Shounak: How to control mind?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this connection, I paste my concerned article –
Sankalp Vikalp
Sankalp means only the good desires which come in mind.Please note again “Only the good desires” and not bad ones. Vikalp means bad desires. Sankalp could be pious vow. Yes, in the worship of God/Pooja etc. Sankalp is made i.e., one should determine that he will think about pious desires only and not bad. In the worship/Pooja also there is a pious atmosphere all over and Pandit/Acharya etc., when say to do sankalp the Yajmaan/aspirant thinks about pious desires in ‘Sanskrit/Hindi , it is sankalp. So somebody makes sankalp to donate cow, somebody for money, somebody to leave bad habits etc., etc., etc. Yajurvaveda chapter 34, too states “Tat Mein Manaha Shiv Sankalpamastu” i.e., Oh God! My mind must be of pious thinking only.
No control on negative thoughts
Though it is a very difficult task to control the inflow of negative thoughts yet it is not impossible for a brave aspirant. In Mahabharat, Bheeshma Pitamah too states that Oh Yudhishthir! There is an easy way to control the incoming bad thoughts that the person when thinks that the bad thought is about to come then immediately he should stop the same outside and must start to think or concentrate over the pious views. Most of the saints based on mere bookish knowledge, state that it is very easy to stop bad thoughts by keeping one’s mind pure, one should not think bad or should do name jaap of God etc., etc., but Vedas as well as experience of learned Rishi-munis do not agree with the said statement. Though the statement of Bheeshma Pitamah has got power and effects based on the hard tapasya of Bheeshma Pitamah so to stop the negative/bad thoughts one will have to control his senses, perceptions and mind. To control the same, one requires to listen to Vedas and do asan, prannayam and meditation. One must also do daily havan with Ved mantra or Gayatri mantra. The said knowledge will be gained through the advise of learned acharya of Vedas.
Otherwise, mere statements of the saints and others, based on bookish knowledge, has gone in vain as yet and will go in vain in future too. Selfless services are also done by those who have become desire free by adopting the above said knowledge because the said knowledge makes man to control the senses and mind and enables man to control his desire.
