Anchoring the Mind in the turbulent sea of Senses- Gita verses 2.59-2.61

At this juncture a very pertinent question is likely to arise in our minds. We cannot forever live in this world in a condition of in-turned mind. We cannot run away from life for all practical purposes. Men of prophetic vision are all known to have lived amidst men and society, serving individuals and institutions. How is this possible?
The Lord patiently counters the possibility of such a doubt and indicates the "economics of thought", thus:

Vishayaa vinivarthanthae, niraaharasya daehina:
Rasavarjam rasO(a)pyasya, param dsrishtvaa nivarthathae 2.59

Objects retire from the abstinent, leaving the longing behind.
But this longing also ends in him who sees the Supreme.

This verse presents a challenge to the whole philosophy of control of the senses. It shows clearly that the senses cannot be controlled from their own level. They come under complete control only with the light of realisation.
Even noble virtues like mercy, pity, peace, kindness, goodness which are cultivated in us, are not possible when there is no self-control. Seeds that are burnt do not sprout any further. The same way, once the Supreme Knowledge dawns, the vagrant mind gets vanquished.

The next verse describes the nature of the uncontrolled senses.

YathathO hyapi Kaunthaeya, purushasya vipaschitha:
IndriyaaNi pramaatheeni, haranthi prasabham mana: 2.60


Oh, Arjuna! Indeed, the powerful sense organs forcibly carry away the mind of even a wise man who is striving.

Sense control is easily talked about than practised. The senses are the instruments which enable the mind to enjoy the glory of the diversity of creation. So, they are duty bound to draw the mind towards the objects of pleasure.
If the technique of how to do it, is not revealed, any moral preaching becomes a stupendous falsehood!

So, in the next verse Krishna hints at a method by which the mind can be taught the art of steering itself clear of a tempting life of sense-gratification.

Thaani sarvaaNi samyamya yuktha aaseetha mathpara:
Vas(h)ae hi yasyaendriyaaNi thasya prajnaa prathishtithaa 2.61

The steadfast, having controlled them all, sits focussed on Me as the Supreme. His wisdom is firm whose senses are under control.

To control is to suppress. No science of mental life can accept that suppression is psychologically healthy. Vedic theory does not advocate this.
They are only advising an inward blossoming, an inner growth and development, by which its earlier fields of enjoyments through the senses drop out of the man who can now perceive a field of ample joy and satisfying bliss.
Krishna advises that "having controlled them all" (Thaani sarvaaNi samyamya), "remain steadily focussed on me as the Supreme" (Yuktha aa seetha mathpara)
This is the secret.
In these simple words, Krishna explains the technique of self-development.
Healthy ideas wipe out the unhealthy ones. As devotion to the Lord increases, the wild vehemence of the mind gets tamed down. The energies are now conserved and the hyper dynamic mind achieves stupendous successes!

Love,
Chithra.

Good morning Chithmam,

Good one again.

Anchor always is tested for all conditions. whether it is a anchor of the ship or the anchor of the mind, or a physical one. To get a anchor,here the control, for the mind that helps you stay steady at all times in the path of righteousness is difficult. once you have got that, you are one more step towards your goal.

Objects retire from the abstinent, leaving the longing behind.
But this longing also ends in him who sees the Supreme.

Abstinence is a good solution. But don't you think it is more difficult when you have used a object and then leaving the longing for the object more difficult. and a person who can do this is more stronger and greater than the one who has abstained from the object totally...

may be i am wrong...anyway starting of the day on the same note....

Dear Chithra
Let me start with a passage from the famous Zen Master of the 8^th Century, Huang Po.

“When followers of Zen fail to go beyond the world of their senses and thoughts, all their doings and movements are of no significance. But at the same time, when all the senses and thoughts are annihilated, all the passages to the Universal Mind are blocked, and no entrance therein then becomes possible. The Original Mind is to be recognised along with the working of the senses and thoughts-only it does not belong to them, nor yet is it independent of them. Do not build up your views upon your senses and thoughts, do not base your understanding upon your senses and thoughts; but at the same time do not seek the Mind away from your senses and thoughts, do not try to grasp the Reality by rejecting your senses and thoughts. When you are neither attached to, nor detached from them, then you enjoy your perfect unobstructed freedom, then you have the seat of enlightenment”

It is incredible how closely parallel this Zen view runs to the Lord’s explanation in these verses. Both emphasise that nothing is going be achieved by the annihilation of senses. By experience, we all know that the more we try to control the mind, the more unmanageable it becomes. This is the reason why it is compared to a monkey. So the Spiritual teachers do not advocate control of the Mind and veering it away from the Senses. They advocate fixing of the Mind on a higher plane so that it can act as an anchor in a turbulent sea of senses. This is what is implied in your statement ‘Healthy ideas wipe out unhealthy ones’

