Lord Krishna Teaching Arjuna: How to control mind according to bhagavad gita
In the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna describes in detail the importance of controlling the mind. He tells Arjuna that by controlling the mind, he can attain complete accomplishment in life. He explains that without control of the mind, one cannot attain peace and joy in life.
Knowing how to control the mind is certainly worthwhile. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that the mind can be controlled by constant "practice and dispassion". (-Bhagavad-Gita, 6.35). He says that wherever and whenever the mind wanders, because of its fickle and unstable nature, we must bring it back under the control of the soul (-Bhagavad-gita, 6.26).
Bhagavad Gita on Mind Control - Introduction
The Bhagavad Gita has been translated into over 50 languages and studied by scholars worldwide. It is regarded as one of the most important spiritual texts in history. The text includes many philosophical themes such as karma, dharma, moksha, reincarnation, yoga, and renunciation.
The Bhagavad Gita is not just a book but also a way of life. Its Gives meaning to life. It teaches us that we are all interconnected with each other on this planet earth and that our actions have.
In this article, we will explore how to follow Lord Krishna's teaching in our daily lives by answering some questions about Bhagavad Gita:
What are the key takeaways from Bhagavad Gita, How to Understand Bhagavad Gita, and What are the teachings of Bhagwat Gita that one can practice in his day-to-day practical life? What does Krishna mean when he says " To control the mind? will see in detail what Krishna says about how to control the mind? " How can we apply these teachings to our own lives? This article will give you some basic knowledge about Bhagavad Gita on mind control, its meaning, and key lessons from it.
What are the Key Takeaways from Bhagavad Gita?
Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. It is part of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
The Gita is about how to live life, how to deal with difficult times, and how to find meaning in life. The teachings of Bhagavad Gita are applicable in everyday life by following its key lessons which include:
- You should not worry about what might happen tomorrow or next year but instead, learn to live in the moment
- Do your duty without any expectation of reward - Be detached from the fruits of your actions
- You should always be truthful and do what you feel is right even if others don't agree with you
Understanding: How To Follow Lord Krishna's Teaching In Our Daily Lives
What are the teachings of Geeta that one can practice in his day-to-day practical life?
Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important texts in Hinduism. It is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna that takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Lo Lord Krishna's teachings Arjuna are timeless and can be applied to our lives today.
Whatever you have done in this life (good or bad) will pay off one day in this very life. Nothing will go in vain! "Don't get hopeless" In many chapters, God said this to Arjuna to cheer him up. As we should always remember if we couldn't do something today, there is always tomorrow! we only need to continue on our track without looking back.
You need to believe in yourself and understand whatever you are gonna do you have the power to do it. You can't afford to be hesitant about your work.
Just go on doing your work according to dharma, your help is ready, and don't ever lose trust in yourself.
How to Control Mind Bhagavad Gita | Lord Krishna Teaching Arjuna
How to Control Your Mind, Bhagavad Gita?
What are the Benefits of Reading the Bhagwat Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is the most well-known text of Hinduism and one of the world's great spiritual texts. It is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the eve of a great battle. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that our lives are full of sorrow because we are caught up in our desires, which can never be satisfied. It teaches us to put aside our selfishness and instead do what's right for everyone, without any thought of personal gain.
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There are a lot of benefits to reading Bhagavad Geeta. They are as follows:
- You can become a great student, successful entrepreneur, manager/CEO of any company or you can even become a motivational speaker.
- Bhagavad teaches you the art of balancing your mind any positive or negative effects will never bother you.
- It teaches you Karma Yoga, the art of working, in which you will work, without expecting outcome/results. You will be a hardworking person plus a smart worker too.
- You will become fearless as after reading Bhagavad Gita, you'll always be dependent on Bhagavan Sri Krishna and never on the results.
- It teaches to balance our life, mind, and also the art of calmly living in this world which is full of suffering.
- Bhagavad teaches you the art of controlling your senses, meditation, and the procedures to attract all the positive power of the universe, which helps you to make your life peaceful.
