Dhyana Vahini - Post 36

Chapter XIII

 

The inert mind reflects the intelligence

Of course, the mind is inert (jada). Just as when water, inert matter, begins to shine when it is placed in the sun, the inert mind borrows effulgence from the Atma and appears as if it has consciousness (chaithanya). 

The intellect (buddhi) gets reflected in the mind, so it looks as if the mind is also intelligent, that is all. Its real nature is ignorance. The mind is not self-effulgent, like the Atma. The mind’s splendor is as the luminousness of insects in the rainy season. The Atma, however, is the sun of suns, the effulgence of all effulgence, the Supreme Light (Paramjyothi), the self-effulgent (swayam-jyothi).

Introspection

The essence of Drk Drsya Viveka has been captured in the above part written by Swami.

We learnt from the DDV session (available in YouTube channel) about the sequence of the seer and seen, starting from the grossest level and reaching to the subtlest level, as under.

Seer	Seen
Senses	Outer objects
Mind	Senses
Intellect	Mind
Atma (Consciousness)	Intellect

And Swami concludes with the line “The mind is not self-effulgent, like the Atma. The mind’s splendor is as the luminousness of insects in the rainy season. The Atma, however, is the sun of suns, the effulgence of all effulgence, the Supreme Light (Paramjyothi), the self-effulgent (swayam-jyothi).”

Swami continues,

Control the senses as well as the mind

The senses can do nothing by themselves. They are not independent. If the mind is brought under control, the senses can also be controlled. Some people undergo mere asceticism of the senses to control the mind! They are ignorant of the real discipline that is necessary. The real discipline is the destruction of desire.

However vigilant warders may be, a clever robber can still steal in a hundred amazing ways. So too, however skillfully you may try to control the senses, the mind will drag them to its side and execute its desires through them. Note how the sage Viswamitra, inspite of his austerities, fell before the wiles of the celestial nymphs (apsaras) sent by Indra to tempt him.

If only the outer door is closed and the inner door is left unbolted, calamity is certain. But if both the exterior and the interior doors are safely bolted, you can sleep peacefully, for no thief, however clever, will find it easy to enter and do harm. 

Therefore, the aspirant should establish mastery over the external senses. Then, the mind, immersed in the continuous succession of subject-object (vishaya) relationship, must be controlled by means of peace (santhi) and renunciation (vairagya). When that is done, one can experience real spiritual bliss (ananda) and visualize the Atma, in its real form. That is why Krishna once told Arjuna, “Those who aspire to have mastery over the senses must have full faith in Me.”

The senses are always extrovert in nature; they are greedy for external contacts. Therefore, they drag the ignorant perpetually toward external objects. So, the spiritual aspirant, endowed with discrimination and renunciation, must place obstacles in their outward path and suppress their outbursts, just as the charioteer, wielding the whip and the reins, does to the raging steeds. Uncontrolled senses cause great harm. People in their grip cannot engage themselves in meditation, even for a single second.

Introspection

A Monk of Rama Krishna Mission recounts the interaction of Thakur with disciples with respect to mind control, thus: -

“Devotees would often come to Sri Ramakrishna and unburden to him the contradictory feelings arising in their minds. They would say that the mind constantly swung from one extreme to another, from good to bad, with apparently no control or restraint whatsoever. 

In fact, this is the exasperation which Arjuna expressed to Sri Krishna: “The mind verily is, O Krishna, restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. I deem it as hard to control as the wind.” (चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्। तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ।।Gita 6.34।।).

Sri Ramakrishna would console the devotees by stating that such inconsistencies and contradictions are part of God’s creation. He would say that God has created the world in a certain fashion, and one might notice that there are trees that bear sweet fruits and trees that bear sour fruits as well.

Thus, he would tell them that the world in its very nature is full of contradictions. Since we are the creations of God, we also experience such dramatically opposite feelings in our mind. 

He would then say, “But just as it is up to the people to reject the sour fruits and eat the sweet fruits only, it is up to the individual to control one’s mind through a proper and well-regulated method of spiritual striving.”

In fact, Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita supported Arjuna’s view and said, “Doubtless, O mighty armed, the mind is restless and hard to control; but by practice and non-attachment, O son of Kunti, it can be controlled.” (असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ।।Gita 6.35।।)

It is only by intense and relentless practice along with a certain degree of dispassion it is possible to bring under control the restless mind and go forward in our spiritual journey. 

One should be extremely alert and constantly discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. God’s creation is so baffling that sometimes bad things appear alluring and attractive. Eternal vigilance is the price for spiritual progress.”

 

Love.