Mind--Its Mysteries and Control

245 Pages·1998·0.69 MB·English

by  Swami Sivananda

(cid:190)
MIND ITS MYSTERIES
AND CONTROL
By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
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Sri Swami Sivananda So Says
Founder of Sri Swami Sivananda
The Divine Life Society
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
Twelfth Edition: 1994
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1998
WWW site: http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~pkanagar/divine/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
ISBN 81-7052-006-1
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,
Himalayas, India.
OM
1st July 1946
Beloved Dheerender!
Fear not. The mind is no doubt extremely turbulent. Through
repeated attempts you can perfectly subdue it.
You are the master of the mind. By Abhyasa and Vairagya assert
your mastery. Feel the power, bliss and splendour that result from
perfect self-conquest.
Curb the mind ruthlessly. Annihilate desire. When desire dies
mind is your slave. Become desireless and be victorious.
May you rest in your pristine freedom!
Sivananda
iii
PRAYER
OThouInvisibleOne!OAdorableOne!OSupreme!Thoupermeatestandpenetratestthis
vastuniversefromtheunlimitedspacedowntothetinybladeofgrassatmyfeet.Thouartthebasis
forallthesenamesandforms.Thouarttheappleofmyeye,thePremaofmyheart,theveryLifeof
my life, the very Soul of my soul, the illuminator of my intellect and senses, the sweet Anahata
musicofmyheart,andthesubstanceofmyphysical,mentalandcausalframes.
I recognise Thee alone as the mighty Ruler of this universe and the Inner Controller
(Antaryamin) of my three bodies. I prostrate again and again before Thee, my Lord! Thou art my
sole refuge! I trust Thee alone, O ocean of mercy and love! Elevate, enlighten, guide and protect
me. Remove obstacles from my spiritual path. Lift the veil of ignorance, O Thou Jagadguru! I
cannotbearanylongerevenforasecond,themiseriesofthisbody,thislifeandthisSamsara.Give
Darsanaquickly.OPrabho!Iampining.Iammelting.Listen,listentomyfervent,Antarikaprayer.
Do not be cruel, my Lord. Thou art Dinabandhu. Thou art Adhama-Uddharaka. Thou art Patita
Pavana(Purifierofthefallen).
OmSantihSantihSantih
PUBLISHERS(cid:146) NOTE
To everyone striving for success in life, the invariable stumbling block proves to be the
turbulent vagaries of the mind. An undisciplined mind makes a man slave and wrecks his life.
Controllingandsubduingitisthemostvexingofproblemstotheearnestseekerofhappiness.The
vitalimportanceofthesubject,therefore,promptedH.H.SriSwamiSivanandajiMaharajtowrite
this comprehensive work (cid:147)MIND(cid:151)ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL.(cid:148) It is meant to serve as a
valuableguidetoallaspirantsanditisalsoofimmensehelptoanyoneinanywalkoflife.Beingthe
outcome of personal experience of the revered author and written with a practical end in view,
(cid:147)MIND(cid:151)ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL(cid:148) is a treasure worthy to be possessed and studied
constantly.
(cid:151)THEDIVINELIFE SOCIETY
iv
PREFACE
Happinesshasforeverbeentheprimeaimofeveryhumanbeing.Allactivitiesofmanare
directedtowardsacquiringthemaximumhappinessinlife.But,throughthewrongdeludednotion
that objects will give happiness, man searches for it outside. The result is that in spite of all his
lifelongefforts,hegetsdisappointmentonly.Vexationandmiseryalonearetobeseeneverywhere.
The real lasting happiness lies within man. Such happiness or Ananda is the Inner Self, the
Antaratman. The very nature of Atman is pure Joy. This is never perceived because the mind is
completely externalised. As long as the mind is restlessly wandering about amidst objects, ever
fluctuating, excited, agitated and uncontrolled, this true joy cannot be realised and enjoyed. To
controltherestlessmindandperfectlystillallthoughtsandcravingsisthegreatestproblemofman.
If hehassubjugatedthe mind,heisthe Emperorofemperors.
