Taming the Mind
The mind is the biggest obstacle on the spiritual path. Yet, saints tell us that it’s only by working with the mind and making it our friend that the doors to spirituality will open for us. This is similar to what we experience in this world. For example, if there is a gatekeeper at your office and you are not in good rapport with him, your daily routine will become difficult. Instead of fighting with him daily, it’s better to befriend him to the extent that he himself opens the door for you.
How do we befriend the mind? As repeatedly explained in the teachings, traditional methods of either suppressing the desires of the mind or trying to fully satisfy those desires will not be successful. There needs to be a balance. We need to understand our objective in life and act on that objective.
Meditation is the key to coming to a higher level and to making the mind our friend rather than an enemy. Initially, it is difficult to concentrate the mind, but we should not lose hope and patience. The Lord knows what’s best for us. Our love, faith, and determination will surely be reciprocated eventually.
With love and faith we develop the determination to walk on the path. If someone tells us to walk on a five-inch plank that goes from one skyscraper to another, we will be afraid to do that. But just imagine that the same plank is placed on the floor. Would we be willing to walk on it? Yes, we would definitely be confident and would probably succeed in walking on it. So what’s the difference? Same plank, same walking. It’s our faith and understanding that if we fall, we won’t be hurt because the floor is close. Once we realize and have faith that the Lord and Master are always close to us, then we begin to shift our focus from the world, and we realize that we have nothing to lose and much to gain by walking on the path.
Once we are able to gradually concentrate and conquer our mind, there’s no looking back. Through meditation our mind is elevated and gets the peace that it has always been restlessly looking for. The mind becomes fully satisfied through meditation because there is nothing more appealing which has ever existed or will ever exist than the Shabd, the eternal sound and light.
The mind plays a game of keeping us entrapped in the cares and worries of this world. With love, grace, and determination, let us tame the mind and enjoy the gift of meditation.