Remain a witness to the thoughts.

[Guest guest]

A parrot repeats the sounds taught to it by the master. It has no inherent intelligence. It never understands what it repeats. It is mere repetition skill learned through practice. If man also repeats what he hears from the Lord, what is the effect of such prattle. It invariably boosts the ego. Hence one must understand, imbibe, act and then teach. Unless one is conversant with the methodology, how he can instruct others. Observe your mind and thoughts as a witness. Observe the emotions and anger as a witness. Not involving in the thought process but aware of its raising is an exercise to the intellect. Sufficiently trained thus, we can remain unperturbed by any happening in the immediate vicinity as well as to our near and dear. It is the attachment which is the cause of despair in us. World around, we witness from the TV, many mishaps. We are unconcerned. We just watch it without any reactions. If we are able to train our own selves to remain as a witness to any such calamity in our own home, then it can be counted as real dispassion. Sri Ragawendra remained thus at the poverty of his own family. He relinquished the family ties with complete vairagya. When his wife committed suicide unable to bear the news of his embracing Sanyas, she haunted the place where he was doing his meditation. He prayed to the lord to grant rest to the soul by sprinkling the holy water on the disembodied soul. Immediately she was released from her state. Ofcourse we can not raise to such noble states as Shri Ragawendra. But we can attempt to remain as a witness in our normal day to day life. Even Arjuna was advised by Shri Krishna that through "Abhyasa"(persistant practice), the mind can be quelled. Sairam.