“Mind is a collection of all weaknesses, filth, and imperfections in our thought process. Instead of strengthening it, as advocated by various sadhanas like yoga, we should aim to overcome it, transcend it—through the help of breath. When we work through the brain, rather than the mind, we avoid many problems. This is my firm conviction,” says Sri Suki Sivam in his December 20, 2009, talk on Sun TV.
For me, this is just another discussion about a ‘mind’ that doesn’t even exist. The brain is the only faculty through which we perform all activities that we often attribute to the so-called ‘mind.’ Breathing is another form of sadhana, whether to overcome or strengthen a faculty that, in my view, isn’t there. Controlling the ‘the breath’ is another kind of exercise, call it by any name. It might improve the blood circulation to the brain and bringing its own effect. But breathing as a sadhana won’t help us to ‘overcome’ our mind. Therefore, relying on one trick or another to deal with our ‘mind’ may not be effective, as the ‘mind’ doesn’t ‘mind’ such efforts—it isn’t aware of its own existence. Below is something I wrote last year but never posted:
### What is Mind?
During a recent visit to Bangalore, a family, who frequently practices yoga, meditation, and various sadhanas on weekends, asked me the same old question: HOW DO YOU CONTROL THE MIND? Of course, this wasn’t the first time they asked. As usual, I gave them the same answer. Neither of us grew tired of this repetitive exchange. My response is always the same: We cannot control something that doesn’t exist.
But am I contradicting the traditional wisdom of countless saints and gurus who have spoken about the ‘mind’ and related sadhanas (controlling, disciplining, annihilating, etc.) over the ages? Not at all. My answer isn’t new—what changes are the terms we use to describe the ambiguous and mysterious faculty called ‘mind.’
For me, although we HAVE to use the word ‘mind’ to communicate, there is no actual entity called ‘mind’—not even as part of human psyche. Just like the ‘sky’ doesn’t truly exist, but we perceive it visually, the ‘mind’ is similar. What we THINK is the mind. While I’m not a specialist, scientist, or physician, all these functions originate in the brain. Most of us know this, but for communication’s sake, we use terms like ‘mind,’ ‘buddhi’ (not brain), and ‘manas.’ There’s no harm in using these terms to express our thoughts. The problem arises when we start treating these terms as if they describe something that actually exists, leading to confusion about the mind.
For example, in Tamil, there are words like: manam, idayam, nenjam, ‘arivu’ and buddhi. Technically, there’s no difference among these terms, but people use them according to the context of their emotional and intellectual needs. Most of the time, the first three words refer to emotional feelings, while the fourth and fifth ones relates to intellectual ideas. However, it’s the brain (the physical organ in our head) that manages all these functions. Can we discipline, control, or annihilate the brain? If it gets damaged, we seek medical help. But when it comes to the so-called mind, who can help? All the sadhanas we discuss about dealing with the mind have no connection to the brain. Performing these sadhanas to train or discipline something that doesn’t exist will never diagnose the real problem.
In my understanding, ‘mind’ is simply what we ‘think.’ To control or discipline the mind, the best sadhana is to discipline and control our thought patterns. As social beings, we have no independent ‘thought’ life apart from relationships. The first step in disciplining the mind (thought) is to guide our ‘thinking’ based on healthy relationships. To do this, never ‘react,’ but rather ‘respond’ to others’ views, opinions, and expressions. Once we learn to ‘respond’ instead of ‘react,’ we take the first step towards disciplining the mind (thought). Avoid idealistic statements like politicians often make when reacting to others. When we react, we don’t consider the consequences, and we act impulsively in response to others’ words and deeds. On the other hand, when we learn the art of responding, we take time to discipline our mind (thought) and act calmly, considering every aspect of our relationships.
Naturally, questions arise: What about sadhanas aimed at controlling the mind by sannyasis seeking mukti? What kind of relationships are involved there? And as emotional beings, how can we always ‘respond’ with a calm mind? We aren’t machines; emotional reactions often come more naturally and spontaneously than measured, disciplined (artificial) responses in our dealings with others. Even those who claim to have controlled or annihilated their non-existent mind can still react emotionally. When provoked, they face the consequences of such reactions, as has happened with several sannyasis, losing the merits gained through their penance and having to start over after proper penance. For those of us who live among people, reacting impulsively in our relationships with others can lead to conflicts, and even if we apologize and seek forgiveness, it takes time to heal the wounds caused by our reactions. And we live with the myth that those who does neither react nor respond are emotionless or managed to control emotion. But not ‘reacting’ or ‘responding’ is another kind of emotional expression.
Finally, what actually is the mind? If you can define what the sky truly is, then I can tell you what the mind is. The fact is, there is no blue sky, but the reality is that we see a color called sky blue. Similarly, the fact is that the mind doesn’t exist, but the reality is that we care a lot about the concept of the mind.
Everyone has a brain. No one has a mind. And our brain tells us not to worry about the non-existent mind and to focus on what matters. If we ignore our brain’s advice and continue to obsess over the non-existent mind, we may end up mentally imbalanced, worrying about what happened to our mind. If this statement doesn’t address your questions about the mind, never mind—just keep thinking about your non-existent mind.