- Read it carefully if you want to become a better, successful person and it also teaches the art of dying.
So from birth to death, Bhagavad Geeta is a management manual that will make your life peaceful, perfect, Blissful, and transcendental and you will always be in Love with the Almighty
Read one verse daily before going anywhere. I am sure you will get the correct answer. Bhagavad Gita is the best book of Positivity. All the books on positivity like the secret, the power of the subconscious mind, etc. are adaptations from Bhagavad Gita. It is a gem for the youth read it follow it and success is yours.
Shree Krishna said to Arjuna I know the mind is not easy to control. But you can twist your mind any way you want. Shree Krishna said to Arjun keep your mind on me and do all your activities. This means Shree Krishna told Arjun to think/Chintan/meditate upon him continuously while fighting the war.
Why Arjuna says it is extremely difficult to control the mind?
How is it Possible to Control the Mind
As per Bhagwat Gita, control of the mind is the key to success. If you are able to control the mind then you will get success in life. The mind is very powerful and it controls the soul. The soul controls the body. The body is just the vehicle to perform actions. So the mind controls everything. But it is not easy to control the mind. The mind is filled with different types of thoughts. So we need to learn about the mind and how to control the mind.
According to Bhagwat Gita, the mind is your most powerful tool. The modern lifestyle of people has become very hectic, busy, and stressful. Most people are not able to control their minds. In the Bhagwat Gita, Krishna mentions that the mind is a very powerful tool, but if it is not controlled, it can lead to some of the worst things that may happen in your life. Therefore, if you want to control your mind, you must learn the art of controlling your mind. There are many ways to control your mind, but the best way is to use the power of your mind to control your mind. If you can strengthen your mind, you can control your mind
Thoughts are like a baby; An infant is completely drawn to everything. But now all things are not perfect for this. Some things are harmful too. That's why parents should be disciplined...sometimes the child gets angry and cries but the parents are determined to give the best ingredient, even if it seems uncomfortable to the child in the beginning.
In a comparable way, the intellect and spiritual being we are must control the mind. Thoughts are attracted to a lot of material things and wherever we look, a person is telling us that we can be satisfied if there is only one warp or another...but this usually turns out to be false. it happens.
No matter how much money we get, we are still disappointed. So thoughts need to be disciplined and through practice, we should study them to pull away from the cases which are not right for it. Vairagya (detachment) is beneficial because if we are able to believe that real happiness no longer comes from material things, but from a loving relationship with Krishna, Then we can break away from all the pressures of material desires and we can control the mind.
Therefore, "regular practice and detachment." Ultimately, we need to develop a high taste. Lord Krishna says, "The embodied soul may be confined from experience enjoyment though the taste for the senses remains. But, barring such preoccupations by experiencing higher tastes, he is fixed in consciousness."
After reading the above verse of the Bhagwat Gita, we can conclude that the mind is the most powerful tool that we have in our lives. It is the mind that gives us the strength to stand up, live, fight, and be victorious. The mind gives us the strength to cope with adversities and endure failures and disappointments. The mind is the sole protector of your soul. If you have a strong mind, you have a strong will. If you have a strong will, you can conquer the whole world. But if your mind is weak, you cannot do anything, and you will not be able to protect your soul from external influences. So, if you want to lead a victorious life, you must strengthen your mind. The best way to strengthen your mind is to overcome the negative effects of your mind.
Bhagavad Gita Mind Control - Technique to control the mind according to Gita
God has given us the secret to controlling our minds through Arjuna who is always restless. But before one can try to comprehend what the Lord is saying, one should be able to remember what Arjuna said in the previous verses. In verses 33 and 34 of the Adhyay (chapter) 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna spoke of a restless state of mind and, therefore, told the Lord that the mind is as difficult to control as a spirit. In the verse above, the Lord gives Arjuna the knowledge to control the mind. However, first, the Lord agrees with Arjuna that mind control is not easy and the Lord gives us two important ways to control the mind through Arjuna. The first is exercise and the second is non-stick.
