Inhibition of States of Mind

Two ways, and two ways only, there are of inhibiting these modes, these ways of existence, of the mind.  They were given by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, when Arjuna complained that the mind was impetuous, strong, difficult to bend, hard to curb as the wind.  His answer was definite:  " Without doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to curb and restless; but it may be curbed by constant practice (abhyasa) and by dispassion (vai-ragya)."[FN#9:  loc. cit., VI. 35, 35]

These are the two methods, the only two methods, by which this restless, storm-tossed mind can be reduced to peace and quietude.  Vai-ragya and abhyasa, they are the only two methods, but when steadily practiced they inevitably bring about the result.

Let us consider what these two familiar words imply.  Vai-ragya, or dispassion, has as its main idea the clearing away of all passion for, attraction to, the objects of the senses, the bonds which are made by desire between man and the objects around him.  Raga is “passion, addiction,” that which binds a man to things.  The prefix “vi”—­changing to “vai” by a grammatical rule —­means “without,” or “in opposition to”.  Hence vai-ragya is “non-passion, absence of passion,” not bound, tied or related to any of these outside objects.  Remembering that thinking is the establishing of relations, we see that the getting rid of relations will impose on the mind the stillness that is Yoga.  All raga must be entirely put aside.  We must separate ourselves from it.  We must acquire the opposite condition, where every passion is stilled, where no attraction for the objects of desire remains, where all the bonds that unite the man to surrounding objects are broken.  “When the bonds of the heart are broken, then the man becomes immortal.”

How shall this dispassion be brought about?  There is only one right way of doing it.  By slowly and gradually drawing ourselves away from outer objects through the more potent attraction of the Self.  The Self is ever attracted to the Self.  That attraction alone can turn these vehicles away from the alluring and repulsive objects that surround them; free from all raga, no more establishing relations with objects, the separated Self finds himself liberated and free, and union with the one Self becomes the sole object of desire.  But not instantly, by one supreme effort, by one endeavour, can this great quality of dispassion become the characteristic of the man bent on Yoga.  He must practice dispassion constantly and steadfastly.  That is implied in the word joined with dispassion, abhyasa or practice.  The practice must be constant, continual and unbroken.  “Practice” does not mean only meditation, though this is the sense in which the word is generally used; it means the deliberate, unbroken carrying out of dispassion in the very midst of the objects that attract.