The mind as a spy: How it sabotages us

The mind is frequently described as an enemy in wisdom texts like the Bhagavad Gita. Yet, those texts also declare that the mind can act as a friend and urge us to take responsibility for how we relate to it. Specifically, Bhagavad Gita 6.5 advises us to ensure the mind acts as our ally and not as our adversary.

To understand how the mind may function as an enemy, let us explore three ways in which it works against us, based on Bhagavad Gita 3.40, which explains that self-defeating desires can exist at three levels: the senses, the mind, and the intelligence. The mind acts as the linchpin where self-sabotaging impurities operate. These impurities can infiltrate downward into the senses or upward into the intelligence. Their effects can be summarized as the 3 D’s: distracting our vision, diverting our vigour, and distorting our values.

Distraction of vision

Our vision represents our knowledge-acquiring senses, which are meant to take in information from the external world and help us respond appropriately. However, when impurities reside in the mind, they distract our vision from things that matter to trivial or irrelevant matters.

For instance, if the impurity of alcoholism exists in the mind, it might fixate the vision of a person at a corporate workshop on bottles of alcohol, even when they should be focused on an important meeting. Such distractions lead to a lack of attention and may result in embarrassment or missed opportunities.

Diversion of vigour

Our vigour refers to the energy we manifest through our working senses to pursue specific objectives. The mind’s cravings can misdirect this energy.

Continuing the earlier example, a person distracted by alcohol during a corporate meeting may spend their time and energy going from one drink to another instead of networking with important people. This diversion of vigour not only consumes energy but also has visible and consequential impacts on others’ perceptions of us and our own performance.

Distortion of values

The most damaging impact of the mind’s impurities occurs when they penetrate inward and upward, corrupting our intelligence and distorting our values. Intelligence acts as the bodyguard of our values, helping us prioritize what truly matters. However, when impurities dominate the mind, they corrupt intelligence, leading us to justify or rationalize distractions and diversions.

For instance, a person addicted to alcohol may trivialize concerns about their behavior, claiming they were simply trying to have a good time and help others do the same. Such distortions of values make it challenging to regain one’s footing, as the corrupted intelligence blinds us to the need for change.

The path forward

Understanding the workings of the mind and its impurities helps us restrain their effects. We should aim to minimize their influence on our vision, vigour, and, most importantly, our values. By addressing these challenges early, we can prevent the mind from acting as an enemy and turn it into a trusted friend.

Summary:

  • The mind harbors impurities that act like spies within our inner defense mechanisms, potentially leading to self-sabotage.
  • These impurities distract our vision, misdirect our vigour, and corrupt our values, leading us to fixate on trivial matters at the expense of significant goals.
  • The greatest damage occurs when distorted values cause us to justify harmful behaviors, making it difficult to recognize and rectify our mistakes.

Think it over:

  • Recollect an incident where your vision was distracted by something trivial. What patterns can you observe in the situations where the mind sabotages your knowledge-acquiring senses?
  • Recall a situation where your vigour was misdirected. What patterns can you discern in how the mind influences your working senses?
  • Reflect on any instance where your values were distorted. How did you become aware of this, and what can you do to prevent such distortions in the future?

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03.40 The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.