Leaving OZ: Advice on How to Control the Mind

A Summary of Babaji's Final Talks from Australia 2003

The following is a summary of Baba's programs in Perth, Australia from his Spring 2003 tour. Baba discusses techniques and gives advice for overcoming suffering born of the the mind's false identification so that we may all achieve Peace, the recommended goal of human life.

Babaji's Fourth Visit to Australia

30th April 2003

The evening program began with Babaji entering the hall as devotees sweetly sang Swamiji's Arathi. After paying his devotional respects to Swamiji at the altar, Babaji sat on the dais and began by reciting the Guru slokas.

Babaji offering surrender and salutations at the Lotus Feet Of Shri Guru Maharaj Shivabalayogi welcomed by conveying blessings everyone and began explaining the nature of the mind. The mind, Babaji said, is our own conscious energy and it has troubled humanity in the same way that instincts trouble other creatures. Its distraction has caused fear, confusion, violence and unhappiness. Compared to this, the contentment available from God is the greatest experience we can have. Human beings are actually all the poorer the more desires they have, like an emperor who always wants more power and is never content with what he has. If we have contentment then we are really rich and would be like emperors, because we do not want anything..

Meditation gives total contentment and supreme peace. The more distracted the mind is, the less powerful we are, the more concentrated the mind is, the more powerful we are and the more pleasant life becomes. Babaji reminded everyone that a life of regular meditation is totally compatible with leading a normal life and asked everyone to commit to daily regular meditation for at least 45 minutes, gradually increasing to one hour daily. This will also improve our brain power, memory and self-restraint and take us eventually to God.

Babaji then referred to the great sages of ancient India who explored the existence of the Self, like the scientists of today study the earth, sun and other planets. These sages asked what the purpose of human existence was given that the body has to die. They posed the question whether one really dies when the body dies. They wanted to observe and reach the truth. This process of observation involves directing one's attention, which is dhyana meditation. Attention is important in any field of life which becomes easy if the mind is concentrated. The mind has countless millions of layers that form as infinite bodies. Some portion of our mind is listening to Babaji's talk while another may be out shopping, driving and running wild like a monkey. When you are driving a car on the road, imagine how it will be if that car has no gears and brakes. Such a Car can be disastrous for the driver and dangerous to others. The uncontrolled Mind is like that, when emotions take over and one let loose the tempers of the Mind, such a Monkey Mind can be disastrous to that person and dangerous to others. We need to regain control over it and bring it to a halt like a runaway car. The wildness of the mind is responsible for violence and depression and so on..

Human desires have no end. If we own a bicycle, then we dream of having a motorbike, if we have a motorbike, we soon want a car. If we get a car, then we want a more expensive one and so on! This is the craving of the mind. So we must practise sadhana to regain control over the mind so it becomes an obedient assistant. The restless mind is like compressed gas just waiting to explode. As the saying goes, an idle man's brain is the devil's workshop. Baba reminded that, The Mind is a very good servant but can be a very, very bad Master if you do not have control over it. Your Mind will make to dance to its tunes.

Babaji explained that attention is needed to discover who we actually are and how we exist as the immortal soul beyond the birth and death of the body. Babaji reassured everyone that each person's true nature is the abode of supreme peace which we have been seeking and that we don't need to take refuge in caves, forests or ashrams. Babaji said He knew the truth of our existence not from scripture or other people's testimony but from His own direct experience.

Babaji went on to show how our false identification with the body is ignorance and causes trouble, and illustrated this with the story of Astavakra, the sage who taught Yoga to King Janaka, the father of Sita, wife to Lord Rama. Ashtavakra was a great realized Teacher. Astavakra means "eight deformities" and on entering the court the King's ministers laughed at Astavakra because of his deformed body. Seeing this Astavkara addressed the King and said "O King, I thought your ministers were all men of learning but clearly they are fools, for they believe that this body is me. This body will die. They fail to realise that their body will also die one day". On hearing this the King understood that Astavakra was not just an ordinary person and accepted him as a Guru.

It is the false identifications in the mind, which cause suffering. As examples Babaji mentioned thoughts like "I am an Indian" or "I am an Australian", "I belong to the Earth", "I'm an engineer". Meditation will free us from false identifications like "I am so and so" , "I am such and such". Babaji wanted to clarify at this point that He does not advocate not to love one's country or any one. Love is essential. What Baba wants to teach the spiritual seekers to rise above everything to reach God.

