1.Let the mind run wherever it likes; just be careful not to follow it, seeking to discover where it is going! It will then wander about for some time as the fancy takes it. Soon, getting tired and exhausted, it will come back to you! It is like a little child that knows nothing. Since the mother is following it and calling it back, it gets courage and confidence to run forward in any direction. But if the mother does not run behind the child and instead quietly retraces her steps, the child too, of its own accord, will run back to the mother! Carry on with the remembrance and meditation of the Divine Name and Form you like best and in the manner you are accustomed to. In this way, you will acquire one-pointedness (ekagratha) and realise your heart’s desire.
2.Do not entertain in your mind the idea of purity or impurity while undertaking a spiritual practice. There is nothing impure in the world. When the Lord is immanent everywhere and in everything, how can anything be impure? Even if something appears to the eyes as impure, the moment it contacts the Name of the Lord, it becomes purified. Purity and impurity are the result of the mental reactions at a particular moment. When one is giving money to someone, one talks of choosing an auspicious time. But when one gets a chance to take money, every moment becomes auspicious! The mind is the reason for both the attitudes. Remember that everything is pure, everything is Divine!
3.Life is a long journey through time, and religion confers peace for the present and motivation for the future. We must believe that we are currently undergoing the consequences of our own actions done in the past. It is a great source of peace and encouragement when people can be content with their present conditions because they know they themselves were the cause and that if one does engage in good and meritorious deeds now, it is possible to build a happy future. It is only when one adheres to these two principles that morality and self-control can have a place in life. Religion confers the inspiration and enthusiasm needed to abide by these two ideals.
4.Believe firmly that everything is rendered holy by His Name. Do not reject Him; cultivate Prema (love) for the Lord. It has infinite potentiality. An iron chain can be broken with ease, but not the chain of love that binds you to God! Even the cruellest of animals is overpowered by love. Do not mistake this temporary abode as your eternal dwelling place. Do not lose heart at evanescent troubles and short-lived tragedies. Immerse yourselves in the effort to attain the eternal Lord. He will never give you up.
Bagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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