Overcoming the Monkey Mind Through Discrimination & Dispassion (52)

Summary:

Lesson 52 mentions 4 universal obstacles contributing to turbulent mind in life or meditation. Krishna gives two solutions to taming the monkey mind: Discriminative enquiry and Objectivity.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, verse 33, 34, 35, 36


Revision of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6 so Far:

Krishna completes Benefits of Meditation (dhyana-phalam) by verse 32. So far order of chapter 6 goes like this…

  1. Bahiraṅga sādhana: General disciplines throughout day.
    • Which involves: Karma Yoga (mindful living, recognizing each challenge is opportunity to grow).
    • Also need to develop Self-confidence in yourself (“I CAN! I WILL! No matter what. This is MY chance. Let me make most of it”). Also need to exercise Self-control over unhealthy habits.
  2. Antaraṇga sādhana: General disciplines before Meditation.
    • Find a clean place. Sit in preferred posture. Stabilize your breath. Minimize external environment data input, like closed windows, noise cancellation headphones, etc.
  3. Dhyāna-svarūpa: Process of Closed-Eye Meditation
    • Begin zooming in on thoughts related to Ishvara. Start with feeling body, then feeling mind, then start entertaining thoughts of how Ishvara relates in your life. Or you can bring thoughts of nature of Self and think about statements that represent your nature, such as: non-changing, imperishable/permanent (nitya), immortal, ever present, witness consciousness.
    • Initially it'll be a struggle (dharna stage). As you persist, it becomes easier (dhyana stage). And may even turn to effortless enjoyment (samadhi).
  4. Dhyāna-phalam: benefit of practicing.
    • Act of brining knowledge of Vedanta teachings into your Meditation, strengthens them. Helping transform your personality. 
    • You're making the world incapable of disturbing you. 
    • Shravana/mananam gives knowledge of your nature. And nididhyāsanam converts this knowledge into jñāna-niṣṭā (firm knowledge). And this firmness, leads to samadarśanam (objectivity, seeing differences but also appreciating the oneness [intelligence] in all things. 
  5. Fifth topic is dhyana pratibandha parihārau: Obstacles and remedies to Meditation. Covered in verse 33-36.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 33:

अर्जुन उवाच
यः अयं योगः त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन ।
एतस्य अहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिम् स्थिराम् ॥ ६-३३
arjuna uvāca
yaḥ ayaṃ yogaḥ tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana ।
etasya ahaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitim sthirām ॥ 6-33

Arjuna said: Oh Krishna! Because of restlessness, I do not see the steady existence of this (yoga) which Yoga was imparted by you as sameness (of vision).

Four Types of Obstacles in Meditation

Goudapādācārya’s Māndūkya kārika outlines four primary obstacles in Meditation:

  1. Layaḥ (Dullness): The tendency of the mind to become sleepy or lethargic during Meditation.
  2. Vikṣepaḥ (Distraction): The mind's propensity to wander and become distracted.
  3. Kāṣāyaḥ (Non-functionality): A state where the mind becomes non-responsive due to suppressed emotions.
  4. Rasāsvādaḥ (Attachment to pleasure): Becoming overly attached to the pleasant experiences of Meditation.

These obstacles represent common challenges faced by practitioners on the spiritual path.

The Need for Mental Discipline

An undisciplined mind hinders the assimilation of Vedantic knowledge. It's crucial to convert intellectual knowledge (jnanam) into assimilated knowledge (vijnanam) by bringing it down to the emotional level. This transformation occurs when you start relating with the world differently which can only be done by recognizing it's a manifestation of Ishvara.

Overcoming Layaḥ (Dullness)

Layaḥ manifests as sleepiness during Meditation, often caused by over-eating (bahu-aśanam), indigestion (ajīrṇa), sleep backlog (nidrā-śeśaḥ), or habitual association (abhyāsaḥ). To combat this:

  • Practice Karma Yoga: Offer actions to Ishvara and accept results as prasāda, viewing them as learning opportunities rather than divine punishment.
  • Cultivate mental equipoise (samatva buddhi) by understanding that the world isn't meant to make you happy; happiness is your responsibility.
  • Maintain proper diet and sleep hygiene.
  • Consistently practice to overcome habitual patterns.

