THE VISION, July 2024, Vol 91, Issue 10:

 

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Beloved Readers,

Mind, as we all know, is the pivotal faculty that activates many vital functions of our very existence: thinking, feeling, sensing, imagining, analysing, perceiving and remembering. Yet, it remains elusive and incomprehensible because we rely on the mind itself to understand what the mind is or how it works.

Mind is indeed one great bequest of the Infinite Power to every individual being. The mind is like an ever-fertile seedbed from which all our thoughts and feelings sprout from time to time. As we think, so we become. The mind is the seat of emotions of the higher order as well as passions of the lower nature.

Is the mind our master or our servant? Or both? Our mind, as well as our body, are potent instruments that can be used either for selfish or selfless causes. In self-centred pursuits, we narrow down to our baser instincts and an ignoble existence. However, when anchored in a universal vision and aimed at higher principles, our life becomes expansive, with full awareness of who we are and why we are here in this world. Remember: the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.

This month’s issue of THE VISION touches upon various aspects of the mind through the words of several Masters.

— EDITOR

AS WE SCROLL DOWN...

1. ‘The Need Of Self-Control’ — is essential, explains Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas, because a person's success in life can be measured by his/her ability to live a life of sacrifice and service, which requires a thorough control of the mind. Control can come only by a prolonged and systematic self-discipline, enabling the person to spread light and joy to others, revealing the innate Divine nature.
2. ‘Mind And Its Control’ — explains Pujya Mataji Krishnabai, can be achieved when we try to associate every person, object and situation with Him.
3. ‘Divine Name Calms The Mind’ — says Pujya Swami Satchidanandaji, because a mind in turmoil finds it difficult to face the battle of life. A calm mind alone can think properly and arrive at the right decision. So the solution is the chanting of God’s Name. 
4. ‘Editor Answers’ — how the mind can be moulded into an asset.
5. ‘Train The Mind To Be Creative’ — urges Bas Korsten, by engaging with nature, meditating, walking or exercising and connecting with a variety of people.
6. 'One-Pointedness Of Mind' — elucidates Acharya Vinoba Bhave, is the key to success with respect to every work that we do; and spirituality is nothing but purification of these so-called worldly activities.
7. 'Words To Inspire' — of Swami Vivekananda reveal that everything we learn and know is really what we discover from the infinite library of the universe in our own mind.
8. 'Dear Children' — in the ensuing story reveals the difference between reacting and responding to situations. We should ensure that we do not react to situations in life, but respond to them. 
9. ‘Learning From The School Of Life’ — that God creates everything with potential to be much more than it is at any one moment. 
10. ‘Homage To Luminaries’ — whose grace aids the flowering of a Sadhaka.
11. ‘Epistles Of Swami Ramdas’ — reminds us to behold the play of Anand — Bliss — in all movements of our mind and activities of our body. 
12. ‘In Memoriam’
13. ‘Anandashram News’
    • ‘15,500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna For World Peace’
    • ‘3-Day Workshop With Teachers In Wayanad’
14. ‘Book In Focus’: ‘PASSAGE TO DIVINITY’.
15. 'Guru Never Dies' — explains Pujya Swami Chidanandaji, because he lives in the disciple in the form of his idealism, his ideas, his vision, his attitudes, his sense of values. Hence the disciple should be an epitome of the  Guru's teachings and ideals.
16. ‘Thought For The Month’
17. ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.

THE NEED OF SELF-CONTROL

By Swami Ramdas

Man’s success in life can be measured only by his living a life of sacrifice and service which requires a thorough control of the mind which, when undisciplined, drags him down into the darkness of ignorance and ruin. Whereas a man who keeps his mind and senses under perfect control, and permits the inherent and latent Divine forces to express themselves in him, will be a great power that diffuses light and joy to all people who come into contact with him. 

When once the mind is conquered, all things become easy. To give the right turn to the mind requires an adequate control over it. Control can come only by a prolonged and systematic self-discipline. Many people who read these lines would exclaim: “O! The path of discipline is not meant for all, especially for those who live and mix in the world and are incapable of binding themselves to any mode of spiritual discipline.” This is a wrong impression. If man would only cast a retrospective thought on the time he spent in the whole day, he would certainly see that much of the precious hours have been wantonly wasted which he could have utilised for self-control. In short, life is intended for self-control and the realisation of the Godly being that he is.

