Sri Sathya Sai Baba Articles

The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar

“Master the Mind and Be a Mastermind”

January 19th, 2003




OM… OM… OM…

Sai Ram

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Master the Mind

This morning I want to speak on the subject, “Master the Mind and Be a Mastermind.” Quite often Swami says this: “Master the mind and be a mastermind.” We have to understand what a mastermind is and how to be one and, above all, find out what the mind is.

I’ll attempt to draw your attention to certain important points; it is not possible to discuss them all. Bhagavan has dwelt at length on all the points relating to this particular topic on several occasions. So I won’t make any vain attempt to exhaust the subject. My attempt is only to infuse, to instill and to trigger interest among you to read Sai literature and collect the points on this subject.

First of all, there are a few points I’d like to draw to your attention. What does Baba mean when He says, “Master the mind”? What does He mean by that? Evidently we have not mastered the mind; therefore, we need to master the mind. Then the questions come: How to do it, why to do it and what harm is there if it is not done? If the mind is not mastered or if I do not master my mind, what is the harm? Well, if we know the harm, then we’ll know the positive help later.

If the mind is not mastered, what will happen? We will become a slave to our mind. If we don’t master the mind, we will become a slave to the mind. When we are slaves to the mind, we have to oblige and act according to the dictates and commands of the mind, as the mind is the master and we are the slaves.

The mind directs us in every silly way possible because the mind is always extrovert. The mind is outward. The mind is external. This outward, external, extrovert mind will always make me go outward. It wants to see all the movies with the help of the eyes. It wants to listen to all kinds of music through the ears. It aspires to taste all the food available with the help of the tongue.

In other words, all the five senses will naturally oblige and satisfy the mind. The senses are ready to oblige the mind as the mind is located above the senses. Therefore, the mind will naturally employ the senses to do whatever it decides, with the result that the body becomes weak.

My friends, you’ll all agree with me, Bhagavan’s Divine discourses focus on the mechanics and dynamics of the human personality, which include the body, senses, mind, intellect and Atma. It is along this line that all of His discourses flow, right from the beginning. You should read them with this perspective.

The Senses Enjoy You

At one time, Bhagavan made this statement. I’m sure that most of you must have heard it. We all say that we enjoy life. We all say we are joyful with the help of the senses. But Bhagavan says, “Really you’re not enjoying with the senses. The senses enjoy you. The senses are enjoying you; you are not enjoying through the senses.” The statement may appear to be rather vague at first; but if we inquire, Bhagavan Himself gives the answer in the next statement.

If you really enjoyed life with the help of the senses, you should be stronger and stronger day-by-day. But this is not the case. The senses enjoy at your expense and, ultimately, make you weak. After every sensual enjoyment, one becomes weak. Therefore, who is enjoying whom? You’re not enjoying -- the senses are enjoying at your expense.

How do the senses enjoy? The senses enjoy - the senses find their expression - depending on the thoughts and the desires entertained in the mind. So it is the mind that entertains the thoughts and the desires. These are translated into action through the medium of the senses, making the person ultimately weak.

In other words, my friends, if the mind is not mastered, if the mind is not disciplined, if the mind is not kept in the proper channels, we become weak. Rather, we grow in age faster than what we should.

You Can Also Look Young Like Me

Bhagavan was commenting the other day, “All of you can look young like Me.”

That’s what Swami said.

“All of you can look young like Me.”

It was a very tempting challenge indeed -- very tempting because everyone wants to look young, though it is not so. So naturally we’re interested to know.

“Swami, please tell us the secret of how to look young. Because we have exhausted all the stuff, you know -- all the perfumes available, the hair dye, the artificial teeth, plastic surgery, what not. We’ve exhausted all the means to look young. And evidently, we cannot ultimately hide our age. So let us know the secret of looking young.”

Bhagavan said, “You can also look young, but only if you have no worries and anxieties. If you have no worries, if you have no anxieties, if you are free from thoughts, you can be young like Me.”

