controlling
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As soon as one's mind is controlled through one of the yoga systems, one is to be considered as having already reached the destination. For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.
(More...) Actually, every living entity is intended to abide by the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone's heart as Paramatma. When the mind is misled by the external illusory energy, one becomes entangled in material activities. Therefore, as soon as one's mind is controlled through one of the yoga systems, one is to be considered as having already reached the destination. One has to abide by superior dictation. When one's mind is fixed on the superior nature, he has no other alternative but to follow the dictation of the Supreme. The mind must admit some superior dictation and follow it. The effect of controlling the mind is that one automatically follows the dictation of the Paramatma or Supersoul. Because this transcendental position is at once achieved by one who is in Krsna consciousness, the devotee of the Lord is unaffected by the dualities of material existence, namely distress and happiness, cold and heat, etc. This state is practical samadhi, or absorption in the Supreme.
(More...) Imported quote 15000 Although the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and are therefore in a transcendental position, they are still suffering in this material world and struggling for existence due to the mind and the senses. To get out of this false struggle for existence and become happy in the material world, one has to control the mind and senses and be detached from material conditions. One should never neglect austerities and penances; one should always perform them. Lord Rsabhadeva personally showed us how to do this. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.19.17) it is specifically stated:
(More...) Imported quote 15003 The mind is the original cause of material bondage. It is followed by many enemies, such as anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. The best way to control the mind is to engage it always in Krsna consciousness (sa vai manaḥ krsna-padaravindayoḥ). Since the followers of the mind bring about material bondage, we should be very careful not to trust the mind.
(More...) Imported quote 18753 So if you can control the senses by the yogic..., mystic yogic process-this mechanical endeavor, how to control the mind-then you can again be placed in the original spiritual status. That is the yoga system. The yoga system is recommended to persons whose mind is very restless. Everyone's mind is restless-not a particular man mind is restless. Everyone's. But it is very difficult, also, to bring the mind into peaceful status. So long the desires are there, it is not possible to bring the mind in complete peace and tranquility. It is not possible, because the sahkalpa-vikalpa... Vartate-kama-sambhavaḥ. So long there is desire, so it is not possible to bring the mind under control. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, Kaviraja Gosvami, that even the pious actors, those who are acting very piously... Those who are acting impiously, sinfully, there is no question of peace of the mind. That is not possible. Even those who are acting very piously, that is also not possible. You cannot control even the mind in that way. Then those who are desiring to stop these material activities completely, pious or impious, they also cannot control the mind. And then the yogis... The first group, who are interested in pious activities, they are karmis. And those who are neither interested in pious activities or impious activities-they want to stop all kinds of activities... Just like the Buddha philosophy says, nirvana: "Stop the activities of the mind, or desires." On that status also, it is not possible to control the mind, meditation. And... These mukti-kami. And then siddhi-kami, the yogis, they also cannot control the mind, what to speak of ordinary man who are neither interested in pious activities or in mukti or yogic perfection.
(More...) Imported quote 19184 But that is not the fact. Real fact is how to control the mind. Here we see that mana madana-vepitam. Na sasaka samadhatum mano madana-vepitam. Our mind is always agitated for sense enjoyment. Mind is the master of the senses, or the chief man, just like superintendent. Mind is dictating, and the senses... The mind is dictating, "You go there," immediately the legs go. "You see here," the eyes see. So mind is the center. Manaḥ-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg 15.7], Bhagavad-gita. This living entity, mamaivamso. Krsna says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So question may be, "Then why they are rotting here? If the living entities are part and parcel of Krsna, or God, so why does he not live with God?" The immediate answer is, manaḥ-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg 15.7]. These living entities, these conditioned souls who has come to this material world, the only reason is that they want to satisfy the senses, manaḥ-sasthanindriyani. Therefore there is struggle for existence. He wants to enjoy. He wants to become the enjoyer. But he is not enjoyer. That is called illusion. He is enjoyed. He cannot enjoy. Enjoyer is only Krsna, purusa. Purusaḥ sasvatam.
(More...) That is vidvamsam api karsati. This Ajamila is a learned brahmana. He is vidvan. He is not a fool. But vidvamsam api karsati. Therefore it is forbidden, matra svasra duhitra va: "Don't keep yourself in a lonely place and talk 'pish-pish' with woman, even she is mother, daughter or sister." Strictly forbidden. That "pish-pish" will kill you. Therefore it is forbidden that "Don't talk in solitary place with woman, even she happens to be your daughter, your mother and your sister." Generally one is not agitated in sex with mother, with sister, with daughter. But it is forbidden up to death. Even Brahma became agitated by seeing his daughter. There is instances. Even Brahma, and what to speak of others? So mind is so susceptible that... But this mind can be controlled only by Krsna consciousness. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata anantaratmana [Bg 6.47].
(More...) Imported quote 24079 Srila Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear King, you have spoken correctly. However, after capturing animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind's action.
(More...) Imported quote 24080 All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat us at any moment. Even Lord Siva became agitated upon seeing the Mohini form of Lord Krsna, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature stage of yogic perfection.
