"Don't get it wrong, the mind is great. But like a hyper, over friendly dog that get's into everything, get's spit all over you, and never leaves you alone; it needs a master. Be master to your mind, not a servant. Make it lie down and shut up, every once in a while."...... I agree with your assessment of mind and that it has its place. I also agree that it's what gets in the way of truth - when mind drops away truth can be seen/realized. But the problem with trying to "master the mind" is that that just keeps mind going. Who is it that would "master" anything? Who is that entity? In other words, who am "I" really? Can you find the "I" to be anything other than a bundle of thoughts that are identified with? When it's seen that the "I" is basically an illusory mind made entity there is the chance for identification with it to drop away. That's when mind gets quiet all on its own and truth is revealed. But there is no way to "master the mind" and make it shut up, only to see that mind is not what "you" are. That "seeing" comes from one's true essence, awareness. There is shift of identification away from the "I"/mind and a realization that "YOU" are the witnessing awareness OF the mind. That makes all the difference in how life is experienced and lived.