Overcome the Ego
You should try to overcome not only the thoughts, but the mind itself and the mineness that identifies with the body that creates the differences in the world. Then you will be established in Truth-Conscious-Blissful-Thoughtless state. That is the real Silence state. Control of mind includes control of Intellect and the annihilation of the little “I,” the false self-arrogating personality.
Lord Jesus says, “Empty thyself and I will fill thee.” The meaning is: “Destroy your egoism. You will be filled with God.” This emptying means restraining all the mental modifications. This emptying process or “making the mind blank” is, no doubt, a trying discipline. But, continued practice of an intense type will bring success. There is no doubt about this. It is only through the rigorous discipline that you can rise to that height of strenuous impersonality from which the gifted souls of the world see distant visions and enjoy a higher, divine life.
If the mind is divested of all the thoughts of “I,” then, through meditation of Soul after being initiated by a Guru and having known the real significance of the True Knowledge, the mind can be turned back from various pains and made to rest on the subjective blissful Soul.
Practice of Self-Inquiry
Do not wrestle or struggle with the mind. It is wastage of energy. It is great strain and drain on the will-force. Do not fight with the mind. Live in Truth. Live in OM. Live in Soul through Inquiry, expressing your true nature and consistent practice. All obstacles, all disturbing factors, all emotions will vanish of themselves. Try, practice, feel and realize the usefulness of the Inquiry method. Perfect control of mind can be effected only through Self-Inquiry. Pranayama, Mantras, Prayers and various other methods are only auxiliaries.
Do Not Let Failures Discourage You
Do not let failures discourage you, but go on doing your best. Do not brood over your faults and failures. Only look at them to see the reason why you failed and then, try again. So doing, you will starve out the tendencies which led you into them; whereas, thinking about them only gives them new strength. Do not make too much fuss about little failures. Do not sit down and brood over failures.
There are some people who have got the habit of trying to do one thing while thinking of another. These people always fail in undertakings. The thinking part of the mind should work in harmony with the acting part of the mind. While attending to any one object, our thoughts ought not to wander on another. While you are reading, think of reading only. Do not think of football or cricket match. While you are playing in a game, do not think of studies. The frequent cause of failure is striving to think of more than one thing at a time.
Whenever you observe religious or any observances do it to the letter rigidly. Do not say, “I will do it as far as possible.” This term “as far as possible” will give leniency to the mind. The mind will be simply waiting for an opportunity and it will yield to the first temptation quite readily, whenever the first chance arises. Be strict, therefore.
Reference
Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda
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