Swami Sivananda Vani

[Guest guest]

ONE POINTED MIND

 

(Siva was very busy attending to the dispatch of free books. He

suddenly stopped and looked up.)

 

From the time I got out of the morning class I have been going on

thinking of writing a few poems, but I do not find time. I am doing

this work but my mind is still working on the poems. Even when I was

taking my milk, I was busy within sifting the points for the poems.

Only when I finish the poems will my mind know rest.

 

Are you all keeping a note¬book to record your thoughts? First of all

you should note down in this book all the new points that you learn

in the class. Then there are parallel ideas that might strike you; or

ideas arising out of those expressed by others in the class. These

may be new, novel and unknown to others. These should at once be

noted down. Are you keeping such note¬books?

 

Evil should not have time to dwell in your mind. What if some one

refuses to give you milk, to give you food? What if some one scolds

you? Always repeat: " I am not this body; I am not this mind; I am the

eternal immortal satcidananda atman " .

 

Bear insult and injury. If some one slaps you on your cheeks, you

should not even mind it; you should not even be aware of it, so to

say. This is very difficult. But this is most important. When the

other man is scolding you, your mind should be engaged in vicara.

After a while this man will realise: " What is this? I have been

scolding him several times; he does not get irritated, he does not

retort. There must be something in him, which I should learn. " Then

he will fall at your feet and apologise. You have conquered.

 

That which draws out this hidden consciousness of atman, is the

highest knowledge. The teachings that break your bondage and bestow

on you freedom, are the teachings of the ancient rsis (sages) which

lay bare the mysteries of the universe. 0n the dawn of true knowledge

the veil of ignorance is lifted and with it all illusory appearance

of phenomena is sublated. What is left is only the perceiving self,

the negator of all negations ¬ which is no other than Brahman,

existence, knowledge, bliss absolute.