two by falling on it. Hence, one should endeavour with the mind to make the mind take to the pure path to the self and make the self tread the path of purity. Whatever the mind contemplates that instantly materialise. By intense contemplation it can bring about radical change within itself, to heal itself of the defective vision in which illusions were perceived as real. What the mind does, that it experiences as truth. It makes the man who is sitting in moonlight experience burning heat, and it makes one who is in burning sun experience cool comfort.
Woe unto him who is unable to give up cravings, for this is the sole means to one’s ultimate good. By intense self effort it is possible to gain victory over the mind and then without the least effort the individualised consciousness is absorbed in the infinite consciousness. This is easy and easily accomplished. By self effort and self knowledge make the mind no mind. When the mind is thus conquered by remaining unagitated, you will consider even the conquest of three worlds worthless. This doesn’t involve studying scriptures or rising or falling- nothing but self knowledge.
Towards whichever object the mind flows with intensity, in that it sees the fulfilment of its craving. Restlessness is the very nature of mind. It is the work of this restlessness of the mind based on the infinite consciousness that appears as this world. O Rama, that indeed is the power of the mind. But when the mind is deprived of its restlessness, it is referred to as the dead mind; and that itself is a penance.
Movement in thought in mind arises from the movement of Prana and movement of Prana arises because of movement of the movement of thought in consciousness. They thus form a cycle of mutual dependence, like waves and movement of currents in water.
The wise ones declare that the mind is caused by the movement of Prana and hence by restraint of Prana the mind becomes quiescent.
Arrest of movement of Prana by means
when all desires and hopes come to an end.
Cultivation of dispassion
Practice meditation
Effortless practice of breathing, without strain in seclusion
Repetition of the sacred OM with the experience of it’s meaning.
Practice of exhalation when the Prana roams in space without touching the limbs of the body, of inhalation leading to the peaceful movement of Prana and of retention bringing it to standstill for a long time, all lead to the arrest of Prana
Holding of consciousness steadily at a point twelve inches from the tip of the nose,
Entering the Prana into the forehead through the palate and upper aperture,
Fixing of the Prana at eye brow center.
Practice Point
Mind is the distinguishing factor between humans and other species. We are different from the rest of the species only because we have ability to think and that is mind. So mind makes or breaks the person. If it is possessed of a refined, pure and knowledge mind he can do anything / achieve anything in life. So it essentially boils down to mind management. Even in Bhagwad Gita, Lord Krishna says, controlling the mind is as difficult as reversing the flow of the wind but yes with practice and detachment mind can be controlled. In the write up various ways have been suggested to control the mind. But chief among them are Pranayama and meditation. Practice meditation and pranayama and see how it works in your case. But these are subtle practices, that take time. And problem is in today’s life we want quick and instant results, quick fixes, short cuts but meditation and pranayama are not that sort of activities.
Start and persist with them and see how wonderful these practices are.