"The mind" is the neurologically mediated system of behavioral investment. It computes the animal's expenditure of energy on a cost-benefit ratio that is built both phylogenetically and ontogenetically. Speaking very broadly, there are four basic levels of computational control. The first level is reflex based and the least flexible. The second is operant conditioning. The third is 'higher cognitive' (aka thinking), which allows for mental manipulation of animal environment relationships. Finally, there is symbolic thought, present in humans.