The answer is simple, but tough to accomplish because the mind cannot be easily withdrawn, and therefore the thoughtless state becomes a dream -- so difficult! The ‘no-mind’ state is the ultimate reality. It is the ultimate step in spirituality or sadhana, but it is so tough, so difficult to accomplish. It is so simple to say, but that state is not so easy to accomplish.

And therefore, my friends, there’s every need to master the mind so that we’ll be stronger, so that we’ll be healthier, so that we won’t age too fast. Let us postpone that evil day -- we don’t need to hurry it!

We Have No Satisfaction

Why do we need to master the mind? Because we have no satisfaction -- the mind has no satisfaction. When the mind is present, there is no satisfaction. The mind and satisfaction are not compatible. Even if you offer it any number of delicious items, the mind still wants more. Even if you have a lot of wealth, the mind wants to acquire some more.

So the mind will never say, “Enough!” No! Nobody ever says that, unless they go beyond the mind. Therefore, a man who does not control his mind, who does not keep his mind in check, will be carried away by the ways, whims and vagaries of the mind, which are inexhaustible. Ultimately that state of mind will leave him totally dissatisfied and depressed.

In fact, my friends, none of us have any valid reason to be depressed or frustrated. It is rather strange to find many people unhappy, but on inquiry you will find that the person has no genuine cause to be unhappy. On investigation you will find that he is unhappy, but not for any valid reason. He is unhappy because he thinks the other man is happier than he is. (Laughter) This sort of comparison, this sort of competition is making life miserable. It is not his fault. It is the nature of the mind. It is the nature of the mind, as it will never be satisfied at any time. Therefore, the mind has to be mastered or disciplined.

Meditation is an Undisturbed State

So, once again, why do we need to master the mind? Spiritually speaking, it is the mind that is the biggest obstacle between you and God. The mind is like an iron curtain between you and God. Therefore, this mind has got to be mastered. If not, what happens? Many of us sit for meditation. The body sits there, but the mind runs along to the market on the main street. (Laughter) Though we’re physically alone, mentally we’re in a crowd. All those things that we’ve forgotten long ago come back to our mind when we sit for meditation.

So, meditation is an undisturbed state -- where any thought can get into the mind. At least while talking, we cannot think because we have to concentrate on the subject we are discussing -- or else it becomes senseless talk. Therefore talking, at least, will make you concentrate, whereas in meditation or silence the mind goes on jumping like a monkey here and there. You look at your watch and it is 7:30 -- time to get up, have breakfast, go to the office, and tell everybody, “I meditated.” (Laughter) So what is it that we meditate on? Nothing whatsoever.

Bhagavan even jokes at times, “In the course of meditation, the husband is bothered about lunch and goes on giving instructions to his wife about which curries should be prepared. So it is ‘curry mediation’ but not ‘Divine meditation’.” (Laughter)

It also happens that he thinks of his first cup of coffee for that morning, which has to be very, very hot. While he sits for meditation, he inquires of his wife whether the hot coffee is ready or not. It is ‘coffee meditation’, but not meditation on God.

So my friends, the mind is not mastered; the mind is not disciplined. Therefore, even while we will sit quietly in the name of meditation, it has become ridiculous, farcical, meaningless, artificial, and purposeless -- without any goal. Therefore we are restless. Really, if one is a spiritual man, if one really is truly meditative, he should be peaceful. He should be loving, with a smile and with a sense of satisfaction, remaining in a blissful state. How many people are blissful? I haven’t found anyone. I have seen many, many people. I have met many who say that they meditate every day, but I feel like leaving their company because they are incorrigible.

So my friends, the point is that meditation should take you to a blissful state. Meditation should give you a supreme sense of satisfaction; but, in reality, it is giving nothing whatsoever. The goal is far from being attained. The reason is that the mind is totally occupied. The mind has not been mastered. The mind has not been disciplined. Therefore Swami says, “Master the mind. Master the mind, control the mind,” which is most important.

You Will Not Be Benefited

Further, Bhagavan gave a reason: “If you don’t master your mind, even if I stand in front of you, you are not going to be benefited.”

