Subduing the mind

Both pleasant and unpleasant situations will come our way as long as we are alive. That is the nature of the world. What we need is to learn to tolerate them. The Bhagwad Gita verse 2:14 states, 'O Arjun! The fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress arise because of contact between the senses and the sense objects. These come and go like the winter and summer seasons. Remember, they are not permanent. Hence, endure them without being disturbed.'

This verse provides us the secret to free ourselves from serfdom to our mind. Tolerance is the key to subduing the mind. Every time our mind asks us to do something that is not beneficial to our higher purpose, rather than succumbing to it, tolerate the urge.

Suppose the mind suggests, 'Let me surf the internet for entertainment.' We know it will serve no purpose and be a complete waste of time. Yet, we often give in to the urge and indulge in the fun. This strengthens the mind, and it holds greater sway over us the next time. Instead, we can say, 'Surfing the internet will do me no good. My dear mind, I will not listen to you.' Every time we resist the urge for momentary gratification, we break the mind's control over us....


Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj states in his composition, Sadhana Karu Pyare, verse 43, 'Dear one! See the mind as your enemy. Do not listen to anything it says.' The reason for our conditioning is that we have allowed the mind the freedom to dictate terms to us. Now, we must reverse it. The idea is to break the conditioning created by the pleasure principle.