THE BEST MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MIND
During the years that Sri Ramana Maharshi was living on the sacred hill of Arunachala in the Virupaksha cave, a devotee whose most urgent concern was this very question was visiting him daily.
The devotee asked Bhagavan: “Of the means for mind-control, which is the most important?”
The Master replied not just to the devotee, rather his answer was framed to all universally:
“Breath control is the means for mind control.”
The devotee, being a bhakta (follower and friend) of Lord Rama, was well aware of the fact that this answer was a well-established practice in the ancient religions of the world. He no doubt was aware that what was being referred to was not the complicated, misused, and the sometimes destructive practice of yogic pranayama, but rather a practice also known as “watching the breath”. Nevertheless, after Bhagavan briefly discussed the textual definitions of breath retention and regulation, the devotee restated his question:
“How is breath-control the means for mind-control?”
Bhagavan replied: “There is no doubt that breath-control is the means for mind-control, because the mind, like breath, is a part of air, because the nature of mobility is common to both, because the place of origin is common to both, and because when one of them is controlled the other gets controlled.”
Bhagavan’s teaching regarding breath-control is clearly given in Chapter Six of the Sri Ramana Gita:
“One should control the fickle mind by controlling the breath and then it, like a tethered animal, ceases to stray.”Deception of the Mind
“With the control of breath, control of thoughts also is achieved. When thoughts are controlled one stands established at their source.”
“Control of breath means merely watching with the mind the flow of breath. Through such constant watching kumbhaka does come about.”
Forty-four years later Bhagavan was again requested to expand on this essential means for controlling the mind. But prior to that revelation, the need arises to address those who flatly, and paradoxically with an angry boldness, declare that the mind and this so-called ego are all an illusion.
They retort that what is being asked to be controlled simply does not exist, and absolutely no effort need be exercised to attain this Divine state referred to as the “One thing needful”. They refer to the Master saying that this ‘One thing’ is absolute Knowledge of the Self, and it is always there. Furthermore, they emphatically propound that Bhagavan’s essential teaching proclaims, “We are That”, and the guru’s work is solely to reveal this Truth.
Undoubtedly, Bhagavan’s teaching emphasized that the Self (God) is within us. His essential teaching, however, as a jagat guru, was the revelation of atma vichara as the path of enquiry, which effectively removes the ignorance of identification with the false “I”, and inevitably leads one to the direct experience (aparoksha anubhava) of Self-realization. Bhagavan definitively clarifies this Truth, and that of the guru’s role, when He declared:
“If ignorance is wiped out the confusion will end and true knowledge unfolded. By remaining in contact with realized sages one gradually loses his ignorance till it disappears totally. The eternal Self is thus revealed. Without understanding it aright people think that the Guru teaches something like “TATVAMASI” and immediately the disciple realizes “I am Brahman”. In their ignorance they conceive Brahman to be something much bigger and far more powerful than anything else. With a limited ‘I’ man is so stuck up and wild. What will he be if the same ‘I’ increased enormously? He will certainly be proportionately more ignorant and more foolish. This false ‘I’ must perish. Its annihilation is the fruit of service to the Guru. Realization is eternal and is not granted by the Guru. The Guru helps only the removal of ignorance — that is all.” [1]_________________________________________
[1] Reflections on Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, S.S. Cohen, Sri Ramanashramam 2006, Talk 350 p. 172.
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