How to control Your Mind? (For Beginners)

Have you ever in your life, at least once suffered from depression, anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness, or cheerlessness?

If you said No in your answer, then you are certainly not a human being. Because everyone in this material world struggles with his mind. Nowadays, these things are very commonly found in everyone, especially in youth. WHO says that in the next 10 years, the biggest problem of the world won’t be cancer or some virus or anything else but Mental Health. Even, after COVID-19 there is a jump in these numbers. And the reason behind all these is our Mind.

Mind is such a jukebox that it contains thoughts, feelings, emotions, and all the things that we have seen, touched, and heard. And sometimes, it just throws different thoughts and emotions that it becomes difficult for us to counteract. It always used to take us to that Blackspot and magnify and intensify and neglect everything and demand and dictate.

So how can we understand the functioning of such a Mind and control it and make it calm and composed are some questions that are answered here.

Why to Control the Mind?

First of all, we need to understand the troubles that our mind brings in executing our daily activities to know how it functions. But before that, we should know the exact definition of Mind.

What is Mind?

“Constant flow of thoughts” is Mind. The nature of water in a river is to flow constantly; likewise, the Mind’s business is to flood living entities with a constant flow of thoughts.

Speed and degree of contamination of the Mind is directly proportional to the speed of these thoughts.

For example, as the river flows fast in the rainy season, the water becomes turbid and muddy. But when the same river flows slowly in the summer season, it is crystal clear.

Similarly, when the thoughts come at a rapid pace, the mind gets polluted and agitated and when the thoughts come at a slower pace the mind remains peaceful.

Mind is the cause of Happiness and Distress

Senses in contact with their sense objects produce a thought related to happiness and distress. The speed of these thoughts determines the contamination and peacefulness of mind. The appearance of happiness and stress and their disappearance is due course to arise from sense perception.

The Mind can be compared to an office receptionist. It receives thoughts that arise when all the messages and suggestions from the outside world contact its respective senses.

Now, our minds have received thoughts, but How do judge them as good or bad, and How do accept or reject these thoughts?

Intelligence is a discriminating faculty of judging good or bad and accepting and rejecting is another faculty. Both are the functions of the Mind. Since the mind is the cause of Happiness and Distress, it is important and needed to control the Whims of such a Mind.

So, let’s see some results of Whims of Mind-

Dissatisfaction – One of the characteristics of the mind is desire. So, our mind is never satisfied with what it has but always keeps on asking one after another. Everytime says that after completing this one desire you will be satisfied but that never happens. And these endless desires make us work like a Donkey.
Overthinking – Thinking, willing and feeling is the business of the mind. Overthinking is such a common thing that is found in every human being as the mind constantly keeps on throwing different thoughts and feelings. Because of this it becomes very difficult for one to concentrate on his studies or work.
Untimely Death – The extremely whimsical nature of the mind can lead one to an untimely death. Alcohol and tobacco addiction destroys families and friendships and leads to many injuries and diseases, such as liver damage and cancer which leads one to an early and painful death.
Violence to self, violence to others – The anger that comes in by not being able to satisfy our senses and by the consumption of alcohol and drugs develops hatred for others and for self which makes one violent to self and to others.
Loneliness – As we start seeing everyone around us as an enemy, who is just trying to stop us from doing things that we want to do, and start hating everyone’s presence makes us alone and then we feel sad and left out.
Lazy – Our mind which is always telling us to procrastinate makes us lazy. Moreover, regulation of diet and sleep is necessary for one to be active in doing his work.
Bad Relations – There used to be so many conflicts, confusions, and controversies going on in one mind that one’s relations with everyone around were destroyed.
Fear of failure – Such whims of Mind always keep us either in the past or in the future. Because of this, we are not able to give our level best in the present by always worrying about the future by seeing the past.
Depression without reason – All the above points lead one to Depression even on the most favorable and comfortable days.

