What Exactly is Self Control?
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, spiritualityBy Lt Col R K Langar
Bhagavad Gita highlights the value of self control when it lists self control as one of the divine virtues. The immediate meaning of the word self control is to control over senses, (which are outgoing) and mind-sense control and mind control, which is detaching the mind from sense enjoyment. The other common definitions of self control are, ability to withdraw senses from sense objects at will, ability to put “No Entry†on the mind for waste and negative thoughts and ability to have a regulated worldly life. But there is a much deeper meaning of self control. It is a complete control on your mind, speech and actions. Whatever I think, speak or do is exactly how and when, want to do so and I am not compelled by outer situations to act in a particular way. In other words I give my consent before anything which comes out of me. I am in full control of my life and not a single action which comes out of me is without my approval. This is real freedom. This also means that I do not react to what people say to me but I respond righteously in the outer situations after analyzing them. Self Control also means that I am not disturbed or hurt by what others say because I am complete from inside. it also means that I have complete self mastery or I have complete control over my mind. As it is often said that if you have complete control over mind, you have complete control over the world in the sense that nothing from outer world can becomes a cause of your annoyance.
Shortcomings of mind
Man consists of body, mind and soul out of which mind is an extremely important entity for going up the ladder of life. Mind can also bring you down if you are not alert and careful. Mind or mind stuff includes intellect, ego and our past samskars which are carried forward as impressions of our past lives from birth to birth. Mind is akin to a store house where we are dealing with so many things like our own behavior, our profession, our family matters, our relationship with others, our possessions, desires and ego. Some of these items which we are dealing in our mind can corrupt us if we do not pay adequate attention to keep the mind in a positive state. You may control your senses but mind can still wander all over the places, if you are not careful.
Mind basically has three shortcomings which are impurity, misunderstanding and distractions. Distraction causes restlessness to mind which is not that easy to control. Mind sometimes is compared to a monkey who is drunk and on top of that is bitten by a scorpion. Such an extent of restlessness can only be controlled by pulling the mind on higher values of life or on a lofted ideal or by contemplating on your chosen diety. Mind always has certain amount of impurity due to which if misunderstands values of life and remains prone to temptations. Right understanding can only be achieved by a pure intellect. Selfishness is the root cause of an impure mind. Selfishness causes greed, attachment and jealousy which makes a mind impure. To turn the mind towards purity, a change in our attitude towards life is required by considering others as members of one family. We should care for others, share with others and help others as much as we can. Establish yourself in benevolence for others and your selfish thoughts shall decline. When you have full control over your mind you can turn it the way you like. One who controls the mind is the biggest conqueror.
How to control mind
There is a beautiful word in spiritual filed which is called Renunciation or Tyag or To Let Go. First we shall see what we should let go or expel from our mind. These are negative and waste thoughts, our worldly desires, greed, our attachment and our ego which considers body as the main entity of a person. There is another meaning of the word renunciation which is clinging the mind on higher values of life. By attaching the mind on God our Divine Virtues like Truth, Love, peace and compassion develop inside us. When you cling your mind on God or higher values of life, worldly desires, and worldly attachment automatically loosen their grip on you. This is a very effective method of filling the mind with virtues so that the bad in the mind, which makes us restless, finds no permanent space in our mind. When Divine Virtues get a firm hold on us it not only eliminates negativity and worldliness but it also makes our mind to work in a useful manner which is good for the society always and every time. Bhagavad Gita says that our mind is our best friend as well as our worst enemy. Best friend when we use it for self evolution and worst enemy when we degrade ourselves to get involved in sub standard activities.
Role of intellect in controlling the mind
The four major constituents of human personality- body (including our senses), mind, intellect and soul (which is a fraction of supreme God). These four constituents can be grouped under two headings – the higher self consisting of Atma and intellect and lower self mind, body and senses with the mind inclined towards the activities of body and senses for instant gratifications. When the intellect or Buddhi is inclined towards Atma which is also termed as Buddhi in Yoga, then our intellect becomes pure and our understanding become righteous and discriminative. In our ordinary state of consciousness we do not make much use of our intellect and allow the mind at work as per the desire of our senses and body. But as we raise our level of consciousness to a higher level we discover that our intellect (which is suffused with the virtues of Atma), can completely control the mind and we do not allow it to work as it likes. This is how we achieve complete control on our mind which eventually leads us to evolve spiritually and recognize the Atma inside us. Our spiritual life not only liberates us from bondage of ignorance but it also assumes significance for humanity at large because then we always speak the truth and act righteously. Then we never talk ill of others and instead appreciate good qualities of others.
Self control means no Repression
Self control does not mean that we control our negative or sensual thoughts by force or repression. If we do so, sensual thoughts will attack our mind with double force. We should develop the ability to change the quality of our thoughts from negative to positive. This is because you yourself are the creatorof your thoughts and when your mind is fully under your control, it is not difficult to think the way you choose to think. With mind fully under your control, you cease to be a moody person as your mind is ever stable.
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