MIND MYSTERIES & CONTROL 2: A Guide to Self Mastery & Success - Part 2 - Sri Swami Sivananda

MIND: ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL - A Guide to Self Mastery and Success - Part 2 - Sri Swami Sivananda - HQ Full Book.

Part 2 of MIND: ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL by Sri Swami Sivananda offers practical and philosophical guidance for mastering the mind and attaining spiritual liberation. It explores key themes like overcoming pleasure and pain, cultivating virtues, controlling the senses, and deepening meditation. Sivananda provides insights into advanced topics, including the liberated mind (jivanmukta), the necessity of a spiritual teacher, and the ultimate goal of mind annihilation (manonasa). This section equips seekers with tools to navigate obstacles, refine their inner discipline, and realize their true nature, serving as an inspiring roadmap for spiritual growth and self-realization.

23. Pleasure and Pain
In this chapter, Swami Sivananda explores the duality of pleasure and pain, emphasizing that they are two sides of the same coin. He explains how attachment to pleasure inevitably leads to pain, creating a cycle of suffering. By transcending this duality through detachment and self-discipline, one can experience true peace and happiness, unaffected by external circumstances.
24. Viveka
Viveka, or discrimination, is the ability to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the eternal and the transient. Sivananda underscores the importance of developing viveka as the foundation for spiritual growth. With viveka, individuals can make wise choices that lead them toward liberation rather than bondage.
25. Vairagya and Tyaga
This chapter focuses on vairagya (dispassion) and tyaga (renunciation). Sivananda describes vairagya as the detachment from worldly pleasures and tyaga as the renunciation of ego and selfish desires. Together, they purify the mind and pave the way for spiritual advancement.
26. Control of Indriyas
The indriyas (senses) are powerful forces that pull the mind toward external objects. Sivananda explains how controlling the senses through practices like pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) and discipline helps the aspirant focus inward and attain mental peace.
27. Mouna and Introspection
Silence (mouna) and self-reflection are essential tools for mastering the mind. Sivananda advocates regular periods of silence to conserve mental energy and introspection to analyze and rectify one’s thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes.
28. Evil Vrittis and Their Eradication
Evil vrittis (mental tendencies) such as anger, jealousy, and greed disturb the mind and hinder spiritual progress. This chapter provides practical methods to identify and eradicate these tendencies through positive thinking, self-discipline, and devotion.
29. Cultivation of Virtues
Sivananda highlights the importance of cultivating virtues such as humility, patience, and truthfulness to purify the mind. He explains how virtues act as antidotes to negative tendencies, creating a strong foundation for spiritual growth and inner peace.
30. How to Control the Mind
This chapter offers practical techniques to tame the restless mind. Sivananda emphasizes the importance of willpower, mindfulness, and consistency in spiritual practice to gain mastery over thoughts and emotions.
31. Concentration
Concentration is the ability to focus the mind on a single object or idea. Swami Sivananda explains how practicing concentration not only enhances mental clarity and productivity but also prepares the mind for meditation and higher spiritual practices.
32. Meditation
Meditation is presented as the supreme tool for self-realization. This chapter provides guidance on meditation techniques, postures, and mental preparation to achieve a calm and focused state of mind, leading to spiritual awakening.
33. Experiences and Obstacles in Meditation