“I know, beyond the mind
I must go
To conquer the mind.”
– Sri Chinmoy
We identify as “mankind.” The root word “man” derives from the Sanskrit “manas”, meaning: “mind.” Our mind is the principal executive force of our present conscious awareness. We are the “mind-kind.”
The mind sits in a unique position. Superior to, cognisant of, and largely able to control the body and vital, our mind is king of the finite, master of the material world; yet our mind is also the final frontier of the finite, for just next door is the spiritual heart, opening to all the possibilities of the infinite…
Up till now, our mind has been focussed primarily on the finite, on what it can know and control. Yet it also has the potential to open its door and invite in the light, love, peace and power of the heart, to turn itself outwards and upwards, to receive the unknown and unknowable of the Beyond. Herein lies our great hope of liberation and potential for perfection.
There are various levels and aspects of mind: the “manas” with which we so identify, the mind we inhabit most of our waking day, is the thinking mind, the mind of thoughts. It is in this mind that every problem of humanity is born; in this mind, every evil of the world is nurtured; in this mind, all suffering, ignorance, death and destruction flourish.
Yet Sri Chinmoy urges us:
“Do not blame the mind –
Tame the mind.
You will be supremely happy.”
– Sri Chinmoy
How to tame the unruly, wild horse of the mind? Sri Chinmoy offers a disarmingly simple solution:
“First simplify your mind,
Then clarify your mind,
Then purify your mind,
Then electrify your mind,
Then beautify your mind.
That’s all!”
– Sri Chinmoy