Controlling the Mind and Samanya Dharmas

[Amritha Varshini]

Controlling the Mind and Samanya Dharmas

What comes in the way of concentration during Dhyanam (meditation)?. It is because this mind is always in a state of agitation. All problems arise because of the mind. The desire that crops up in the mind is the cause for all the problem. It is not possible to tell the mind, ‘do not desire’ and keep it still.

If we tell the mind ‘think of this one thing’ for a little while it appears to think about that thing and then takes a flight to somewhere. When I tell you during discourse about Dhyana, Shanti etc., it will appear as if your mind is under control. It will be happy. But the next moment it flies away somewhere and peace is destroyed. If it is commanded ‘do not talk’ and the mouth is closed, to some extent it obeys the command. If the eye is commanded ‘do not see’ and is closed, it does not see for some time at least. But however much you struggle with this mind telling ‘do not think’ it does not listen. When we say think, the mind must think; when we say do not think, it should not think. Only then it would mean that the mind is under our control.
We call some people mad and say that they do not have their mind under control.

The fact is that all of us do not have control over the mind. If the mad person goes on blabbering without shutting his mouth, we too have allowed the mind to go its way blabbering instead of controlling it. Do you know how it will be if we attain control over the mind? However much it may pain if the mind is told ‘do not think it to be pain’, the mind will remain ignoring the pain. Even if a tiger were to appear in front and roar, if the mind is told ‘do not be afraid’, it will not be afraid. Now we keep crying for no reason. If the mind comes under control, it will keep laughing whatever sorrow may be there to cause weeping. Irrespective of any provocation, it will remain quiet.

To start with, one should make the mind think of good things instead of wandering here and there. The mind should concentrate on good thoughts in an uninterrupted manner just as oil which flows in one uninterrupted stream. The mind should be trained to think constantly of the good thing, the Lord. Later, the state ‘we are thinking’ will vanish and we will dissolve in the Lord and become the Lord ourselves. Controlling the mind this way is called ‘Yoga’. A way has to found to control the mind before death. Otherwise there will be rebirth and there will be restless agitation of the mind. In this birth itself when there are several causes which led to desire and anger, we have to make whole-hearted effort to control the mind right in the midst of these things. One who tries in this way and become successful is ‘Yuktha’, otherwise known as ‘Yogi’. Lord Krishna says that he is the real happy soul ‘suki’.

We should not give up thinking ‘Yoga and such other things are for the rishis and can we practice it successfully?”. Who is in need of medicine? The sick person, is it not? We are having manovyadhi (mental disease). Therefore only we have to take the medicine which can control it.

There are two means for controlling the mind. One is open and other is a secret one. What is practiced externally is open. What is practiced internally is secret. Both are required. The cart man and the cook in this mutt are external. The person who makes the wicks for the lamps or one who gives flowers – these people remain close to pooja. The mutt can function only if both these groups are there. In the same way by the open and secret means, one should concentrate the mind on good things and then reach the state of zero thought.

Doing charity, sandhya vandana, yagnas, poojas, helping others etc., are the open means to divert the mind on good things. Meditation is the most superior internal state. There are five other means which are conducive to meditation. They are ‘Ahimsa’ (non violence), ‘Sathyam’ (speaking the truth), ‘Astheyam’ (non stealing), ‘Shaucham’ (cleanliness, purity) and ‘Indriya Nigraham’ (subjugating the senses).

Ahimsa is not to have bad thoughts about anybody or anything and make the mind full of love. Sathyam is to be true by thought, word and deed. Astheya is non stealing, to be firm in mind not to give rise to desire for other people’s things. Shaucham means purifying like bathing, wearning clean clothes, taking clean food etc. Indriyanigraham is not allowing the senses to have their own way and limit the food given to each sense organ i.e. ‘the eye should not see this, the ear should not hear this, the mouth should not eat this’, the body should not indulge in this sin, thus putting a check is ‘Indriya Nigraham’. Body is required for ‘sadhana’ (spiritual practices). The senses should be fed with just minimum that is necessary to keep the body alive. These five are ‘Samanya Dharma’. That means people of all divisions in our religion should follow these which are part of the Manu Dharma.

