The mind is infact your enemy. It is the Ego of the Self. Whole life it keeps you in illusion that you are the mind. You go wherever the mind takes you. It is also called “Manas” which is one of the 4 parts of the brain system which is Manas, Citta, Buddhi and Ahamkar. Thus all the meditations are done to train the mind. Mind goes to definitions, perceptions and illusions and tries to imitate the pleasures and fear the pains. It becomes the creator of what you love as well as what you fear. Thus it is likened to a monkey and hence the term “monkey mind”. Like a monkey jumping from one branch to branch it goes from one thought to another. It shrieks and jumps in pleasure and pain and till it is not still, the wisdom does not function. We can say that mind goes to different vrittis or samskaras stored in the citta and this does not allow Buddhi to function. Till it is not still, you do not connect to your true self. Thus all Yoga is aimed at stilling this monkey mind by throwing light on all that is untruth so that the mind does not have food. It is the cause of you aligning with your body, mind and senses and forgetting your true self. It is actually a tool for you to realise the self. But instead it is what takes you away from the self. It is the cause of illusionary separation between people. It is the “I” in you and it is the cause of you getting entangled in maya or illusions of this world. Through repeated practice one is able to dissociate from mind and turn inwards towards God. Thus Guru Nanak says that people are either mind oriented or “man mukh” or God oriented or Gurumukh. The aim of Yoga is to surrender the mind and realise the higher self in the heart centre.
