Swami Sivananda Maharaj on the tricks of the mind

[Guest guest]

PRINCIPLES AND THEIR PERVERSIONS

 

(H.H. SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ)

 

The path of the spiritual aspirant verily lies through a bewildering jungle of

difficulties and dilemmas of problems and paradoxes. One of such vexing

paradoxes is that your mind is both your best friend as also your most bitter

enemy. Mind becomes a true friend, only after being gradually trained to be so.

Mind begins to be really helpful after the aspirant has progressed sufficiently

in spiritual Sadhana. Until then it should be regarded as a troublesome and

treacherous enemy inside us. It is extremely diplomatic, cunning and crooked. It

is an arch-deceiver. One of the master-strokes of the mind's artfulness is to

make the aspirant feel and smugly imagine that he knows his mind perfectly well

and cannot be led away by it and at the same time to delude him totally. The

mind has the knack of making the unwary aspirant confidently think himself its

master, while it makes a hopeless fool of him. Its deceptions are subtle.

 

You have heard the saying, " The Devil can quote scriptures for its purpose " .

Similarly the mind can use a virtue to indulge in a vice. It has an inborn

inclination to perversion. It can even take the support of a perfectly good

principle to seemingly justify the most unprincipled sort of action. Unless it

is scrutinised dispassionately, its tricks are never fully discovered.

 

Certain of the perversions usually noticeable are described below. This will be

valuable to sincere aspirants who are eager to study their minds and eliminate

defects and shortcomings. These are extremely useful tips specially in the

working field, for aspirants engaged in active Seva in the midst of other

people.

 

Sadhaks are told, " Keep up Matri-bhava or Devi-bhava when you move with women. "

This is a grand principle to safeguard your purity and spiritual progress. But

this does not tell you, " Move with women. " Nor does this advice mean that if you

try to have this attitude then you may go on freely mixing with the opposite sex

without any limit or restraint. The mind will ask, " Why not? What if I do? To

retreat from their presence is sheer timidity? No fear when you do so with

Devi-bhava! " Beware, O Aspirant, beware of this tendency! Divine Bhava is not a

license to throw away all restrictions of the Sadhaka's path. The permanent

injunction for Sadhakas is to totally eschew all contact with the opposite sex.

When unavoidably such contact becomes necessary, then, " Have Matri-bhava; have

Devi-bhava " etc., are prescribed. Also this is to caution the aspirant not to

hate women or become a misogynist. Women should be reverenced but from a safe

distance. Let not Devi-bhava etc., be taken to mean that you should be all the

time in the midst of them. Watch your mind!

 

Then there is the advice which says, " You may hiss but not bite. " This safe

counsel was given to a fabulous snake which in a too extreme access of piety

became so totally docile and harmless that it got severely mal-handled by a set

of mischievous urchins. It was given as an example to over-timid householders

and people struggling in the very midst of the harsh realities of competitive

`vyavaharic' life. Here an overdose of `Avanty-brahmin'-like humility might well

make life impossible amidst the Asuric elements abounding in the world.

Therefore, just an outward show of pugnacity may be countenanced in so far as

this does not affect your basic goodness and brotherhood. But this policy is not

for the spiritual aspirant in the path of Sadhana and Nivritti. Definitely not.

Let aspirants take heed of these words. The Sadhak is neither to 'bite' nor is

he to `hiss' even. This 'hissing' business will soon become a part of your

nature. You will soon find yourself hissing for everything, at everything, at

everyone, in and out of season. This hiss will include every variety of rudeness

ranging from hot argument, sharp retort, curt reply to angry glaring, shouting

and abuse. In short of physical violence and fight, every type of verbal

brutality will be put into the " hissing " category. This will ultimately lead to

spiritual ruin. The mind is ever waiting to take advantage of even the least

concession shown to it. Its natural tendency is to go downward. O Aspirant, do

not bite or even 'hiss'. Be humble, be sweet, be gentle. Be firm but be soft,

polite and courteous. If you wish to 'hiss' then 'hiss' at your own mind. Thrash

the ego. Fight the Shad-ripus. Watch the mind!

