PRASHANTI VAHINI - DIVINE DISCOURSE 23 JUNE, 1996

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Date:23 Jun 1996 Occasion:Divine Discourse Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Conquer The Mind

You can straighten up a tree, you can straighten even a rock, but can you straighten a mind? Mind is tricky and unstable (chanchala). It can cover thousands of miles in a second and can watch things over there. That is why on the battlefield of Kurukshetra Arjuna prayed to Krishna as to how he can control this strong and unstable mind. Mind has both the qualities : that of bestial and that of human nature. Bestiality is that during which man becomes an animal due to the influence of Arishadvargas like Kama, Krodha, Maatsarya, etc. Being human implies doing good to others with all the resources available. Mind is the place where both good and bad co-exist. Actually speaking, mind as such is pure. Because of association with bad thoughts it becomes impure. For example take a newspaper. On its own it does not have any smell. If you cover jasmine flowers or pakoda or dry fish with newspaper, the newspaper gets the smell of these items. Thus you see that everything is because of association and company. Once in Shirdi, Baba was laughing continuously. Some people, seeing the unusual behaviour of Baba had concluded that he may be either a mad person or a Fakir. Whatever way they thought he used to appear like that for them. Suddenly Baba called Appa Kulkarni and asked him to go and call Nana since He wanted to see Nana immediately. Now, Nana was the Tahsildar of the place. The position conferred a lot of authority and power to him. Also he was a learned Sanskrit scholar. And he had a good personality. Naturally this had made Nana egoistic. Thus when Appa Kulkarni came with this request Nana refused outright to come and see Baba. He thought that a person of his stature should not go and see a mad Fakir. Here, in Shirdi, Baba was going on shouting asking for Nana to be brought. Appa Kulkarni was perplexed and after travelling back and forth between Baba and Nana a few times finally fell on Nana's feet begging him to come to see Baba at least for his sake. Nana finally agreed but when he went to Shirdi he did not even bow before Baba. He brusquely asked Baba "Why have you called me? What relation is there that I should come and see you?". Baba asked him to sit down. He said "Nana, there may be no relation in this life, but in the previous life we were related. That's why I called you". Baba then touched Nana's eyes and Nana could see all the incidents in his previous life. When Baba touched His own eyes, Nana could see the intimate relationship he enjoyed with Baba. Nana immediately prostrated and fell at Baba's feet and from then on never left the side of Baba so much so that he became the sixth life for Baba. Knowing nothing we act as if we know everything. God knows everything but acts as if he does not know anything. One should develop unwavering sight and stable mind. One should not become overjoyed while receiving Grace and should not become depressed when things go against. That is steady faith. "Daivam Maanusha Rupena" - God always comes down in the form of man. Otherwise it is not possible to talk to men and influence them. Purandara Dasa sang "They offer sugar candy to the idols of Naga Devatha, (serpent) but once it appears they kill it". God acts like man and moves with him so as to give the four states of Samipya (nearness), Saaropya ( same form), Saalokya and Saayujya (oneness with Him). If He comes with Shankha and Chakra then everyone will run away in awe. God coming down can be compared to a mother bending down to pick up a crying child. Avatarana means God comes down from a state of divinity to humanity. Some people question, how can God act like a man? Man http://www.eaisai.com/baba/docs/pv960623.html 6/25/2009

PRASHANTI VAHINI - DIVINE DISCOURSE 23 JUNE, 1996

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does not understand God even when He is acting as man himself, then how else can he comprehend God if God remains as God. The forms may be different but the Atma in all is the same. Past is past, forget the past. Future is uncertain. Don't brood over it. Live in the present. This present is not ordinary present. This is Omnipresent. The fruits of past actions are in the present. Similarly, the seeds for future fruit are also in the present. In the olden days there used to be an actor called Nagayya. He used to enact the role of Thyagayya (the poet-saint). Once off the stage, he was again Nagayya. Similarly on the stage of world you are playing a particular role. Once off it, you and I are one. What you see is all God. When you can develop this faith nothing else is required. Parikshith once asked Sage Suka about the love of Gopikas for Krishna even though they were ignorant of the Vedas and Shastras. Sage Suka then replied that it is not knowledge of scriptures but pure love emanating from within that can bind God. A mother once sent her child to her husband in the office since she was not able to control the boy who was very naughty. The father took a map of the world, cut it and gave to the son to put all the parts back in same sequence to form the map. There was the figure of a man on the reverse. Now, this child had never seen the world map but had seen a man's picture. He put the pieces together correctly and the map of the world was back in place. It means, if man is good the world will also be good. And for a man to become either divine or demonic, it is the mind which is the cause. Man is combination of Sathwa, Rajas and Tamas. Once he goes beyond all the three (trigunaatheetha), he will experience the joy of Brahman. How is this possible? By following God's command. God is Bhava priya (sees the inner motives and feelings) and not Bahya priya (not the outer demeanour). He is 100% compassion, 100% love. Ordinary people cannot understand that. It is said "Adveshtaanaam Sarva Bhoothanaam". One should not hate anyone. Why? Because of the reaction, reflection and resound for every feeling we have. No one can tell what we were or what we will become. Only God knows that. In the beach you see dry sand one day and green grass the next day after rains. Where have the seeds come from? They were there but were invisible. Modern day youth talk of free will. No one has Free will. Only God has Free will.

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6/25/2009