Chapter VIII
Continuing with the efficacy of Namasmarana
in taming mind, dear Lord writes,
Stick to the task of taming the mind
The value of
name and form consists in the training that they give to the mind (manas). What need is there to train a horse that has already been
trained? It is the untrained horse that is “broken” through many devices.
Similarly, it is to tame the unruly mind that we have prayer, devotional
singing, repetition of the name, and remembrance of the name.
In the
initial stages, the horse runs in many directions, but the trainer does not
worry. He should hold fast to the reins. The mind, too, naturally runs in
different directions when you begin remembrance and repetition of the name, but
you must not yield to despair, anxiety, or indecision.
Hold fast to
the reins, the name (nama)! Within a short time, your speech and thoughts will come under
your own grip. Only, do not allow anything to come near you that might make you
forget the name of the Lord. You will realise the profit of that name in due
course.
Do not crave
the fruit the moment the sapling is planted! Do not pluck and chew the leaves
and the twigs in the hope of inferring therefrom the taste of the fruit! Doing
that does not help you enjoy the sweetness of the fruit; besides, the plant
itself will not survive.
Similarly,
your task is simply to cultivate the sapling called name of God (nama). While doing so, do not doubt and examine whether it has the
glory ascribed to it. Without fail, that sapling will grow into a tree and give
you the fruit you hope to eat. You can achieve it.
The name is
capable of yielding that fruit. So, the purpose of one pointed attention (ekagratha) is to make you stick to the name, without altering it, and to
keep its form always in sight. The net of “remembrance of the Lord’s name (nama-smarana)” should have no torn holes; that is to say, it
must take place always, with no intermission. If there is any gap, the fruit
that falls into the net might escape through it! Perform meditation until your
mind comes firmly under your control. That is the primary task.
Since the
mother is following it and calling it back, it gets courage and confidence to
run forward in any direction, but if the mother does not run behind the child
and instead retraces her steps quietly, the child too, of its own accord, will
run back to the mother!
Do not care
for the vagaries of the mind. Carry on remembrance and meditation of the name
and form that you like best, in the manner you are accustomed to. In this way,
you will acquire one-pointedness (ekagratha); you will realise your heart’s desire.”
Introspection
An incident
narrated by a student immediately flashes in mind even as the author reads the
above message of Swami.
Here is that
student, who is very studious, very much into prayers, very pious by nature and
in a phase in his student’s life in Parthi, unwanted thoughts keep cropping up
and he is just not able to control it.
So much so
that such thoughts haunt him even while he sits on the verandah (or portico as
students refer to), even when Swami is coming out from His home (above Bhajan
mandir).
Unable to
cope up with such unholy thoughts, the student shares what is going on within
his mind to which, Swami replies thus:
“So what??
The nature of mind is to travel here and there, that too, this age is like
that, it is natural for the mind to travel in all bad directions.
No need to
feel bad about it, just watch your mind and just take care of one thing.
Wherever your mind pulls you and pushes you for any action accordingly, JUST
DON’T ACT.
While
walking in street in pure white dress, it is not unusual to come across
untidy, muddy, dirty spots with water logging. What do you do?? You watch it
but you don’t get into it, you somehow manage to pull your trousers up, take
the shoes in your hand if necessary and escape the dirt from affecting your
white dress. Don’t you do it??”
Through the
story, Swami teaches us, even if it is difficult to master our mind in initial
stages of our sadhana, we should not ACT as per the dictate of our mind and
instead, pass all such thoughts through our intellect, as taught in the MBCA
session.
Also, Swami
gives the moola mantra - if your mind is the horse which wants to run here and
there, hold the reins in your hand and Swami prescribes “Nama” or “Namasmarana”
as the reins to be kept in our hands, to prevent the horse, our mind, from
going astray.
Swami leaves
us with most important instruction in today’s Dhyana vahini post, which should
be followed by every Sai devotee fully.
“The net of “remembrance of the Lord’s name (namasmarana)” should
have no torn holes; that is to say, it must take place always, with no
intermission. If there is any gap, the fruit that falls into the net might
escape through it!”
In Navavidha
Bhakti, Kirtanam and Vishnu smaranam are very important stages where,
singing the glory of Lord and remembering the glory of Lord have to be
incessant, non-stop!!!!!
Love.
