Dharana (One-pointedness)
Whenever you look, you must only see God;
‘Tis folly to see anything else.
When you walk, you must walk with God;
‘Tis foolish to take any other path.
When you speak, speak only the truth;
All other talk is futile.
When you sing, sing about the greatest truths;
All other singing is an aberration.
When you hear, you must listen only to the Lord’s bhajans…
You must seek only to see God.
God must be your only goal.
What greater truth is there than this,
Oh good people that are assembled here?
Sweeter than sugar,
Tastier than butter
More sweet than pure honey,
When you utter the name
It is like nectar itself:
Reflect on it always Oh mind!
On the name of Rama.
Life is impermanent in this world
Youth and wealth are also transient;
So are wife and children,
Only dharma and fame endure forever
Discourse on Sri Rama Navami Day in the Prashanti Mandir, on 24-3-1991
Dharana (one-pointedness) endows man with divine joy, wisdom beyond measure, the inner vision, the insight into the deeper truths, clearer understanding and unison with the Godhead…
The mind plans and executes innumerable deeds and roams over vast expanses, all in the twinkling of an eye! It operates with unimaginable speed. It conceives an object and dallies with it a little; but it soon discards it for another more attractive object toward which it flees and about which it begins to worry.
The sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) has to be ever watchful of this tendency of his mind. When the mind flits from object to object, he must bring it back to the right path and the right object.
Dhyana Vahini, p.69
To attain dharana and acquire one-pointedness, you must undergo exertion to some extent. You must fasten your mind on the Lord and keep off all other thoughts from the mental plane. By constant exercise of this type, your vision will be firmly fixed on the Lord residing in your heart. That is verily the goal; the full fruition of dhyanam (meditation).
Dhyana Vahini, p.73
Make your mind steady and fix it on God. Mind is the cause of everything in this world. Mind by itself does not go anywhere. It is we who direct it and divert it in different ways according to our whims and fancies. We are responsible for its unsteadiness. When you keep your mind steady and focus it on God, you will find the brilliant and blissful form of God wherever you see…
With unflinching faith and unwavering mind you should let your love flow toward God. If there is unsteadiness in your mind, it is reflected outside. All unsteadiness comes from within you. I am rather surprised to note that man’s mind is wavering every moment. Why should the mind waver? It has no such power. Manas (mind) and Manishi (man) should be one. You can experience the principle of unity.
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 7, Pp. 269-270