Finally, Babaji outlined the responsibilities that come with a human birth. Firstly, we must maintain the health of the body which is a gem. One should undertake proper exercises and try to maintain health. We must understand the purpose of the human body, control our desires and give the body proper food. No material object can ever give happiness. Secondly using this body only, we have to learn to control the Mind. Undertaking proper exercises to control and keep the Mind health. Is the Spiritual Sadhana and company of the wise and experienced. Then, we must be considerate towards others. Everyone needs the help of others sometime, so we should be ready to give and not just take. The practise of meditation will give one control over oneself and promote physical, mental and moral health. This is particularly relevant to the younger generation. Many young people want to know what religion can give them. Religion has been misinterpreted and misused. It is actually a system to provide health on all these levels, physical, mental and moral. Someone who has attained all three can be called a truly religious person.

One devotee wanted to know how important chanting and bhajan singing was to make the mind peaceful before meditation. Babaji replied that melodious sound and proper rhythm could assist in mind control and make one more meditative. However it is essential that the mind is focused on the bhajans and the chants. Another asked what the main signs of progress were in meditation. The answer was that excessive questioning, doubts and mental agitation all decrease and the mind settles down and becomes more peaceful.

A woman who was just about to give birth asked Babaji what preparations He could recommend to make the experience as spiritually uplifting as possible. Babaji replied that the mind and brain should be calm and non-violent. Reading and listening to the stories of great souls, remembering God and His glories would be beneficial. Grateful and relieved these women thanked Babaji for his answer.

One young woman expressed a doubt arising from one of the ten commandments in the Judeo- Christian scripture, which says, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me". She wanted to know how this could be reconciled with the honour given to the many Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the Bhajans sung during the program. Babaji replied that one is free to propitiate Divinity in any way one wants. Like space, which is all pervading, God is infinite and the ultimate truth of the mind. The principle known as "God" is omnipotent and omnipresent.

Finally, Babaji concluded by stressing the need for total faith and surrender so that attachment to God will be natural and lasting. Like an innocent child learns the "a,b,c" with total acceptance, we need to accept the teachings of the Guru with the same faith and love.

2nd May 2003

Babaji greeted all present and noted His appreciation for the discipline, attention and interest the devotees had shown by attending the programs so enthusiastically. Babaji began the discourse by mentioning the benefits of meditation and the fact His words were being relayed around the world to devotees on the internet. None of what Babaji says in these talks is meant as a criticism of any individual or group, it is a general teaching for seekers of truth who want to know about God and the Self and who understand the need to control the mind before the body is dropped. Babaji said he has explained repeatedly how the mind deceives by creating illusions, unreal worlds and concepts. The mind is constantly visualising objects and can't keep quiet. The mind thinks it is omnipotent but compared to the Self it is only a spark and its capacities are limited. The mind is useful for living in the world but its imaginings produce long-term illusions, a never-ending stream of thoughts which are very often frightening, confusing and unhappy.

In the early morning the mind feels fresh and at peace but soon enough it starts its work. It tries to imagine the best and happiest things possible - my Guru used to joke that the mind is never stingy when it comes to building castles in the air! Once the imagination starts up, it is happy to begin with, then it magnifies its imaginative power, producing more desires that can't be fulfilled, which then leads to dissatisfaction and stress! It looks for peace in this way and thinks it can win! Peace - what is it actually? Not what the mind thinks it is - enjoying the excitement of worldly objects - peace is the mind totally settling down to a standstill, this is real happiness and what your goal should be.

Babaji urged everyone to try to meditate and eventually we will reach a stage where thoughts decrease and one can experience bliss. We shouldn't stop there though, as many people do, thinking they have attained the goal. No, we must not stop until the mind settles effortlessly and totally into the ultimate peaceful state where all its imaginings and dramas have ceased. Very often people expect experiences and visions or other imaginings involving sight and sound. Babaji reminded everyone not to try to imagine what God or the goal is. The scriptures describe it as Anantam - limitless, boundless - a word used in the vedas. You can't really define it, you can only merge in it, like the bubble merges back with the ocean. None can really explain what God or Self-Realisation is, you have to experience it for yourself. Babaji doesn't claim to have explained what God is in words, Babaji has only given you 'clues' if you like, on how to reach Him.

The greatest wonder and the greatest miracle is when you attain peace and realise your existence as the immortal soul. Compared to this everything else seems trivial. Proceed with total faith and determination and don't stop until your last breath - it is worth the effort!

For the benefit of newcomers Babaji then explained the process of meditation as the directing of attention. At the moment our attention is fully on the world and the mind has therefore gone out of control. The mind has stopped listening to you and become your master - remember the mind is a wonderful servant but a very poor master, it will make you dance to its tune! No sooner is one thought slain, than thousands more crop up. People go to caves and forests to overcome the mind but they take that same mind with them. As a result of this mental agitation there is political conflict the world over and ego and selfishness dominate.

