== UNIQUE QUALITY OF HUMAN MIND ==
Namaskar,
By Baba's grace He has blessed us with a human mind that has a very
special quality. And it is this very quality that allows each and
everyone of us to achieve success in sadhana.
And what is that quality? Namely that, the mind will gradually adjust
with and develop affinity for anything in which it is involved.
That means that even if sadhana is difficult-- even if sadhana seems
impossible-- if one tries and perseveres just a little bit, then
gradually the mind will become quite adept at doing sadhana. In fact,
with just a little effort, the mind will become so immersed in sadhana
that it will not wish to do anything else.
Of course, the whole process can work in the opposite direction as well
if one is constantly submerged in crude affairs. So one must be careful
and pay heed to their mental occupation and daily activities.
Unfortunately, materialists do not at all understand this philosophy of
mind, but in AM, our entire philosophy revolves around this practical
science.
ENTIRE GIST OF OUR AM PHILOSOPHY
In innumerable discourses and throughout our entire AM ideology, Baba is
teaching us about the philosophy of mind: That mind is dynamic and it
must be channelised towards the spiritual realm.
Mano karoti karma'n'i mano lipyate pa'tako;
Manashca tanmana' buddhaya' na pun'yam' na ca pa'tako
Baba says, "It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or
liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage.
Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After
all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if
this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Purus'a, then it
gets totally merged in Consciousness." (NHNS-1)
So the main emphasis of our spiritual philosophy is to goad the mind
towards Him and then automatically one will reach the goal. One can find
this idea is nearly every AM discourse.
And verily the whole of 16 Points and all our life practices are geared
towards making the mind more subtle, spiritual, and devotional. Baba has
blessed us with this special way of living.
And He furthermore assures us that this plan-- this approach of goading
the mind towards higher pursuits-- will work, cent per cent, with each
and every human being, irregardless of their background.
Baba says, "If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed
in the thought of Parama Purus'a to the exclusion of all other thoughts,
then his mind becomes pointed." (NHNS-1)
IMPORTANCE OF THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING
So it is extremely important for each and every sadhaka to theoretically
understand how this science of mind works. Because doing sadhana in this
present era is not at all easy. But if one understands that if the mind
is goaded-- even a wee-bit-- towards the devotional sphere, then little
by little the mind will yearn to do sadhana.
That is why if one is having trouble in sadhana, one should not worry.
Only one should take this as a sign that they need to goad the mind a
little bit more towards that way of life. That means doing a few more
minutes of kiirtan, svadhyaya, mantra japa, etc, and then soon the mind
will adjust and move in that direction.
And side by side one must also understand that engaging in mundane
affairs or debased practices will obviously divert their mind farther
and farther away from sadhana.
So to gain success, one must have this theoretical understanding about
the philosophy of mind, then one can certainly move ahead.
And again the underlying idea is: The mind will learn to like whatever
it is engaged in, whether that thing is good or bad-- accordingly the
mind will adjust and flow in that direction.
A FEW REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
Suppose a new margii is immersed in mundane affairs like their job,
non-margii social relations, and various other non-spiritual pursuits,
but internally he wants to do sadhana. Then all he has to do is follow
the precepts of manan (thinking about Him), shravan (singing & listening
His name), and niddhidhyasana (ideating on Him) and then automatically
in a very short time that new margii will be infused with tremendous
speed in sadhana as the mind will like to do more and more sadhana.
And this will not just work with new margiis-- but with any Ananda
Margii, even one who has been on the path for 50 years.
Because the theory always applies universally that the mind will adjust
with whatever it is given to do. And if we involve in dhyana, japa,
kiirtan, satsaunga, prabhat samgiita, brahmacarya, and so many of our
other AM practices, then naturally the mind will swiftly move in that
direction-- towards that sublime ideal.
So there is hope for each and everyone-- and we should always be wary
not slip in the opposite direction either.
Because let's say there is an established margii who is involved in
sadhana but little by little starts engaging in more and more mundane
affairs like his business, or crude games, or excess gossip, or useless
email conversations etc, then the mind will steadily drift away from
sadhana until finally that sadhaka will lose their spiritual flow
entirely. In fact, I can see in my own life how that has happened so
everyone should pay heed and be adamant in this regard.
This philosophy of mind is so powerful that if even an ideal man starts
associating with winos and drunks then over time he himself will start
to yearn for their company and begin swigging from the bottle.
Because mind will always run after and learn to like whatever activity
in which it is engaged. That is the whole
story.
PRACTICALLY APPLYING THIS TO OUR SADHANA
Thus as sadhakas living in this crude era, we should make a strict
sadhana routine & devotional program and stick to that. We should make a
sadhana quota whereby we do all our lessons two times daily as well as
involve in Guru Sakash, proper ideation before sleep, and as much
shravan, manan, niddhidhyasana as we can during the day.
Verily we should spiritualise the mind each and every moment of our
lives through constant japa and ideation. By this way we can and will
expedite our movement on the path-- making sadhana an effortless and
blissful love affair.
We should utilise this philosophy of mind to our maximum advantage.
MATERIALISTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND
Truly we are fortunate and blessed to be aware about all this, because
in non-margii life the people think that their mental tendencies or
liking is not at all related with any philosophy. Just in their
simplistic outlook they think they like something because they were born
with that liking.
They do not at all realise that the mind is dynamic and that it can go
up or down depending on one's physical and mental engagement.
Rather non-sadhakas think that whatever they like is fixed and
permanent-- such as their attachment to meat-eating, pop music, sexual
relations etc. They think that these are part of their permanent way of
living and that they will like these things forever and ever.
But with just a little reflection anyone can see how their liking
changes according to the status of mind. Which is why no grown adult
likes to pass their days playing in the sandbox, even though when they
were 6 of 7 years of age playing in the sandbox was the greatest thing.
Indeed, one's liking is so flexible and so changeable, one can even
learn to like something that they do not like. One may move to Tangiers
and totally dislike the place but then after being there for 5 years one
may come to realise that Tangiers is now their favourite place, and when
their job gets transferred to Venice, they may be angry and upset that
they have to leave Tangiers.
Such is the way the mind works. As sadhakas we understand this and
should use it to our advantage. And side by side we should teach this
idea to non-margiis so they can also grow and develop.
ALERT!! WARNING!! BEWARE!!
Let us never forget that each and every human being has come from past
animal lives so those old, crude propensities are still in effect-- to
some or more degree. And people are well familiar with those crude
enjoyments. That is why it all so easy and quite common for the masses
to move in this negative direction-- i.e. negative pratisaincara. And
the mind will learn to like that making one's descent very swift and harsh.
But as sadhakas we must never fall prey to such degradation-- rather we
are to keep ourselves moving in the sentient flow and pull others in
that current as well.
SUMMARY
By this entire theory & topic, we should understand that the human mind
has a unique & special quality; as sadhakas we generally want to do
sadhana and reach the goal, but sometimes the mind does not like to
cooperate. In that case even then must try and bring mind in a more
spiritual flow by doing svadhaya, japa, kiirtan, and dhyana etc. Because
whether mind likes all this or not, gradually the mind will adjust and
learn to like it-- thereby accelerating one's movement on the path.
BABA'S BLESSING
By His grace, as margiis we have the theoretical understanding as well
as the practices to get success and reach the goal whereas crude people
will become one with matter.
Baba says, "Human beings should not be anxious under any circumstances,
Parama Purus'a is always with everyone. If one has love for Parama
Purus'a, the door of liberation or salvation will immediately open." (16
May 1980, Varanasi)
Namaskar,
Manjiit
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