| CATEGORY | MIND CONTROL |
| SUB CATEGORY | MIND |
| How to steady a wavering mind? |
| Be good, see good, hear good, talk good and do good. The basis for such discipline is to think good which entails the control of mind. You must perform all actions as offering to God. Meditation on God is one of the steps for achieving steadiness of mind. Concentration is needed for every action such as walking on road, talking, reading, etc. You must concentrate with single minded devotion on God. Performing work as worship is also tantamount to meditation. When you have the feeling of divinity in you, you will not think, see, hear, talk bad or do any evil. Divine Discourse 18 July 1997 |
| What is mind? |
| You should be careful to use your mind in the right direction. Just as a piece of cloth is a bundle of threads, mind is a bundle of thoughts. If threads are removed there is no cloth. When you remove the thoughts there is no mind and no worry. I often point out that you are not one but three persons in one. The one that you think you are–at the physical (body) plane; the one others think you are–mind; the one you really are–Aathma. Divine Discourse 18 July 1997 |
| What is the relation between a healthy mind and healthy body? |
| Whatever influences the mind affects the body also. But unaware of this profound truth, man attributes all ills to the body and not the mind. Most ailments are really mental and not physical. Because of this we witness a wide prevalence of psychic disorders. We find that mental illness are on the increase all over the world. The reason is that there is too much of mental tension and worry. Divine Discourse 7 Oct 1997 |
| What are the six vices of the mind? |
| The mind is subject to varying moods–sorrow or joy anger or fear, love or hate. For all the diseases arising from the mind the basic causes are two-Raga and Dhvesha (attachment and aversion). The mind is filled with these twofold feelings. Consequently, it tends to forget its basic human nature. The mind in this state considers the six basic enemies of man—lust, hatred, delusion, greed, envy and pride—as virtues. These six vices can poison a person’s entire being. He then forgets his inherent divinity and ceases to be human. He is a victim of infamy. But a person filled with good feelings enjoys peace and happiness. Divine Discourse 7 Oct 1997 |
| What are the three evils that dominate the mind? |
| Men today are dominated by three evil qualities: anger, hatred, and envy. These three qualities poison the mind of man. Consequently, every action of man gets poisoned. Every word he utters is venomous. All actions done by the promptings of the mind are tainted. All sensory actions are equally polluted. To transform these evil thoughts and actions into good ones, it is necessary to infuse love into all thoughts and actions. When the mind is filled with Love, all actions get suffused with Love. Divine Discourse 25 Dec 1997 |
| What is the root cause of troubles, sorrows, and worries? |
| Ego and attachment are the cause. Attachments, happiness, sadness —all arise in the mind. The mind and intellect are the instruments. It is through these instruments that we get the experience of everything. The instruments are the cause of our problems. If we remove these instruments, we can experience the bliss of the Atma. Divine Discourse 25 Dec 1997 |
| What is the inherent difference between an optimistic and a pessimistic person? |
| Pessimism and optimism both depend on vision or attitude (drishti). The two are closely related. Hopelessness arises out of faulty vision. The optimist and the pessimist walk on the same path. The optimist looks up and sees the sky and the stars whereas the pessimist looks down and sees pits. Both are walking on the same road. But there is difference in their vision and their points of view. Change your vision and see everything as God. Understand the difference between vision and spectacles. We see colours with our natural vision. With blue-coloured spectacles, everything appears blue, but we cannot blame the spectacles. When you see the world with the spectacles of love, the entire world will appear to be full of love. Everything turns into love. Spectacles cover the eyes but do not obstruct the vision. God is full of love. When you wear the spectacles of love, you see the correct colour and get the complete view. When the mind and intellect are proper, vision will be good. Divine Discourse 26 April 1997 |