Mind is the cause of bondage and salvation of human. “Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandhamokshayoh” - The mind has two aspects - one is discriminative and the other is imaginative. Mind, in its aspect of discrimination, releases itself from the bondage and attains Liberation. In its aspect of imagination, it binds itself to the world.
It is the mind which binds a human to this world; where there is no mind, there is no bondage. Mind imagines, through in-discrimination and ignorance, that the soul has been confined and located in this body and hence it perceives the soul to be in bondage. Mind exactly identifies itself with the Embodied Soul and feels itself to be “I” and hence thinks, “I am in bondage.” The egoistic mind is the root of bondage. The non-egoistic mind is the root of Liberation.
Overcome Mind Through Mind
The sovereign specific presented by the wise sages for the eradication of the mind's disease can be had easily through the mind alone. The intelligent cleanse a dirty cloth with the dirty earth only. A murderous Agni-Astra (missile of fire) is counteracted by Varuna-Astra (missile of water). The venom of serpent-bite is removed by its antidote of an edible poison. So also is the case with Jiva. Having developed discrimination, destroy the delusions of the heterogeneous mind through the one-pointed mind, like an iron severing another iron.
Purify the Mind
You must be saved from the malformation and the miscarriage of your mind. Mind is like a playful child. The clamant energies of the mind must be bent to become the passive channels for the transmission of truth. The mind must be filled with Sattva (purity). It should be trained to think of Truth or God constantly.
The Yoga system requires us to go through a course of mental and spiritual discipline. The Upanishads and Scriptures also emphasize the practice of austere virtues before the goal can be reached. Penance destroys sins, weakens the Senses, purifies the Subconscious mind and leads to one-pointedness of mind.
The penances will give you mental quiet and remove the restlessness of the mind which is a great obstacle to knowledge. The life of celibacy (Brahmacharya), where you will have no family attachment to perturb your mind, would enable you to give whole-hearted attention to your spiritual practice. If you practise Truthfulness and Brahmacharya, you will become fearless. You will eventually realize Self also. Get hold of one thing firmly with leech-like tenacity. Faith is necessary!
Reference
Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda
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