Let us take the example of our New Year resolutions and impulsive decisions like quitting smoking or other undesirable habits. Since these decisions do not have the backing of a higher purpose, we find it difficult to adhere to them. There is even a joke about them saying ‘I don’t know why people think that giving up smoking is so difficult. I have given it up so many times’ But at the same time, we observe that people are able to subject themselves to a highly disciplined life when they give up certain habits with ridiculous ease during certain periods of fasting like Lent for Christians, Ramzan for Muslims or periods of vow like the one preceding Sabaraimala Yatra for Hindus. I have myself been to Sabarimala so many times and I have felt no difficulty whatsoever in observing such a rigid life style during the forty days of fasting prior to the pilgrimage. Needless to say that such a life style will not be possible even for a day otherwise. The same senses that lie low during the fasting days get hyperactive when no such mission like the Sabari Yatra is contemplated.

To quote a parable of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the ideal way to make a line drawn on a black board smaller is not erasing it but to draw a longer line by its side. The strong plea to God ‘Asatho maa Sat gamaya’ (Lead me from the Unreal to the Real) lays the foundation for directing our Mind to divest itself from mundane thoughts and start contemplating on a higher plane. This is not Mind control. This is directing the Mind. Our senses are the same for every individual irrespective of who we are but they certainly act differently as we climb higher in the Spiritual ladder. Yogis like Ramana, Paramacharya and the like had their senses completely under control by directing their minds to the Supreme Power.

Asatho ma Sat gamaya
Tamaso ma Jyothir gamaya
Mrityo ma Amirtham gamaya.

Sri

Dear Chithra
Very good topic again. The opening lines itself quite clearly says the purpose.The more I read about the Gita it seems such a storehouse of incredible knowledge. The verse that you quote shows clearly the philosophy behind controlling the senses.. or I should say behind the thought of controlling the senses. Krishna has said with so much ease and clarity a task that appears insurmountable to me. I would recommend reading the New Earth by Eckart Tolle again as words throughout that book talk particularly about this topic. Thank you for writing on these difficult topics.

Dear Chithraji & Cheeniyaji,

This lesson from Gita reminds me of Nachiket's story I read when I was a kid. Courtesy Amar Chitra Katha.

Yamaji the Lord of death tells Nachiket on how a mind works in a layperson & in a Yogi. The lord of death tells Nachiket that a lay person's mind can be compared to a chariot that has it's Five horses (Five senses) running in different directions. Where as a Yogi's mind is like that a Chariot that has it's horses running in the direction the charioteer wants.

Shri Sai of Shirdi says the same. The senses have to do their duty. Once done, forget it. Do not linger on it. Praise the creator & move on. This was said when one of his close devotees was swayed by the beauty of a Muslim lady who had come to take Baba's darshan in Shirdi.

From the time we are born, our parents try to inculcate control of scenes in us in various ways. For eg in matters of food, they tell us the secret to good health is to eat more veges we hate rather than the ones we love. Which is true in times like these where the standard Indian meal is now a quick burger from KFC/McDonald's.

Control of senses does not come easily. We are at the mercy of Maya. Holding on to the name of our Guru/chosen deity & focusing our energy on the Supreme Power helps us climb higher on the ladder of Spirituality.

Sorry Chithraji, but cannot help asking. Is this the reason why Hinduism says we perform certain rituals on Amavasya/Pournima/Chaturthi etc? I remember you telling us that the Moon controls our mind & our senses indirectly. Apologies for putting the question in the Gita Forum.

Regards,

Corallux

Dear Shanthi,
Thanks for a quick feed back.
You write about

the one who has abstained from the object totally...

I think, it is practically not possible always with all our pursuits in life.
We know that money is important for our survival. We may not have an emotional value for the same, having overcome luxuries, but we do have an intellectual value definitely because we need to buy atleat a few things.The money does not give security is a fact, but does give us our Roti Kapda aur Makhan.
Since it has an objective value, it cannot be dismissed totally.
At the same time if money is used to measure success, we give it more emotional value and we will never outgrow it.
So, a viveki should only have the subjective value and not intellectual and emotional value. He lives ony a life of meaningful discipline.His life is seedless and does not sprout. That is why knowledge of Self in the form of clear vision has to be well established, steady and firm.
This is just to make the point that one cannot live without money and total abstination is not practical..
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by shanvy

Good morning Chithmam,

Good one again.

