Taming the Mind

Devotee: Baba, what is concentration? What does it mean? How is it different from meditation?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Concentration is the fixation of attention on one point, on one act or thought, or subject, the attention of the senses; meditation comes in when the senses are transcended, and all desires are purified and overcome. In meditation, there is only you and God. Intense faith and exclusive contemplation produce successful meditation. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa [a saint] had such faith and sadhana [spiritua effort]—when he meditated on Hanuman, the form of God as monkey, he even grew a tail.

Devotee: Does it come naturally to man, or has it a method?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Concentration comes naturally to man, but meditation does not. It has a method. Ramakrishna had a succession of gurus who guided him.

Devotee: My meditation is enquiry “Who am I?”

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: It must be combined with meditation on light, or sound, or OM. You have to retire into the `forest’ inside you. It is `for‑rest’. Go in—that is the invitation.

Devotee: Does Swami direct us to `go in’ from time to time?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Early morning is the best time. The mind would be quiet then, and there is no pressure of responsibilities. It is difficult during the day; people are around; work has to be attended to.

Devotee: Swami has said once that people make a mistake by not paying heed to the `soham [That I am]’ that is repeated every time we breathe. How does one do it?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Sa is He; ham is I. Yogi X advised you to repeat only sa sa sa all the 24 hours; for, according to him, since ham is not uttered that ‘I’ will automatically subside. It is an extremely difficult method; in sleep it is impossible.

Devotee: The Yogi X says he does it.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: He does not! Of what use is it to struggle with a sadhana like that?

Devotee: Putting Yogi X aside, I want to accept your advice and say soham with every breath. What is the technique?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: You need not `say’ soham with each breath! The breath is always saying soham; become aware of it, that is enough. Realize that it is there, and feel it. At night, during sleep, when there is no consciousness of I and He, of any duality, the sa and the ham, the breath repeats Om; that is all.

Devotee: is He and ham is I; is there a particular point in the body where the I or atma [spirit] is to be meditated upon? Where is the atma seated?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The atma is everywhere. But, for the purpose of meditation the `life. principle’ or jivatma can be considered as located ten inches (an inch is the thumb-width at the first joint) above the navel at the centre of the chest.

Devotee: The mind, which is our instrument for sadhana, has the power to lead us into illusion also; it is therefore very dangerous, isn’t it?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The mind should not merge itself with the physical senses; it has other senses of its own, with which it should be concerned. If that happens, there is no danger at all. They are: truth, awareness, peace, love, and bliss. As long as the mind is engaged with these, all is well. But, when the mind, as soon as it thinks of the `theatre,’ picks up the body and carries it to the theatre with all the senses of the body alert and awake; it becomes involved with the picture, the people, the emotions and the concepts; peace is lost. The mind should not engage itself with the body senses; body senses should serve the needs of the body only.

Devotee: But, Swami, it is always said that all troubles arise from the mind.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: From desires, to put it more correctly.

Devotee: That means one should control one’s thoughts?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Thoughts and desires are not the same. There are many thoughts that are not desires. If there is a desire, there was a prior thought; but, not all thoughts are desires. Dark clouds bring rain but there can be clouds which do not bring rain. When there is a strong desire for God, bad thoughts, even if they arise, just pass through the mind and are not held there.

Devotee: Swami! The flow of thoughts interferes with meditation; how can we diminish and dry up the flow?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The habit of thinking is a long‑standing one; even when it is broken, it will continue for some time! The fan continues to revolve, doesn’t it, for some time, even after the current is switched off? The best method is to train the thought on to a spiritual goal—perfection, God, Rama.

Devotee: That means Rama must be always in our consciousness?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: There are four levels of consciousness in you: in the unconscious, there are no impressions at all; in the subconscious, the impressions are all in a jumble; in the conscious, man is afflicted with doubt, indecision, wills and won’ts, and the entire mass of duality. In the super‑consciousness or divine consciousness, there is the impression of only One.

Devotee: When one is wholly absorbed in God, who will take care of the body?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Who takes care of the body in deep sleep, when you are not aware of it? It is God who takes care of it then, as well as at other times. When one half of the body is paralyzed, can you make it move or make it whole?

Devotee: Swami! Can mantras [potent formulae] help, if they are repeated and meditated upon?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Yes. Even westerners have found the Gayatri mantra to have great power. Persons who are well practiced in spiritual life and sadhana must repeat it.

Devotee: Swami! It is said that You do not give mantra to aspirants. When devotees are ready for mantra, should they ask Swami? Or, will Swami Himself say when they are ready

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Avatars have never initiated aspirants into the recitation of mantras to help man toward self-realization. To hear the Avatar, to have His darshan, to understand His directions and to act accordingly, that is the mantra. Krishna gave no mantra to Arjuna. He said, “Do this.” That was enough mantra; when Arjuna did as he was told success was assured.

Devotee: Is the world today without saints who have direct and deep God experience?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Why do you ask so? There are people, even today, who have the genuine experience of the vision of the divine, of self‑ realization. But they do not travel hither and thither, building up a following of disciples. If you find such a one and ask for guidance, he would not be interested in you.

Those `gurus’ who are moving about in the world are caught in the bog as deeply as you are. They have various desires and so, various problems. Their knowledge is from books or from others; they have no full and real experience of the Divine of whom they speak. How can they pull you out of the bog onto firm ground? God is the only genuine guru. Call on Him, He will guide you. He is in your heart; He is ever ready to help, protect and guide you.

Devotee: Baba’s teaching carries the ring of truth; His words carry into action, almost by themselves. Their authority does not even depend on whether Swami is an Avatar or not.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Don’t doubt about this Avatar as Swami.

Devotee: When the mind is not busy, I keep it engaged in repeating Sai Ram. Is this all right?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Quite all right.

From the note book of an American
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1974