Multiple revised English-language editions have been published, and translations have also appeared in several other European and Asian languages.

This earlier book had briefly described the importance of training the mind as a key part of meditation.

"[17]: 7  And so, he explains, In this book I present the art of training the mind how to respond to life's challenges, drawing on almost thirty years of teaching meditation to an American audience.

I have written for those who want to understand not only how the mind works, but also how it can be changed - which means, in this context, those who are interested in the actual practice of meditation.

"[17]: 16–17 Dhammapada Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads Gandhi the Man Nonviolent Soldier of Islam Essence of the Upanishads Essence of the Dhammapada Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living Original Goodness Love Never Faileth Seeing with the Eyes of Love Passage Meditation Mantram Handbook Conquest of Mind Strength in the Storm, others God Makes the Rivers to Flow Timeless Wisdom Words to Live By Each US edition of Conquest of Mind begins with an introduction.

"If you want to become a tennis champion, you don't take lessons from Vic Braden and Nick Bollettieri at the same time; they have utterly different approaches to the game.

2) describes Easwaran's method of meditating on a passage, its benefits for being present-focused, and for reacting to other people freely, rather than compulsively.

3) urges readers to think of the various parts of their week, such as home and work, as exercise stations that each provide a special opportunity to train the mind, and reduce egoism.

They compare mental skill to swimming, and the mind to a lake; Describe strategies usable throughout the day for deepen meditation; Present examples of the "thousands of little occasions [on which] the mind is taught to be calm and kind: not instantaneously... but in the ordinary choices of the day";[17]: 78  and describe techniques for allying ourselves with an "upward drive to evolve into spiritual beings,"[17]: 87  rather than with past conditioning in narrow, selfish pursuits.

[19] They are titled Determination, Detachment, and Discrimination, and describe tools and opportunities for developing each of these qualities, drawing on examples that range from Easwaran's own life to Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Jacob Boehme, Mahatma Gandhi, Meister Eckhart, Charles Dickens, and space exploration.

The reviewer, N. C. Ramanujachary, wrote that Easwaran "draws many ideas from the Buddha, throughout the book, but carefully analyses and establishes the continued relevance of his teachings.

"[11] Ramanujachary stated that The book is the outcome of [Easwaran's] long experience of teaching the young and modern minds...

"[12] He stated that The [book's] discussion is partly philosophical, an informal commentary on the history of lucid ideas and spirituality, and partly practical, a briefing on the disciplines of centering and concentrating the mind, as in meditation, but also in the simple matters of not losing one's train of thought amidst all the distractions of daily life.

[12] To St. Pierre, "The paradox in Easwaran's discussion is that, to avoid giving over the mind to the world, one must... transcend the way of thinking that is given over to the world and start thinking for oneself, and in the company of Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, the Buddha, Sri Krishna, the Sufi mystic Jalaluddin Rumi, and many others.