For gaining mastery over the mind, you have to know what it is, how it works, how it
deceivesyouateveryturnandbywhatmethodsitcanbesubdued.Inthisbook,thesubjecthasbeen
dealt with; and the nature of the mind, the various forms that it assumes, the secret of its inner
workings and the way to control it are fully and clearly explained. The previous editions were
eagerlyreadandappreciatedbythousandsofaspirantswhowrotetosayhowimmenselytheywere
helped by the instructions. The lessons and instructions are eminently practical and many helpful
ideas and suggestions got during my meditations have been recorded and put down here. Very
usefulhintsonconcentrationandmeditationwillbefoundinthebookwhich,iffaithfullyfollowed,
willbringsuccessina shorttimewithoutfail.
Ipraytoeveryaspiranttostudyconstantlythevaluableinstructionswithcareandfollowthe
practicalhintsgiveninhisSadhanaanddailylife.Itwilldoubtlessenableyoutogaincontrolover
yourpassionsandcravingsandtogetestablishedinYoga.TheBhakta,thestudentofVedanta,the
Raja Yogin, the Karma Yogin(cid:151)all will find this book an indispensable guide. The later stages of
Yoga Sadhana are common in all the four paths and Dharana and Dhyana are quite impossible
without first subduing the mind. All Sadhanas are, therefore, aimed at obtaining mastery over the
mind.HenceitisthatIhavetriedtopresentthewaysandmeansofachievingthisthroughsimple,
yet well-tried and effective methods. My efforts would be amply fulfilled if even a single earnest
aspirantishelpedonthe spiritualpathandattainstheGoal.
May the Lord, the Antaryamin, the Supreme Indweller inspire all to attempt mind-control
andYoga!MayHebestowsuccessonthesincereaspirantsthatstruggletomastertheunrulymind!
May youreachthe GoalofLife,Immortality,SupremeKnowledgeandBliss!
Sivananda
v
CONTENTS
Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Publishers(cid:146)Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
1. WhatIsMind? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. MindAndBody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3. Mind,PranaAndKundalini. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4. MindAndFood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5. TheThreeAvasthas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6. TheThreeGunas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7. ThePsychicStates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
8. TheMentalFaculties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
9. TheThreeDoshas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
10. SuddhaManasAndAsuddhaManas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
11. Vrittis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
12. TheoryOfPerception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
13. ChittaAndMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
14. Samskaras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
15. Sankalpa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
16. ThoughtCreatesTheWorld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
17. AvidyaAndAhankara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
18. ThePowerOfThought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
19. Thought-Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
20. Vasanas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
21. Desires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
22. Raga-Dvesha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
23. PleasureAndPain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
24. Viveka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
25. VairagyaAndTyaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
26. ControlOfIndriyas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
27. MounaAndIntrospection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
28. EvilVrittisAndTheirEradication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
29. CultivationOfVirtues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
30. HowToControlTheMind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
31. Concentration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
32. Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
33. ExperiencesAndObstaclesInMeditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
34. Samadhi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
35. Manonasa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
36. TheMindCompared . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
37. EssenceOfJnana Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
38. TheMindInAJivanmukta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
39. ThePowersOfA Yogi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
40. NecessityForAGuru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
vi
41. HintsToAspirants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
APPENDIXI
ToTheMind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
APPENDIX II
PsychicInfluence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
APPENDIXIII
AnnihilationOfMind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
vii
MIND(cid:151)ITSMYSTERIESANDCONTROL
Chapter 1
WHAT IS MIND?
(cid:147)Hewhoknowsthereceptacle(Ayatana)verilybecomesthereceptacleofhispeople.Mindis
verilythereceptacle(ofallourknowledge).(cid:148) (ChhandogyaUpanishad,V-i-5)
ThatwhichseparatesyoufromGodismind.ThewallthatstandsbetweenyouandGodis
mind. Pull the wall down through Om-Chintana or devotion and you will come face to face with
God.
THE MIND(cid:151)A MYSTERY
The vast majority of men know not the existence of the mind and its operations. Even the
so-callededucatedpersonsknowverylittleofthemindsubjectivelyorofitsnatureandoperations.
Theyhaveonlyheardofamind.
Westernpsychologistsknowsomething.
