The Challenge-Part IV

What is the mind?

How is the mind to be disciplined? In order to discipline or train the mind, we must, first of all, know what the mind is. If I do not know the mind, how am I to train it? Then- what is the mind? There is no one who is "mindless". You are sitting here listening to these talks from morning till evening. From birth to death you are reaching out to the world through your ears. Every activitity of every person is only to satisfy his mind. The mind is the commander. Mind is the king.

But now, what exactly is this mind? I want you to think. I want you to know it. Without thinking, people superficially answer, "The mind is something inside you". Inside what? Is it the liver? Is it the kidneys? Is it the heart? "No, not that. It is inside". Then what is it? Think carefully. We have grown up. We have been educated and trained. We have been instructed in all sorts ofthings, but still we know not what the mind is. Until we know what the mind is, how can we train it, beautify it or develop it?

If the mind is unhappy, I am unhappy. If the mind is happy, I am happy. My entire life is dependent upon my mind. But how very few of us know it. If am to control the mind, I must first know what it is.

Let us try to find out what the mind is. When we ask this question ''what is the mind", an intelligent man will necessarily answer, "mind is thought". Yes, mind is thought. But this is not a definition. The presence of thoughts is proof of the mind. Whenever there is no thought, there is no mind. In your deep sleep you have no thoughts and therefore no mind.

Without exception thoughts and the mind are deeply interrelated. If thoughts are calm, the mind is calm. If thoughts are agitated - as it happens nearer the examinations the mind is agitated. If thoughts are despairing, the mind despairs. The mind is exactly as the thoughts. Therefore, anyone who tries to understnd the mind will arrive at the conslusion - mind is thought.

When I look at my mind I discover it is a movement of constantly changing moods. Only last week I was happy meaning that my mind was happy. My mind was happy meaning my thoughts were happy until I got a letter telling me that my father is seriously ill. For three days I was worreid. A worried mind means worried thoughts were in my mind. It happens to every one of us- at one moment we are happy and at another, worried.

Thoughts change.When thoughts change, the mind also changes. But the mind itself is one and the same. When milk is poured into a pot, it is called a milk pot. When honey is poured in, it is called a honey pot. When you pour ink into it, it is called an ink pot. The pot remains one and the same. Similarly, the mind is one and the same, whatever the thoughts that are entertained in it. It is a happy mind when the thoughts it holds are happy. It is a worried mind when its thoughts are about something worrisome. It is a despairing mind when its thoughts are of a despairing nature.

To be continued

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....