MIND AND ITS CONTROL

By Mataji Krishnabai

In 1929 I went to Param Pujya Papa at Kasaragod Ashram for initiation, which Papa so graciously gave. Papa advised me to repeat the Mantra day and night and thereby attain the peace I hankered after.  Accordingly, I started chanting the Mantra. Soon, I found that I was unable to concentrate fully upon the Mantra, as often my mind wandered from one object to another, in spite of my best efforts to control it. One day, I told Papa all about this and began to weep as well. At this, Papa remarked,  “What is there to worry or weep about? To wander is the very nature of the mind. Let it roam wherever it likes but consider all that as Ram Himself. Pray incessantly to Ram to reveal Himself in your heart.  Ram is Eternal. Ram is infinite. All beings and things evolve from Ram, move in Ram and dissolve in Ram.  So wherever the mind goes, it will find Ram and Ram alone, as everything is Ram, and will thus be tired and quietened. Also, consider the service that you do to anybody as Ram’s service and worship of Ram. This practice will easily enable you to realise your oneness with the Universal Being — Ram.”

DIVINE NAME CALMS THE MIND

By Swami Satchidananda

It will be observed that most of the problems of an individual arise because of the disturbed state of mind. A mind in turmoil finds it difficult to face the battle of life successfully. A calm and cool mind alone can think properly and arrive at the right decision. So the solution is to make the mind calm. The way suggested is the chanting of God’s Name. 

Only when human efforts fail and force us to succumb to the trying conditions, we realise that we should not depend upon mundane things for real and everlasting happiness but should invoke Divine intervention by catching hold of the Lord’s feet. To get at His lotus feet and hold on to them, the easiest way is to chant His holy and all-powerful Name as much as possible with all love and devotion and with a prayer coming from the bottom of the heart to intervene in the matter and save us from the perilous predicament. Sincere prayers are sure to be answered.  

This practice will also give us the experience that communing with God as often as possible and ultimately without break is the only way to live peacefully and happily making life flow smoothly,  by being conscious of God’s eternal presence.

EDITOR ANSWERS

Question: Usually, we always blame the mind for its fickleness, how can we make it an asset for our spiritual progress?

Answer: When God gave us this life, He also blessed us with a powerful tool called the mind; therefore, we are human beings, not animals. Since God has provided us with such a precious tool, let us make use of it to become true human beings. How can this be done? A little reflection will reveal that the mind, when dealt with correctly, can be conditioned to do everything we want it to do. This, of course, depends on our approach to it, our recognition of its value, its true place in our lives, and its significant role in our spiritual endeavour to attain liberation for our highest good. 

All creature comforts that make our life comfortable have come from the intelligence working its way through the mind. What prevents us from recognising this truth are negative tendencies, wrong priorities, idleness, and so on. Instead, let us keep the mind occupied with positive and creative thoughts, ensure it has good company, and continue asserting that the mind has been our best friend. This will pave the way to nurture the mind in a positive manner and make it an asset.

TRAIN THE MIND TO BE CREATIVE

By Bas Korsten

Creativity has to be honed. Here are a few ways to do that: engage with nature, meditate, get moving and connect with different kinds of people. Your brain needs fuel, and it needs to be stretched to create those “OMG!” moments on demand. 

Engage with nature: Spending time in nature makes us more creative. Looking at trees and leaves — instead of our electronic devices — reduces our anxiety, lowers our heart rates, soothes us, and allows our brains to make connections more easily.

Meditate: It clears our mind and gives it the space to observe and reflect, improving concentration and enhancing our ability to make smart decisions. When we intentionally pause in awareness, we allow our mind the freedom and space to be still and creative.

Get moving: Moving around has been linked to increased performance on creative tests. Exercising releases endorphins, chemicals produced by our bodies to relieve stress and pain. When we are less stressed, our brains venture into fruitful territories.

