Lord Krishna, Guru Nanak, Sant Kabir, and many other great souls have described keeping the mind subordinate to the intellect as absolutely essential. But the question is — why is it so necessary to keep the mind under control, and what is its real significance in our lives?
How does a person’s mind become both ‘friend and enemy’?
How is it that, knowingly or unknowingly, you begin living a life where your own mind becomes your enemy? How does it happen that the very mind which could have been the means to your happiness, peace, and progress instead becomes the greatest cause of your sorrow, restlessness, and downfall? In truth, the greatest irony of human life is that one’s closest companion becomes one’s biggest opponent.
But the mind becoming an enemy is not its final truth. This same mind can also become your best friend. It depends on whether the mind is your master or your servant. If the mind drives you, it becomes your enemy; and if you direct the mind wisely, that same mind becomes your greatest friend. So the mind’s nature is not fixed — it acts in whatever direction it is led.
The teaching of conquering and controlling the mind is not found only in the Bhagavad Gita; many great souls across the world have expressed this same truth in their own words. They may have lived in different languages and traditions, but ultimately they all gave humanity the same message — first conquer yourself.
As Gautama Buddha said:
Even if a person conquers millions in battle, the greatest victor is the one who has conquered himself.
This statement carries deep meaning. Conquering the world is not as difficult as conquering the desires, cravings, anger, greed, attachment, and ego that arise within oneself. External victory happens only over circumstances, while internal victory happens over one’s own mind. This is why all great sages inspire us, above all, to look within ourselves. Guru Nanak says, “If the mind is conquered, the world is conquered.”
If a person truly wishes to reach the heights of life, if they want to make their life meaningful, peaceful, and joyful, they must first understand their own mind and conquer it.
Because every decision, every action, and every direction in life ultimately arises from the mind. If the mind is aligned in the right direction, life too moves forward in the right direction; and if the mind strays, a person’s entire life can go astray. After all, who would want to make their life meaningless? Every person wants success, respect, peace, and joy in life.
But the foundation of all these is not external circumstances, but the state of the mind. If the mind is unstable, even external achievements cannot bring happiness.
What is the nature of the mind?
The nature of the mind is extremely strange. Whatever object, person, thought, or habit it attaches itself to, it remains entangled in that very thing. Then it is not easy to detach it from there. The mind runs again and again toward the same subject, dwells on it, and begins seeking happiness in it. This is why, many times, a person knows that a certain habit is harmful to them, yet still cannot give it up.
The problem is not that the mind attaches itself to something. The problem arises when the mind attaches itself to things that make life meaningless instead of meaningful.
For example, gambling is a clear illustration of this. A person trapped in gambling knows it can destroy his wealth, family, honor, and future, yet his mind is repeatedly drawn toward it. This is the bondage of the mind. Similarly, there are many such tendencies that destroy not just an individual’s life, but also cause harm to society, humanity, and even nature.
When the mind gets caught in such attachments, the result is not limited to personal loss alone. Its effect reaches family, society, and even future generations. An uncontrolled mind does not become an enemy only to the person themselves — it becomes the cause of suffering for many others as well.
What happens when the mind becomes a friend?
On the other hand, if a righteous person makes their mind their servant, that same mind becomes the greatest helper in their life. Such a person does not chase after every desire of the mind, but acts according to their discerning intellect. Their life is devoted not to momentary selfish pleasures, but to truth, righteousness, and the welfare of all.
Such a person uplifts themselves, and their actions become beneficial for society and the earth as well. They possess restraint within, so their decisions are balanced. They possess discernment and stability within, so even in difficult circumstances they do not stray from the right path. This is the state in which the mind is no longer an enemy, but becomes the most trustworthy friend. This is when it no longer becomes an obstacle in the journey of making life meaningful.
Why is controlling the mind so difficult?
Lord Krishna knows the mind thoroughly, and so he did not say that controlling the mind is easy. On the contrary, he clearly stated that the mind is extremely restless. It does not wish to remain still in one place. We have discussed why the mind becomes restless, and how acting rightly can help with why the mind gets disturbed.
For this very reason, controlling the mind seems extremely difficult. But being difficult does not mean it is impossible. If that were so, Lord Krishna would not have shown a path to discipline the mind at all — but he did, and for this he described yoga as an effective means.
When, through yoga, meditation, awareness, and samadhi, the mind gradually begins to steady itself, its restlessness too begins to diminish. Then the mind no longer remains a slave to external objects, but begins to act under the guidance of discernment.
We have discussed in detail in another article how essential meditation is for life and how it helps in steadying the mind.
What effect does the mind have on life?
A person’s entire life depends on the direction of their mind. As the mind is, so will the thinking be; as the thinking is, so will the actions be; and as the actions are, so will life become.
When a person’s mind becomes infatuated with ego, their thinking too begins moving in that same direction. They think again and again about matters whose sole purpose is physical pleasure, sensory indulgence, or the gratification of ego. Gradually, their decisions too begin to be influenced by these same things.
Such a state reveals the animal nature within a human being. A human being too is a creature, an animal, but what makes them distinct from other animals is their discerning intellect. This very intellect gives them the ability to judge right from wrong. This capacity has been the foundation of the development of human civilization. Because of it, humanity has built knowledge, science, culture, and society.
But when a person becomes excessively infatuated with the allure of sensory objects, their discerning intellect gradually begins to weaken. At that point, it is no longer the intellect that makes decisions, but the mind. Wherever the mind is drawn, the person moves in that direction. They do not even consider whether this action is right or wrong, beneficial or destructive.
As a result, their behavior too begins to resemble that of an animal. They chase only after immediate pleasure and ignore long-term consequences. This is the state in which a person begins to lose the excellence within themselves.
On the other hand, when the mind remains under the guidance of discernment, a person steers their life in the right direction. They make decisions not merely based on desires, but on truth, intellect, and welfare. In such a state, the mind is no longer their adversary, but becomes the greatest helper in their progress.
Conclusion
Therefore, it would be right to say that the mind, by nature, is neither friend nor enemy. It becomes whatever we train it to be through our practice. If the mind follows sensory objects, attachments, and ego, it will lead us toward downfall. And if it remains under the guidance of discernment, restraint, and yoga, that same mind will lead us toward self-development, peace, and a meaningful life.
