Both mind and words are material products, therefore, even untiring efforts in their application are unable to approach transcendental topics. Hence, in the Vedas, Taittirīya Upaniṣad, 2.4.1, we find:

yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha

“’That is Brahman. If mind and words are searching for Him, they return unsuccessfully.’

Many a times we may use our mind in making spiritual decisions. 

Let us analyze the origin of MIND. 

1] Mind is a transformation of ahankara in the mode of goodness. That does not necessarily mean that it is in the mode of goodness. 

Goodness is connected to maintenance and mind’s primary purpose is to maintain our material existence. Intelligence comes from the combination of false ego and passion. Passion is connected with creation and intelligence’s primary purpose is to create newer and newer things for expanding our existence.

Therefore, the main business of the mind to maintain our conditioned state of existence. It doesn’t want to waver from that state and become a servant of Krishna. 

What about using MIND for searching or realizing Absolute Truth?

1] Mind is a product of matter. Some people reject Deity Worship and wish to meditate. They feel that by their meditation, they will cause the Lord to appear. But actually, if these people blame or charge the devotees on the name of idol worship which they refer consist of material elements, aren’t these people also using a “Material MIND” made up of the same material energy to focus on something higher? 

2] The inefficacy of MIND in realizing the Absolute truth is mentioned in this verse of Taittireya Upanishad which states that mind and words searching for the Lord will return unsuccessfully. 

By using our mental adjustments, we cannot realise God. Nor can we understand Him. 

There is a story of a girl who heard that whatever you strongly desire, it can be fulfilled if the desire is intense. This girl desired to make the sun rise at night. She went on a mountain-top at night and began to intensely meditate to make the sun rise. The sun rose only at dawn when it was supposed to. This girl, being frustrated came down and saw a pamphlet reading classes on BG by a Swami. She went to the temple a few months back, and Prabhupada was speaking. Prabhupada said in the same lecture, “You cannot make the sun rise, and similarly you cannot make God appear before you to answer your doubts!” Aprapya manasa saha. 

Actually, the mental state is not a happy state. It is a disturbed state of mind. Vyasa is inquiring to Narada if he is happy identifying with the body and mind as objects of self-realization.

Shrila Prabhupada writes, “One cannot be cheerful by nature unless one is factually seated in self-realization, which is transcendental to the material body and mind.” SB 1.5.2 P

So what is the solution? Are we not supposed to use our mind at all? After all, doesn’t the SB say – savai manah krishna padaravindayor. It also says, bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-‘bhirāmāt.

We don’t have to USE the Mind, we have to ENGAGE the Mind, and USE the Intelligence. 

Problem with us is that we USE the mind to make spiritual decisions and ENGAGE the intelligence in material things. Srila Prabhupada says famously in a letter – “we are supposed to use our intelligence to control our enjoying mentality but our problem is that we are habituated to enjoying intelligently”