In this excerpt from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals how to not be disturbed by your mind.
Chapter 12 (56:13)
मनसि स्वरसेन यत्र तत्र
प्रचरत्यप्यहमस्य गोचरेषु ।
प्रसृतोऽप्यविलोल एव युष्मत्-
परिचर्याचतुरः सदा भवेयम् ॥२५॥
manasi svarasena yatra tatra
pracaratyapyahamasya gocareṣu /
prasṛto’pyavilola eva yuṣmat-
paricaryācaturaḥ sadā bhaveyam //25//
There is one problem: I don’t want to control my mind because the mind is so swift, you cannot control it. It can’t be controlled by even the gods, i.e., the mind.
DENISE: Really?
SWAMIJI: Really. It is very swift. If you watch your breath, you are watching your breath, and you won’t feel that point where your mind has escaped.
DENISE: Your mind is still going on.
SWAMIJI: [Your mind] is escaping. He escapes when you are not aware. If there will be unawareness for only one-hundredth part of a second, and you will see that it has escaped one hundred miles away from that [first thought]. You can’t watch [the mind easily]. So, it is very difficult to handle.
DENISE: Control.
SWAMIJI: Control it.
So, I don’t want to control it. It is beyond my power. Let it go, let it go; manasi svarasena yatra yatra pracarati, asya gocareṣu, let it go to objects, to worldly objects.
It is very difficult. The difficulty is felt only by those who watch. Those who do not watch, they don’t find any difficulty in controlling the mind.
I would like to have this kind of mind–it is [admitted]–but avilola eva, I must not be disturbed by its being astray always. Wherever my mind goes, I must adjust worship of God consciousness (God) there. Let it go. Let it go and I will worship God [wherever it goes]. I will worship God because God is everywhere. God is everywhere. If [my mind] goes to sex, I will worship God. If he goes to taste, I will worship God. If he goes to Amirakadal195, I will worship God. This strength must be maintained by me, possessed by me, avilola eva, without any worry, without worry. And yuṣmat paricaryā caturaḥ, and clever and aware in worshiping You, I must remain clever in worshiping You in each and every act of my mind, because it is not controllable.
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195. A place in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Source: Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo
3 Comments
Roshan Vishin
May 18, 2021
Inspite of mind by nature going outward in persuit of object of sense pleasure I will not leave reminding my innermost being that lord shiva being omnipresent is the master of senses of 1)Seeing-Having created the whole range of nature,Lightening,etc.2)Hearing-Natural sounds of chirping of birds gushing sounds of watefalls roaring of clouds etc.3)Roaring sound of wind in & out going of breath through nostrils etc4)Also the mystry of pleasures of touch within Dharmic constraints ascribing to lord shiva.5)Looking at infinite space transcending & transporting oneself to unearthly regions.
Mayank Khanduri
April 1, 2022
It is a beautiful explanation by Swamiji. Here is clear direction and tool to identify the separation between mind and the awareness. Very clever way of being aware of yourself in the midst of fickle unsettled and restless mind.
Eugene Govinda Gauggel
August 22, 2022
As I know Swamiji, I believe he is emphasizing watcing the breath as the easiest way to gradually master the mind.
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