Anchor always is tested for all conditions. whether it is a anchor of the ship or the anchor of the mind, or a physical one. To get a anchor,here the control, for the mind that helps you stay steady at all times in the path of righteousness is difficult. once you have got that, you are one more step towards your goal.



Abstinence is a good solution. But don't you think it is more difficult when you have used a object and then leaving the longing for the object more difficult. and a person who can do this is more stronger and greater than the one who has abstained from the object totally...

may be i am wrong...anyway starting of the day on the same note....

Dear Chithra,

I loved his week's verses .....wow we have an explanation for everything in Gita! I wish these philosophical statements are made more easily understandable to the common man!what a wealth of knowledge and how peaceful we can feel if we can understand and try to follow bit by bit!
I liked the emphasis on controlling the senses and how it can be achieved only when ....."They come under complete control only with the light of realisation."
Thanks for sharing the secret! Healthy ideas and devoting our mind to Lord , these will keep our senses from seeking only self gratification and will calm our mind!

I liked Corallux 's fb....as i was reading it the picture of " KRISHNA HOLDING THE CHARIOT WITH THE 5 STRINGS AND ARJUNA BEHIND HIM ON THE CHARIOT ALL PERPLEXED" came to my mind!
So the Bhagvad Gita picture holds the essence of Gita....that IF GIVE THE REINS OF OUR SENSES IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD AND LET HIM BE OUR CHARIOTEER THEN WE WILL BE SAFELY LED LIKE ARJUNA !"

I remember reading this somewhere long ago.....so true that if we can just keep this thought or picture in mind, we can come closer to HIS teachings!

thanks Chithra.....i really enjoyed this week'S post!

Dear Cheeniya,

This Zen philosophy is so down to earth! And here i too want to mention what AC has mentioned about The New Earth by Tolle. Yesterday i read some passages where he has quoted from Upanishads"
"What cannot be seen with the eye, but that whereby the eye
can see: know that alone to be Brahman the Spirit and not what
people here adore. What cannot be heard with the ear but that
whereby the ear can hear: know that alone to be Brahman the Spirit
and not what people here adore .... What cannot be thought with the
mind but that whereby the mind can think: know that alone to be
Brahman the Spirit and not what people here adore."
God, the scripture is saying, is formless consciousness and the essence
of who you are. Everything else is form, is “what people here adore.”
So similar thought parallels are running in our Upanishads, Gita and Zen and of course Eckhart's book is aculmination of all the ancient teachings with relevance to the present world!

I loved your examples on the New year resolutions as against the Sabarimala yatra and the vrat! and the culmination in ASATHO MA ,.......wow you brought out the essence by drawing parallel with the old and new! And this below statement is also so true!".......had their senses completely under control by directing their minds to the Supreme Power. "
thanks to you once again, by bringing your varied aspects, you are broadening the knowledge we are trying to grasp from Chithra's lead post!

Originally Posted by corallux

Yamaji the Lord of death tells Nachiket on how a mind works in a layperson & in a Yogi. The lord of death tells Nachiket that a lay person's mind can be compared to a chariot that has it's Five horses (Five senses) running in different directions. Where as a Yogi's mind is like that a Chariot that has it's horses running in the direction the charioteer wants.Corallux

Dear Corralux
The story of the discussion between Lord Yama and Nachiketas comes in Katha Upanishad and is extremely profound. This is what is the gist of Yama's explanation to Nachiketas about the Mind, Body and the Five senses:

Yama compares Atman to the Owner of a chariot. According to this metaphor, Atman rides in the back of the chariot, Awareness or Intellect (buddhi) is the driver of the chariot, the Mind is the reins which the driver holds, the Body is the chariot itself, the Senses are the horses of the chariot, and the World is the road along which the chariot is traveling. If Awareness grasps the Mind firmly, the Mind can guide the Senses along the road to the end of the journey.
Sri

Originally Posted by sudhavnarasimhan

Dear Cheeniya,

I loved your examples on the New year resolutions as against the Sabarimala yatra and the vrat! and the culmination in ASATHO MA ,.......wow you brought out the essence by drawing parallel with the old and new! And this below statement is also so true!".......had their senses completely under control by directing their minds to the Supreme Power. "

Dear Sudha
The examples of how keeping our senses under a tight leash is easy when our Mind is focussed on a Superior task. I have seen people performing Satyanarayana Pooja in the evenings. They observe rigorous fasting till the Pooja is over and after the Pooja consume only a portion of the Prasad made for the Deity. Such fasting will not be possible on a normal day and people fly into a rage when lunch is delayed by an hour!

So you have caught on to Eckhart in a big way! You'll henceforth hardly need our services, with that great soul guiding you!
Sri