Sometimes Swami will pass by us and we may not even notice -- even if we see Him physically, the mind is not there. It is already busy with the reservation tickets and the return journey. The mind is not at all benefited because the mind is not there – you are physically present, but mentally absent.

Therefore, a mind that is not mastered, a mind that is not disciplined, is not going to be benefited even if one sits in front of God – dare I say, even if he sits in the lap of God! (Laughter) If the mind is not disciplined, it is no use at all. We can see this from the person’s interactions – their individual behaviour. We can easily see whether that person has benefited from proximity or not. We can decide to what extent they’ve benefited by their interrelationships, by their vanity and talk.

And therefore, this sort of mind, if it is not disciplined, if it is not mastered, will certainly take us away from our spiritual goals.

Mind is a Negative

From Bhagavan’s point of view, the mind is negative. The mind is negative, the body is negative and the senses are negative. It is only the soul, or the spirit, our consciousness, our conscience that is positive. Atma is positive, while all the rest of the components of the human system are all negative. That is what Bhagavan says. So the mind is negative.

This morning a student asked me, “Sir, why is it that many people come here and do namaskaar? A VIP fellow comes here, does namaskaar and sits down. Who does he salute? Does he do namaskaar for every devotee or to Swami? What does he mean?”

I said, “Hey boy, that is awful -- you’re awful, I pity you. When a VIP such as an elected official, comes here and says, ‘Namaskaar’, it means that he finds God in you. He really appreciates your fortune. He really appreciates your blessing, and therefore he says, “Sai Ram, Namaskaar.” On the other hand, if you mistakenly think that he is doing it for popularity and that it’s only for your votes, well then your mind is negative and your life has become negative.

” I admonished him like anything, “Ah-re, when will you grow up?”

Therefore, my friends, the mind is always a negative. We don’t view things positively. Suppose Swami talked to someone. We try to draw some conclusions:

“What does that man do? What could it be? What is the reason? What is he going to do for Swami? What has he done in the past?”

What are you going to do with these details? What will you do with these details and statistics? It will not help you because the mind is negative. The mind is not ready to accept anything positive.

Suppose I say something bad about a person, do you think he is a good man? No, no, no.

“Last night I saw him with two Scotch whisky bottles.”

“Is that so?”

Ah! The mind is ready to accept it. (Laughter) Anything negative is immediately accepted.

“He’s a good man. Do you think so?”

“I know the other side of it.”

Why should you say that you know the other side, ignoring the positive side? The point is that the mind is negative. It is ready to accept anything negative. It is not ready to receive anything that is positive, anything that speaks of the good in others.

The Positive Mind

Master the mind -- see that good is accepted. See that good is entertained. See that good is fostered. This is possible only if we master the mind; so master the mind.

Bhagavan has put positivism in different ways. I can give you an example. Since I’ve not gotten permission, I won’t mention names. Bhagavan did not speak to this particular fellow for about five years. He did not look at him. He did not speak to him for five years. He was very close to Bhagavan. Somehow, we don’t know, he was ‘under repair’ perhaps.

And naturally, as Bhagavan has said, “When the road is under repair, there will be a ‘detour’ sign. So Bhagavan takes the detour because the road of life is under repair. Until the repair is over, the vehicle, the Divine automobile, won’t be going that way. So he was ‘under repair’ for only five years. (Laughter)

This man, you know, took advantage of that period of testing, though it was prolonged. He went through the Bhagavatham text in the original Sanskrit. He went through it in depth, even though he was never familiar with Sanskrit. He could not read it. He could not write it either, but he learned the original script, and today he can quote freely from the Bhagavatham.

Because he is also about sixty, I asked him, “Ah-re! Where did you learn all this at your age?”

I asked him, “How do you know it?”

“Sir, that five year period of exile gave me the opportunity to pick it up.” (Laughter)

So what is positivism? Positivism means to be benefited in the worst of negative situations. That is being positive. When everything is positive, when everything is favourable, if you are happy, there is nothing great about it.

