There are supposedly three complimentary things in controlling our mind.
They are
1) Tatvajnana or philosophical knowledge
2) Vasana Kshaya or destruction of tendencies which hinder the process
3) ManoNasa or mind purification .
All these together need to be given equal importance. Tatvajnana gives you the right context to start on the journey. Unless we have the knowledge , we dont know what to concentrate on , what is the error in us etc. When we hear and start to wonder and contemplate on our life the tendencies get purified. What are tendencies or vasanas?. Any experience in your life leaves imprints on your mind and even memories of relevant things. These imprints regulate your thoughts or vritti in the mind at a later point of time. You might have wondered why did i act that way?. I should have controlled my anger etc. This happens because of the vasanas that are present deep within you. A disciple when he is in touch with a guru speaks about his actions and vasanas and the guru tries to correct them using right knowledge etc and the mind gets purified all the time. This would lead later on for the correct actions. So you can see the right knowledge or Tatvajnana is also important in VasanaKshaya. VasanaKshaya is a slow process as it is a correction of life long habits.
ManoNasa or quietening the mind to experience higher levels of consciousness we need some methodology like self enquiry or meditation or combination of both.
The important thing is to turn inward and start getting aware of your own thoughts whether you are tense of happy and watch them closely . This process once extended to a full time activity can lead to a more peaceful mind. All biographical thoughts should be discouraged as much as possible. There would be times of internal peace. Listen to them and enjoy this pure moment of bliss. This is where the self is manifesting itself.
Another point which leads to Manonasa is dispassion. How our mind works by repeatedly thinking about something and creating attachment is well known. Once this attachment gets rooted it leads to desire and all the thoughts thereof. So the proper means of attaining dispassion is to look at your attachment points. Desire is not only craving for something. Even aversion or dislike dwesha is also bondage. Essentially what needs to happen is falling off of the likes and dislikes. When we are given a toffee, we neither have a liking for it nor do we dislike it. We seemed to have transcended the toffee. But for a child it is a strong like. But for us we dont dislike it either. This is the meaning of transcending it. Only when that happens will we become detached. Any liking forcefully withdrawn is not a detachment. Whenever we want to abandon something we force our mind or control our mind to do that. Say your doctor asks you to follow a diet you do it by force. This is because you have not mentally prepared for the act of physically abandoning it. First think about the attachment points and work on it . Then only go to saying i dont want it. Otherwise mentally craving and physically abandoning it is not detachment. It is bondage. VasanaKshaya helps in the process of detachment as it eliminates lot of thoughts which are of hindrance.
All there processes are simultaneously applied so that our mind is prepared for its inward journey.
They are
1) Tatvajnana or philosophical knowledge
2) Vasana Kshaya or destruction of tendencies which hinder the process
3) ManoNasa or mind purification .
All these together need to be given equal importance. Tatvajnana gives you the right context to start on the journey. Unless we have the knowledge , we dont know what to concentrate on , what is the error in us etc. When we hear and start to wonder and contemplate on our life the tendencies get purified. What are tendencies or vasanas?. Any experience in your life leaves imprints on your mind and even memories of relevant things. These imprints regulate your thoughts or vritti in the mind at a later point of time. You might have wondered why did i act that way?. I should have controlled my anger etc. This happens because of the vasanas that are present deep within you. A disciple when he is in touch with a guru speaks about his actions and vasanas and the guru tries to correct them using right knowledge etc and the mind gets purified all the time. This would lead later on for the correct actions. So you can see the right knowledge or Tatvajnana is also important in VasanaKshaya. VasanaKshaya is a slow process as it is a correction of life long habits.
ManoNasa or quietening the mind to experience higher levels of consciousness we need some methodology like self enquiry or meditation or combination of both.
The important thing is to turn inward and start getting aware of your own thoughts whether you are tense of happy and watch them closely . This process once extended to a full time activity can lead to a more peaceful mind. All biographical thoughts should be discouraged as much as possible. There would be times of internal peace. Listen to them and enjoy this pure moment of bliss. This is where the self is manifesting itself.
Another point which leads to Manonasa is dispassion. How our mind works by repeatedly thinking about something and creating attachment is well known. Once this attachment gets rooted it leads to desire and all the thoughts thereof. So the proper means of attaining dispassion is to look at your attachment points. Desire is not only craving for something. Even aversion or dislike dwesha is also bondage. Essentially what needs to happen is falling off of the likes and dislikes. When we are given a toffee, we neither have a liking for it nor do we dislike it. We seemed to have transcended the toffee. But for a child it is a strong like. But for us we dont dislike it either. This is the meaning of transcending it. Only when that happens will we become detached. Any liking forcefully withdrawn is not a detachment. Whenever we want to abandon something we force our mind or control our mind to do that. Say your doctor asks you to follow a diet you do it by force. This is because you have not mentally prepared for the act of physically abandoning it. First think about the attachment points and work on it . Then only go to saying i dont want it. Otherwise mentally craving and physically abandoning it is not detachment. It is bondage. VasanaKshaya helps in the process of detachment as it eliminates lot of thoughts which are of hindrance.
All there processes are simultaneously applied so that our mind is prepared for its inward journey.
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