Yoga is the control of urges, modifications or tendencies (vṛttis) that arise out of the chitta or mind-stuff says Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.
Chitta is the collective of the conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious mind and a storehouse of memory, where every impression, thought, idea and one’s entire knowledge is stored.
When one sits down to meditate, one shuts off the sensory inputs. Thus, the conscious mind, which acts either on the five sensory inputs or on the contents of the chitta, turns towards the chitta in the absence of any inputs from the senses and gets caught up in a tumult of multitudinous thoughts, emotions, feelings and vrittis arising from the chitta.
The mind is like a lake and all vṛttis or modifications are waves in it. The unconscious mind cannot be known because the conscious mind is very much disturbed. As long as there is turmoil in the lake of the mind, one cannot see what is hidden beneath. One can touch the unconscious mind or dive deep into it only and only after calming the conscious mind.
So how can the mind be calmed?
The mind has a natural tendency to be attracted towards the outside world. It is not in the nature of the mind to look within. Therefore, while trying to turn the mind inward, obstacles arise. These obstacles, however, are no different from consciousness, but a part of it. They are definite points in the framework of consciousness and are bound to come. Such obstacles and impurities must first be removed. To be able to achieve concentration, the mind has to be purified and one has to bring peace to oneself.
Soothing or calming the mind is Chitta Prasādana.
In Sūtra 33 of the Samādhi Pāda, Patanjali has suggested ways to calm the mind and overcome obstacles faced during meditation. These can also be adopted in mundane life.
Maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣāṇāṁ sukhaduḥkhapuṇyāpuṇyaviṣayāṇāṁ
bhāvanātaścittaprasādanam||33||
मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम्॥३३॥
Friendship, mercy, gladness and indifference, being thought of in regard to subjects, happy, unhappy, good and evil respectively, pacify the mind-stuff.
This means cultivating the attitude of friendliness, compassion, gladness and indifference in respect of people or events which are causing happiness, misery, virtue or vice. By maintaining this attitude, that is, friendliness with the happy, compassion for the unhappy, gladness about the virtuous and indifference towards those who are full of vice, one’s mind becomes free from disturbing influences and becomes peaceful.
Jealousy, hate and the element of competition cause a lot of impurities in the mind. When we see a happy person, we feel jealous. When we come across a person suffering, we enjoy it, if he happens to be our enemy. We often criticize the virtuous and hail the deeds of the vicious. These attitudes cause disturbance in the mind and come in the way of peace and meditation.
Therefore, to train the mind, one must analyze – this is the situation, what should I do? Patanjali says, to gain peace, one has to follow these ideas :
- Be friendly (maitri) wherever you find happiness (sukha).
Be friendly with happy people. If you are not friendly with people who are happy, you will feel jealous. Your jealousy is because someone is happier than you. But when you feel that they are friends and belong to you, your jealousy will go away.
- Be merciful and compassionate (karuṇā), wherever you find unhappiness (duḥkha).
Be compassionate with people who are suffering and unhappy. The general tendency of the mind is to feel a sense of satisfaction when people you don’t like are suffering or unhappy. Developing compassion for such people frees the mind.
- Be glad (mudita) if there is some good (puṇya).
When people are happy, be happy for them. Feel happy for meritorious people, become one with them. Then the sense of competition and tendency to find fault disappears and jealousy subsides.
- Be neutral (upekṣā) where there is something evil (apuṇya).
Ignore
people who do sinful acts. We do not think about people who do meritorious acts
but keep thinking about people who do sinful things and keep mulling over
it. This constant remembrance of such negative actions pollutes the mind.
Mindfully learning to ignore
vice
cleanses the mind.
The mind is moving in day-to-day life among friends, neighbours and one’s own kin. If one does not know how to reconcile with the mind, one can never be spiritual, as the mind is filled with negativity. To be friendly with all is important. Do not have any bitterness against anybody – even to the worst person, be merciful. Be glad, be friendly, be neutral. Holding on to opinions in an ever-changing world is the most dangerous thing in life. People change. But if one’s opinion of them does not change, the mind is in turmoil. Try to find one good quality in a person filled with evil, hold on to that and forget the rest. One can never smoothen the world outside, the self within has to be strengthened.
Patanjali has shown a wonderful way of calming the mind and rendering it quiet. The fourfold attitude suggested for this purpose gives rise to inner peace by removing disturbing factors, not only from the conscious level but also from the deepest parts of the subconscious.
The mind is the tool, the mind is the goal. A struggling mind is the instrument and an illumined mind is the goal.
(Source: ‘Raja Yoga’ – Swami Sarvagatananda, ‘Four Chapters on Freedom’ – Swami Satyananda Saraswati, ‘Samadhi, the Highest State of Wisdom’ – Swami Rama)
Ms. Naganandini
This guidance to calm your mind given by patanjali is beautifully expalined in simple words which is easy to understand for all. This is very much needed in today’s world and for today’s youth. Thank you so much for such an informative article.
Good write up. One must cultivate the habit of appreciateing good things in every person and ignore negative things to keep ourselves happy and lead peaceful life. Good input.