In Search of the SOURCE
Ajita
Dubai (U.A.E)
Hari Aum!
Humble Pranaam at Maaji’s Lotus Feet!
Humble Pranaam to Chaitanya ji!
I feel blessed to get this divine opportunity to write an article on Maaji’s online Call Talk ‘Unwinding the Mind’ on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.
Maaji began the Talk with a woollen ball example. In the woollen ball, if we can’t find the tip of the thread, then we can’t unwind the ball. Eventually we have to cut the thread and it goes waste. Our mind is a continuous flow of thoughts. We do not know the source of our thoughts nor do we know its quantum. The flow should start from a collection of thoughts like a storage. When I start reading the Scriptures, whether it is for peace of mind or out of intellectual curiosity, the Scriptural thoughts and the Guru’s thoughts start occupying the mind, where there are already innumerable worldly thoughts. Unlike a physical container, where the capacity is limited, this mind is so vast, that its depth cannot be judged or found.
Maaji here also gave the example of an inkpot which is full of ink. If we start pouring water into it, it overflows but slowly the ink gets diluted till a stage comes, when there is no more ink to be seen. Likewise, the worldly thoughts get diluted as it gets filled with Spiritual thoughts. But unlike the limited capacity of the inkpot, the mind is unlimited. So even if we infuse our minds with Spiritual thoughts, the existing vasanas which drove us towards worldly thoughts still exist. It reminded me of the 16th Chapter of Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta - “Daivaasura Sampad Vibhaaga Yog”. Our antahkaran is such a big bundle of both Spiritual and worldly thoughts, where it is difficult to find the source and unwind it.
Maaji quoted the first shloka of Amrit Bindu Upanishad here, which says:
मनो हि द्विविधं प्रोक्तमं शुद्धं चाशुध्दमेव च ।
अशुध्दं कामसंकल्पं शुध्दं कामविवर्जितम् ।।
Mind has 2 sides – pure and impure. The pure mind is the intellect (कामविवर्जितम्), introverted and connected to the Divine. The impure mind is extroverted and indulgent in worldly affairs (कामसंकल्पम्). The Scriptures prescribe ‘Japa Sadhana’ to unwind our mind which is a chaotic mixture of both Spiritual and worldly thoughts.
On the auspicious occasion of the recently celebrated Maha Shivratri or on any other such auspicious days, we do our sadhana of पूजा and जपः (पकारो पापनाशनः, जकारो जन्म विच्छेदः). I understood puja as बहिरङ्गं साधना and japa as अन्तरंग साधना. When we meditate on Lord Shiv, we should also understand that Devi Parvati represents Pure Intellect, the part of the mind which is introverted and pure.
For me to unwind my mind, I have to reject all unwanted thoughts and orient my mind towards the Divine. The only sadhana for this is japa, which should be our daily practice and not a habit (which makes it a mechanical task). When I invoke the Divinity within me by doing puja, the same Divinity inspires me to do japa also; thereby the mind gets cleansed and purified. Only with this pure mind, I can identify the tip of the thread in the bundle of thoughts. Then the mind can be unwound and knitted into a beautiful fabric. Till then I have to constantly do my japa, reject lower thoughts and cling on to the Higher Divine.
Maaji compared the knitting of the fabric to pondering upon the concepts explained by the Gurus and contemplating upon them. But just reading the Scriptures and understanding the concepts alone cannot cleanse the mind, because, otherwise the mind runs behind worldly affairs. So constant reading (Gnyaan Yog Sadhana) and application (performance of our Karmas) in our everyday life will purify our mind slowly and steadily and ultimately the unwinding of the mind will happen.
I seek forgiveness for any mistakes in my understanding and request Maaji to correct me.
I thank Chaitanya Ji for giving all of us this opportunity to listen to Maaji on this wonderful topic on such an auspicious occasion.
Dhanyavaad and Pranaam.