Western doctors know only a fragment of mind. The afferent nerves bring the sensations
from the periphery or extremities of the spinal cord. The sensations then pass to the medulla
oblongata at the back of the head, where the fibres decussate. From there, they pass on to the
superiorfrontalgyrusorsuperiorfrontalconvolutionofthebrainintheforehead,thesupposedseat
of the intellect or mind. The mind feels the sensations and sends motor impulses through the
afferent nerves to the extremities(cid:151)hands, legs, etc. It is a brain-function only for them. Mind,
accordingtothem,isonlyanexcretionofthebrain,likebilefromliver.Thedoctorsarestillgroping
inutterdarkness.TheirmindsneeddrasticflushingfortheentryofHinduphilosophicalideas.
It is only the Yogins and those who practise meditation and introspection that know the
existenceofthemind,itsnature,waysandsubtleworkings.Theyknowalsothevariousmethodsof
subduingthemind.
Mind is one of the Ashta-Prakritis. (cid:147)Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and
egoism(cid:151)theseconstitute theeightfolddivisionofMy Nature(cid:148)(Gita,VII-4).
MindisnothingbutAtma-Sakti.Itisbrainthatwantsrest(sleep),butnotthemind.AYogi
whohascontrolledthemindneversleeps.Hegetspurerestfrommeditationitself.
HOW THE MIND ORIGINATED
Mind is Atma-Sakti. It is through mind that Brahman manifests Himself as the
differentiated universe with heterogeneous objects. Brahma thought, (cid:147)There, indeed, are the
worlds;Ishallcreatetheprotectorsoftheworlds.(cid:148)HegatheredthePurusha(Hiranyagarbha)from
out of the waters only and fashioned him. He heated him by the heat of meditation. When he was
thus heated, his heart burst out. From the heart, the mind came; from the mind the moon, the
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WHATISMIND?
presiding deity of the mind. (Heart is the seat of the mind; so, the mind came out when the heart
burstout.InSamadhi,themindgoestoitsoriginalseat,i.e.,heart.Insleepalso,itrestsintheheart
withaveilofignorancebetweenitandBrahman)(Aitareya Upanishad,1-3-4).
COSMIC MIND AND INDIVIDUAL MIND
Hiranyagarbha, otherwise known as Karya Brahman and Sambhuti, is cosmic mind. He is
thesumtotal(Samashti)ofalltheminds.Theindividualmindisconnectedwiththecosmicmind.
Cosmicmind,Hiranyagarbha,superconsciousmind,infinitemind,universalmindaresynonymous
terms. Different authors have used different terms. Do not be puzzled. Do not be confused. It is
Sabda-bhedaonly.
Hiranyagarbha is cosmic Prana also. He is the Sutratman (thread-like Self). He represents
the electric, cosmic, power-house. The different Jivas represent the different, small bulbs.
Electricityfromthepower-houseflowsthroughtheinsulatedcopperwiresintothebulbs.Similarly,
thepowerfromHiranyagarbhaflowsintothe Jivas.
Themind,beingverysubtle,isincloseappositionorcontactwithotherminds,thoughthe
humanskullintervenesbetweenthem.Asmindevolves,youcomeintoconsciousrelationwiththe
mentalcurrents,withthemindsofothers(cid:151)nearanddistant,livinganddead.Theindividualmind
ofA,althoughseparatedfromthemind-substanceusedbyotherindividuals,B,C,D,E,X,Y,etc.,
by a thin wall of very finest kind of matter, is really in touch with the other apparently separated
mindsandwiththeuniversalmindofwhichitformsapart.
IfAisafriendofB,A(cid:146)smindisconnectedwithB(cid:146)smind.Themindsoffriends,relatives,
brothers of A are attached to A(cid:146)s mind. Several minds are similarly linked to B(cid:146)s mind also. The
minds of those who are attached to A(cid:146)s mind are, therefore, connected, in turn, with the minds of
thosewhoarehangingonB(cid:146)smind.Inthismanner,onemindisintouchwithallmindsinthewhole
world.ThisistheVibhutheoryofmindofRajaYoga.
MIND IN SANKHYA PHILOSOPHY
In Sankhya philosophy, Mahat is the term used to denote (cid:147)cosmic mind(cid:148) or (cid:147)universal
mind.(cid:148)ItisthefirstprinciplethatisderivedfromAvyakta.Itisthefirstprinciplethatismanifested
outoftheunmanifestedAvyakta.Thewheelofthebullock-cartrestsonthespokes.Thespokesrest
onthenave.Evenso,themindrestsonPrakritiandPrakritirestsonBrahman.
