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Q. What you have said about the mind, is an analysis - of its philosophical basis. Generally, the mind is compared to an indisciplined horse, as also in PrekshaSangan :
How to rein in the mind, is the question. This wayward horse that would not stop!
The horse of the mind moves for ever in an adverse direction. How is then one to take hold of the reins and to turn it in the right direction?
Ans. The concept about the mind that the more you
- try to hold it, the more it wanders, is absolutely true. Those practising meditation often come up against this problem that the attempt to stabilize the mind makes it all the more restless. Just as a wayward child, if scolded, becomes even more obstinate, similarly, the mind, if suppressed rigorously, becomes demoralised and divided. A restless and divided mind is not a disciplined mind, nor can it reach that point of self-observation, where memory, imagination and thought cease to be. To get hold of the rein of the mind means that one has learnt to utilize the consciousness of the chitta as a controlling device. To treat the mind and the chitta as synonyms, is a mistake. It is useless to try to do away with the fickleness of the mind. For unless the mind ceases to be, the fickleness is bound to be there. How does one go about remonstrating with the mind? For this, one must be acquainted with the method of bringing about a change in the maturing action. Through this method, it is possible to transform consciousness, too. The transformed consciousness can restrain the undesirable consequences of the mind's fickleness. Not that the mind is wholly bad. If it is disciplined, it can yield very good results. In this context one must have full knowl
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