 

Another victim to perversion is the piece of advice, " Be resolute. Stick to your

priniciples. Never budge an inch. " The best possible advice to a sincere

Sadhaka; but unfortunately often made the basis for the worst possible trait

i.e., obstinacy. This is a Tamasic trait. But the mind will make believe that

you are manifesting Atma-bal or a divine determination. This is its work—to make

him cling tightly to his ego. Hence this deception. But the careful aspirant

must discern the difference between Sattvic Nishta and sheer stubbornness.

Atma-bal is not a cheap commodity to be got without a great deal of earnest

struggle, discipline and Will-culture. Determined adherence is advocated in

respect of truly high and noble principles and not of self-conceited notions. By

all means stick to spiritual Yogic Niyamas but avoid becoming obdurate in

nature. Do not be deceived. Watch your mind!

 

" Speak the Truth always. Be frank. " Thus is the Upadesh. This means when you are

required to talk then speak only the truth. It does not at all mean that you

must go about telling everyone to his face what exactly you think of him or her.

This is unwarranted behaviour. Under the garb of frankness to give free

expression of opinions without caring for other peoples' feelings is not

`Aarjava' or frankness or straightforwardness. At the least it is

thoughtlessness; at its height it is sheer brutality. It does not bespeak well

of an aspirant. The same teacher who tells you " Speak truth; be frank! " also

tells you to have " Mita Bhashan, Madhura Bhashan " moderate and sweet speech.

Mind can even make you to utilise frankness in order to express mild insult. An

unpleasant truth is better left unsaid. If it becomes absolutely necessary and

unavoidable then say it sweetly and with humility. " Not to hurt and wound

others' feelings " is as equally important as speaking truth. Satyam and Ahimsa

must go together. Study thyself. Watch the mind!

 

Then there is the truism i.e., " Vairagya is really a mental state, mental

detachment. " The mind takes hold of this definition to justify a heedless

sensual life without self-restraint, or principle. The argument will always be,

" O! I am not attached to all this. I can rise above it in a moment. I enjoy it

as a master. Mentally I am detached. " Contact with Vishyas have toppled down

even Tapasvins like Vishwamitra. Therefore, do not take Vairagya lightly.

Culitvate Vairagya diligently. Safeguard your Vairagya carefully. Be vigilant.

Watch the mind!

 

The caution not to go to extremes in Tapasya also gets a like fate. Man's normal

nature is sensuous. The mind wants comforts and hates austerity. The

indiscriminating aspirant conveniently ignores the qualifying adjective

" extremes " in the advice quoted above and views all `Tapasya' with disfavour.

The result is to degenerate into luxury, lose even the minimum of Titiksha and

become a slave to hundred wants. The warning is against foolish extremes but to

a Sadhaka in the early stages a certain degree of austerity is essential for

development. The mind will suggest so many justifications. It will bring Gita to

its side and show that the Lord condemned Tapas. O aspirant, the Lord condemned

'Tamasic Tapas.' He recommended Sattvic austerity of body, speech and mind.

Reflect carefully. Always watch the mind!

 

" Take care of essentials. Do not pay too much attention to non-essentials. " The

above too serves as a handle for the mind to deceive the aspirant. If you have

to follow this advice, first try to understand what is essential and what is

non-essential. The idle nature of man is to loath following any sort of `Niyama'

and set-lines of Sadhachara. Therefore, everything is dismissed at a stroke as

`non-essential.' Then what remains, God only can say. The only `essential' would

seem to be to do what the mind likes. The Sadhak must think what a Spiritual

instruction really means and then why it is given. Moreover, essentials and

non-essentials vary according to the stage of development of the spiritual

aspirant. What may be unnecessary to an aspirant at a later stage may well be

essential to him now. Do not throw away precious grain with the chaff. Watch the

mind!

