Train The Mind

The scriptures advise us to practice detachment with the world and the spiritual principles. This practice is called Sadhana or Bhajan. Saints practically demonstrated some simple tricks to train our minds.

Ramkrishna Paramhansa was once juggling with a ball of soil in one hand and a coin in the other. He

kept saying - Taka Mati Mati Taka. His disciples kept looking at Him.

When He stopped, one of his disciples asked Him - Gurudev! What were you doing?

Ramkrishna Paramhansa said - I am trying to teach my mind that money is dust. It is just that because of this money, my mind does not let me think of God.

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Another saint became very fond of apples even after taking sanyas. In order to get rid of his attachment, He kept an apple in front of Himself and continuously looked at it for a few days till it spoilt.

Someone asked Him - O Saint! What are you doing?

He replied - I am trying to train my mind to give up apples. So if an apple was in my vicinity, this mind would not feel greedy for it.

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Yet another saint was begging to a statue for food.

He kept saying – O noble person! Please give me something to eat. I am really hungry.

Someone asked Him - O Sir! What are you trying to achieve?

He replied - My mind is my enemy. When I go to beg for food to the village and people ignore me, this mind feels so bad. I am just trying to train it so if people ignore me, I have no feeling.

Moral Of The Story

The mind is the vehicle that can take us to liberation as well as bondage. 

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj used these examples to teach us that this mind has learnt to rule and we have been a slave to it for countless lives. In order to tread on the spiritual path, we need to train our mind with practice and detachment from the world.

The mind of the Saints are already divine and they do not need to do any Sadhana but just to teach us its importance, they show us how to break lose of our attachments with practice.