[K Venu]

Very good and crisp presentation of essentials.

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Samanya Dharma

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Every religion has a generic form or Samanya-Rupa and a specific form or Visesha-Rupa. The general form remains eternally the same. It is never changed by any circumstance whatsoever. It is not affected at all by changes of time, place, surroundings and individual differences. This aspect of religion is called Sanatana or eternal. That which changes according to the change of time, place and surrounding circumstances is the external aspect or ritual, of Dharma.
Samanya Dharma is the general Dharma or law for all men. Varnasrama Dharmas are special Dharmas which are to be practised by particular castes and by men in particular stages of life. The Samanya Dharmas must be practised by all, irrespective of distinctions of Varna and Asrama, creed or colour. Goodness is not the property of any one class, creed, sect or community. Every man should possess this virtue.

Fundamentals Of Dharma
THE VISHNU SAMHITA enumerates forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the mind, purity, practice of charity, control of the senses, non-violence, service of the Guru, visiting places of pilgrimage, compassion, simplicity, absence of greed, worship of the gods and the Brahmanas, and absence of malice as the ingredients of Samanya Dharma, the general law for all men.
THE MAHABHARATA enumerates the performance of Sraaddha or offering oblations to the forefathers, religious austerity, truth, restraint of anger, satisfaction with one’s own wife, purity, learning, absence of envy, knowledge of the Self and forbearance as the fundamentals of Dharma.
It is said in PADMA PURANA that Dharma proceeds from continence, truthfulness, austerity, charity, self-control, forbearance, purity, non-violence, serenity and non-thieving and that one should recognise Dharma by these ten factors. According to this Purana, bestowing gifts on deserving persons, fixing one’s thoughts on Lord Krishna, adoration of one’s parents, offering a portion of the daily meal to all creatures and giving a morsel of food to a cow are the characteristics of Dharma.
According to MATSYA PURANA, freedom from malice, absence of covetousness, control of the senses, austerity, celibacy, compassion, truthfulness, forbearance and fortitude constitute the fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma.
PATANJALI MAHARSHI, the exponent of Raja Yoga philosophy, recommends that ten virtues should be practised by all men. The first five are: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Brahmacharya (celibacy in thought, word and deed), Asteya (non-stealing) and Aparigraha (non-covetousness). These constitute Yama or self-restraint. The other five virtues are: Saucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (study of scriptures or recitation of Mantra) and Isvara-pranidhana (consecration of the fruits of all works to the Lord). These constitute Niyama or religious observance.
THE GITA enumerates the following virtues as Daivi-Sampat or divine qualities: fearlessness, cleanness of life, steadfastness in the Yoga of Wisdom, alms-giving, self-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, straightforwardness, harmlessness, truth, absence of wrath, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to living beings, non-covetousness, mildness, modesty, absence of fickleness, vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity and absence of envy and pride. All these virtues are manifestations of the four fundamental virtues: (i) non-violence, (ii) truth, (iii) purity and (iv) self-control. All the above virtues come under the above four cardinal virtues. The virtues that are enumerated under the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism and the virtues prescribed by Lord Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, also come under the above fundamental virtues.
The development of the divine qualities is indispensable for the attainment of Self-realisation. Brahman or the Eternal is purity. The Eternal cannot be attained without the attainment of purity. Brahman is truth. The Eternal cannot be attained without practising truth. Brahman is fearlessness. The Eternal cannot be attained unless you become absolutely fearless. Attachment to the body causes fear and Dehadhyasa. If only you become fearless, then the identification with the body will vanish.
You have rendered the heart harder than flint, steel or diamond through greed, miserliness, harshness and rudeness. You can soften it only through the practice of mercy, sympathy, charity, generosity, magnanimity, harmlessness, mildness, disinterested action and untiring service of the poor. You have made the heart crooked and narrow through hypocrisy, untruthfulness, backbiting and talebearing. You can expand it through the practice of straightforwardness, truthfulness, cleanness of life, alms-giving and non-covetousness. You have rendered the heart impure through lust. You can purify it through the practice of celibacy in thought, word and deed.