Master of Mind, Master of Self

Just as in science you are able to switch something on or off in a second, in the same way, check whether you are able to control your mind for as long as you want in the way that you want.

“FATHER, I AM AFRAID. Father, are you listening?”

I do not answer. I know God is right. When I am not in control of my mind, I allow thoughts that are not useful, even though that are harmful, to run riot. On those occasions when my mind is undisciplined, it's no wonder I sometimes feel anxious or afraid.

Someone once asked me, “Why is it easier to think negative thoughts than positive ones?” The answer is simple: habit. The mind is accustomed to be being wild and willful, and to doing exactly what it wants. Buddhists call this the Monkey Mind. In my practice, the mind is compared to a runaway home. It runs and runs down a long sandy beach, and no mater which ay you pull the reins or try to make it slow down, the mind keeps on racing.

People whose minds run fast, say, “Teach me to switch off my mind.” They think they can gain control by stopping all thoughts. But just as the heart's job is to beat, the mind's job is to think. What's important, therefore, is to learn how to think, how to switch the mind on, not off. The mind is brought under control by turning away from the negative thoughts and staying focused on the positive. Qualitative thinking is the key to self-mastery. Just as in other pursuits of excellence, a person doesn't become a top pianist or chef overnight, similarly, mastering the mind, everyday, under all circumstances, requires constant awareness, dedication and practice.

(Extracts from the book Soul Power by Nikki De Carteret, New Age Books)

The cool pine air mingles with the fragrance of cedar and eucalyptus from the sauna. I am laying on a wooden floor, next to the women's hot tub at the Japanese Spa in Santa Fe . I am oblivious to the women around me, who are bathing in the last rays of a November sun. it is my thoughts that are preoccupying me now, not my body.

“What are you afraid of, child?”

“That I can't do it all. That I can't run, write, cook, get my mind clear, be Your instrument. You know, all the usual stuff.”

God takes a while to reply. “Your mind deceives you.”
“Okay, so I worry a lot.”

“You are not in control of your thoughts.”

“I can't help it sometimes.”

“I have taught you how to be a master. Have you forgotten?”

Back to the Banks of Sindhu

“So how was your journey?” The Lama asked me.

“Tiring, but that must be because of my physical condition. But this place is beautiful, indeed beautiful. Bit far, though,” I replied.

There was nothing new in what he said. I had heard similar words spoken by others. I had read them in books. No, those words were not new. And yet they sounded so “fresh”. They refreshed my being. Then I realized that it was the “man behind the gun” who made the difference.

Words are just words. Anyone can use them. And then they will remain just words. It is only when words are “not used” but “emerge” from you heart, from your soul, that they made a difference. And those words, at that time, were coming from the deep recesses of the Lama's heart, from his very being, his soul. The words came from that point of his being which was always at onement with Existence. It was as it The Existence spoke to me.

Now that was new. The power with which those words were spoken was new.

“Do whatever you want to do, whatever you have been wanting to do. Do not suppress your emotions. Shout, scream, and express yourself… Free yourself from the trash of thoughts. Let go of all your anxieties and worries, disappointments and fears… and then it will be easier for you to enter the state of meditativeness. There you will experience bliss. In that state you will find true health and unending happiness.”

(Extracts from the book Soul Quest by Anand Krishna, New Age Books)

(Extracts from the book Soul Power by Nikki De Carteret, New Age Books)

“Yes, yes, yes... The journey towards Beauty is always a tiring one. Beauty is not easily attainable. One must strive. But you are here now, so you can relax. No more conflict with death, accept it... Accept it as you have been accepting life so far. Perhaps death is more beautiful than life... You never know - for you have not experienced death in this life.”

Yes, he was right. I had not experienced death in “this” life. I was to experience “death in this life”. I was to die while living. Death was not opposed to life anyway. Just like eating, drinking, walking, sleeping, making live, brushing you teeth and washing yourself-death, I realized, was just another experience. Life did not end with death. How could an experience end one's life? And even if one's life ended, how could it end Life?

The Lama was following my chain of thoughts: “Do not fly, do not run away-face the challenges of life with a smile on your lips. We tend to forget that we are one hundred percent responsible for whatever happens to us. We create our problems, so we have to face them… solve them ourselves.”