Connect with different kinds of people: Diversity makes the brain work harder by challenging stereotypes. Exposure to diverse experiences fosters the development of more complex forms of thought, including the ability to think critically.

Source: //hbr.org/

ONE-POINTEDNESS OF MIND

By Acharya Vinoba Bhave

The Yoga of meditation consists chiefly of three important components: (i) one-pointedness of mind; (ii) moderation and regulation in life to help attain one-pointedness; (iii) equanimity and evenness in outlook. A true spiritual quest is not possible without these three things. There are two means to achieve these three — Abhyasa (constant practice) and Vairagya (non-attachment). 

One-pointedness of mind is indispensable for any work. Even in worldly affairs, one needs concentration. It is not that the qualities needed for worldly success are different from those needed for spiritual progress. Spirituality means nothing but purification of worldly life. Business, scientific research, politics, diplomacy — in fact, take any activity, concentration of mind is the key to success. It is said of Napoleon that after chalking out the strategy and deploying the troops on the battlefield, he would lose himself in solving mathematical problems. Amidst heavy shelling and dying soldiers, he would sit absorbed in those problems. I am not suggesting that Napoleon’s concentration was of the highest degree; one can give examples of even higher concentration. I just want to draw your attention to the level of his concentration.

Source: Talks On The Gita 

WORDS TO INSPIRE

“No knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man ‘knows’, what a man ‘learns’ is really what he ‘discovers’, by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in your own mind.” 

— Swami Vivekananda

DEAR CHILDREN

At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming. With a panic-stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious and everyone in her group also got panicky. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away, but it landed on another lady in the group. Now, it was the other lady’s turn to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing the cockroach, it next fell on the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the cockroach on his shirt. Then he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering: was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behaviour? If so, then why was the waiter calm? It was not the cockroach, but the inability of those ladies to handle the disturbance that disturbed them. More than the problem, it is my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life. I understood I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought out. 

LEARNING FROM THE SCHOOL OF LIFE

Unveiling The Inherent Human Values From Frequently Used Articles

“God created everything with potential, including you. He placed the seed of each thing within itself and planted within each person or thing He created the ability to be much more than it is at any one moment.” — Genesis

Here are a couple of examples:

t Fire:

It has great potential; it can create conflagration or just light an incense stick. An undisturbed flame can even help us concentrate. Similarly, our mind has great potential, if it is one-pointed it can execute marvels; whereas when it is disturbed, it can completely destroy the peace within.

***

t Candle:

It consumes itself in giving light to others. It reminds us that our life too can fulfil itself by being useful to those whom we come into contact with.

HOMAGE TO LUMINARIES

Saints are called ‘awakeners’, whose grace works on the Sadhakas like the sunlight on the lotus bud which blossoms into a fragrant and beautiful flower. Hence, this month too, we pay our reverential homage to two more saints. 

t 12th July 2024 is Revered Dada JP Vaswani’s 6th Mahasamadhi Day: 

He always stressed, “There is a meaning of mercy in everything that happens to us. For, God is all-love. He is all-wisdom. He is too loving to punish, too wise to make a mistake. Whatever happens in the Divine Providence happens for our own good. Nothing happens a moment too early or too late… Let us never forget that all is well, all was well, all will be well both tomorrow and a hundred years hence.”

***

t 21st July 2024 is the 104th Mahasamadhi Day of Holy Mother, Sri Sharada Devi: 

She always emphasised, “If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.”

EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS

Beloved Ram,

Behold in all movements of your mind and in all activities of your body nothing but the play of Anand. Joy and grief, pain and loss, success and failure, virtue and sin are all mind-made. Supreme, everlasting joy is the only Reality. Realise that you are the blissful Atman — motion in external work, rest in the inner calmness of the Spirit. The Atman is the cosmic soul and your action belongs to the cosmic activity. Your physical body is but an instrument of the Divine. Let His power work through you, as He wills, unhampered by the ego-sense. Yours is to enjoy immortal joy, by complete surrender. Doubt not, fear not, worry not. Realise that He and His infinite power within you guide you, control you, and actuate you to do all things at all times. Rise above the conditioned conception of things, i.e., rise above the Gunas and Dwandwas. 