Addressing Vikṣepaḥ (Distraction)

Vikṣepaḥ presents as a hyperactive mind unable to focus on Vedanta. To counter this:

  • Practice Abhyāsa: Consistently bring the mind back to focus through japa or breath awareness.
  • Develop Viveka: Discern between the real (satya) and apparent (mithya), understanding the temporary nature of worldly objects.
  • Cultivate Vairāgyam: Not aversion, but freedom from compulsive attraction, arising from understanding the limitations of objects.

Managing Kāṣāyaḥ (Non-functionality)

Non-functionality occurs when the mind becomes non-functional due to unaddressed traumas or suppressed emotions. To address this:

  • Allow suppressed emotions to surface during Meditation.
  • Practice self-acceptance (ātma-svīkāra). Andre recommends Acceptance Freedom Therapy (ACT).
  • Observe thoughts without letting them define you, reminding yourself: “They're mine, but they don't define Me.”

Transcending Rasāsvādaḥ (Attachment to pleasure)

Attachment to pleasure involves getting carried away by Meditation-induced pleasure. To overcome this:

  • Understand that true ānanda is your nature, not an experience.
  • Practice viveka to discriminate between conditional happiness (dependent on pleasant events) and unconditional happiness (resulting from knowing your immortal nature).

Types of Students and Their Challenges

  1. Uttama Adhikāri: Has good reception and retention, even in crises. Has cultivated the four-fold qualifications (sādhanā catuṣṭaya sampatti), which include:
    1. Viveka (discrimination between the real and unreal)
    2. Vairāgya (dispassion towards worldly objects and experiences)
    3. Ṣaṭsampatti (six-fold virtues):
      1. Śama (mind management)
      2. Dama (sense management)
      3. Uparati (withdrawal from sense objects)
      4. Titikṣā (enduring the hardships)
      5. Śraddhā (trust in the guru/scriptures)
      6. Samādhāna (concentration)
    4. Mumukṣutva (intense desire for liberation)
  2. Madhyama Adhikāri: Has good reception but poor retention. Needs to balance study with contemplation and Meditation.
  3. Adhama Adhikāri: Struggles with both reception and retention. Needs to focus on karma yoga and upāsana (Meditation) first.

Process of Vedantic Meditation

The purpose is to assimilate Vedantic teachings through:

  1. Recognizing “I am Atma, and everything known to Me is anatma or mithya.”
  2. Dismissing the changing world as not-I (neti neti).
  3. Dwelling on the unchanging nature by recognizing the constant presence of consciousness.

Arjuna's Specific Challenge

Arjuna's problem stems from rajo guṇa (restlessness), not tamo guna (dullness). His mind wanders during Meditation, unable to maintain a steady vision of the teaching. The solution is to cultivate objectivity by understanding the limitations of objects and events in providing security, happiness, or freedom.

NEXT VERSE: Arjuna's complaint is expressed more clearly in next verse….

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 34:

चञ्चलम् हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवत् दृढम् ।
तस्य अहम् निग्रहम् मन्ये वायोः इव सुदुष्करम् ॥ ६-३४॥
cañcalam hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavat dṛḍham ।
tasya aham nigraham manye vāyoḥ iva suduṣkaram ॥ 6-34॥

Oh Krishna! The mind is indeed fickle, turbulent, powerful (and) firm. I consider its restraint to be very difficult like that of the wind.

The Mind's Multifaceted Nature

Arjuna describes the mind to Krishna as “cañcalam hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavat dṛḍham” – fickle, turbulent, powerful, and firm. This verse highlights the challenges of managing your mind in your spiritual journey. The mind is characterized as manaḥ cañcalam (highly active and wandering), which creates vikṣepa (distraction) that hinders Meditation and Vedantic teaching retention. Moreover, it is pramāthi (turbulent), not only turbulent itself but also “churns entire personality.” This turbulence manifests in various ways:

  • Increased verbal activity when emotionally disturbed, churning vāk indriyam (speech organ) and all indriyas (sense organs)
  • Wandering eyes
  • Physical restlessness (fidgeting, pacing)
  • Overtaking or driving 3km faster despite intellectual understanding of its pointlessness

