Nature of the Mind

October 14, 2012

Bangalore, India

The nature of mind is to waver, similar to how the nature of water is to flow.

Now how do you reduce this wavering nature of the mind?

It is through practice (abhyaasa) and dispassion (vairagya).

What is dispassion?

Sometimes, when you are disturbed, you say, ‘I don’t want anything. Enough is enough (suffering)!’

This is one kind of dispassion which you experience when you are disturbed. It is called Smashana (cemetery)Vairagya.

The second kind of dispassion is when you say with awareness, ‘I don’t want anything. I have had enough (contentment)! Everything in the world changes; nothing is permanent. I don’t mind if I have or don’t have something.’

This is the second type of dispassion, and is called Gyana (knowledge) Vairagya.

We need to have Gyana Vairagya and not Smashana Vairagya.

The mind always moves towards pleasure. If we have knowledge and dispassion then all the pleasures will come to us.

It is also said that the pleasure that comes out of Abhyaasa (practice) is the highest.

Everyone has to experience at least one of the two types of dispassion. So it is better to say, ‘I have had enough’, out of awareness and contentment. That is the higher kind of dispassion!