 

Finally the most dangerous deception played by the mind is in connection with

Sadhana itself. The very Sadhana that is adopted by the aspirant to transfigure

and divinise his life is converted into a prop and a field for the play of ego

and senses. It is very difficult to break out of this ensnaring net without

great earnestness and sincere endeavour. It is this vitiation of Sadhana that

keeps the Sadhak `stuck', as it were, on the path, arresting progress for years

together. For example, youthful Sadhaks with sweet voice and musical talent

naturally take to Kirtan and Bhajan as their Sadhana. Art always attracts

admirers. He is in demand at all auspicious functions. He gets popular amongst

Satsangis. The subtle mind now spreads the net. The Kirtan becomes sweeter day

by day. New songs and tunes are added to his musical repertory. Without his

being aware, the Kirtan has become a means to attract others to himself and to

maintain the popularity. Thus the `Sadhana' becomes double-purposed—primarily

for God's Darshana and side by side for worldly attraction. The result is the

extraordinary phenomenon of the Sadhak caught in his Sadhana. Instead of

Mochana, the quality of Sadhana becomes Bandhana. Maya is wonderful,

indescribable. Her ways are mysterious and inscrutable.

 

Take Nishkama Karma Yoga. Serving and helping others for no return is something

unheard of in the purely Vyavaharic world. Naturally the disinterested Sevak is

regarded as an exceptional being. All doors are open unto him. Many bring their

troubles to him, open their hearts and freely confide even intimate problems.

They, of course, take it for granted that the spiritual aspirant is perfectly

pure in every respect. Here the Sadhak walks upon the `razor-edge' of life. The

mind is the devil. Through the very intimacy of contacts in the Seva field,

pleasure centres are created and sensuousness gets scope in this Seva 'Sadhana'.

Vanity and carnality get catered to and the aspirant appears to take a keen

interest in the Nishkama Seva. But a ruthless search of the mind will reveal

that the keenness and interest in the Karma Yoga Seva is as much for the

sense-indulgence to be had in the Seva as for the Seva itself. So the mind

destroys the Sadhana.

 

Aspirants practising Titiksha many a time stick on to the Titiksha for similar

subconscious reasons. His endurance will earn for him a reputation. He will be

regarded as extraordinary. So even after the Titiksha Sahdana has served its

purpose he will keep on with it for continuing the status it has granted him.

Another Sadhak will under the idea of being indifferent towards the body and its

needs, neglects to shave even. This will be quite sincere and bonafide in the

beginning. But the long hair and beard that results out of this 'udaseenata'

will prove the instrument for Maya to lay hold of the aspirant. The hair will be

found to beautify his appearance. He is loath to part with it. Thus the former

" udaseenata " will be replaced by careful combing of the hair, application of

oil, peeps into the mirror, dressing to suit, the style of the hair, new

mannerisms, etc. Thus in a trice will delusion spring upon you and overpower you

like the tiger does its prey. Likewise Hatha Yogic exercise get misused to

sustain gluttony; Vajroli is used for Vybhichara and Yoga is made to serve

Bhoga. All these perversions arise out of the mischief of the unregenerate mind.

Therefore watch the mind!

 

The most extraordinary part of all this is that the mind will not allow you to

take the above lessons seriously. It will still say, " O you are all right. This

is not meant for you. Don't mind all this. Carry on as you are. " O aspirant do

not listen to it! Non-cooperate with the rogue. Take the lessons to heart.

 

To know where exactly one stands on the path is very difficult. The tricks of

the mind are most subtle. Only constant Vichar will keep you alert and safe.

Deep introspection alone can reveal a little of the mysterious workings. Probe

and probe into the mind. Do not be lenient to the mind. The mind will try to

compromise with you. Relentlessly hunt out its hidden motives. Subject yourself

to keen self-analysis everyday without fail. Oust all sentiment in this process.

Become an intelligent, serious and earnest self-C.I.D. Carry on a ceaseless

search and a vigorous enquiry inwardly. Put your mind on the dissecting table of

Vichar. Pray for the Grace of the Guru who alone can vanquish the mind and

enable you to master it. Pray to the Lord to illumine your intellect with the

light of knowledge. Watch the mind. Watch and pray. Thus alone, through

introspection, analysis, discrimination, vigilance and prayer can you understand

the subtle jugglery of this wonderful thing called 'mind' and transcend its

deceptions and tricks.

 

May the Lord enable you to realise the importance of the discipline of the mind.

May He crown your spiritual life with success and highest attainment!

[Guest guest]

Namaste Krishnendu ji,

 

Thanks a million for the post. a must read message for every one. My Saashtaanga

Pranaams to the Great man called Swami Sivaananda.