It was Bala Gangadhar Tilak who wrote the Bhagavad Githa while he was in prison. In prison! Yes. Therefore, even a negative situation can be viewed in the positive sense -- that is spirituality. Spirituality means there is nothing negative in this world. Whatever happens to us is for our own good. Preparedness, alertness, unconditional acceptance, that is spirituality.

Devotion is not conditional. ‘If such-and-such a thing happens, I am a devotee. If such-and-such a thing happens well, I will continue to be a devotee.’ This is only business-oriented devotion. It is using managerial skills on God. (Laughter) Or rather, it is manoeuvring God, or manipulating religion, which is total nonsense. It has nothing to do with religion at all.

I can give you another example. Names are not important. If you are so particular that you need me to substantiate my statements, I will introduce these people to you. But, I know that you are all devotees and that you will go by what I say.

A Greater Miracle

One gentleman started explaining the great miracle of his life. What was the miracle? It seems that while he was traveling in a Tempo -- an auto rickshaw, as you know, a bigger one -- he met with an accident - a head injury – and he was admitted to the hospital. Bhagavan visited him both morning and evening until he was discharged.

And this man explained from the dais, “Bhagavan saved my life from this head injury. You know, I’m totally cured and Bhagavan visited me every day. If Bhagavan will visit me again, I don’t mind having another accident.” (Laughter)

There at the same meeting was another lady. They were all here I tell you, big people, VIPs.

At the end of the meeting, she came to me and said, “Sir, have you heard the entire talk? I can’t because I’m there in the front row.”

“Madam, I heard all that he said.”

The lady continued, “In that same accident, I lost both of my sons. Now what do you say to that? That man says on the dais, ‘Baba saved my life.’ Do you think it is a miracle? How do you explain the death of both of my sons, age 25 and 22, who were doing service here in Prashanti Nilayam? They were always devotees of Bhagavan. I lost both of my sons, sir. How do you explain it? If you think that saving the life of a person is a sign of Divinity, is a sign of devotion, is a sign of the manifestation of God’s power, how do you explain this tragedy in our family?”

I was really helpless. I looked at her and said, “Madam, only you can explain. I have no answer. I pity you. Please, tell me how you have taken it.”

She said, “When your life is saved, to feel so happy is a miracle, no doubt. But for me to continue to be here, in spite of the death of two of my sons, is a greater miracle.” (Applause) It is a greater miracle, a higher miracle,” she said.

“You all have been here for the rewards, for the benefits. But I continue to be here without that. It is a miracle how you find me here. It is a miracle how you find me here, laughing and smiling, serving Bhagavan day-in and day-out. This is greater miracle.”

Well, that was an incident that I cannot forget because readiness or unconditional acceptance of the Divine Will is spirituality. Spirituality is not conditional or rational reasoning or acceptance, according to your preferences and choices. All of these things come out of the mind because of its own nature. The inbuilt nature of the mind is like that. Therefore Bhagavan says, “Master the mind.”

So, ‘master the mind’ means that we have to make the mind develop the spirit of surrender. We have to master the mind so that we are able to exercise total control - a total ‘ceiling on our desires’ - so that the mind will not ventilate through the senses, enjoy the world and turn ultimately weak. We have to master the mind so that concentration is not lost. We have to master the mind so that mind will learn to be happy with whatever it has or whatever happens, with a spirit of satisfaction, complacency and gratification.

So, there is every need to be master of the mind because if we don’t, in spite of all we have, we will continue to be miserable. Whatever be the field, above all in spirituality, it is most essential as the mind is the greatest and biggest obstacle between God and us.

I also draw your attention to the need for a positive mind. Bhagavan has given a number of examples. Instead of saying the glass is half-empty, you can say the glass is half full of water. You can say it is half full of water rather than saying it is half- empty.

Really, sometimes people come and tell me, “Anil Kumar, you committed two mistakes in your translation.”

I immediately say to them, “Ninety-eight were correct. Why don’t you see that?” (Laughter) Perhaps you are too anxious to find those two. Anyhow, I thank you very much. I’ll correct these mistakes next time.”