Examples from Scriptures

Rāvaṇa – Rāvaṇa was born into the Brāhmaṇa family, and he knew all the scriptures. He wrote Śiva-tāṇḍava-stotra to please Lord Shiva. Rāvaṇa could have used his intelligence to control his mind and live blissfully, just like his brother Vibhishana, as per the scriptures’ instructions. Rāvaṇa always thought of sense gratification. His mind was thus absorbed. He abducted Mother Sītā Devi, and Lord Rāma ultimately killed Rāvaṇa.
Duryodhana – Mahābhārata illustrates another story of Duryodhana, whose mind was subservient to his desires. He got so blindsided to acquiring his father’s kingdom that he outwardly rejected the idea of giving his fellow Pāṇḍavas anything. Duryodhana’s mind was preoccupied with greed, envy, and jealousy. He heads to his mind, and his maternal uncle, Shakuni, instigated him. He fell to the lowest extent possible and attempted to strip his sister-in-law, Draupadī, in the royal courthouse assembly. Miserably failing in his attempt, Duryodhana was dumbfounded as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was offering Draupadī complete protection. He ultimately died along with his ninety-nine brothers on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra.

Stephen Covey’s 90/10 Principle

The 90/10 principle was popularized by Stephen Covey in his book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’.

It states that we have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. But, we determine the other 90% of it. How? By your reaction.

We cannot control a red light, but we can control our reaction. And this reaction depends on how controlled and purified our mind is.

Thus, we can understand the importance of controlling our minds by the popular 90/10 principle.
Mind tricks us through all the senses

Senses are of two types – Knowledge-acquiring senses and Working senses. Knowledge-acquiring senses are used to get information about the external world, namely, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. Working senses like speech, hands, feet, anus, and genitals are used to work in the material world. So, when senses contact their sense objects, a constant flow of thought emerges.

For example, when a fish sees a Bait in water it gets excited and an immediate thought comes into its mind to enjoy this food. It develops this desire. So, when it goes and catches food, which is a trap, it starts coming up the water and then simultaneously comes out of the water, gasps for breath, and then dies. And guess what it doesn’t even get to enjoy that food.

Just that one desire of fish to satisfy its senses, to enjoy the taste, through its tongue, of food makes it suffer so much and ultimately brings its death.

Similarly, when a person sees a beautiful girl/boy, the mind accepts her/him as gorgeously, has a beautiful subject, and with so much pomp, excitement, and happiness, they come into a relationship and get married. However, in a few years, the subject turned upside down. The mind then rejects that person, and a divorce follows.

But this doesn’t stop here. The person’s sexual desires again make him attracted to the opposite sex. Then again break up and then again another person and this goes on and on. In return, all these urges destroy our careers and our relations with family and friends making us lonely in this world and hence depressed.

We generally used to that if I could get all the facilities to satisfy my senses, I would be happy. But if that were the case then, 90% of the youth of the USA wouldn’t be consulting psychiatrists and if that was the case then in the UK, every 70 minutes one person wouldn’t be committing suicide.

Then we used to think that if I could become famous and could have lots of money, and luxuries then my mind would be calm and I will be happy. But if that was the case then, many celebrities wouldn’t have committed suicide.

Why is so happening?

Because of Mental Health. As I said earlier the WHO says that in the next 10 years, the biggest problem of the world won’t be cancer or some virus or anything else but Mental Health. We used to search outside but our biggest enemy is within – our mind. Hence, the mind needs to be trained sooner rather than later.

Can we control this Chatterbox (Mind) with the help of Yoga and Exercise?

If suppose the phone’s battery isn’t working properly, its screen gets cracked and its cover is broken. Can you still use it? Yes. But if its operating system is damaged, then can you now use it? Of course, No.

No matter how beautiful and decorative we make the hardware of our phone look, if its software (operating system) isn’t working properly then it’s useless.

Similarly, this body is hardware and our mind is software. So, no matter how beautiful we make the hardware of this body look, if the software of Mind is not working properly then we remain stressed.

Nowadays, there are gyms all around that are helping to build a nice body, and that is necessary too. But what about the Mind?

Then we used to say we have yoga or some breathing exercises which calm down our mind. But for how long? Do you always use to remain in peace in all circumstances by doing yoga and exercises or just while doing them?

It’s quite simple, our mind is like a pot, which is filled with negativity. Yoga helps to empty our pot of mind of negativity but it doesn’t help us to remain in peace all the time.

As soon as something happens to us or the situations become a little unfavorable or we some sense object, we again become agitated, provoked, and frustrated and lose all that peace of mind. Hence, yoga and exercises bring some temporary peace.

How can we Control our Mind?

The mind is the continuous flow of thoughts; therefore only contaminated subjects will pollute the mind, and unallocated subjects will make the mind peaceful and calm.

So, in this section, we will discuss how can we empty the pot of our mind of all negativity and simultaneously fill it with all positivity so that no more negativity can enter our minds.

