Treating the Mind

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

People generally come here thinking that this is a spiritual abode. Very few people consider this as a place of learning.  Mostly they associate religiosity or mysticism with a Saint – a Saint is a religious person and an ashram is something akin to a temple.

In the temple, you have a granite or a marble deity – mute and insensitive. If you say the ashram is like a temple, then the ‘deity’ there is a living and  moving person. To that extent they must be happy that they are coming and seeing a living and moving God.

So whatever is their attitude towards God, a similar attitude of a greater intensity and practicality should prevail when they are in the ashram. But, that they generally don’t have. Nevertheless, they associate some religiosity with the ashram.

In our country, people take to spirituality from the background of religion; and religious life becomes fulfilled only by spiritual enlightenment. A good Saint is a person who is an adept in dealing with the mind, a beautiful product of nature. His job is to breathe into the mind healthier and more expansive notes, as a result of which all the negative and depressive elements will be eliminated from it.

The only subject before a Saint is handling the human mind. Initially he handles his own mind and makes it the way he wants. Then, by that very process, he is able to handle the minds of others. So, I have always been thinking that the purpose of spiritual life, spiritual discussions and spiritual dissemination is only one – 'It is to treat the mind and enable it to live in this world with freedom, harmony and integration.'

There should be no occasion when we will not be able to assimilate any kind of input arising from our own actions or actions of others.  You must be able to assimilate any input coming from persons, places or events.  In the same manner you must also be able to generate whatever outputs are necessary during the course of your interactions with the world, as a result of which you will be able to go forward confidently, and effectively. It must be joyous, relaxing, and fulfilling for you as well as for others. 

With this background, I would like to re-emphasize one point: My dear souls, mind is a  product evolved by Nature.  It is not your mind or another’s mind. Just like we have a  body into which blood from the other bodies, after matching, can be transferred, our mind also is a common product of Nature.

This mind being a product of Nature, can be reformed, refined and harmonized; can be studied and understood. Don’t make the mind unduly dependent upon external factors.  The mind is quite independent. It is good if external factors are favourable. But, even if they are not, the mind can still find its joy and freedom. You must have the pursuit of  right introspection for the purpose.

Any defect of the mind can be set right, unlike of the body in which some defects cannot be set right at all. Any problem of the mind can be redressed. If you have any deficiency in you, it can be removed by proper introspection, by proper study and understanding.

If you are able to understand this message, then, I think, that is the whole of spirituality. We have identified desire as a constriction of the mind, not as a healthy factor.  We have similarly found ego and pride to be constrictions. So, remove all the constricting elements. And you can, you should and must remove them.

Similarly, by proper exposure and attitude you can also fortify the mind with whatever healthy features you want. Mind when properly developed, will be free on the one hand, joyful, light and sublime on the other. Every incident, event or accident in life should tend to sublimate our mind, enrich our mind. To make it so is the mystery and mastery of spiritual life.

Again I emphasize that the mind is a product of Nature. It can be treated and refined as much as we want.  Make your mind healthy, pure, harmonious, and integrated. Do not blame others for their behaviour or character. Rather, ask yourself: Even in front of the so-called bad people, what am I supposed to do?  How can I be effective even before a disobedient or insensitive person?  How can I be an effective person?

Remove indifference and callousness. Cultivate attention and concern. Always strive to purify the mind, and do everything in the light of that purity.

Harih Om Tat Sat.

[This was Poojya Swamiji's Prabhaatarashmih message on 4 August 1999]

*  *  *