SIVANANDA DAILY READING FOR 14 NOVEMBER

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SIVANANDA DAILY READING FOR 14 NOVEMBER

UPHILL TASK

 

 

True freedom results from the disenthralment of the mind. He is a

real potentate and ruler who has conquered the mind. He who has

conquered desires, passions and the mind is the richest man. If the

mind is under control, it matters little whether you stay in a

palace, or a cave in the Himalayas; whether you engage yourself in

worldly activity or sit in silence. The mind can be controlled by

untiring perseverance and great patience, equal to that of one

engaged in emptying the ocean, drop by drop, with the tip of a blade

of grass. To tame a lion or a tiger is far more easy than taming

one's own mind. Tame your own mind first. Then you can tame the minds

of others quite easily.

 

Constantly think of God. You can very easily control the mind.

Constant thinking of God thins out the mind. The mind can very easily

think of worldly objects. It is its nature. The mental force can

easily flow in the old grooves and avenues of mundane thoughts. It

finds it extremely hard to think of God and dwell on lofty thoughts.

 

The difficulty in weaning the mind from objects and fixing it on God

is the same as in making the river Ganges flow uphill towards its

source instead of its natural flow towards the ocean. Still, through

strenuous efforts and renunciation, the mind must be trained to flow

towards God, much against its will, if you want to free yourself from

birth and death. There is no other way if you want to escape from

worldly miseries and tribulations.

 

Introspect and always have an inner life. Let a portion of the mind

and the hands do their work mechanically. A girl acrobat, while

exhibiting her performances, has her attention riveted on the water-

pot she bears on her head, although, all the time, she is dancing to

various tunes. So does the truly pious man attend to all his business

concerns, but has his mind's eye fixed upon the blissful feet of the

Lord. This is balance and will lead to integral development.