Power (Balavat) and Firmness (Dṛḍham)

The mind is balavad (powerful), so powerful that you can intellectually say “no point worrying,” yet your mind continues to worry. It's akin to “telling stomach to not growl because it's embarrassing, but it growls anyway.” The mind seems to conquer buddhi (intellect) due to its habitual impressions. Furthermore, the mind is dṛḍham (firm), firm in its own field of worry. This firmness is metaphorically explained:

  • Initially decide to drink coffee
  • Later body gets used to it
  • When intellect decides to stop, “withdrawal symptoms at body level interfere with Intellect”
  • Similarly, deciding to stop a bad habit, the mind continues doing its own thing, firmly stubborn

Challenge of Mind Control

Arjuna considers mind management, “Tasya aham nigraham manye vāyoḥ iva suduṣkaram” – very difficult like that of the wind. One “can not just order with ‘Stop worrying!'” The solution to this challenge lies in the “process of slow sobering from firm grooves of mind,” called vāsanā kśayaḥ (annihilation of mental impressions). This process is illustrated by an example:

  • When philosopher first heard bad news about crushed ship, he had habitual reaction ‘What‘.”
  • The knowledge came a while latter > ‘So what! I will handle this like many things I've handled before‘.

The goal is to reduce the “Distance between ‘What' > ‘So what'. This is only possible by time investment, as the mind remains firm in it's old ways. 

Split Personality and Practical Approach

Arjuna, described as a “Madhyama adhikāri (middle-level aspirant): Able to receive, unable to retain/hold,” experiences a split personality (common to many practitioners). Practitioner laments, “I thought mind is my inner instrument. An instrument I control. I thought I was master of my instrument. When try to be master of mind, I discover I am not it's master. But HELPLESS servant.” This split personality is experienced by every Vedantin. The practical approach to managing this challenging mind involves:

  • Reorienting the mind time after time it does it's own thing
  • Recognizing that no habit is broken suddenly. Be ready for several years.
  • Seeking guidance through prayer: “Lord give me the strength and intelligence to help myself reduce this unhealthy response.”

Therefore Arjuna says: Since I can’t conquer my mind, I require mind-conquering CONSULTANT…

 

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 35:

श्रीभगवान् उवाच
असंशयम् महाबाहो मनः दुर्निग्रहम् चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥ ६-३५॥
Śrībhagavān uvāca

asaṃśayam mahābāho manaḥ durnigraham calam ।
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ॥ 6-35॥

The Lord answered – Oh Arjuna! Undoubtedly, the mind is fickle and difficult to restrain. Oh Arjuna, However, it can be restrained through detachment and practice.

Krishna's Response to Mental Fickleness

Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna's concern about mind control, saying: Undoubtedly, the mind is fickle and difficult to restrain. However, it can be restrained through detachment and practice.

Krishna intelligently points out that extrovertedness of mind is not a unique problem but a universal one. This acknowledgment brings relief, as shared suffering often comforts.

Accepting the Problem

Krishna emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and accepting the problem. This approach is similar to the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous: “I accept I have problem and unable to come out of it. If I accept and surrender to my helplessness, outside help comes!”

The Nature of Mind and Strategies for Control

Krishna affirms that the mind is indeed fickle (calam) and difficult to restrain (durnigraham). However, he emphasizes that while it's challenging, it's not impossible to manage. The key lies in employing proper strategies for mental discipline. Krishna recommends two main approaches:

  • Abhyāsena (Proper practice): Developing interest in and dwelling upon śāstra (scripture) and spiritual values
  • Vairāgyam (Dispassion, detachment): Coming out of emotional dependence on perishable objects by recognizing objects don't have an intrinsic value except the value you give them

These strategies align with Patanjali’s teaching: “abhyāsa vairāgyābhyām tat siddhiḥ” (perfection through practice and detachment).