Utility is the Principle

Is Mind good or bad? Mind is just like a knife. So, is a knife good or bad?

If the knife is in the hand of a surgeon, it saves a life. But if it is in the hands of a killer, it takes life. So, the knife is not good or bad, but the utility is good or bad.

Similarly, the Mind which is so restless always chattering, and never keeps us calm can be properly controlled and utilized in the right direction.

So, out of many techniques, which you will get to know ahead, to control the Mind are –

Sense Control – One has to practice controlling the mind and avoid all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex life is the chief.
Intelligence Control – Intelligence is a discriminating faculty of judging good or bad. So, Intelligence should be controlled to properly discriminate between what’s right and what’s wrong.
By chanting the Holy names of Hare Kṛṣṇa – Out of all other techniques that are given, this one is primary. By chanting one can control the senses, intelligence, false ego, etc.

Mantra

In Sanskrit, man means mind and tra means to free the mind of all agitation, irritation, frustration, and distress. So, that which helps us control the man is the Mantra.

Now, there are so many mantras given in the scriptures. But, in Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad the mantra given for Kali-yuga is Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Also for chanting other mantras, there are various rules and regulations and one should also have particular abilities to take initiation into those mantras. But Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is not dependent on any of the rules and regulations, abilities, or knowledge of any sort, etc. One can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra regardless of time or place.

What to speak of chanting, just by hearing the glories of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra one’s consciousness gets cleansed. Hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra from the lotus mouth of Srila Haridāsa Thākur transformed the prostitute’s heart, and she ultimately became a devotee.

The transcendental sound vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is like that of a forest fire which destroys the impurities in one’s heart and mind.

It not only destroys impurities but also makes a serene, calm, composed, peaceful, quiet, and controlled environment within – at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places making the mind fearless and happy.

And not just that, as a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities.

Even this is a report given by IIM that Lord Kṛṣṇa devotees are the happiest in the world. So, what are you waiting for, is you make it a rule to chant at least 1 round of 108 beads daily then the mind becomes very peaceful and happy. In fact, it doesn’t take much but just 7 to 10 minutes so get started fast!

Why Control Mind?

Except for an uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this material world. As mind is the cause of one’s miserable life conditions causing distress, failure, bad relations, etc. So it’s important for us to control our minds if we want to be successful and happy at the same time.
Mind tricks us through all the senses – Sense gratification is the biggest reason for our unstable mind. It brings up anger, lust, envy, jealousy, greed, and attachment, which are the enemies of our mind.
Can we control this Chatterbox (Mind) with the help of yoga and exercise? – As our body is Hardware and our mind is Software. So, yoga and exercise may help us to maintain our hardware, which is important too but won’t help us in giving peace to our mind.
How can we control our Mind? – In order to control the mind there are various techniques like as controlling the senses, intelligence, false ego, etc. Out of all these techniques, Chanting the Holy name of the Lord is Primary.
Mantra – That process of Chanting and associating with, the mind is free from all negativity the mantra. Put of all the Mantras, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so Merciful that if one chants only one round daily then his life will become very happy, joyful, blissful, and ultimately peace

Conclusion

Since we all are in search of a happy and peaceful life. We are trying our level best by doing a variety of things, but unfortunately, we are unable to get it. The reason behind this is an unstable mind. With an unstable mind one can never attain peace and happiness is unattainable without peace. So, basically, we have to win the battle of our minds. But, how to win that?

For that, we have discussed only one out of many techniques in detail i.e. Chanting Mantra. Do you wanna know more ways to control your mind? Do you want to have in-depth knowledge of the functioning of our mind?

Here is the solution, the book named “Whims of Mind”. What we have just discussed was just the trailer of 2 minutes, there is a whole 3-hour movie waiting for you!

The author of “Whims of Mind” gave an incomparable gift to us. He defines the mind effortlessly and beautifully. The content of this book is not simply entertaining to the ears, but it is enlivening and enriching to the mind and the heart. So if you wanna go from Mind in Pieces to Mind in Peace, the addition is the “Whims of Mind”.

Don’t you wanna experience a serene, calm, quiet, peaceful and blissful life? Of course, Yes. Everyone wants to get rid of this Distressful life. So, visit the link below, read the book by ordering, and make your life wonderfully beautiful. I assure you and give you the 100% guarantee, that if you just apply those techniques in your daily life then you will see a drastic change in your life for the better.