In this title “Mind Your Mind”, there are two ‘minds’; the first one is the verb and the second one is the noun. The human soul has three faculties such as mind, intellect and sanskar. Mind is the thinking faculty, intellect is the judging or decision making faculty; and sanskar is the recording faculty of what we, the souls, think, speak and act. The noun ‘mind’ is the creator of thoughts. The verb ‘mind’ here means to know and check the nature and quality of thoughts; if bad and negative thoughts and change them into good and positive thoughts. People say, “Mind your business”. But the topic says to mind your mind, and we have to discuss how to mind our mind and know the benefits of doing this.
Mind – The Prime Faculty
Mind is the thinking faculty. All sorts of thoughts, feelings and emotions arise in the mind. Intellect is the judging or decision making faculty. It is the rational element in the soul that considers, analyzes, organizes, facts, information, events, people, etc, and finally judges and takes a decision. Sanskar (impression) is the recording faculty of what we, the souls, think, speak and act in our personal, social and professional life and behaviour. It is referred to as the sub-conscious, which most often motivates and influences our actions.
Mind Proves One’s Existence
Rene Descartes, the French Philosopher, said, “Cogito Ergo Sum”, which means “I think, therefore I am.” In other words, I exist because I think. Unless I think, I cannot exist. Thus, it proves the existence of all human beings, who are thinking and rational beings. Human beings are different from animals who act on the basis of their instincts only. Our thinking proves our existence upon the earth when we, the souls, come and take the bodies to play our roles/parts on the stage of the world.
Individual Mind and Universal Mind
There is a difference between individual human mind and God’s universal Super-mind. Every individual soul has a mind of its own. The individual human mind is subject to time and space continuum, and reaps the fruits one’s own thoughts, words action in the form of sorrows and sufferings and peace and happiness, depending on the nature and quality of thoughts, words and actions. In the physical world of time and space, the individual human mind becomes and remains body-consciousness and becomes vicious being indulged in vices like sex-lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, indolence and jealousy.
God’s universal Super-mind is not subject to time and space continuum even though He comes to play His unique roles as the Creator, Director and Main Actor by controlling the forces and effects of the world of time and space in this earthly elemental Nature. God, the Universal Mind, is ever soul-conscious, who remains in the metaphysical Soul World beyond the physical world of time and space, and is, therefore, called the Supreme Lord of Nature (Prakruti Pati).
Karma Philosophy is based on Positive Mind and Negative Mind
Karma philosophy is based on positive mind and negative mind. Thought is the seed, and words and actions flow from the nature and quality of thoughts. That is why words and actions are called the flowers and fruits of thoughts, the seeds. There is a saying, “As you think, so become”. In other words, you are what the nature or qualities of your thoughts are. Thus, Karma Philosophy (Karma Darshan) is based on the states of human mind such as positive mind and/or negative mind. Good and positive thoughts evoke positive feelings and actions, whereas bad and negative thoughts evoke bad and negative feelings and actions. Karma Philosophy (Karma Darshan) is the psychological and/or spiritual equivalent of the third law of motion of Newtonian Physics. The third law of motion of Sir Issac Newton states, “Every action has equal and opposite reaction.” Good actions flow from good thoughts; whereas bad or negative actions flow from bad or negative thoughts.
Mind is the Creator of Hell & Heaven
John Milton, the blind English poet, has rightly said, “Mind is in its own place; it can make a hell of heaven and heaven of hell.” Start thinking of heaven, you will get the feeling and experience of heaven; in contrast, start thinking of hell, you will get the feeling and experience of hell. William Shakespeare, the world famous poet and dramatist, has also rightly stated, “There is nothing good or bad; thinking makes it so.” Think good and be good. Our thoughts create our environment; our thoughts transmit the similar vibrations to others. Our thoughts can make our destiny or mar our destiny.
Human being can become divine or deity
With quantum shift of consciousness from body-consciousness to soul-consciousness and change of thoughts from vicious to virtuous, change of Man (Nara) can become Shree Narayana and Woman (Nari) can become Shree Laksmi. This is quite possible through regular spiritual study of divine knowledge of world cycle and practice of Rajyoga meditation. The four subjects of spiritual study are Spiritual Knowledge Meditation (Yoga), Inculcation of Divine Virtues (Divya Guna) and Service (Seva).
All hopes and ambitions are based on mind/thoughts
An optimist is a positive thinker. He always sees the brighter sides of life. He sees the bright lightning in the dark clouds. Every inconvenience is an opportunity for the optimist. For the optimist, “Stone walls do not a prison make/ Nor iron bars a cage.” In contrast, the pessimist is a negative thinker. He always sees the darker sides of life. He perceives clouds as all dark as he fails to see the bright lightning in the dark clouds. He is unable to make the best use of the opportunity. This difference lies in their thought and outlook. Deepak Chopra says, “The winner does not do different thing; he only thinks to do it differently.”
All failures and successes are the works of the mind
Mind is the wonder worker. All failures and successes are the works of the mind/thoughts. If you think of success, you will get success; otherwise, if you think of failure, you will get failure. Every successful person begins with two thoughts: (i) The future can be better than the present; (ii) I have the power to make it so. So, believe in yourself and say to yourself: “I think I can; I can do it; finally I did it.” Winners are not people who fail; but people who never quit. Thomas Alva Edison has rightly said, “I have not failed; I have only found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
The Mind is Fickle
The Bhagavad Geeta puts a great emphasis on the control of mind. The mind is described as fickle and unstable by nature. As an aspect of Nature, the human mind personifies the phenomenal world, its impermanence and instability. The mind can be stabilized through yoga practice. “A lamp in a windless place is the metaphor that can be used to describe a Yogi whose mind is under control and who is united with his inner Self.”
Rajayoga practice can control mind
Rajayoga practice can control the fickle and unstable mind. It is the mental, intellectual and spiritual connection of the human soul with God, the Supreme Soul, the Almighty, Absolute and Divine Super-mind. Incorpreal God Father Supreme Soul Shiva descends down upon the earth in the body-chariot of Dada Lekhraj who He renamed as Prajapita Brahma to impart spiritual knowledge of the World Cycle and training of Rajayoga to purify and elevate them from their impure human stage to the pure and deity stage of Shree Lakshmi and Shree Narayan.
Rajayoga helps in checking and changing our thoughts from negative to positive. It helps in quantum shift our mind or spirit/soul/consciousness from body-consciousness to soul-consciousness or spiritual consciousness. Raja-yoga is the King of all Yogas as it has integrated all in it all Yogas like Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and various disciplines like Science, Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Education, Spirituality, Values, etc. Rajayoga is the journey of the self through the self to the self and the Supreme Self. It helps to control and reduce the speed of thoughts; in attaining lasting peace and happiness; in attaining liberation (Mukti) and Fruition (Jeevanmukti). *
Dr Brahma Kumar Yudhisthir (M.A. (Eng.), M.Ed., M.Sc. (VES), Ph.D. ,(Edn.)
Associate Editor, The World Renewal Magazine, Shantivan