Dayanand Bharati, Gurukulam, June 30, 2008
“Mind is a collection of all weaknesses, filth, and imperfections in our thought process. Instead of strengthening it, as advocated by various sadhanas like yoga, we should aim to overcome it, transcend it—through the help of breath. When we work through the brain, rather than the mind, we avoid many problems. This is my firm conviction,” says Sri Suki Sivam in his December 20, 2009, talk on Sun TV.
For me, this is just another discussion about a ‘mind’ that doesn’t even exist. The brain is the only faculty through which we perform all activities that we often attribute to the so-called ‘mind.’ Breathing is another form of sadhana, whether to overcome or strengthen a faculty that, in my view, isn’t there. Controlling the ‘the breath’ is another kind of exercise, call it by any name. It might improve the blood circulation to the brain and bringing its own effect. But breathing as a sadhana won’t help us to ‘overcome’ our mind. Therefore, relying on one trick or another to deal with our ‘mind’ may not be effective, as the ‘mind’ doesn’t ‘mind’ such efforts—it isn’t aware of its own existence. Below is something I wrote last year but never posted:
### What is Mind?
During a recent visit to Bangalore, a family, who frequently practices yoga, meditation, and various sadhanas on weekends, asked me the same old question: HOW DO YOU CONTROL THE MIND? Of course, this wasn’t the first time they asked. As usual, I gave them the same answer. Neither of us grew tired of this repetitive exchange. My response is always the same: We cannot control something that doesn’t exist.
But am I contradicting the traditional wisdom of countless saints and gurus who have spoken about the ‘mind’ and related sadhanas (controlling, disciplining, annihilating, etc.) over the ages? Not at all. My answer isn’t new—what changes are the terms we use to describe the ambiguous and mysterious faculty called ‘mind.’
For me, although we HAVE to use the word ‘mind’ to communicate, there is no actual entity called ‘mind’—not even as part of human psyche. Just like the ‘sky’ doesn’t truly exist, but we perceive it visually, the ‘mind’ is similar. What we THINK is the mind. While I’m not a specialist, scientist, or physician, all these functions originate in the brain. Most of us know this, but for communication’s sake, we use terms like ‘mind,’ ‘buddhi’ (not brain), and ‘manas.’ There’s no harm in using these terms to express our thoughts. The problem arises when we start treating these terms as if they describe something that actually exists, leading to confusion about the mind.
For example, in Tamil, there are words like: manam, idayam, nenjam, ‘arivu’ and buddhi. Technically, there’s no difference among these terms, but people use them according to the context of their emotional and intellectual needs. Most of the time, the first three words refer to emotional feelings, while the fourth and fifth ones relates to intellectual ideas. However, it’s the brain (the physical organ in our head) that manages all these functions. Can we discipline, control, or annihilate the brain? If it gets damaged, we seek medical help. But when it comes to the so-called mind, who can help? All the sadhanas we discuss about dealing with the mind have no connection to the brain. Performing these sadhanas to train or discipline something that doesn’t exist will never diagnose the real problem.
In my understanding, ‘mind’ is simply what we ‘think.’ To control or discipline the mind, the best sadhana is to discipline and control our thought patterns. As social beings, we have no independent ‘thought’ life apart from relationships. The first step in disciplining the mind (thought) is to guide our ‘thinking’ based on healthy relationships. To do this, never ‘react,’ but rather ‘respond’ to others’ views, opinions, and expressions. Once we learn to ‘respond’ instead of ‘react,’ we take the first step towards disciplining the mind (thought). Avoid idealistic statements like politicians often make when reacting to others. When we react, we don’t consider the consequences, and we act impulsively in response to others’ words and deeds. On the other hand, when we learn the art of responding, we take time to discipline our mind (thought) and act calmly, considering every aspect of our relationships.
Naturally, questions arise: What about sadhanas aimed at controlling the mind by sannyasis seeking mukti? What kind of relationships are involved there? And as emotional beings, how can we always ‘respond’ with a calm mind? We aren’t machines; emotional reactions often come more naturally and spontaneously than measured, disciplined (artificial) responses in our dealings with others. Even those who claim to have controlled or annihilated their non-existent mind can still react emotionally. When provoked, they face the consequences of such reactions, as has happened with several sannyasis, losing the merits gained through their penance and having to start over after proper penance. For those of us who live among people, reacting impulsively in our relationships with others can lead to conflicts, and even if we apologize and seek forgiveness, it takes time to heal the wounds caused by our reactions. And we live with the myth that those who does neither react nor respond are emotionless or managed to control emotion. But not ‘reacting’ or ‘responding’ is another kind of emotional expression.
Finally, what actually is the mind? If you can define what the sky truly is, then I can tell you what the mind is. The fact is, there is no blue sky, but the reality is that we see a color called sky blue. Similarly, the fact is that the mind doesn’t exist, but the reality is that we care a lot about the concept of the mind.
Everyone has a brain. No one has a mind. And our brain tells us not to worry about the non-existent mind and to focus on what matters. If we ignore our brain’s advice and continue to obsess over the non-existent mind, we may end up mentally imbalanced, worrying about what happened to our mind. If this statement doesn’t address your questions about the mind, never mind—just keep thinking about your non-existent mind.
Dayanand Bharati, Gurukulam, June 30, 2008
Leave a Reply