The Dangers of Riding the Chariot of the Mind
In the material world, the living entity is often described as a passenger on a perilous journey. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently invokes the powerful Vedic metaphor of the mano-ratha, or the "chariot of the mind." Just as a passenger in a vehicle is at the mercy of the driver, the conditioned soul is often at the mercy of an uncontrolled mind. This article explores Śrīla Prabhupāda's warnings about the dangers of riding this mental chariot, which drags the soul through temporary pleasures and inevitable anxieties without ever reaching a permanent destination.
A Runaway Vehicle
The structure of the subtle body acts as a vehicle for the soul. The senses are likened to horses, and the mind is the reins. If the reins are slack or the mind is untrained, the horses pull the chariot erratically toward sense objects. Śrīla Prabhupāda vividly describes this experience as riding behind an unbridled horse—a state of helplessness where the living entity is dragged into dangerous situations by his own uncontrolled desires.
- It is as though we are riding on a chariot behind an unbridled horse. We have no power over where we are going but can only sit in horror and watch helplessly.
- By training the mind, one actually attains tranquility, for the mind is always dragging us over nonpermanent things.
- Everyone is riding on the chariot of mind. And the mind is taking him here and there.
The Guarantee of Anxiety
The inherent nature of the material mind is flickering; it cannot stay fixed on one point. It accepts something as good one moment and rejects it as bad the next. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that as long as one is seated on the mano-ratha, freedom from anxiety is impossible. The chariot of the mind travels only within the realm of temporary material conditions, creating a cycle of dissatisfaction regardless of whether one is in a heavenly or hellish situation.
- So long we shall travel on the chariot of the mind, mano-ratha, then there is no question of our being freed from anxiety.
- All bodies in heavenly planets and hellish planets arise from mental concoctions, and the sufferings and enjoyments of material life are simply on the mental platform. They take place on the chariot of the mind (mano-ratha).
- The chariot of mind will take him, will fix him only on material conditions.
Beyond Mental Speed
Modern society is enamored with the power of the mind and intellectual speculation. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out the limitations of this vehicle. Even if one travels at the speed of the mind for thousands of years, one cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is known through revelation and devotion, not through the mental gymnastics of the mano-ratha. The solution is to install the intelligence as the charioteer, guided by spiritual knowledge, to hold the reins of the mind tight and direct the senses toward the service of the Lord.
- The Brahma-samhita said that if one starts on the chariot of air and makes progress on the speed of mind, still one cannot understand what is God.
- So long we are seated on the chariot of the untrained mind, unbridled mind, the mind will drag me to things which are nonpermanent. But my whole business is that I am permanent, I am eternal.
Conclusion
To find peace and permanence, one must disembark from the chariot of the mind. This means ceasing to identify with the flickering desires of the mental platform and instead identifying as the eternal spirit soul. By engaging the intelligence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the wild horses of the senses are tamed, and the journey of life becomes a controlled, joyful progression back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Chariot of the Mind. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.