Repetition of the holy Mantram purifies the mind. Satsang elevates you and grants you the right knowledge. Last comes Guru Kripa; the awareness of it makes you realise that you are the embodiment of an Eternal Existence, full of bliss and peace….

IN MEMORIAM

Smt Jaymani Amma (aged 76), a devotee of the Ashram from Madurai and the mother of Smt Amuthashanthy of Thyagam Women’s Trust, was called by Papa on 6th May 2024. We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the departed soul for eternal rest and peace at His lotus feet.

ANANDASHRAM NEWS

15500-CRORE NAMA JAPA YAGNA FOR WORLD PEACE:

The total Japa received in the fourth round of the 15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna for World Peace in the month of May 2024 is 210 crores, chanted by 184472 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 2430 crores.

3-DAY WORKSHOP WITH TEACHERS IN WAYANAD:

Sri Thomas, the Founder of Anns English Medium School, firmly believes in the importance of blending humaneness with academic excellence. He is a perennial source of inspiration to the teachers, parents and students of the school. 

On these lines, VITAL interactive sessions are conducted every year for the school’s 60+ teachers. The 3-day workshop for this year was held from the 22nd to the 24th of May 2024 which revealed how deeply committed the teachers are.

BOOK IN FOCUS

'Passage To Divinity'

This account of Swami Ramdas’ early life, authored by Sri B Chandrasekhar, portrays his intense spiritual struggles and unwavering commitment to his Sadhana. 

What distinguishes this narrative is its unique perspective from a close family member of Swami Ramdas, offering intimate insights into his transformation. It emphasizes Swami Ramdas’ all-encompassing renunciation, which extended beyond personal boundaries to embrace all existence.

Available in English, Telugu.

GURU NEVER DIES

By Swami Chidananda

“The Guru never dies because he lives in the disciple. That he may so live, he spends his life entering into the disciple in the form of his idealism, his ideas, his vision, his attitudes, his sense of values. His aim and objective for living is to ceaselessly and continuously strive and work so that he may live forever in and through each and every one of his disciples. The bright light of a candle never ceases to shine once its flame has lighted another candle. It itself may be snuffed out, but it is already burning brightly upon another candle through another wick — the self-same light.

Ponder this well! You are the being through whom the Guru lives. This is an honour. This is a privilege. This is a great good fortune. It is also a responsibility; it is a duty; it is a truth to be known and kept in mind always: “I must be what the Guru has taught me to be. I must be what the Guru was”.

You must make the vibrant spirituality of the Guru live within you, the sublime idealism of the Guru live within you, the spiritual teachings of the Guru live within you. His loftiness and character and conduct should live within you. His Divine nature and the Divine way he lived his life should be relived in you. Looking at you, the world should understand the Divinity of your Guru.”

If you revere some being, you would also wish to carry out his instructions and orders, to walk the way that he wants you to walk, the way that he has shown by his teachings as well as by his living. To live fully in accordance with, and not contrary to, his will, would be the genuine manner of showing reverence in a practical way.

The devotee who has devotion and reverence for God does this. He tries his level best to live his life in accordance with the will of God. He does not go contrary to the will of God. Reverence and devotion and contrariness to His will cannot coexist. They cannot both exist at the same time in the same person. If there is reverence there is obedience. If there is reverence, there is the attempt to carry out His will in thought, word and deed. If we say that we revere and do not do this, then it means that there is something wrong. There is an essential inner contradiction.

Similarly with the Guru. Our life should be a Guru-oriented life. Our life should be a life of harmony with his will and teachings. That would be, therefore, the way we express our reverence for the Guru. And that we should do daily. We should live a Guru-oriented life in close accordance with his teachings to us, not only daily but hourly from morning till night. To this end we must sincerely, earnestly and diligently strive without ceasing. Our supreme good and highest welfare lies in this.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

“Tutor the mind to behold God everywhere, by making it dwell in God-thought, and earn everlasting peace and joy.” 

— Swami Ramdas

DOWNLOAD THE VISION

Devotees can download the PDF version or the audio book this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.