Our mind is sometimes a source of creative ideas and sometimes a source of destructive desires. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) urges us to elevate ourselves with our mind and not degrade ourselves. To properly manage our mind’s dual nature, we need to become adept at building inner bridges and inner barricades.

Bridge to aid elevation: When our mind is generating creative ideas, we need to be receptive to them. And we need to be self-observant to know when we are most likely to have such ideas so that we can be ready for them. To build a bridge between us and our mind also means to keep at hand a physical or digital notepad to record good ideas. Through a bridge, we can not only receive the mind’s ideas, but also send it our intentions. When our mind becomes lazy about doing something that’s important for us, we need to observe how best we can persuade our mind — maybe by re-reading key passages from wisdom-texts — and keep such strategies accessible. 

Barricade to prevent degradation: Despite our best efforts at persuasion, our mind will sometimes just not cooperate with us. When it becomes a source of distraction, dejection or delusion, we need to build a barricade between it and us. That means we turn to those activities in which we can become quickly absorbed, thereby protecting our intentions from our mind’s distractions. And learning to keep such absorbing activities readily accessible is critical for effective self-management. 

When we thus learn to build inner bridges and inner barricades as necessary, we can do justice to our God-given potentials and become all that we are meant to be. 

One-sentence summary:

Expert self-management means to know when to build a bridge between us and our mind, and when to build a barricade. 

Think it over: 

  • How can a bridge between us and our mind empower us?
  • How can a barricade between us and our mind protect us?
  • To manage your mind, which inner bridges and inner barricades can you build?

***

06.05: One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Explanation of article:

Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save”