Fwded by: Dolphin
Date: 13 Sep 2018

Muraliji, Talking about mind and it's vagaries, I wish to share with you a talk my friend had with Shri Sukumara, a meditation teacher in Samse, a mountain resort in Kudremukh, Karnataka.
This took place about 5 years ago.

This is what he had to say on the Mind ::
He said people broadly fall into 3 categories ::
The first is a small group of people who set about doing things on Their own. For them God doesn't figure in their scheme of things. Not that these people are disbelieving atheists -- just that they don't factor this concept. They are a focussed and activity-based lot. This group goes about accomplishing things. These people have very clear minds, mostly blunt in their views, never masking their feelings.
They achieve what they set their minds upon.

There is a second category, which is also a rather tiny group : which vest its faith totally in God. These people have hardly any doubt if their prayers will get answered.
That's the kind of faith they have : For example ..
If they need to buy a home or car, all they do is a direct prayer. It's almost child-like when they demand, " Shiva, You do this for me " : Or "Divine Mother, I've left this to you and how you do this is your business..It's your work to do this for me ".
The prayer is never repeated, as their faith is so strong. It's almost as if their will is God's too.
Look at the confidence in their faith. Here too their aspirations come true.

Then of course, there is a 3rd category and most of us fall into this.
This is a group, which neither has confidence to go ahead on its own, nor put its faith totally in God. For them God is a kind of insurance -- just in case --- if things go wrong -- there is always the solace of the Divine.
There is a hard logic in the background, which puts paid to faith. And there are always relatives and friends in the form of obliging mamas and mamis, who will advise these people (us) to carry out different vows at different days of the week at different temples . And we follow it. What kind of faith is this -- multi-faith ?
On the one hand, they aspire for a home and torpedo this with a skeptical thought -- Can I manage the emi? What happens if I lose my job midway through the loan period ?
This is how all their thoughts weaken each other.
Results - Doubtful / May or may not happen...

Mr Sukumara went on say further, that there were strong emotions and there were weak emotions.
Anger and Fear were the two strong emotions. The strong emotions give quick results and fulfil themselves.
The softer emotions - the more benign types take a pretty long time to fructify : they too will -- but much later, after the strong ones have played out.
Therefore, he concluded - Beware of the strong ones : particularly anger - they are malefic in nature and inevitably cause harm to the person bearing these.
Likewise the feeling of fear can engender the happening of an event which you fear most.
Don't they say, "His worst fears came true "?
"Therefore", He concluded, "Guard yourself by watching your thoughts. Become more aware of your mind"
"Meditation is a must "