Thoughts keep cropping up in our mind. As per our mind-set, some thoughts are good and some are bad. Those thoughts could be for an object, a living organism or a person. Thoughts that our mind considers good, we develop attachment to those and the ones that do not find favour with the mind, we develop aversion to those. This development gives rise to attachment and aversion, love and hate. Interestingly, these thoughts and reactions are temporary in nature and are short-lived, but the process of thoughts cropping up in mind is a repetitive phenomenon.

What is important for a sadhak (a person in pursuit of spirituality) is to develop stability of mind. Stability is that state of mind where good or bad, attachment or aversion, happiness or sorrow, gain or loss, grace or disgrace etc. do not disturb the equilibrium of mind. Just as waters of different rivers enter into an ocean, though ocean is full on all sides remains undisturbed, likewise the human mind (which is an ocean of thoughts) should also remain calm and quite while receiving agreeable and disagreeable thoughts. The effort is to go beyond the tangles of attachment and aversion, attain a state of thoughtlessness and enjoy tranquility and bliss.

Another significant aspect of sadhna is to lead an honest life and perform karmas relinquishing all attachment to it. This human body belongs to the material world, so dedicate it to the material world to serve the mankind. The soul (atma) belongs to the Supreme Soul (Paramatma), so surrender it unconditionally at the lotus feet of the Lord.

This human body comprising of five tatvas is a temporary abode and ultimately the five tatvas will merge into the five tatvas of nature. This corporal frame has been bestowed upon us by God Almighty to render selfless service to the inhabitants of this planet earth. It should, therefore, be a welcome opportunity to willingly offer this body to promote the welfare of fellow beings without expecting anything in return.

Whatever riches we possess, let those be utilized to take care of our basic needs and conveniences. Those should, however, not prompt us to boast about nor should we extravagantly spend those in satisfying our ego-centric desires. Those riches have been temporarily made available to us by virtue of our prarabd (inherited from the previous birth) or the karmas performed during the present birth. We will not be able to carry forward any of those riches to the next birth. Then why not share those with lesser privileged class of people and earn the blessings of Dridra-Narayana. These blessings would surely be carried forward even after the end of this life. Our possessions and relationships in this material world are temporary, fleeting and transitory. None of these belong to us permanently – however, we have unwittingly given recognition to that false belief. So shed it, for your own benefit.

The reality of this existence is that your real self is the soul (atma) which is an inseparable part of the Supreme Soul (Paramatma) and it belongs to Him. Both are permanent, primeval, eternal and everlasting. Surrender it unconditionally unto His lotus feet and be one with Him. The sooner you recognize your real self – that you are sat-chitta-ananda – you will be able to get rid of this bondage of the material world and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Aum Aham Brahmasmi