The Mind

"One doesn't progress in sadhana if the mind is restless with thoughts. It's like rowing a boat in a river covered with seaweed."

"Just as a wild horse is put in a pen and tamed, we have to tie the mind to some ideal and tame it."The mind is a collection of thoughts. Negative thoughts come up because it is time for them to disappear. Learn to see the thoughts pass through your mind like what you see while looking from the window of a moving train."

"Try to stand back as a witness to the thoughts in your mind, like one standing on the bank of a river, watching the water flow."

"The thoughts of the mind are like the waves of the ocean. One cannot stop the waves by force. But when the ocean is deep the waves subside. Similarly, try to concentrate the mind on one thought, instead of trying to stop all thoughts by force. The ocean of the mind will become deeper and it will become quiet. Even if there are small waves on the surface, it will be peaceful."

"The mind is like a cat. We may take care of it with a lot of affection, but the moment our attention wanders it will stick its head in the pot and steel some food. Manasa puja is a method to keep the mind fixed on God."

"The bee looks for honey wherever it goes. But a fly prefers to stick to excrement even in a rose garden. At present our mind is like the fly; we have to try to make it like the honeybee."

"Before the seed is sown, the land is cleared of grass and weeds. In the same way, clear the mind of all the external things and then direct it to God."

"The thought of God will become firm only in a pure mind. The broken stones are washed before they are used for making concrete."

"People build large palatial houses and commit suicide inside! If luxury could give us happiness, why would people die of depression? Peace and contentment entirely depend on the mind."

"How can you fully experience spiritual bliss without fixing the mind totally on God? If you mix your dessert with other dishes, can you fully enjoy its taste?"