Now let's try to understand both ways. Why do we find it difficult to control our minds? Because we have become slaves of our own minds. We are fully committed to the transformation of our minds. Lord Krishna says we can change our old habits if we want to. An uncontrollable and restless mind can be controlled and silenced with honesty and consistent practice.
To free the mind from its old destructive habits, it takes constant effort and consistency to draw one to a person who is always at peace. Who is he? A God of peace. As soon as the mind is drawn to God, the mind becomes calm. However, Lord Krishna warns that just getting used to it will not work because the mind runs after things that it is stuck on. What should we do then?
The Lord gives us another guard - "Non - attachment". How? Tell your mind that as a soul you own it and you have experienced the evils of such mental adherence. Every time you go astray you should remind the mind of this evil. Ask your mind what you found out about running after sticking to the ground? Pain more than pleasure? Is there a secular relationship that is not based on selfishness? Is there anything in the world that has made your mind happy forever? Remind your mind of all the problems caused by attachments. Therefore, you will see that when all the attachments of the world are destroyed by sight, the mind is gradually controlled.
How does the mind come under control as per the Bhagavad Gita?
Bhagavad Gita Gyan Yagna - Chapter 2 Verse 39
If the intellect decides that the best kind of pleasure in the world is to have ice cream on a hot summer day, Then the mind desires, “Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream.”There is one person who is spending all the time watching the matches. Who is moving ahead - Australia or India, etc. Somebody is always running behind, “Money, money, money, money, money.” That is what it’s all about.
So how do you become detached? How do detach the mind from the world? Shree Krishna says to Arjuna, "I am going to teach you how to control the mind.
eṣhā te ’bhihitā sānkhye buddhir yoge tvimāṁ śhṛiṇu buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
Lord Krishna to Arjuna: I have explained to you Sānkhya Yog or analytic knowledge regarding the nature of the soul. Now listen, O Partha, as I manifest Buddhi Yoga or Yoga of Intellect. When you work with this kind of understanding, you will be freed from the bondage of karma. The Bhagavad Gita discusses Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. The sincere practice of all these yogas for a long time helps in controlling the mind of a person.
How to Control the Mind - Buddhi Yog Introduction
You may have heard of Karma Yoga. You’ve heard of Gyana Yoga. You’ve heard of Bhakti Yoga. You’ve heard of Ashtanga Yog and Kriya Yoga. But the word that Shree Krishna uses more than any others is Buddhi Yog.
Shree Krishna says, “Arjun, I was explaining to you through you to Sankhya. Telling you that you cannot kill anybody. Doesn’t matter really. Now, what I am going to tell you is Buddhi Yog.” I’m telling you the yoga of the intellect.”
What is Buddhi Yog? What is the significance of the word Buddhi Yog?
This is the yoga of the intellect. This intellect has a very important place in our personality. There is one person who’s spending all the time watching matches. Who is moving ahead - Pakistan India or Australia or New Zealand, etc. That is what it’s all about. That is his personality. It's molded like that. Do you know why? Because his intellect is telling him, “It’s very important that India win.”
Somebody else - He is indifferent. Why? Because they say, "What does it matter whether India wins or someone else wins? It's not relevant to my life." Our intelligence molds our desires. There's always someone running around, "Money, money, money, money, money." Why is that person running like this? Because there is this knowledge in the intellect of the individual - that the real thing that ultimately matters in the world - is money, nothing more. Money makes the mayor go!
That is why whatever you do. Sacrifice anything, but don’t sacrifice money. Somehow or the other, accumulate it. Why is that person running in that direction? Because that person’s intellect has decided. Another person is running madly toward God. What is happening that he’s running madly toward God? That person’s intellect is saying that the happiness I am seeking is in God.
And if someone started seeking God there are some people, who start asking that person what happened to you? Why did you suddenly start going toward God? Was there some tragedy in your life? Did some girlfriend ditch you? Or did you not get a job? What was it? Your health got spoilt?” What really happened to you?
The conclusion is that the intellect of that person decided to be a tiny part of God. His goal in life is to realize God. That knowledge can have different kinds of depths. Knowledge can be very shallow. It can be deeper and deeper.
