What controls the mind and thoughts?

[Onkara]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

 

[Yeshe Dawa]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

Hi Onkara!

I'll have a try at it.

I would say that it isn't the mind that is angry. The anger is just an obscuration clouding the mind. The mind remains at the center of the cloud, and it is the mind that sees through the obscuration.

Peace and blessings,
Yeshe
:flower2:

 

[sandandfoam]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

I don't think any one thing controls it, but situational factors are important.

 

[PolyHedral]

Itself.

 

[Willamena]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

Two questions, two answers. The first: What influenced this change in behavior is putting the anger (or any emotion) in perspective. The action of realizing anger and acknowledging its nature, that "taking a step back" to "see" anger, gives you a new take on the world. Perspective can be a powerful tool.

What controls the mind is the reorganization of thought that accomplishes a change of perspective and acquires a new take.
Edit: Which is to say that "controls the mind" is the name of this particular illusion.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I don't control what thoughts arise in my head. That's subconscious usually. Whether I choose to act on those thoughts or even acknowledge them is my decision.

So I guess in the end the mind is controlling itself.

 

[elmarna]

While you are speaking of "feelings". The perception lies in the very aspects of the way you respond from how you have found the opinions and beliefs in life to be considered.
Examples are found all through phsycology where someone is faced with a set of circumstances that he must respond to. Initialy you react in the way "see" or percieve. Later they are given more to the story. With the awareness now letting you consider that the perception is subjected to a different feeling and thought that changes the way you think when the truths are uncovered.
Example- you see a man failing to stop at a stop sign. You may get angry or upset for various reasons. Later you find out the man had a heart attack.
To realize that we all have the resources of our mind and to control them in a "way of thinking is in the management of them. I prefer the truths and find it easier to maintain a more positive thought and feeling with a mind willing to be more "in tune " with the language of setting a reasonable doubt than jumping to conclusions.
I do agree feelings are the first to respond. It is natural for me to find compassion and kindness first!

 

[YmirGF]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

Damn, I am always the odd man out, lol. How to put this? Frankly, I am very slow to anger. It is not my natural state which is somewhat blissful and joyful. IF, and that is a rather big IF, you manage to anger me, I am perfectly aware of WHY I am angry. It is because of that that the anger boils to the surface. I use that emotional force to propel me into action, like a springboard, throwing caution to the wind. At such points, I do NOT care about how the other parties involved react to my anger. It is not relevant to my perspective. In effect, I quite consciously ALLOW the anger to ACT, to force change in my immediate vicinity. The working premise here is that if anger is precipitated something is in NEED of change. I am not shy about invoking my Shiva aspect.

For example, one pleasant afternoon a few years back I was blissfully contemplating my navel at the computer and I heard what was obviously a dog fight just across the street. Immediately I bounded to the window and saw the neighbor's small dog being accosted by another neighbor's Pit Bull Terrier. THEN... I saw the owner of the pit bull come roaring out, yelling at his horrid beast and proceeded to start pounding it on the head and... Well... I was already in action and fully enraged... I was out the door so fast it made MY head spin and was running full bore towards the man beating his dog. I was a silent, raging thunderstorm moving in VERY fast.

When I was within 10 feet I stopped and began venting rather loudly at the incompetent lout who instantly stopped beating his dog. He was OBVIOUSLY drunk and/or stoned OUT OF HIS MIND. I began to berate him so severely that he was wincing. By this time other neighbors had come out and were watching the interaction. I never laid a finger on the man. I didn't need to. The dog, amazingly, just sat there and made no move to protect his "master". I should point out that when I am very angry, I get very cold and clinical. I get very articulate and sharp as a razor.

After a few minutes of this imbecile blubbering apologies I began to calm down. The other neighbors came up to me and said that what I had done was remarkable and the guy really deserved it. Now, feeling somewhat "spent", sheepishly, I went back inside and wrote a note to myself to call the SPCA and report the fellow.

You see, Onkara, I didn't realize I was angry and consciously try to control it. That is just silliness, in my opinion. I let the fur fly - AS IT SHOULD. In my view, venting justifiable anger in a positive way is the best medicine. Denying that anger, when in full bloom, causes psychological short circuits that are not healthy, imo. You get angry for good reason. Understand WHY. Anger is meant to move people to act.

That said, anger should be free of hostility. You should not use it as an excuse to exact physical punishment. That is going too far, unless a physical altercation is required and you are confident you can gain the upper hand, but in general, physical violence should not be the goal or the result.

Trust me, you do not want to make me angry, but if you do, I guarantee you will not wish to go through the experience twice. In short, what you are describing in your OP to me, is simply when I am ticked off at something -- at those times, for sure, but in my books being "ticked off" is a very long way from genuine, justifiable anger.

 

[Azekual]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

When you get right down to it: Chemicals are what control the mind. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine are a few of the common ones that control how you react to specific stimuli.
a little tid-bit for you: If your body stopped producing or absorbing serotonin, you would go insane and kill everyone in sight.

 

[rsd]

what controls the mind?

What and who you associate with.

 

[Onkara]

Thanks a lot everyone for your answers. I am still considering how to reply to each of them adequately , but you have given me a lot to consider

 

[atanu]

When you get right down to it: Chemicals are what control the mind. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine are a few of the common ones that control how you react to specific stimuli.
a little tid-bit for you: If your body stopped producing or absorbing serotonin, you would go insane and kill everyone in sight.

Then, how in this case, the anger gets transformed. I think that was the question?

 

[PolyHedral]

Then, how in this case, the anger gets transformed. I think that was the question?

Chemicals.

 

[atanu]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

When you get right down to it: Chemicals are what control the mind. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine are a few of the common ones that control how you react to specific stimuli.
a little tid-bit for you: If your body stopped producing or absorbing serotonin, you would go insane and kill everyone in sight.

Then, how in this case, the anger gets transformed. I think that was the question?

Chemicals.

Hmmm. First there was some angry chemical. Then came the peaceful chemicals. Indeed.

 

[atanu]

Take any scenario, for example you see an injustice (anything, like an animal cruelly beaten), and you become angry and think angry thoughts.

You then realise your mind is angry and you stop being angry and instead become more neutral or peaceful.

What influenced this change in behaviour, what controls the mind?

Gita

3. 42. They say that the senses are superior (to the body); superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect; and one who is superior even to the intellect is He—the Self.

3.43. Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer!

 

[Onkara]

Gita

3. 42. They say that the senses are superior (to the body); superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect; and one who is superior even to the intellect is He—the Self.

3.43. Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer!

Hi Atanu
If it is the Self or Brahman who controls the mind, then the Lord is not inactive, wouldn't you say?

 

[atanu]

Hi Atanu
If it is the Self or Brahman who controls the mind, then the Lord is not inactive, wouldn't you say?

But that is not the immutable Brahman. It is Brahman acting as the jiiva -- the Seer.

 

[Onkara]

But that is not the immutable Brahman. It is Brahman acting as the jiiva -- the Seer.

Could you expand on how or why that might be that Brahman acts (as Seer/jIva), please?

 

[atanu]

But that is not the immutable Brahman. It is Brahman acting as the jiiva -- the Seer.

Another extreme truth version of this would be:

Edit: Which is to say that "controls the mind" is the name of this particular illusion.

 

[atanu]

Could you expand on how or why that might be that Brahman acts (as Seer/jIva), please?

The answer is in post 19 partly.

To expand further: The beginning of mAya is separation of indivisible into Seer and Seen, and also the Seeing as three.

(Of course this is as per the definition of Truth in advaita. Other schools have different ideas).