It is All about Your Mind, Master It or Be Mastered
Bhagavad Gita talks a lot about the importance of mind. Root of all that ‘matters over mind’ in Bhagavad Gita is
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् | आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: Bhagavad Gita 6.5
Let a man be lifted up by his own self; let him not lower himself; for he himself is his friend, and he himself is his enemy (You grow in front of your own eyes when you make your mind your best friend and you debase when you allow your mind to become your enemy and the choice is in your hands) - Bhagavad Gita 6.5
And the immediate next one is the tip to make our mind our best friend which is
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जित: | अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्ते तात्मैव शत्रुवत् - 6.6
Mind will work as your best friend for those who have conquered their mind. Mind can become an enemy for those who cannot conquer their mind.
You have created your present situation. You can redeem yourself through this knowledge and the right effort. The power to make your mind to experience bliss or yellow monkeys is in your control.
But it is still not clear how to conquer the mind and how not allow it to be conquered.
Bhagavad Gita talks a lot about conquering (empowering is a better word and hence I will use empower instead of conquer henceforth) the mind and also about things to be wary of. One factor to be wary of is the ‘control on the senses’. One who empowered the mind will not allow his mind to be conquered by the senses. There are many slokas in Bhagavad Gita about ‘controlling the senses’. This simili is very interesting.
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Tame Senses Like a Tortoise
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता - 2.58
One who is able to withdraw the senses from the sense objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell on sensing danger, is established in divine wisdom.
A very meaningful and beautiful simili used in this sloka. A tortoise pulls its limbs and entire body into its shell and this natural phenomenon is given as a comparison to the ‘control over senses’.
One may ask ‘Is it wrong to enjoy all sense objects? Is it a crime to enjoy a good food, a good song, good movie? Is Lord Krishna asking every one of us to live the life of a sanyasi? What is the point in talking about growth if we cannot enjoy the growth”.
The answer clearly is in the simili used by Lord Krishna. ‘When does a tortoise pull its entire body into its shell? Only when it perceives a danger. The tortoise cannot live its life if it remains within its shell throughout the day and throughout the night. The tortoise sees, walks, swims, eats, sleeps all other times but remains within its shell when it perceives danger and comes out of its shell when the danger is no longer there as perceived by it. A tortoise which remains within its shell all the time cannot lead a normal life. Similarly, a tortoise which is not bothered to go into its shell on danger also cannot live. The difference is in analysing and understanding the danger quickly and taking the correct action instantly. That is the nature.
It is quite common to enjoy sense objects, say enjoying a nice shower in hot water but the mind should understand the signs of danger and should have the ability to withdraw on seeing the first sign of danger. The signs of danger are getting addicted to the sense objects and not differentiating undesirable sense objects. Conquering the mind is developing the ability to withdraw from the sense object on the first sign of danger.
Attempting to quench the cravings of the senses by supplying them with their desired objects is like trying to douse a fire by pouring clarified butter on it. The fire may be smothered for a moment, but then it flares with redoubled intensity.
This sloka from Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam states that desires never go away when they are fulfilled; they only come back more strongly:
"na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śhāmyati haviṣhā kṛiṣhṇa-vartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate" - (9.19.14)
We shall see the meaning of this sloka in the next blog.
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