Let's an example of deep knowledge - You are about to eat the prasad after the pravachan (discourse) and If someone comes to you and says, “Don’t dare do it. There was some poison mixed in prasad.” Now, you will not touch it. You have this deep conviction and you don't want to take risks. That is called deep knowledge.
If knowledge is shallow, then we don’t act upon it. If we develop faith in that knowledge, it naturally becomes practical. This intellect is like a vessel. All that you hear, all that you read. All that keeps coming from the intellect. If you hear any spiritual gurus it’s gone in the intellect. You read some books and you heard some other lectures and read some other inspirational stuff and uninspirational stuff. All that is going into this vessel of the intellect.
Now, as the soul, you have free will, the choice. Which of these pieces of knowledge do you wish to activate? That is the choice of the soul. You activate that knowledge that you heard from the Bhagavad Gita and your intellect gets empowered with that knowledge and you start moving in that direction. This intellect is so important. It is the biggest thing that impacts our personality. The reason why our mind is attached to the world is that the intellect is telling us, “Happiness is in the world.”
How to control mind bhagavad gita - You Suffer because of your Uncontrolled Mind
In other words, there are the mind and the intellect. The mind is creating desires and the intellect is making the decisions. The intellect decides and the mind desires. Usually, the mind desires in accordance with the decision of the intellect. If the intellect decides that the best kind of pleasure in the world is to have ice cream on a hot summer day, Then the mind desires, “Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream.” If the intellect decides, nowadays, cholesterol is a big thing and the fat content in ice cream is too much and you are already 50 years old- You should watch your cholesterol or you will have heart problems.” The intellect has decided. The mind may desire but the intellect will control it. A fight ensues between the mind and the intellect. If the intellect is firmly believing in that knowledge, It immediately controls the mind. Throughout the day, you are controlling your mind with your intellect.
Let's take an example if you are sitting in a school, office, etc. You are not realizing it. Your mind is under your control. As you sit in the school office - Is that your natural position? Is that the most comfortable position for you? your answer will be “No, my most comfortable position is when I am at home on the sofa with my legs up there on the chair and sipping coffee and watching television.” Why don’t you lift your legs up on the next chair out there in school or the office? “Your intellect rebels. It says, ‘No, it’s not the way to do it out there.
What will people say? It will look bad. The intellect says that the mind is under control. But what the mind wants - At home, you go and see - the natural position. All day long, you are controlling your mind.
You go into the office, with even greater control. “How are you?” “Fine, thank you.” What’s going on? Are you actually interested in knowing how he is? It is just our etiquette. The intellect tells us this is proper behavior so the mind engages in that kind of action. We have this internal mechanism that is the senses, the mind, and the intellect.
In the case of animals, God has not empowered their intellect with the ability to control the mind. In the case of animals, it is the mind which dominates this is a pleasure source, and that is the survival instinct. Animals' intellect will not say, “Actually, I wish to take this kind of green grass, but as a matter of austerity I will take brown grass today.” Animals, the intellect will never do that.“For spiritual progress, let me do Ekadashi fast today.” In the human case, God has given this power of discrimination. Your ability to exercise your discrimination through the intellect. God expects you to use it to lead a human-like life. If we stop using that discrimination, we fall to the level of animals.
Hence the Vedas say,
“Pashwa tattva vismaranath bhekivath”
The moment human beings forget that knowledge in the intellect, they become like animals.
In other words, a part of the human experience is to utilize the Vivek (discretion) - discrimination of the intellect. To keep empowering the intellect with powerful knowledge - That is the importance of going to Satsangs, reading the scriptures, and hearing from the saints. It enhances our ability to discriminate, and our faith in the right kind of knowledge. It enlightens our intellect in various ways. There are so many prayers in the scriptures.