 

Utpal

 

, " chaudhuri.krishnendu "

<krishnenduchdhr wrote:

>

> PRINCIPLES AND THEIR PERVERSIONS

>

> (H.H. SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ)

>

> The path of the spiritual aspirant verily lies through a bewildering jungle of

difficulties and dilemmas of problems and paradoxes. One of such vexing

paradoxes is that your mind is both your best friend as also your most bitter

enemy. Mind becomes a true friend, only after being gradually trained to be so.

Mind begins to be really helpful after the aspirant has progressed sufficiently

in spiritual Sadhana. Until then it should be regarded as a troublesome and

treacherous enemy inside us. It is extremely diplomatic, cunning and crooked. It

is an arch-deceiver. One of the master-strokes of the mind's artfulness is to

make the aspirant feel and smugly imagine that he knows his mind perfectly well

and cannot be led away by it and at the same time to delude him totally. The

mind has the knack of making the unwary aspirant confidently think himself its

master, while it makes a hopeless fool of him. Its deceptions are subtle.

>

> You have heard the saying, " The Devil can quote scriptures for its purpose " .

Similarly the mind can use a virtue to indulge in a vice. It has an inborn

inclination to perversion. It can even take the support of a perfectly good

principle to seemingly justify the most unprincipled sort of action. Unless it

is scrutinised dispassionately, its tricks are never fully discovered.

>

> Certain of the perversions usually noticeable are described below. This will

be valuable to sincere aspirants who are eager to study their minds and

eliminate defects and shortcomings. These are extremely useful tips specially in

the working field, for aspirants engaged in active Seva in the midst of other

people.

>

> Sadhaks are told, " Keep up Matri-bhava or Devi-bhava when you move with

women. " This is a grand principle to safeguard your purity and spiritual

progress. But this does not tell you, " Move with women. " Nor does this advice

mean that if you try to have this attitude then you may go on freely mixing with

the opposite sex without any limit or restraint. The mind will ask, " Why not?

What if I do? To retreat from their presence is sheer timidity? No fear when you

do so with Devi-bhava! " Beware, O Aspirant, beware of this tendency! Divine

Bhava is not a license to throw away all restrictions of the Sadhaka's path. The

permanent injunction for Sadhakas is to totally eschew all contact with the

opposite sex. When unavoidably such contact becomes necessary, then, " Have

Matri-bhava; have Devi-bhava " etc., are prescribed. Also this is to caution the

aspirant not to hate women or become a misogynist. Women should be reverenced

but from a safe distance. Let not Devi-bhava etc., be taken to mean that you

should be all the time in the midst of them. Watch your mind!

>

> Then there is the advice which says, " You may hiss but not bite. " This safe

counsel was given to a fabulous snake which in a too extreme access of piety

became so totally docile and harmless that it got severely mal-handled by a set

of mischievous urchins. It was given as an example to over-timid householders

and people struggling in the very midst of the harsh realities of competitive

`vyavaharic' life. Here an overdose of `Avanty-brahmin'-like humility might well

make life impossible amidst the Asuric elements abounding in the world.

Therefore, just an outward show of pugnacity may be countenanced in so far as

this does not affect your basic goodness and brotherhood. But this policy is not

for the spiritual aspirant in the path of Sadhana and Nivritti. Definitely not.

Let aspirants take heed of these words. The Sadhak is neither to 'bite' nor is

he to `hiss' even. This 'hissing' business will soon become a part of your

nature. You will soon find yourself hissing for everything, at everything, at

everyone, in and out of season. This hiss will include every variety of rudeness

ranging from hot argument, sharp retort, curt reply to angry glaring, shouting

and abuse. In short of physical violence and fight, every type of verbal

brutality will be put into the " hissing " category. This will ultimately lead to

spiritual ruin. The mind is ever waiting to take advantage of even the least

concession shown to it. Its natural tendency is to go downward. O Aspirant, do

not bite or even 'hiss'. Be humble, be sweet, be gentle. Be firm but be soft,

polite and courteous. If you wish to 'hiss' then 'hiss' at your own mind. Thrash

the ego. Fight the Shad-ripus. Watch the mind!