Unless we do sadhana we can't overcome our ego and the negative emotions associated with it like greed, anger, false pride and lack of generosity. This task is difficult but not impossible because we can overcome the ego if we have the will. If you get severely tested, pray to God. Some time ago Babaji answered a question from a devotee who wanted to know if a Yogi is ever tested by God. The answer is yes. The devotee wondered what could be left for God to test in someone who had achieved realisation and was totally surrendered? In this case, God has no doubts about such a soul for He knows all, He is all pervading. Yogis are tested as an example for the sake of humanity, to teach worldly people, for it is they who doubt. God always tests His children. Lord Krishna told Arjuna to become a Yogi because Yogis are dearer to Him. Saints and Sages have always had to suffer but their minds never suffered, their suffering was only apparent, not real, because their minds were absorbed in the ultimate truth. God tests continuously.

Meditation will control the disturbed mind that is roaming in the world. The mind is actually looking for peace and its wandering is the cause of all unhappiness. My teaching is meditation and when you pay your attention to the real Self the mind's energy becomes sublimated not suppressed. Thoughts need not be suppressed like they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which are suppressants of the nervous system. They stop the mind from receiving the reflections of the brain and so temporarily induce a state of bliss, but it isn't long lasting, very soon the mind springs back into action and moves outwards again. So many people are taking drugs these days to gain mystical experiences at the expense of their mental and physical health.

In India there is a drug used by certain monks who cleverly justify their use of it by citing the fact that according to scripture Lord Shiva took the very same drug himself. One must never use the name of God or Guru for selfish ends. Someone once asked Shivabalayogi if he could take this drug like Shiva did but my Guru scolded him saying that it was a common practice among selfish charlatans and had absolutely nothing to do with God, adding that by the same argument he should also take the Hala Hala poison Shiva drank!

The correct path is to control the mind through spiritual means, through a natural healthy process in meditation, not with drugs, so that the brain is not adversely affected. In this skillful way, the mind quietly recedes. If you truly understand the need for this process it will become easy for you in time.

It is the desires we nurture and the expectations we have of the world that cause unhappiness. Acceptance is not easy but definitely necessary. Babaji said He had no expectations at all when His Guru put Him in charge of the Dehradun ashram, he merely accepted whatever situations and tests arose and dealt with them as needed. We also need to accept that death will inevitably occur one day, so before that happens, Babaji said, we must eliminate the mind's false perceptions and hallucinations by doing sadhana. Then we will accept death gracefully - it is not something to be feared. Knowledge of the Self makes one fearless, peaceful and free of doubts.

Babaji told us that if we can maintain our concentration single-pointedly without intruding thoughts for one hour, we have actually meditated. Until then we are only trying to meditate. If one can meditate without distracting thoughts for at least 8 hours, it is called Tapas. Shivabalayogi meditated for some 20 hours per day for 12 years and achieved Self-Realisation in 1961, and then taught meditation all over the world. Swamiji attained his Mahasamadhi in 1994 but continues to inspire devotees all over the world. Babaji is continuing His Guru's legacy to carry on to teach the practise of Dhyana Meditation. Babaji reassured everyone, once again, that if we practised meditation regularly, we could reach genius-level abilities of concentration, memory and observation and be able to face the challenges of life with confidence and skill. This he said particularly to the younger generation who are keen to achieve something in this world. Baba reminded that , it is necessary at the same time to maintain Character and integrity, Love and honor, practise Peace and feel oneness with God with surrender and devotion.

Babaji was asked what the Self actually was. He replied that it was Supreme Consciousness. The mind is also this consciousness, but the thoughts produced when this conscious energy is directed outwards to the world gives one the everyday experience of the mind instead of the Self. However, the ultimate truth or source of the mind is the Self. The mind's extent is infinite, it can't be shown to anyone or held up for inspection. If one meditates regularly and redirects one's attention away from the world to the Self, thoughts decrease and the mind becomes purified and remains as pure consciousness. The Self means you, your existence.

Another devotee said he wasn't sure if the mind was a divine faculty to be befriended or an infection! Maybe the relationship we have with the mind is like an arranged marriage that hasn't worked and a divorce is the only answer! Everyone laughed, including Babaji, who gave a wonderful reply in keeping with the humour of the moment. He said that a marriage to the Self would be beautiful and eternal. The mind is currently married to the world. If you can, take a divorce (Mind) from the unreal world. The mind is our own conscious energy derived from the Self, it must be redirected back from the world. Babaji asked if the questioner was satisfied with this answer, to which he replied "totally". And so were we all.

Someone asked Babaji if He was one with the Divine, to which He simply smiled and said "yes". Another person asked Babaji about addictions. He replied that habits occur due to negligence and we shouldn't allow ourselves to succumb to bad habits.

Babaji added that he had previously been asked if it was boring to sit in Tapas for 5 or 12 years? No, there is no boredom when the attention is firmly anchored to the Self. Boredom and depression are symptoms of the conventional mind because of the thoughts it generates. The Self is supremely peaceful, there is no boredom there at all!

Copyright SRBY 2003 all rights reserved