This is from the Schwetashwatar Upanishad. That Supreme Lord, who is illuminating the three worlds, who illumined the Vedic knowledge in the heart of Brahma and is the object of the knowledge of the Vedas
If you are surrendering to him. May he illumine your intellect with proper knowledge? That is a very perfect kind of prayer. Because If God improves our intellect - not the IQ. Improves the quality of our intellect, and the quality of our life will automatically improve.
Shri Krishna says, “Arjuna, I am going to teach you Buddhi Yoga, the Yoga of Wisdom.” Why? Because he has just asked him to become a karma yogi. Work without attachment. How do you become detached? How do you detach the mind from the world? The mind will not detach itself. You will have to use your intellect. You will need to exercise the intellect to practice detachment. The moment the intellect decides, the mind becomes detached. That is why Shree Krishna is calling this Buddhi Yog.
How can we control our minds according to Bhagavad Gita?
Controlling the Mind by Practice: The universal truth is that the mind cannot be controlled easily and it takes a lifetime of consistent practice and perseverance to tame it to some extent. When we cannot control what the products that the mind manufactures are called thoughts and dumps on us, we have the choice to allow them to overwhelm us or not accept and dismiss them. Our entire life is spent on honing the skills to dismiss the products, just let them pass our attention without scratching or denting us, or buy the products, and suffer.
As I know, the Bhagavad Gita in various chapters talks about controlling the mind, giving up attachment, freeing oneself from the bondage of thoughts, freeing oneself from desire, fear, and anger, maintaining an unbiased peace in the mind, liberating from passion, practicing self-restraint, changing perceptions, focusing on God at all times, maintaining peace in the breath, and spending time in worship and on oneself.
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The Bhagavad Gita can be interpreted by anyone in various ways as per his /her capacity, intelligence, life experience, emotional intelligence, values, spiritual experience, character, and personality qualities. There is no hard and fast interpretation that we have to accept implicitly, that is the beauty of this and intended to be that way.
What Practice to Do to Control the Mind?
From what I have learned from the Bhagavad Gita, my interpretation and understanding are as follows.
To keep the mind in check,( not control it ), we need to practice, controlling and regulating our breathing, being mindful and present, being prayerful, and going to the lord for support.
Breathing. When we are disturbed by thoughts of anxiety, fear, anger, greed, sensuality, etc that perturb us, we notice that our breathing is shallow, and our ability to control the thoughts is undermined and diminished. Deep, slow, regulated, controlled breathing restores our sanity, awareness, and prudence, and helps us take charge of ourselves and our responses.
Mindfulness. Being in the present, observing the thoughts, feeling the sensations, not judging them not treating them as true, just watching them come and pass without tuning or plugging into them, being focused on the breath, and allowing the onslaught of the thoughts to pass away, without overwhelming you, is the way to blunt the power of the thoughts and vaporize them into thin air.
Meditation & Prayer is the best way to gain control over the mind
- Prayerfulness. Come to me, says the Bhagavad Gita. Combing self-talking in the form of prayer can be very powerful. When you are tempted, afraid, anxious, or angry, just tune into a prayer in the form of self-talk, like, lord forgive me for these thoughts, give me the common sense to understand why they have come and to focus on solutions and what I need to do, direct, control and guide me, lord, against these thoughts that are trying to overpower me, bless the person against whom I feel this (anger, sensuality grudge jealousy or whatever ) bless the person, give me the strength to forgive and forget, help me to be courageous and face this boldly.
- I promise you, Lord, to be worthy of all your blessings and glorify your name in every thought, deed, and action, I am grateful Lord for being my savior, and help at all times, give me strength to keep your temple clean within me, and forgive my weaknesses, etc like self-talk pour everything you think and feel. Ask in prayer, feel, and believe you will receive. Prayer is a direct outpouring from the depths of your mind to the lord, a self-talking that gives you direction, realization, understanding, and a plea for intervention and help, and strength.
- I hope, that by breathing deeply, mindfully being in control, and sincerely prayerful, we may be able to control the mind somewhat, as these I feel as per the limitations of my capacity to understand, are what the Bhagavad Gita is telling us, in brief.
Bhagavad Gita quotes mind control
Conclusion
