DISCOURSES & TALKS BY MEHER BABA

 

YOUR MIND SHOULD BE AS FIRM AS A ROCK

 

 

 

11 November, 1926

 

On Thursday, 11 November 1926, Baba urged the men to keep their minds firm in their resolve to follow him. "Your mind must be as firm as a rock," he told them. Then he stated:

 

Do not brood much over petty questions and wear out your mind.

 

This constant thinking and thinking weighs heavily on your mind and causes you much worry and anxiety for nothing. Do not let any material thoughts or worries disturb your mind and eat it away. Let people say what they please. Be like a rock that is unaffected by the continuous blasts of wind and remains firm in its place without moving an inch. Do not be like a leaf of a tree moved here and there by the slightest breeze, and eventually falling off.

 

 

Take that case of a small insect or fly which troubles and disturbs you at times. What do you do to drive it away? You merely raise your hand and wave it to make the insect buzz away. Similarly, you should try to drive away the idle words of people of the world that fall upon your ears, and remain indifferent toward them.

 

 

Stick to one thing only, one Eternal Truth. I have seen it, experienced it, and from my own experience I tell you that there is nothing, absolutely nothing in this world or elsewhere except Truth. There was no past, there is no present, there will be no future. There is absolutely nothing except an idle dream. Those who dream of father, mother, children, wealth, property, etc. dream only vacant dreams. For there is nothing like any of these. All the world, all the universe, nay, all this that you call "existence" is nothing but a dream. These are like scenes seen and experienced in a vacant dream, but found out to be false and unreal when one awakens.

 

 

Hence, stick to the Truth — the only Goal for one and all, and towards that aim rush fearlessly, even if you have to affront the whole world. This Truth — this Paramatma — is nowhere to be searched for. For It is very near you, much nearer than your own body. It is with you and within you. It is so near that you cannot even imagine — nearer than your very breath. Then, why seek Him elsewhere? Seek Him within you.

 

You could all see Him easily, but for the four big "devils" who stand in your way and do not allow you to do so. These four devils are — the false ego, lust, anger, and greed. Of these, the worst is egoism. From your earliest childhood to advanced old age, this I is the greatest obstacle in the path of spiritual advancement.

 

Next worst is that great evil, kama [lust], particularly sex passion, which is one of the gravest and worst evils of the world, one of the greatest hitches in the way to Truth. All must be wide awake to its charms and clutches. It is so powerful that one is not even to think of it, let alone put it into action. For even the slightest thought of this type would render you unfit for the great preparation of spiritual advancement. As for people in the material world, it is indeed very, very difficult for them to remain quite aloof from this great evil in the strictest sense, as is held fit and deemed worthy for persons seeking spiritual advancement, who are not even to think of it. Never mind: If the idea or thought comes — as indeed it does come to almost everyone — at least don't put that idea into action. Even that will be enough, though trying not to think of it, as much as possible, would be much better.

 

Although it is a very, very difficult task to overcome these four [devils], nonetheless, you should not despair. Strive on and on. Paramatma is near you, with you, within you, ever ready to help you in your honest endeavor at Truth.

 

To give a concrete example, Baba called one of the mandali and, making him stand in front of him, he wrapped four bandages around the mandali member's eyes, covering them completely.

Baba then said:

 

You cannot see me now as you have straps round your eyes. You have eyes, that is, the means to see, and I, for my part, am sitting right here in front of you. Both of these are facts. And still you can't see me! You have "means" to see, you have "the thing" to be seen; then why can't you see? Because of these four straps wrapped round your eyes. Take off these four covers over your eyes and you will see me at once.

 

In the same way, you all have internal eyes with which to see Paramatma, Self, Truth. The Self, the Truth is ever near you, with you, and within you, but you can't see It on account of the covering of the four great elements or attributes of maya. Remove these coverings and you will see Paramatma at once. But how can you remove these coverings? It is the work of the Sadguru to strip away the curtains of illusion, thus enabling you to see the Self.

 

The only one who can do this is a Realized Self — One who has seen and known the Truth. Any other guide — subtle seers, yogis, and so forth — will lead you no further than into darkness. Then what is the power of these yogis worth?

 

LM O/L p. 739 - 742