Developing Interest and Practice

The mind naturally dwells upon objects of interest without distraction. To develop interest in spiritual matters:

  • Understand the value and superiority of self-knowledge. Can really clear that it's truly the only solution to a beginningless problem of smallness and mortality
  • Repeatedly study, contemplate, and share spiritual knowledge
  • Recognize the greatness of mokṣa (liberation) and dharma (righteousness). There's nothing higher in the universe.
  • Understand the freedom you gain by recognizing the presence of Ishvara in all things.

The Path from World to Self

Scriptures present the progression: World (I'm a small being who needs to compete) > God (I am different from God) > Self (My and God's nature is not different). This path involves:

  • Recognizing the fluctuating nature of worldly dependence
  • Developing nitya-anitya vastu viveka (discernment between eternal and perishable)
  • Gradually shifting perception from the world to Ishvara’s intelligence (manifesting as different forms) 

By following these practices and developing discernment, one can transform Vedanta from a seemingly dry subject matter to the most juicy subject matter, leading to mental discipline and spiritual growth. The process gradually transforming your jnanam (intellectual knowledge) into vijnanam (deeply ascertained knowledge with emotional roots).

The Chair Analogy

To illustrate the concepts of vairagyam (detachment) and viveka (discernment), analogy of two chairs. The perishable chair, made of cardboard, is beautifully decorated and attractive, yet comes with a warning: “Don't sit!” It represents worldly objects that are temporary and unreliable.

In contrast, the permanent chair (Īśvara’s chair) is strong, sturdy, and eternally supportive, representing your cognitive understanding that all that is here is Ishvara.

The lesson isn't to destroy the cardboard chair, but recognize its limitations and choose to rely on the permanent chair for true support.

Sitting on the strong chair represents viveka (discriminative enquiry), while coming out of the attractive but weak chair exemplifies vairagyam (objectivity)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 36:

असंयत-आत्मना योगः दुष्प्रापः इति मे मतिः ।
वश्य-आत्मना तु यतता शक्यः अवाप्तुम् उपायतः ॥ ६-३६॥
asaṃyata-ātmanā yogaḥ duṣprāpaḥ iti me matiḥ ।
vaśya-ātmanā tu yatatā śakyaḥ avāptum upāyataḥ ॥ 6-36॥

Dhyana yoga is difficult to be attained by one with unrestrained mind. But it can be attained by the self-controlled who strives through (proper) means — this is My view.

This verse emphasizes the importance of mental discipline in spiritual practice. An unrestrained mind, tends to gravitate towards to unhealthy thoughts and artha/kāma (wealth/pleasure).

Viveka and Vairāgya: Tools for Mental Transformation

When viveka (discrimination) is not practiced, the mind is prone to chase external charms and worldly objects. For such a person, yogaḥ duṣprāyaḥ (Meditation is impossible). They might sit for Meditation, but their mind immediately starts entertaining recent happenings. 

The Power of Interest and Values

When genuine interest in spiritual matters develops, formal Meditation becomes effortless. Teacher illustrates this with an analogy: a new mother effortlessly thinks of her child, even while engaged in other activities, due to her love and value for the child. She doesn't need to sit in Meditation to think of her child; rather, her challenge is to take the child out of her mind. This is because she loves and values the child, thinking, “Because of the child, I enjoy motherhood.”

Similarly, one who recognizes the benefits of mokṣa naturally enjoys Vedanta study and thinking.

Developing a Controlled Mind

A controlled mind (vaśyātma) results from viveka (priorities, discernment) and vairāgyam (detachment from the unimportant). It comes from striving (yatatā) to dedicate quality time to Vedanta (nididhyāsanam), recognizing its utility in life. This controlled mind has clear priorities

The Path to Successful Meditation

Since Bhagavad Gita doesn't offer materialistic benefits, a sensitive mind is needed to perceive their abstract benefits.

Meditation becomes possible through a disciplined mind, developed by the two means: viveka and vairāgyam. Krishna advises developing dependence on cognitive understanding that all you see and hear and experience, is manifestation of Intelligence (Ishvara).  This helps take the mind off individual objects, and cognitively recognize the sameness in all objects. 

