MIND MYSTERIES & CONTROL - 15. INTENTION - Sri Swami Sivananda - The Mind: Its Mysteries & Control

MIND MYSTERIES & CONTROL - 15. INTENTION: The Operation of Thought - Sri Swami Sivananda - The Mind: Its Mysteries & Control - HQ Full Book.

Swami Sivananda’s exploration of intention and the operation of thought in *The Mind: Its Mysteries and Control* reveals profound insights into the mind’s role as both the creator of bondage and the pathway to liberation. He emphasizes that the spiritual life in God is the ultimate fulfillment, contrasting it with the transient and restless nature of physical and thought-based life. This chapter delves into the mechanisms of intention, its effects on samsara (the cycle of birth and rebirth), and the means to transcend it.   

The Connection Between God, Thought, and the Universe
Swami Sivananda begins by drawing attention to the spiritual life in God, where all desires are fulfilled because Brahman—the Supreme Cosmic Spirit—is self-contained and complete. This divine connection contrasts sharply with the physical life, which ties us to the external world. Thought, according to Sivananda, acts as the intermediary between these two realms, linking the finite and the infinite. The power of the mind, through the operation of thought, determines whether one remains immersed in restlessness or opens oneself to divine inflow. Purity of thought facilitates this divine connection, whereas restlessness distances us from God.   He compares the restless mind to a perpetually active railway engine, ceaselessly generating thought-currents derived from latent desires (vasanas) and mental impressions (samskaras). These thought-currents, which originate in the mind’s bed of impressions, continuously flow toward objects of desire in both waking and dreaming states. The relentless nature of thought, Sivananda asserts, is the root of intention—the mental expansion that creates and sustains the universe.   

Intention as the Cause of Bondage
Swami Sivananda makes a profound statement: intention is samsara itself. The incessant generation of intention, fueled by desires and mental modifications, is the primary cause of bondage. He likens this to a silk-worm enmeshing itself in its cocoon—a self-created trap. This cycle of intention perpetuates pain and suffering, anchoring individuals in the illusion (maya) of the material world.   The tree of maya, he explains, flourishes through the seed of intention. Its cravings and desires act as water, nurturing the tree, while actions yield its fruit. Lust, anger, and greed are its sprouts, and the three gunas (qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas) form its buds. The senses are its twigs, the ego is its trunk, and the dualities of attraction and aversion constitute its branches. The mind, formless yet pervasive, gives reality to this illusory creation through intention.   The dissolution of the universe, therefore, occurs with the cessation of mental intentions. Realization of Brahman, Sivananda states, is attainable only by abandoning these intentions. Liberation is the annihilation of intention, while its proliferation perpetuates the cycle of birth and rebirth. The chapter emphasizes that even rigorous austerities or supernatural powers cannot lead to liberation unless the intentions of the mind are eradicated.   

The Path to Liberation: Annihilation of Intentions
The destruction of intention is central to attaining liberation and experiencing Brahmic bliss, which is free from pain and heterogeneity. Sivananda urges practitioners to contemplate deeply on the ephemeral nature of intentions and the suffering they bring. By divesting oneself of intentions, duality, and indecision, one can rest in a state of thoughtlessness, characterized by pure consciousness. This state represents steadiness in Brahman, the ultimate reality.   Sivananda encourages aspirants to strive for this state through self-effort and rigorous practice. Remaining intentionless, he asserts, allows one to transcend the...