Question: How does one bring the mind under control?

Sri Chinmoy: You have to know that we are the possessors of two rooms. One room is known as the heart-room; the other is known as the mind-room. The mind-room is right now obscure, unlit, impure and unwilling to open to the light. The heart-room is always open to the light, which is the light of the soul. We have to try to remain in the heart-room as long as we can. Finally there will come a time when our entire being is surcharged with inner light. When this happens, only then can we safely enter into the mind-room. But right now, if we enter into the mind, we will be totally confused because it is all darkness. We will be caught there; we will become a victim to the ignorant, undivine and suspicious forces of the mind.

We should not try to enter into the mind-room in the very beginning of our spiritual journey. To enter into this room we need abundant inner courage, inner light and inner assurance from our Inner Pilot. Very often we make a Himalayan blunder: we enter into the mind-room just because we see that it is all confusion and darkness, and we want to illumine the mind. But we have to know whether we have the necessary light at our command. If we have the necessary light, then we can enter into the mind-room and illumine it. But if we don't have enough light right now, then we have to enter into the heart-room where there is abundant light. Here we shall meditate and energise ourselves with the inner light of the soul. Then we will enter into the mind-room and illumine it.

So the most effective approach is to remain in the heart-room and not in the mind proper. I tell my students first to strengthen their inner life, their life of aspiration. They must bring to the fore their inner light, their soul's light, which is available most powerfully in the heart. If we concentrate on the heart, then sooner or later the light of the soul is bound to come to the fore. We will feel that we are in full possession of our inner light and that we can use it at our own sweet will. At that time, we can enter into the mind-room to illumine it.