(More...) Imported quote 24081 An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her paramours. If the yogi gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will doubtlessly kill the yogi.
(More...) Imported quote 24083 In this verse the word pumscali refers to a woman who is easily carried away by men. Such a woman is never to be trusted. Unfortunately, in the present age, women are never controlled. According to the directions of the sastras, women are never to be given freedom. When a child, a woman must be strictly controlled by her father. When she is young, she must be strictly controlled by her husband, and when she is old, she must be controlled by her elderly sons. If she is given independence and allowed to mingle unrestrictedly with men, she will be spoiled. A spoiled woman, being manipulated by paramours, might even kill her husband. This example is given here because a yogi desiring to get free from material conditions must always keep his mind under control. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that in the morning our first business should be to beat the mind with shoes a hundred times, and, before going to bed, to beat the mind a hundred times with a broomstick. In this way one's mind can be kept under control. An uncontrolled mind and an unchaste wife are the same. An unchaste wife can kill her husband at any time, and an uncontrolled mind, followed by lust, anger, greed, madness, envy and illusion, can certainly kill the yogi. When the yogi is controlled by the mind, he falls down into the material condition. One should be very careful of the mind, just as a husband should be careful of an unchaste wife.
(More...) No one can bring the activities of the mind and senses to a stop, but one can purify these activities through a change in consciousness. Yoga practice is essentially meant for controlling the senses. The central controlling factor of all the senses is the mind; therefore one first has to practice controlling the mind by engaging it in Krsna consciousness. The gross activities of the mind are expressed through the external senses either for the acquiring of knowledge or the functioning of the senses in accordance to the will. The subtle activities of the mind are thinking, feeling and willing. In accordance to one's consciousness, the individual is either polluted or clear. If one's mind is fixed on Krsna (His name, quality, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia), all one's activities-both subtle and gross-become favorable. The Bhagavad-gita's process of purifying consciousness is the process of fixing one's mind on Krsna by talking of His transcendental activities, cleansing His temple, going to His temple, seeing the beautiful transcendental form of the Lord nicely decorated, hearing His transcendental glories, tasting food offered to Him, associating with His devotees, smelling the flowers and tulasi leaves offered Him, engaging in activities for the Lord's interest, etc. No one can bring the activities of the mind and senses to a stop, but one can purify these activities through a change in consciousness. This change is indicated in Bhagavad-gita when Krsna tells Arjuna of the knowledge of yoga whereby one can work without fruitive results. "O son of Prtha, when you act by such intelligence, you can free yourself from the bondage of works," (Bg. 2.39) A human being is sometimes restricted in sense gratification due to certain circumstances such as disease, etc., but this is not the prescription. Without knowing the actual process by which the mind and senses can be controlled, less intelligent men either try to stop the mind and senses by force, or they give in to them and are carried away by the waves of sense gratification.
(More...) The mind is the pivot of the active sense organs, and as such if the quality of thinking, feeling and willing is changed, naturally the quality of actions by the instrumental senses will also change. Omkara or the pranava is the seed of transcendental realization, and it is composed of three transcendental letters A.U.M. By its chanting by the mind, in conjunction with the breathing process, which is a transcendental but mechanical way of getting into trance, as devised by the experience of great mystics, one is able to bring the mind, which is materially absorbed, under control. This is a way of changing the habit of the mind. The mind is not to be killed. Mind or desire cannot be stopped, but to develop a desire to function for spiritual realization, the quality of engagement by the mind has to be changed. The mind is the pivot of the active sense organs, and as such if the quality of thinking, feeling and willing is changed, naturally the quality of actions by the instrumental senses will also change. Omkara is the seed of all transcendental sound, and it is the transcendental sound only which can bring about the desired change of the mind and the senses. Even a mentally deranged man can be cured by treatment of transcendental sound. In the Bhagavad-gita, the pranava or omkara has been accepted as the direct literal representation of the Supreme Absolute Truth. One who is not able to chant directly the holy name of the Lord, as recommended above, can easily chant the pranava or omkara. This omkara is a note of address, such as, "O my Lord," just as "om hari om" means "O my Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." As we have explained before, the Lord's holy name is identical with the Lord Himself. So also is omkara. But persons who are unable to realize the transcendental personal form or name of the Lord on account of their imperfect senses (in other words, the neophytes) are trained to the practice of self-realization by this mechanical process of regulating the breathing function and simultaneously repeating the pranava omkara within the mind. As we have several times expressed, since the transcendental name, form, attributes, pastimes, etc., of the Personality of Godhead are impossible to be understood by the present material senses, it is necessary that through the mind, the center of sensual activities, such transcendental realization be set into motion. The devotees, however, directly fix their minds on the Person of the Absolute Truth. But one who is unable to accommodate such personal features of the Absolute is disciplined in that impersonality to train the mind to make further progress.
(More...) The purpose of practicing eightfold yoga is to control the mind in order to make it a friend in discharging the human mission The purpose of practicing eightfold yoga is to control the mind in order to make it a friend in discharging the human mission. Unless the mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. As long as one's mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. For one who takes to Krsna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.
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