Have you noticed how the mind is often running towards something — or running away from something?
Sometimes this becomes even more apparent when we sit down to meditate or pray. The noise in the mind can become so loud that it is difficult to concentrate. We may cut our practice short, or get up feeling that we have gained nothing from it.
So, what is the best way to find inner harmony?
This was a question posed to Guru Nanak by two wisdom seekers. The account of their conversation offers a beautiful lesson for anyone trying to train a restless mind.
The question to Guru Nanak
Prithi Mal Sehgal and Raama Diddi were among the distinguished devotees of Guru Nanak Dev Ji mentioned in Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala.
When they first met Guru Nanak Dev Ji, they asked him to show them an easy path to meet Lord Vishnu.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji explained that there are three kinds of spiritual practices, corresponding to the three gunas, or qualities of nature: Tamasik, Rajasik and Satvik.
(The three gunas are qualities of nature: Tamasik represents ignorance and inertia; Rajasik, desire and activity; and Satvik, wisdom and understanding.)
Tamasik practices
Tamasik austerities mistakenly see the body as the source of our troubles and seek to subdue it through extreme discomfort. These may include practices such as starving oneself, remaining naked or sitting in water.
Such practices may be performed with a specific desire, such as attaining riddhis and siddhis, or without desire, as a form of purification.
But Guru Nanak pointed out that such austerities are difficult and do not address the deeper problem. Anger and desire continue to arise because they do not originate in the body. They arise in the mind.
“I would advise you to perform Rajasik and Satvik austerities,” he said. “You will benefit from them immensely.”
Prithi Mal and Raama Diddi then asked:
“How do we practise Rajasik and Satvik austerities? How do we practise bhakti?”
Rajasik practices
Rajasik austerities involve training the senses — turning them away from what is harmful and towards what is virtuous.
- Restrain the eyes from looking at what is inappropriate.
- Restrain the ears from listening to slander or seeking praise for oneself.
- Keep the hands from stealing or doing harm.
- Keep the feet away from bad company and harmful actions.
At the same time, engage the senses in what is wholesome:
- Let the eyes seek the company of saints and sacred texts.
- Let the ears listen to praise of the Divine.
- Let the tongue turn away from falsehood and speak kind words and words of Divine praise.
- Let the hands be engaged in service and acts of charity.
- Let the feet carry us towards the company of the virtuous.
Satvik practices
Guru Nanak explained that this is the path of wisdom — understanding how to live rightly and how to cross the ocean of existence.
But another difficulty arises here.
When we sit down to meditate or contemplate wisdom, the mind wanders. Thoughts, desires and distractions keep pulling our attention away.
“So how do we turn the mind towards wisdom?” they asked.
The Guru replied with another question:
“What do you do when your horse is sick?”
“We give it medicinal powder.”
“Does it simply take the medicine when you offer it?”
“No, Sir. The horse protests. It spits the medicine out.”
“So what does the horsekeeper do?”
Healing the horse mind
The Guru continued:
The horsekeeper puts the medicine into a bamboo funnel and pours it into the horse’s mouth. He keeps his hand in its mouth until the horse becomes tired and finally swallows the medicine.
If the horsekeeper loses heart and stops trying, the horse will spit the medicine out.
The horse is sick, but it does not understand that the medicine will save its life. Once the medicine is consumed and absorbed, the horse gradually regains its health.
Living the wisdom
Our mind is like that sick horse.
It is troubled by distractions and delusions, while wisdom is the medicine that can heal it. But when we offer the mind this medicine through meditation and contemplation, it often races away.
We may suddenly notice an endless stream of thoughts, memories and mental chatter.
It takes patience and persistence to bring it back.
Like a diligent horsekeeper, we must not give up. At first, the mind may resist. It may wander again and again. But with practice, it begins to settle.
And when wisdom is gradually absorbed, we begin to see and live differently.
We don’t wait for the mind to settle so we can meditate
We meditate so we can settle the mind.
Sources
- Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala
- G. S. Chauhan, Gospel of the Sikhs
- Giani Pinderpal Singh, Man Ki Hai?
Image: Blue Horses, Franz Marc
Reflection
What helps you sustain your self-reflection practice when distractions or setbacks arise?
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