Mind the Mind!

Some see the mind as a companion, some see it as a reflective mirror, some see it as a tool, and some see it as a space within oneself. And there are lots of other ways to see it too. No matter how one sees the mind, its cooperation is of utmost importance, and that’s in our own hands!For example, if you see your mind as a companion, you can befriend your thoughts rather than having them as your opposition. If the mind is a mirror, you can choose what you place it in front of. If it is a tool, you can make it as useful as you wish and you can choose how you put it to work. If it is a space within you, it’s up to you how clean, bright and breezy you keep it!In the 17th chapter of the Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna how important our thoughts are. They impact what’s going on inside and therefore, what’s going on outside. Here is a compassionate teacher, who clearly speaks of the specific qualities of a healthy mind. It all begins with balance and peace. Certain things will agitate the mind and certain things will calm it down. We can learn to identify these triggers and use them to our advantage. For example, if I know that a particular piece of music allows me to feel serenity, I can play that just before I need a tuned and focused mind. Being alone in nature also allows us to feel calm and serene, especially vast expanses of sky, sea or greenery.The goodness of the mind goes a long way in making it a happy place! What’s key here is to keep the mind pleasant, gentle and cheerful—with oneself and with others.Just as we all appreciate external silence in the rare moments we have it, inner silence is even more sought after as it is tougher to find. Mental chatter exhausts us and unfortunately quieting the mind is not as easy as quieting a room! Keeping the mind focussed on a particular activity or object may help at first, until the mind gets used to that and quickly starts its chatter and scream again. Just bringing awareness to something will often slow it down. Try it..Mind management is a nice way to describe the control we need to have of the mind! Show the mind who is boss and keep giving it reminders too! But it’s not all tough love! We should give the mind healthy and harmonious surroundings and stimuli. The intellect should choose wisely from the flow of thoughts presented by the mind, as that is where thought development happens. We can develop the type of thoughts that we want the mind to entertain. That is true control.The way to purify our thoughts is to have pure ideals and to engage in noble actions. Our actions provide stimuli for the mind, so the better and nobler our deeds, the more purity of mind we will have. It is a cycle, because then pure thoughts will lead to further pure actions.The result of a balanced, good, silent, well-managed and pure mind is a life and surroundings that reflect exactly the same. There is nothing so powerful as the mind in forming and shaping one’s life. Henry Van Dyke’s poem ‘Thoughts are Things’ drives home this point:I hold it true that thoughts are things; They're endowed with bodies and breath and wings;And that we send them forth to fillThe world with good results, or ill.That which we call our secret thoughtSpeeds forth to earth's remotest spot,Leaving its blessings or its woesLike tracks behind it as it goes. We build our future thought by thought,For good or ill, yet know it not. Yet, so the universe was wrought.Thought is another name for fate;Choose, then, thy destiny and wait,For love brings love and hate brings hate.