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Yoga Vashishtha 3.112.10–19
(The restless mind is like a powerful demon that creates deep suffering when it is allowed to rise unchecked)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।
दुःखमुत्पादयत्युच्चेरुत्थितश्चित्तराक्षसः।
सुखायानन्तभोगाय तं प्रयत्नेन पातय ॥ १०॥
तस्य चञ्चलता यैषा त्वविद्या राम सोच्यते।
वासनापदनाम्नीं तां विचारेण विनाशय ॥ ११॥
अविद्यया वासनया तयान्तश्चित्तसत्तया।
विलीनया त्यागवशात्परं श्रेयोऽधिगम्यते ॥ १२॥
यत्तत्सदसतोर्मध्यं यन्मध्यं चित्त्वजाड्ययोः।
तन्मनः प्रोच्यते राम द्वयोर्दोलायिताकृति ॥ १३॥
जाड्यानुसंधानहतं जाड्यात्मकतयेद्धया।
चेतो जडत्वमायाति दृढाभ्यासवशेन हि ॥ १४॥
विवेकैकानुसंधानाच्चिदंशात्मतया मनः।
चिदेकतामुपायाति दृढाभ्यासवशादिह ॥ १५॥
पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन यस्मिन्नेव पदे मनः।
पात्यते तत्पदं प्राप्य भवत्यभ्यासतो हि तत् ॥ १६॥
पुनः पौरुषमाश्रित्य चित्तमाक्रम्य चेतसा।
विशोकं पदमाश्रित्य निराशङ्कः स्थिरो भव ॥ १७॥
भवभावनया मग्नं मनसैव न चेन्मनः।
बलादुत्तार्यते राम तदुपायोऽस्ति नेतरः ॥ १८॥
मन एव समर्थं वो मनसो दृढनिग्रहे।
अराजा कः समर्थः स्याद्राज्ञो राघव निग्रहे ॥ १९॥
Sage Vashishta continued:
3.112.10–14
> The mind-demon, when it rises strongly, produces great suffering. For the sake of happiness and endless enjoyment, bring it down with careful effort.
> O Rama, this restlessness of the mind is called ignorance. Destroy that which is known as latent impressions through proper inquiry.
> When that inner mental existence made of ignorance and latent impressions is dissolved by the power of renunciation, the highest good is attained.
> O Rama, that which stands in the middle between the Real and the unreal, and between Consciousness and dullness, is called the mind. Its form swings between the two.
> When the mind is struck by constant thought of dullness and is intensified by its dull nature, it becomes dull itself through firm practice.
3.112.15–19
> Through one-pointed inquiry with discrimination, the mind, by its nature as a part of Consciousness, attains Oneness with Pure Consciousness through firm practice here.
> By human effort, whichever State the mind is made to settle in, it reaches that State and becomes that through practice.
> Again, taking support of self-effort, conquer the mind with the mind itself, take refuge in the sorrow-free State, and become steady and free from doubt.
> O Rama, if the mind that is sunk in thoughts of worldly existence is not forcibly lifted out by the mind itself, there is no other means.
> Only the mind itself is capable of firmly restraining the mind. O Raghava, who but a King is able to restrain a King?
Detailed summary of the teachings:
These verses teach that the restless mind is like a powerful demon that creates deep suffering when it is allowed to rise unchecked. The only way to gain lasting happiness and unlimited joy is to deliberately bring this mind under control through steady and determined effort. Without such effort the mind continues to produce pain.
The restlessness of the mind is itself ignorance. This ignorance appears in the form of latent tendencies or deep-seated desires that keep the mind moving. These tendencies must be completely destroyed by careful self-inquiry and clear thinking. When ignorance, the latent tendencies, and the sense of a separate mental existence dissolve through renunciation, a person reaches the highest good.
The mind occupies a middle position. It is neither fully Real nor fully unreal, and it stands between Pure Consciousness and pure dullness. Because of this middle nature it constantly swings between the two. If a person repeatedly dwells on dull and lifeless things, the mind itself becomes dull through long practice. On the other hand, if the mind is trained through discrimination and one-pointed attention to its own conscious nature, it merges completely into Pure Consciousness.
Whatever state a person deliberately places the mind in by firm personal effort, the mind eventually becomes that State through repeated practice. Therefore one must again and again use self-effort to seize and master the mind, settle it in the State that is free from sorrow, and remain steady and free from all fear or doubt.
Finally, the mind can be controlled only by the mind itself. There is no other power that can do this work. Just as only a King can properly restrain another King, only the mind, when it turns its own strength upon itself, can lift itself out of the deep immersion in worldly thoughts and establish lasting Freedom.
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