Why you need to strengthen the will power to control the mind

Why you need to strengthen the will power to control the mind?

You have to know the nature of your mind and pursue Yoga and Meditation in order to strengthen the will power to control the mind.

Will Power to renounce pleasure seeking

Your will to control the mind will never be strong until and unless you deliberately and irreversibly renounce pleasure as the main pursuit of life. We know that many above average intelligent people have lost the route to success just because of their infatuation with sense pleasure and inability to denounce pleasure principle. It eats away the energy which could be employed in positive works. The mind that we use to seek pleasure, enjoy pleasure and remain obsessed with pleasure from Sun rise to Sun set, can not be controlled until we give up the obsession with pleasure. Pleasure seeking is one of the five worst evils of human mind.

In actual reality, many million people initially give up their obsession with pleasure. But past incidence and experience, which are stored in memory, stand in the way of your success to control the mind and enjoy the beauties of life. So, unless the pleasure motive is fully overcome, we cannot perfectly control the mind. We are not suggesting that you have give up love, romance and sex. We strictly suggest that infatuation and obsession with sense pleasure have to be given up by any means. In whatever profession you are engaged, the attachment with pleasure motive will make you reluctant to seriously give up the sickness.

What is joy or bliss?

As an alternative to please motive, you can derive huge energy by pursuing acts that give you joy or bliss which are neutral and make you liberated to pursue your higher goals of life. The easiest way to renounce sense pleasure and seek joy or bliss is to pursue some supportive hobbies. Gardening is one such natural and motivational hobby that gives you pure joy and happiness. Another is music which gives you immense joy and happiness. Another is Yoga that strengthens your will power, increases your physical flexibility and boosts your immunity. Still another is travelling which is the best educator and increases your accommodating power. Angling is a highly adventurous hobby which not increases your tolerance but provides you with enough Vitamin D through coming into contact with Sun light and nature. Of course, reading is one of the greatest habits that increases your knowledge and ability to compete in this uncertain age, particularly under Coronavirus lockdown. Another great hobby is excursion in mountains and forests with your friends and relatives. If you pursue some of these for a prolong period, you will get the will power to control your mind.

Gautam Buddha was absolutely correct when he advised his disciples (as available in Dhammapada):

“If one man conquers in battle a thousand men a thousand times, and if another man conquers himself, he (the latter) is the greater conqueror.”

So, the greatest human in history believed that controlling the mind is the most difficult task in the world.

What does failure to control the mind mean?

Life of the greatest scientists, greatest artists, greatest musicians, greatest footballers, greatest authors and greatest creators show us that none has succeeded in life without series of failures. The lazy and dull people think that success will knock their door automatically. Some daydreamers also think that success will fall on their heads as Manna from Heaven without any efforts.

One of the greatest scientists and inventors of all time, Thomas Alva Edison is unfailing:

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

So, never give up, struggle, struggle, struggle harder and harder to reach your noble goal. You will certainly reach one day.

Practice and Dispassion

The essence of a good worker is to take each day at a time, and employ his/her time with 100% dedication such that there is no gap, no disturbance, no regret, no incompleteness. Work is worship. Practice with a dispassionate outlook is the whole secret of controlling the mind. This is the greatest philosophy of success in life. This is the essence of Yoga and Meditation. This is also the gist of The Bhagwat Gita. It means that you have the right to work but not the fruits of the work. The best example is this. As a farmer, I may have ploughed the land perfectly, sown the paddy samplings perfectly, used perfect combination of water- fertilizer- pesticide. This is my duty. You have the right to do so. But do you have the command on how much rice will be produced during harvesting. Certainly not. It is beyond our control. So, whatever you think correct, you must do, and then remain dispassionate about the result. Because the result is not at your hand, only the nourishment is.

Another greatest example is here. You may be very brilliant. You have studied well. But you do not know for sure the result of your examination. As we all know now, Sunder Pichai was selected by a big team of interviewers after a series of sessions as CEO of Google. There may have been more brilliant candidates. But neither Sunder nor others did know who was going to be nominated. All of the candidates have tried their level best to win the interview. So, the fruit or result is not at your control.

If you expect best harvest from your paddy cultivation, you may suffer pain at the end. So, do your best and unlearn. Otherwise, hangover will your motivation tomorrow. You have done your best duty, leave the fruit at the hand of Almighty Nature.

What to do then to control the mind?

So, you have to do the following from today itself.

You have to develop a strong will power to control your mind.
You have to understand the nature of the mind by scientific analysis.
You have to inculcate some good habits earnestly such as hobby and good association.
In order to have a strong will power, you have to practice Yoga Asana regularly. Yoga Pranayama Meditation do not fail.
You have to eat foods which provide adequate nutrition and a balanced diet.