Mind is restlessness itself – Nisargadatta

Mind is Restlessness itself – Nisargadatta

Questioner: The root of all desires and fears is the same — the longing for happiness.
Maharaj: The happiness you can think of and long for, is mere physical or mental satisfaction. Such sensory or mental pleasure is not the real, the absolute happiness.

Q: Even sensory and mental pleasures and the general sense of well-being which arises with physical and mental health, must have their roots in reality.
M: They have their roots in imagination. A man who is given a stone and assured that it is a priceless diamond will be mightily pleased until he realizes his mistake; in the same way pleasures lose their tang and pains their barb when the self is known. Both are seen as they are — conditional responses, mere reactions, plain attractions and repulsions, based on memories or preconceptions. Usually pleasure and pain are experienced when expected. It is all a matter of acquired habits and convictions.

I Am That – Talks with Sri Nisargatta Maharaj
Chapter: Mind is restlessness itself
Item 34

Mind is Turbulent, how to control ? – Ramana

Mind is Turbulent like a storm, how to control such a mind?



In a conversation with an Andhra visitor,

Sri Bhagavan quoted:

Asamsayam mahabaho mano durnigraham chalam
Abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grihyate
Bhagavad Gita, Ch. VI, 35

Without doubt, O mighty-armed Hero, the mind is restless, hard to curb.
Yet by constant effort, Partha, matched with detachment – curbed it is.

To explain vairagya Sri Bhagavan again quoted:

Sankalpaprabhavan kamams tyaktva sarvan aseshatah
Manasaivendriyagramam viniyamya samantatah
(Bhagavad Gita, Ch. VI, 24)

Having cast out without remains all longing born of thought for self,
Having drawn in by mind alonehis team of senses from all sides…..

As for practice (abhyasa):

Sanaissanairuparamet buddhya dhritigrihitaya
Atmasamstham manah kritva na kinchidapi chintayet
(Bhagavad Gita, Ch. VI, 25)

By slow approaches let him come to rest, with patient, rock-poised Will;
His mind at home in Selfhood pure, Let him create no thought at all.

Again for jnana:

Yato yato nischarati manas chanchalam asthiram
Tatastato niyamyaitad atmanyeva vasam nayet
(Bhagavad Gita, Ch. VI, 26)

Though over and over the fickle mind, all restlessness, goes wandering,
Still over and over let it regain control, and poise it back in Self.

Talks With Ramana Maharshi
27th March, 1937
Talk 378.