>

> Another victim to perversion is the piece of advice, " Be resolute. Stick to

your priniciples. Never budge an inch. " The best possible advice to a sincere

Sadhaka; but unfortunately often made the basis for the worst possible trait

i.e., obstinacy. This is a Tamasic trait. But the mind will make believe that

you are manifesting Atma-bal or a divine determination. This is its work—to make

him cling tightly to his ego. Hence this deception. But the careful aspirant

must discern the difference between Sattvic Nishta and sheer stubbornness.

Atma-bal is not a cheap commodity to be got without a great deal of earnest

struggle, discipline and Will-culture. Determined adherence is advocated in

respect of truly high and noble principles and not of self-conceited notions. By

all means stick to spiritual Yogic Niyamas but avoid becoming obdurate in

nature. Do not be deceived. Watch your mind!

>

> " Speak the Truth always. Be frank. " Thus is the Upadesh. This means when you

are required to talk then speak only the truth. It does not at all mean that you

must go about telling everyone to his face what exactly you think of him or her.

This is unwarranted behaviour. Under the garb of frankness to give free

expression of opinions without caring for other peoples' feelings is not

`Aarjava' or frankness or straightforwardness. At the least it is

thoughtlessness; at its height it is sheer brutality. It does not bespeak well

of an aspirant. The same teacher who tells you " Speak truth; be frank! " also

tells you to have " Mita Bhashan, Madhura Bhashan " moderate and sweet speech.

Mind can even make you to utilise frankness in order to express mild insult. An

unpleasant truth is better left unsaid. If it becomes absolutely necessary and

unavoidable then say it sweetly and with humility. " Not to hurt and wound

others' feelings " is as equally important as speaking truth. Satyam and Ahimsa

must go together. Study thyself. Watch the mind!

>

> Then there is the truism i.e., " Vairagya is really a mental state, mental

detachment. " The mind takes hold of this definition to justify a heedless

sensual life without self-restraint, or principle. The argument will always be,

" O! I am not attached to all this. I can rise above it in a moment. I enjoy it

as a master. Mentally I am detached. " Contact with Vishyas have toppled down

even Tapasvins like Vishwamitra. Therefore, do not take Vairagya lightly.

Culitvate Vairagya diligently. Safeguard your Vairagya carefully. Be vigilant.

Watch the mind!

>

> The caution not to go to extremes in Tapasya also gets a like fate. Man's

normal nature is sensuous. The mind wants comforts and hates austerity. The

indiscriminating aspirant conveniently ignores the qualifying adjective

" extremes " in the advice quoted above and views all `Tapasya' with disfavour.

The result is to degenerate into luxury, lose even the minimum of Titiksha and

become a slave to hundred wants. The warning is against foolish extremes but to

a Sadhaka in the early stages a certain degree of austerity is essential for

development. The mind will suggest so many justifications. It will bring Gita to

its side and show that the Lord condemned Tapas. O aspirant, the Lord condemned

'Tamasic Tapas.' He recommended Sattvic austerity of body, speech and mind.

Reflect carefully. Always watch the mind!

>

> " Take care of essentials. Do not pay too much attention to non-essentials. "

The above too serves as a handle for the mind to deceive the aspirant. If you

have to follow this advice, first try to understand what is essential and what

is non-essential. The idle nature of man is to loath following any sort of

`Niyama' and set-lines of Sadhachara. Therefore, everything is dismissed at a

stroke as `non-essential.' Then what remains, God only can say. The only

`essential' would seem to be to do what the mind likes. The Sadhak must think

what a Spiritual instruction really means and then why it is given. Moreover,

essentials and non-essentials vary according to the stage of development of the

spiritual aspirant. What may be unnecessary to an aspirant at a later stage may

well be essential to him now. Do not throw away precious grain with the chaff.

Watch the mind!

