Company of Spiritual Person
Without being impressed with a clear idea of the nature of the mind, you cannot bridle it. A sublime thought checks the mind and a base idea excites it. It is necessary for a man to keep company with spiritual person and to avoid the company of the dregs of society.
Company of spiritual persons and good environments play a tremendous part in the elevation of the mind. Satsanga helps a long way in the attainment of Liberation. It thoroughly overhauls the mind and changes the current and its Rajasic (passionate) nature. It removes the old materialistic Impressions and fills the mind with Pure Impression.
Annihilate this mind of Ignorance through the power of constant association with wise men (Satsanga). In the absence of positive good company, have negative good company of books written by realized persons and books dealing with spiritual knowledge. Study of inspiring books helps spiritual practice but too much study brings about muddy condition of the brain. When you come down from meditation, you can study occasionally for a short time. This will elevate the mind. If you are in the company of Renounced person, if you read books on Yoga, etc., a mental adhesion takes place in the mind for attaining God-consciousness.
Annihilate Thoughts
The ideas of differentiation of this person or that person or “I” or “thou” or of this or that object do pertain to the mind only. Put an end to the mind with the sword of non-thought. Kill the soldiers one by one when they emerge out of the fort. Eventually you can get hold of the fortress. Even so, destroy every thought one by one as it arises in the mind. Eventually you can conquer the mind.
If you can do the extinction of all sorts of imaginations, thoughts like thick clouds that are dispersed through stormy gales, the mind will get absorbed into the Source, Chit (Absolute Consciousness). Then you will be free from all sorts of tribulations and worries and miseries. Then only you will have perennial happiness and the wealth of Liberation.
Mind is Maya (Delusion). If the mind runs towards the sensual objects wildly, Maya takes a stronghold of the man. Maya havoc’s through the mind. This lower impulsive mind drags you down in all kinds of petty sensual enjoyments and deludes you in a variety of ways. Maya, through her power, raises millions of thoughts in the mind. The Embodied Soul becomes a prey to the thoughts.
This lower Mind cannot approach those who have a strong Viveka (power of discrimination) between Sat and Asat (the real and the unreal). Maya is very easy to be detected and Self to be realized by men who possess discrimination and strong determination. Through these powers, viz., Viveka and will, it can be controlled. Slay the lower mind, the enemy of Soul through the higher and pure mind. Use your Self Inquiry, Viveka and pure reason constantly when objects trouble you, delude you. After reason has dispersed the darkness of the illusions of sense which cover the mind, it still returns to those things which are deceitful as the appearance of water on sandy deserts. Again and again, exercise your reason till you are established in knowledge. The power of Ignorance is great, indeed. Renounce desires; renounce thoughts of objects. Cultivate Vairagya (dispassion). Give up this little false “I.” All the thoughts encircle and envelop this “I.” Do not pay much heed to the body. Think of the body and its wants as little as possible.
Have no thought. The fluctuating mind will die by itself. It will melt in Brahman. Then you will have the Beatific vision of Soul. When the mind dies, “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “this,” “that,” time, space, lives, world, all will dwindle into nothing. Idea of inside and outside will vanish. There will be only one experience of the One, the indivisible which is all-full. All the doubts and delusions will disappear through the Knowledge in the heart.
Reference
Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda
No comments:
Post a Comment