Beware the Minefield That is the Mind

[Guest guest]

>From today's Times of India (presumably getting their

readers ready for Amma's visit to Pune & Bombay!)

 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/527215.cms

 

 

Beware the Minefield That is the Mind < [ MONDAY,

MARCH 01, 2004 12:00:15 AM ]

 

Selfless action is the outward expression of selfless

love. When the heart is filled with love, it expresses

itself in the form of unselfish action. One is a deep

inner feeling and the other its outward manifestation.

 

Without deep, unconditional love, selfless actions

cannot be performed. In the initial stages of our

awakening, the actions we perform in the name of

selflessness are not selfless, because the love we

feel for ourselves is present in everything we do and

say.

 

In fact, at the beginning of our journey, our

self-love becomes the driving force for each of our

actions, even if we choose to call them selfless.

 

Love for the ego, or oneself, is the predominant

feeling in every human being. Unless this feeling

withers away, real selflessness will not emerge.

 

Alertness is necessary to prevent the ego from

interfering. It is easier to be in love with the ego

than feel truly inspired by the ideal of selflessness.

 

Generally, the selflessness we speak of is actually

selfish, because everything stems from the ego. It is

the ego, and not our inner Self, that is the source of

our so-called love and our actions.

 

Nothing can be selfless unless it springs directly

from the heart, from our true Self. That is why great

saints and sages have said you should know your own

Self before you can love and serve others selflessly.

 

There is a story of an old man planting mango trees.

When his neighbour saw what he was doing, he said, "Do

you think you will live long enough to taste the

mangoes from those trees?"

 

"No, I doubt it," replied the old man. "Then why are

you wasting your time?" asked the neighbour. The old

man smiled and said, "All my life I have enjoyed

eating mangoes from trees planted by others. This is

my way of expressing my gratitude to the people who

planted those trees."

 

Selflessness can be the driving force in all your

actions. Learn to be thankful to everyone, to all of

creation, even to your enemy, and to those who insult

you and get angry with you, because they help you

grow.

 

They are mirrors, images of your own mind. If you know

how to read and interpret the images properly, you can

get rid of your mind and its weaknesses.

 

If you choose love and selflessness as your goal, you

need to be watchful. Watch your mind constantly,

because the mind won't let you do anything selflessly.

 

The mind doesn't want you to be selfless — its only

aim is to drive you down the path of selfishness,

because the mind is selfish. As long as you dwell in

the mind you can only be selfish. You have to be free

of the mind to be selfless.

 

Selfishness comes natu- rally to human beings. While

all of nature — birds and animals, mountains, rivers

and trees, the sun, moon and stars — stands as a

testimony to selfless service, man alone acts out of

utter selfishness and greed.

 

He dwells in his ego, turning life into a business

venture and robbing it of all sanctity.

 

Children, filled with selflessness, will uplift us. By

helping others we are, in fact, helping ourselves. On

the other hand, we harm ourselves by being selfish.

 

Learn to bless everyone; don't ever curse anyone,

because a human being is not just a bundle of flesh

and blood. There is a consciousness at work within

everyone.

 

That consciousness is not a separate, isolated entity;

it is part of the whole, a Supreme Unity. Whatever we

do is reflected in the Whole, in the one universal

mind, and it returns with the same intensity.

 

Whenever you perform a good or bad action, it is

reflected in the Universal Consciousness. Therefore,

learn to be selfless and proffer blessings on one and

all.

 

Mata Amritanandamayi

 

 

 

 

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