>

> Finally the most dangerous deception played by the mind is in connection with

Sadhana itself. The very Sadhana that is adopted by the aspirant to transfigure

and divinise his life is converted into a prop and a field for the play of ego

and senses. It is very difficult to break out of this ensnaring net without

great earnestness and sincere endeavour. It is this vitiation of Sadhana that

keeps the Sadhak `stuck', as it were, on the path, arresting progress for years

together. For example, youthful Sadhaks with sweet voice and musical talent

naturally take to Kirtan and Bhajan as their Sadhana. Art always attracts

admirers. He is in demand at all auspicious functions. He gets popular amongst

Satsangis. The subtle mind now spreads the net. The Kirtan becomes sweeter day

by day. New songs and tunes are added to his musical repertory. Without his

being aware, the Kirtan has become a means to attract others to himself and to

maintain the popularity. Thus the `Sadhana' becomes double-purposed—primarily

for God's Darshana and side by side for worldly attraction. The result is the

extraordinary phenomenon of the Sadhak caught in his Sadhana. Instead of

Mochana, the quality of Sadhana becomes Bandhana. Maya is wonderful,

indescribable. Her ways are mysterious and inscrutable.

>

> Take Nishkama Karma Yoga. Serving and helping others for no return is

something unheard of in the purely Vyavaharic world. Naturally the disinterested

Sevak is regarded as an exceptional being. All doors are open unto him. Many

bring their troubles to him, open their hearts and freely confide even intimate

problems. They, of course, take it for granted that the spiritual aspirant is

perfectly pure in every respect. Here the Sadhak walks upon the `razor-edge' of

life. The mind is the devil. Through the very intimacy of contacts in the Seva

field, pleasure centres are created and sensuousness gets scope in this Seva

'Sadhana'. Vanity and carnality get catered to and the aspirant appears to take

a keen interest in the Nishkama Seva. But a ruthless search of the mind will

reveal that the keenness and interest in the Karma Yoga Seva is as much for the

sense-indulgence to be had in the Seva as for the Seva itself. So the mind

destroys the Sadhana.

>

> Aspirants practising Titiksha many a time stick on to the Titiksha for similar

subconscious reasons. His endurance will earn for him a reputation. He will be

regarded as extraordinary. So even after the Titiksha Sahdana has served its

purpose he will keep on with it for continuing the status it has granted him.

Another Sadhak will under the idea of being indifferent towards the body and its

needs, neglects to shave even. This will be quite sincere and bonafide in the

beginning. But the long hair and beard that results out of this 'udaseenata'

will prove the instrument for Maya to lay hold of the aspirant. The hair will be

found to beautify his appearance. He is loath to part with it. Thus the former

" udaseenata " will be replaced by careful combing of the hair, application of

oil, peeps into the mirror, dressing to suit, the style of the hair, new

mannerisms, etc. Thus in a trice will delusion spring upon you and overpower you

like the tiger does its prey. Likewise Hatha Yogic exercise get misused to

sustain gluttony; Vajroli is used for Vybhichara and Yoga is made to serve

Bhoga. All these perversions arise out of the mischief of the unregenerate mind.

Therefore watch the mind!

>

> The most extraordinary part of all this is that the mind will not allow you to

take the above lessons seriously. It will still say, " O you are all right. This

is not meant for you. Don't mind all this. Carry on as you are. " O aspirant do

not listen to it! Non-cooperate with the rogue. Take the lessons to heart.

>

> To know where exactly one stands on the path is very difficult. The tricks of

the mind are most subtle. Only constant Vichar will keep you alert and safe.

Deep introspection alone can reveal a little of the mysterious workings. Probe

and probe into the mind. Do not be lenient to the mind. The mind will try to

compromise with you. Relentlessly hunt out its hidden motives. Subject yourself

to keen self-analysis everyday without fail. Oust all sentiment in this process.

Become an intelligent, serious and earnest self-C.I.D. Carry on a ceaseless

search and a vigorous enquiry inwardly. Put your mind on the dissecting table of

Vichar. Pray for the Grace of the Guru who alone can vanquish the mind and

enable you to master it. Pray to the Lord to illumine your intellect with the

light of knowledge. Watch the mind. Watch and pray. Thus alone, through

introspection, analysis, discrimination, vigilance and prayer can you understand

the subtle jugglery of this wonderful thing called 'mind' and transcend its

deceptions and tricks.

>

> May the Lord enable you to realise the importance of the discipline of the

mind. May He crown your spiritual life with success and highest attainment!

>