How to Clean the Mind?

Every day we take great care to clean our house, wash our
clothes and bathe. But, how many of us take a little time in
this world of tearing hurry to clean our minds? Lot of
intellectual rubbish and dirt get accumulated in our minds
and we continue to live without bothering to clean it.

Mind can be compared to a lake. If the water is clear, the
reflection is clear. If the water is dirty or disturbed, it distorts
the image. Similarly, if the mind is filled with negative and
evil thoughts, it projects distorted images of people and events.

How to clean the mind? Self effort is very essential for this
task. Others cannot do it for us. It is not a matter of soap and
water. We have to set aside a little time in our daily life to
undertake this very important exercise. This is the beginning
of dhyana or meditation.

Every day, either in the morning or evening, sit quietly for
a while and review the thoughts which rise like waves in
your mind. Consciously stand back and witness the thoughts
that pass through your mind. Slowly, learn to weed the
negative emotions and thoughts which harm the self and
others. As we empty the mind of its negative tendencies, the
positive and healthy thoughts begin to fill it. This is the
effective medicine prescribed by yogis to clean the polluted
mind.

At first, the process of mind cleaning may appear difficult
because human mind is like a monkey. The more one tries to
control it, the more rebellious it becomes. But an aspirant of
dhyana should not give up the effort. Like a loving mother
who gently brings back her naughty child under control, the
seeker of truth has to bring the unruly mind back to God
through sadhana or constant practice. Chanting God’s name
is the easiest and surest way to clean the mind.

“Yogena chitthasya padena vâchâm
Malam sharirasya cha vaidyakena
Yopa karotham pravaram muninam
Patanjalim pranjali aratosmi.”

Just as the mistakes of speech are corrected through grammar,
the maladies of the body are cured through Ayurveda, so are
the imperfections of the mind cleaned by yoga and dhyana.
We bow to the sage Patanjali who gave us this knowledge.