Making Mind Your Best Friend By Meditation

“The greatest discovery of the 19th century was not in the realm of the physical sciences, but the power of the subconscious mind touched by faith. Any individual can tap into an eternal reservoir of power that will enable them to overcome any problem that may arise. All weaknesses can be overcome, bodily healing, financial independence, spiritual awakening, prosperity beyond your wildest dreams. This is the superstructure of happiness.”

These words were said not by a guru on a mountaintop, nor a self-improvement writer but by William James, the Harvard Psychologist known as the Father of American Psychology.

The term “mind” is the most inclusive word, embracing all human experience, thought, perceptions, knowledge, feelings and beliefs. One of the important characteristics of the mind is, it always wanders. It keeps on jumping on different objects like a monkey keep jumping from one branch of the tree to another branch and never rest at peace.

The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage in this material creation. What learned man would put faith in the mind? As after capturing animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away, similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind’s action.

But with the controlled mind, you can read a book faster, understand better and remember better. You can do any task more efficiently with better quality and in less time. Your life will become more productive.

The mind can be the best friend or the worst enemy of the conditioned soul, based on the training we give to mind. We can make the mind our best friend by practising different kinds of meditations. It is true, for him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

As long as the mind is not engaged in meditation on higher self along with Supreme Absolute Truth, the mind will desire so many material enjoyments. Sensual images are recorded in the mind in chronological order, and they become manifest one after another; therefore the living entity has to accept one body after another. The mind plans material enjoyment, and the gross body serves as the instrument to realise such desires and plans. The mind is the platform onto which all desires come and go.

There is one easy weapon with which the mind can be conquered–neglect. The mind is always telling us to do this or that; therefore we should be very expert in disobeying the mind’s orders.

To control the mind one should beat it with shoes many times just after awakening and again before going to sleep. In this way, one can control the mind. If one does not do so, one is doomed to follow the dictations of the mind.

Another bona fide process is to abide strictly by the instructions of higher self-based on knowledge received from spiritual books of meditation philosophy and meditation teachers and practice meditation regularly.