What We Think That We Become

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What We Think That We Become By Sri Swami Brahmananda

 

The seekers after Truth who want to practise the vidyas (knowledge)

should not forget the simple well-known fact that what we think, that

we become. So there should be no doubt about the efficacy of

meditation given in the Upanishads. The end of concentration of the

mind on anything is to become one with that thing. In a high school,

the teacher was giving lessons to the students of the 10th class. He

noticed that everyday during his period a particular student was not

attentive to the lessons taught. The teacher found that the student

was thinking deeply of something else. One day, after the class was

over, the teacher called that boy and asked him: " What is the matter

with you? You are not attending to what I am teaching here. Your mind

seems to be elsewhere. I am noticing this for the last so many days. "

The boy admitted the fault and said: " O teacher, what you have said is

true. I am at fault, but I could not help it. Though I wanted very

much to attend to the lessons, I find my mind is going to my dear bull

in my house which I love so much. " The teacher reflected for a few

minutes and then told the boy: " My dear boy, I will suggest a remedy

to you. From this evening, you go to the nearby hill, sit there and

think of the bull as long as you like. " The boy, in obedience to his

teacher’s advice, started going to the hill every day. He sat there

and was thinking of the beloved, beautiful bull. No other thought

disturbed his mind, because he had so much love for the bull. This

went on for seven days. On the eighth day he felt he had no more to

think of the bull and so decided to attend the class. He went and

waited outside the class. The teacher who was inside the classroom

asked him: " My dear boy, did you do as I instructed? " The boy replied:

" Yes, my revered teacher. I did exactly as you advised. I was thinking

of my bull alone for seven days. Now I feel that I need not think of

it any more. " Then the teacher said: " All right, now come in and take

your seat and attend to your lessons. " The boy replied: " O, revered

teacher, I am unable to enter the class room, as my horns are too long

and the door here is too small to allow me to enter the room. " This is

the result of constant concentration on the bull. The boy felt that he

was the bull, which was his object of thought earlier. Such is the

power of the mind. In the Upanishadic meditation we are asked to

meditate on the Self either directly or indirectly with or without the

help of symbols.

 

When our real nature is already divine, we can attain the goal more

easily by fixing the mind on the Self with the help of the symbols.

The reason for the distraction of the mind and lack of concentration

during meditation on God, complained by the neophytes on the spiritual

path, is that they have some object or other more dear and lovable

than God. The thought of that object which is stronger naturally

drives off the weaker thought of God. And they complain of lack of

concentration. They must know that God on whom they have to meditate

is the dearest and most lovable more dear and more lovable than all

the objects that this world and even heavenly worlds can give. Then

all distractions will cease and there will be progress in meditation.