People who have been able to control their own minds are the ones who can best guide us in this pursuit. Their teachings are a valuable source for us to emulate. These can be described as a simple set of discipline. The whole exercise can be compared to a game played in the innermost chamber of the mind in essence, controlling the mind needs the same skill, alertness, sense of humour, a clean heart, deft strategies, patience and the heroic attitude. If a keen sportsman to accept the many failures and defeats as well as successes with the same fortitude.

In the Gita Bhagwan Shri Krishna explained to Arjun how the supreme state of yoga can be attained. Arjun stated in utter despair, ‘‘O Krishna, I do not know how this yoga which you describe as the perfect evenness of mind, can be attained. The mind is ever restless, turbulent, powerful and obstinate. To me, it is as difficult a task as to control the wind’’. Arjun’s despair echos the eternal cry of mankind. Krishna’s reply to this is relevant to the people of all ages. He said, ‘‘It is true, O Arjuna, that the man’s mind is always restless and hard to control. But by practice and a sense of detachment, it can be controlled.’’

 Three basic facts emerge from this above discussion.

Firstly, it is indeed a difficult task to control the mind even for a person of Arjuna’s stature. Secondly, yet it is not impossible to do so, and, thirdly, there are well-defined ways to do it.

The secret of this difficult task, the control of the mind lies in two words – practice and detachment. Since time immemorial all Indian sages and saints have been preaching that only through sincere practice and with an attitude of detachment to the materialistic world we can control the mind. This is also called Abhyasa yoga.

Undoubtedly, practice and a sense of detachment are the two basic means of controlling the mind. To incorporate this basic idea into our lives we have to develop a strong will to control the mind. In addition, we have to understand the nature of the mind and learn a few techniques which should be practised earnestly.

We all have a will, the very fact that often we face an inner struggle proves that the will is there. But most of the time this will is not strong enough.  We cannot possess a strong will until and unless we renounce materialistic pleasures. The strength of our will gets diminished in our daily pursuit of pleasure. It is like having a  servant with whom you enjoy some drugs. After a certain time,  you depend on him for that pleasure.  Similarly,  if we are always seeking worldly pleasure in our mind, we lose control over it.

Even after restraining ourselves from seeking pleasure it is not an easy job to control the mind.

Since it has past experience to deviate. Everything depends on how strongly we feel against the pursuit of pleasure, and the strength of our mind varies with the intensity of our feelings. If one is sincere enough in his renunciation of the worldly pleasure one’s attempt to control the mind also becomes sincere.

With repeated failures to control the mind, many of us may think that it is impossible to do do. Also, we may not be aware of the reasons for failure.

Nevertheless, One should not feel disheartened as it has never been an easy task.

Shri Krishna says, ‘‘ The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, violently snatch away the concentration of even a wise man, striving after perfection. For the mind that follows in the wandering senses carries away his power of discrimination.  As the mind carries off the course of a sailing boat.

Mahatma Buddha also teaches, ‘‘If one man conquer a battle  of a thousand men a thousand times, and if  another conquers himself latter is a greater conqueror.’’

Thus, conquering the mind is the greatest task of all. Failures, therefore, are bound to occur which should prompt one to try more sincerely. As all great teachers have told us that it is possible to control the mind with determination.

Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj