12. Controlling Mind
A rjuna compares the mind to the wind and asks how it can be controlled, so that it maintains balance. Krishna says that it’s certainly difficult, but it can be achieved through the regular practice ( abhyaas ) of vairagya (detachment) (6.35). The mind has evolved to judge inputs brought in by the senses as safe or unsafe and uses memory while doing so. This ability helped us survive and prosper during evolution. The same ability of the mind can also be used for internal judging, which is called awareness. We can feed our thoughts and feelings back to the judging mind to improve the quality of judging. Similar feedback mechanisms are used to enhance machine learning as well as to stabilize electronic systems. Lord Krishna is hinting at developing this faculty through practice as this doesn’t come naturally. In terms of neuroscience, it is like building new neural networks. It is easier to understand vairagya by understanding its polar opposite raag (attachment). Raa...