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Saturday, April 23, 2011

Training the mind

" We are often told that the mind behaves like a monkey jumping here there and everywhere.  The mind can become your best friend if you train it well or your worst enemy if it is untrained.  We do not give attention to training the mind and the possibilities that we can achieve with a trained mind. It is amazing to see the power of a trained mind; a mind that is able to focus well and generate a particular train of thoughts.  Do you have that?  Do you really have a trained mind?  If your mind is not trained, what are you doing about it? Are you happy with an untrained, scattered and worrisome mind?  Are you happy with a mind that dissipates your energy, your vitality, that is indecisive, that cannot stay quiet for a minute? " Day 29

The mind is the most powerful part of our being. It is therefore essential to learn how to train the mind. The first step is to really lessen  the number of thoughts, so that you can have one particular thought in the mind. In the science of yoga, one thought that is used to train the mind and ultimately liberate the mind, is called ‘Mantra’.  An essential meaning of mantra is that which protects the mind and ultimately that which liberates the mind. Having a trained mind is something you work for, not something that just appears one day, no matter how hard you pray.  You have to work for it

You can begin a practice of repeating a mantra or affirmation that you feel close to. Try to do it in a place  and  a time  when you are not disturbed by anything around you. Begin the practice of repeating the mantra, and as you say it inside,  observe how you are saying it.  This is necessary because here you are opening up the consciousness, so you see you are repeating it. That is the beginning of mind training.

I have found that mantra repetition is a very powerful tool for quieting  and energizing the mind .A quiet mind can pick up the wisdom from within and around.  A mind that is busy cannot really pick up everything from the space. It also holds you in the present moment, so you are not thinking of the past or the future.

When we repeat and give attention to a mantra or sacred word and really hold it in reverence, it  can keep us connected to that great power that we exist in, that Supreme Power.  What more can we ask for, if this word can keep us connected to that power? 


It's certainly worth the effort to have a trained mind,  it is a great asset, a great friend on life's journey.

peace,
Reena

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