D.: How to control the mind?
M.: What is mind? Whose is the mind?
D.: Mind always wanders. I cannot control it.
M.: It is the nature of the mind to wander. You are not the mind. The mind springs up and sinks down. It is impermanent, transitory, whereas you are eternal. There is nothing but the Self. To inhere in the Self is the thing. Never mind the mind. If its source is sought, it will vanish leaving the Self unaffected.
D.: So one need not seek to control the mind?
M.: There is no mind to control if you realise the Self. The mind vanishing, the Self shines forth. In the realised man the mind may be active or inactive, the Self alone remains for him. For the mind, the body and the world are not separate from the Self. They rise from and sink into the Self. They do not remain apart from the Self. Can they be different from the Self? Only be aware of the Self. Why worry about these shadows? How do they affect the Self?
Dear i, therefore, all our attention and focus ought not to be made towards controlling the mind, but instead, turn it within, seeking the source of that which has emerged and which puts forth these questions, how to control mind, etc...
The mind can never be controlled, to control the mind would be like controlling the traffic in the chaotic roads, never really possible, even if we do control, it would only be temporary, but, the best direct way, is as what is revealed by Bhagavan. A little effort is necessary, attention, constant awareness of the truth, is what is required.
Let the thoughts that come out, wander and move about as vapor, what matters? Let these thoughts move about like traffic, vehicles, in the road before us, being disinterested in those movements, Never Minding it all, looking within, the source of the 'i' thought and thereafter, looking ever further within the source of the first 'i' thought is the way as revealed by Bhagavan.
The goals is never to control the mind, however, one can use preliminaries like Pranayama if the mind is very turbulent, in Ramana Gita Bhagavan says, Inhalation, Exhalation, Retention in the ratio of 1:1:4 helps, or carefully observing the breath rhythm also helps to quieten the mind, so that you can enquire the source.
The goal is always to abide as Self. The more we abide as Self, that long the mind is peaceful - that means, mind itself, at its absolute peace is itself Self. There is nothing like mind apart from Self. Forgefulness of Self is only Mind. Therefore, remember, constant awareness, abidance as Self itself, is annihilation of Mind.
Salutations to Bhagavan