The Bhagavad Gita (“Song of God”) is among the most important texts of Hinduism and easily the best known. Here’s an encouraging verse that talk’s about slaying the desires of the mind.
Passage
It is desire, it is wrath, begotten by the quality of mobility ; all-consuming, all-polluting, know thou this as our foe here on earth.
As a flame is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo is wrapped by the amnion, so This l is enveloped by it.
Enveloped is wisdom by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire, which is insatiable as a flame.
The senses, the mind and the Reason are said to be its seat ; by these, enveloping wisdom, it bewilders the dweller in the body.
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, mastering first the senses, do thou slay this thing of sin, destructive of wisdom and knowledge.
It is said that the senses are great ; greater than the senses is the mind ; greater than the mind is the Reason ; but what is greater than the Reason, is HE.
Thus understanding Him as greater than the Reason, restraining the self by the SELF, slay thou, O mightyarmed, the enemy in the form of desire, difficult to over- come.
Annie Basant, Bhagvan Das. Bhagavat Gita. Theosophical Publishing Society, 1905.