FromMahatcomesAhankara.FromSattvicAhankaracomesmind;fromRajasicAhankara
comes Prana; from Tamasic Ahankara, Tanmatras; from Tanmatras, gross elements; from gross
elements,thegrossuniverse.MindisnootherthanAhankara,theideaof(cid:145)I(cid:146).Itis,indeed,difficult
to eschew this idea of (cid:145)I(cid:146). Mind always attaches itself to something objective (Sthula). It cannot
standbyitself.Itisonlythismindthatassertsitselfas (cid:145)I(cid:146)inthisbody.
The idea of (cid:145)I(cid:146) is the seed of the tree of mind. The sprout which first springs up from this
seedofAhankaraisBuddhi.Fromthissprout,theramifyingbranchescalledSankalpashavetheir
origin.
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MIND(cid:151)ITSMYSTERIESANDCONTROL
LINGA SARIRA AND ANTAVAHA SARIRA
Mind is the most important Tattva of Linga Sarira. Linga Sarira is the astral body or
SukshmaSarirathatislinkedtothephysicalbodythroughphysicalPrana.Itseparatesitselfatdeath
from the physical body and travels to Svarga or heaven. It is this body that does Avagamana
(comingandgoing).Thisbodymeltsin VidehaMukti(disembodiedsalvation).
ThereisadifferencebetweenLingaSariraandAntarvahaSarira.LingaSariraisastralbody
with seventeen Tattvas, viz., five Karma-Indriyas, five Jnana-Indriyas, five Pranas, Mind and
Buddhi.AntarvahaSariraisverypure.ItisfullofSattva.ItisfreefromRajasandTamas.Itiswith
thisbodythataYogipassesfromonebodytoanother(Parakaya-Pravesa).Lila,throughthegrace
of Sarasvati, came out of the physical body and travelled to higher worlds with this Antarvaha
Sarira. You will find this in the Yogavasishtha. Sri Sankaracharya, Raja Vikramaditya,
HastamalakaandTirumularhadAntarvahaSarira.Withthehelpofthisspecialkindofpurebody,
they passed into the bodies of other persons. A Yogi with Antarvaha Sarira has Sat-Sankalpa or
SuddhaSankalpa.
MIND IS SUBTLE MATTER
Mindisnotagrossthing,visibleandtangible.Itsexistenceisnowhereseen.Itsmagnitude
cannotbemeasured.Itdoesnotrequire aspaceinwhichtoexist.
Mindandmatteraretwoaspectsassubjectandobjectofoneandthesameall-fullBrahman,
who is neither and yet includes both. Mind precedes matter. This is Vedantic theory. Matter
precedesmind.Thisisscientifictheory.
Mind can be said to be immaterial only in the sense that it has not the characteristics of
ponderablematter.Itisnot,however,immaterialinthesensethatBrahman(PureSpirit)assuchis.
Mind is the subtle form of matter and hence the prompter of the body. Mind is made up of subtle,
Sattvic, Apanchikrita (non-quintuplicated) Tanmatric matter. Mind is all electricity. According to
theChhandogyaUpanishad,mindisformedoutofthesubtlestportionoffood.
Mindismaterial.Mindissubtlematter.Thisdiscriminationismadeontheprinciplethatthe
soul is the only source of intelligence; it is self-evident; it shines by its own light. But the organs
(mindandsenses)derivetheirprincipleofactivityandlifefromthesoul.Bythemselves,theyare
lifeless.Hencethesoulisalwaysasubjectandneveranobject.Manascanbeanobjectofthesoul.
AnditisacardinalprincipleofVedantathatthatwhichisanobjectforasubjectisnon-intelligent
(Jada). Even the principle of self-consciousness (Aham Pratyak-Vishayatva) or Ahankara is
non-intelligent;itdoesnotexistbyitsownlight.Itisthe objectofapperception tothe soul.
THE MENTAL BODY
Justasthephysicalbodyiscomposedofsolid,liquidandgaseousmatter,soalsothemindis
madeupofsubtlematterofvariousgradesofdensitywithdifferentratesofvibration.ARajaYogi
penetratesthroughdifferentlayersofmindbyintenseSadhana.
3