 

Keywords: Abhyasah, Abhyasena, Adhikari, Ajirna, ananda, anatma, antakarana, antaranga, asamyatama, asanam, asangah, ashanam, atmananda, Bahiranga sadhana, Brahmasmi, dharana, dhyana, drdham, duhkhesvanudvignamanah, dushpraya, dusprayah, Gaudapada karika, gita, Goudapadacarya, guna, ishvara, isvara, jnana-nista, jnana-nistha, jnanam, kahsaya, kama, kasaya, laya, Mana cancalam, mano nigraha, moksha, nididhyasana, Nidra-sesa, nishtha, nista, pariharau, pramathi, purnah, rasasvada, sadhana catustaya, sadhana chatushtaya, samadarsanam, samadarshana, samadhi, sastra, shastra, shesha, shravana, sravana, sthiraprajna, sudushkaram, suduskaram, sukhesu, svarupa, Tasyaham, upanishads, Upaya, vadah, vairagyam, vak, vasana ksayah, vashyatma, vasyatma, vedantic, vedantin, vigatasprhah, viksepa, vikshepa, yatata

 

Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching is given to Swami Paramarthananda

Recorded 4 June, 2019

 

7 Comments

  1. Without processing my emotional issues (using example body psychotherapy though there are other types of therapy that can do the same thing) the vedas simply made no sense to me. I had tried twice in the past to study the vedas but they fell on deaf ears. Honestly i think you would have to be VERY strong to process these old emotional issues on your own. Honestly I think processing strong emotional blockers to Vedanta on your own is unrealistic. But “moving them on” is COMPLETELY possible (with the right attitude and support) most people dont realise this and so they simply define themselves in relation to them. Processing old feelings like this is ugly scary work Eastern thought (Vedanta/Buddhism) seems to shy way from this and simply says “just go through it” easier said than done. Note: This can also have a reverse effect where expression can also become simply another thing you define yourself by and you become addicted to the expression processes another blocker to the true self.

  2. I think it also needs to be said that the fact that these rishi’s “knew” about emotional blockers to understanding the self a few thousand years ago is insane.

  3. Hi Andre,

    Dvaitha (dualism) : Brahman, Atma and Cosmos are 3 separate entities. Brahman is the lord, the other two are it’s subordinates.

    Vishishtadvaita (qualified dualism) : Brahman, Atma and Cosmos are 3 separate entities, but Atma and Cosmos are born out of Brahman.

    Advaita (non dualism) : There is only Brahman. Atma and Cosmos are maya or Mithya.

    Would you be so kind as to read the above and correct me if my understanding is wrong?
    Thank you.

    1. Dvaita: Difference is at:

      jiva-jiva-bheda: Essence of one jiva is different from essence of another jiva.
      jiva-jagat-bheda: Jiva is different from world.
      jiva-ishvara-bheda: Jiva is different from God. Jiva = small eternally. God = eternally vast.

      ====

      Vishishtadvaita: It’s like Ocean is the final reality, and jivas are never apart from the Ocean, while at same time are always distinct from Ocean. So there is Oneness, since everything is within one Ocean, but there is difference within the Oneness.

      =====

      Advaita: Adds one more reality. Water. There is difference at Ocean (Ishvara) and wave (jiva), in terms of size. But they are both essentially one Water. Each speck within the ocean is H2O. There’s no place in Ocean where H2O is more or less.

  4. Thank you Andre for your reply.

    When you say essence of one jiva is different from the essence of another jiva :

    – What does essence mean? Is it Atma?
    – I was under impression that there is one Jiva Atma, but many bodies.
    – Finally Dvaita does not accept Advaita? If it does accept, then on what basis is it accepted?

    Please clarify… Thanks again

    1. jiva-jiva-bheda: Essence of one jiva is different from essence of another jiva. > This statement was specifically referring to how Dvaita Vedanta sees it (Dualistic philosophies).

      In Advaita Vedanta, essence of 8 billion jivas is always Atma.

  5. Hi André,
    I’ve just watched this video. It gives us the courage to depend on Ishwara, to sit on Ishwara’s solid chair using Viveka, and to detach ourselves from the fragile and beautifully decorated cardboard chair by detachment or Vairagyam.
    Thank you for these explanations and analogies.

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