When one is really free from thoughts he becomes free from the mind as both are one and the same thing. One comes to see and understand the illusiveness of the mind. When the clouds hide the sun， it is still there， beyond the clouds. Our Essence， our inner Self， is always here. We only need to remove the sheets and covers that envelope it in order to experience peace and calmness. These sheets and covers are our thoughts， ideas， habits and beliefs. I do not mean to tell you that you have to stop using your mind. You need it in order to carry on your life. I mean that it has to be under the control of the Self. It should be your servant to serve you right， and not your master.
Advice for Attaining Serenity of Mind
You don’t have to feel uncomfortable with words such as Self， Inner Self Essence， Universal Consciousness etc. They may now seem to you meaningless “high” words， but they are not. They symbolize something very real， not hazy concepts. Concentration and meditation make these words meaningful. Advancing on the spiritual path is not something hazy， imaginative and unpractical as some may imagine. By personal experience you will come to really know what I mean.
Everyone can learn a new language， but not everyone can reach the same level of expertise. Everyone can engage in bodybuilding， painting or writing， but each will reach a different level. It depends on the inner aptitude， the earnestness， and the time devoted to this activity. Yet， everyone can benefit from these activities. So it is with training towards freedom from thoughts.
Try to calm your mind when you feel agitated. Take a step back in your mind and watch it. This has the tendency to calm and relax the mind. Develop concentration power and meditate. All these actions calm the mind and make it serene.
Following the suggestions and using the techniques mentioned above will start you on a marvelous journey. Practice， read articles and books on the subject and persevere in your training. One day you may meet someone who may teach you personally， as the saying goes： “When the student is ready， the teacher appears.”