Our mind is by nature fickle (Bhagavad-gita 06.34). It gets attracted to almost any and every shiny object that comes within its attention, be it through external perception or through internal recollection. If we let our attention get caught by all the things that catch our mind’s attention, we will waste our time and even our life on trivial things that fascinate our mind. Or we may even ruin our life by pursuing some terrible things that catch our mind’s fancy. 

How can we ensure that our attention is not caught by the things that catch our mind’s attention? By strengthening our intelligence. How can we do that? Through regular study of wisdom texts like the Bhagavad-gita and more importantly through regular contemplation on the truths taught in these texts — especially the twin truths that we are different from our mind; and that the things which matter to us are often different from the things which matter to our mind. Indeed, the Gita (06.25) recommends such an intelligence-directed approach to mind management. 

The more we internalize these truths, the more we go beyond two extreme ways of dealing with our mind — we stop embracing the mind’s ideas and we stop excoriating the mind for its ideas. Instead, we calmly accept the mind for what it is without unthinkingly accepting its ideas. We carefully evaluate the mind’s ideas and focus on them only if they matter to us. When we patiently practice refocusing our attention on the things that matter for us, our mind will gradually follow suit — and its distractibility will decline. 

One-sentence summary:  

Just because something catches our mind’s attention doesn’t mean it has to catch our attention — strengthen our intelligence to focus on what matters to us, not on what matters to our mind 

Think it over: 

  • What’s wrong with letting our attention be caught by the things that catch our mind’s attention?
  • What twin truths can help us manage our mind?  
  • In dealing with our mind, what are the two extremes to avoid and what is the balance to pursue? 

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06.25: Gradually, step by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing else.

Our mind’s attention vs our attention

To know more about this verse, please click on the image