That is what I tell them. I take it sportingly. So the point is, the mind is always after these things, the pitfalls and the negativity.

Mind Always Wants to Judge

The mind has another evil tendency -- judgment. The mind always wants to judge. The mind always says the other person is wrong, the other person is less, the other person is inferior. Why? Because the mind thinks it is superior by judging the other man, by making the other man inferior, by considering the other person lower. It is a ‘cheap’ characteristic of the mind. The chief expression of the mind is to be superior by judging others as inferior. So, mind always judges. Beware of judgment. Let us not judge anybody.

Well, why go that far? Three days ago, a lady came to me – an elderly lady, aged fifty. She serves in the canteen. Well, I didn’t like her - the way she stepped into our house wearing just the canteen kitchen dress, that’s all. Perhaps she had come straight from the canteen. Well, anyway, I couldn’t bear her sight. Two other ladies, who looked almost like serving maids, also accompanied her.

They immediately rushed into my house and sat there on a chair, without being asked to do so. I couldn’t ask them to leave. I had to hear what they came to say. What was my initial thought?

“What is this dirty lady doing here when I’m about to go for my evening walk? Why is she disturbing me?”

You know, my friends, in total repentance, being totally ashamed of my thoughts, I’m openly declaring to you what happened that evening.

That lady, a poor lady who lives in one of the sheds behind here, began, “Sir, I want to tell you what has happened.”

“Yes, what happened - please let me know because the time is up. I have to go for my evening walk.”

She immediately said, “I need five minutes time.”

“‘Yes, what happened?”

“Well, I have been to my native place, Nellore.”

“Good, you’re back. Fine,” I said, to dispose of her. (Laughter)

Immediately she said, “No sir, by the time I reached Nellore, I had a severe heart attack. I could not get up. I could not walk.”

She was taken to the hospital. Nellore has experienced doctors and they all said that she needed an operation.

“Yes, there is something wrong - a cardiac complaint. She should be operated upon.” That is what they said.

And the woman sitting right there in front of me said loudly, “Sir, I prayed to Bhagavan right there in Nellore: ‘Oh Baba, if You are really God, if You’re satisfied with my services, if You bless me with a total cure, I’ll serve You till my last breath. Baba, if you help me, I’ll work in Prashanti Nilayam until my last breath.’”

That’s what she said there in Nellore. Then she traveled all the way back and came to Prashanti Nilayam. The next day she went to the Super Speciality Hospital. She got herself a total check-up, scanning and everything.

The doctor said, “Nothing is wrong with you. (Applause) Everything is perfect.”

What does this mean? It only means that I noticed in her that kind of acceptance, that spirit of devotion, the unquestioning loyalty, and the unwavering faith, that is really great.

I mention this in connection with judgment because: ‘All that glitters is not gold.’ People might look cultured. People might look civilised, posh and well dressed, with very high academic qualifications, but stinking in their behaviour and in their qualities. But here is a lady whom I thought was unkempt, and I wanted to dispose of her immediately. When she said this had happened, I fell at her feet in repentance.

Who is Superior, Who is Inferior?

“Judge not, lest ye be judged,” reads the Holy Bible.

Do not judge anybody. There are a number of people sitting in back who have no chance to see Bhagavan up close. They return home happily, blissfully, with all their wants satisfied, with all their desires fulfilled, because they view Bhagavan from a spiritual point of view.

But those who go by the physical form expect Swami to speak to them and expect Him to call them for an interview. Who is superior, and who is inferior? Please let me know.

In fact, one gentleman, an M. Tech student, asked me this morning, “Sir, what should I do in order to ensure that Swami will speak to me?”

I said, “That goal is foolish”.

Why? Because He talks to people for several reasons: There waits the driver and He talks to him, “Take the car over to that side.”

Do you think the driver is Vyasa or Vasishta or Viswamitra? (Laughter) Certainly not! Certainly not! I’m not going to accept it. Also, you’ll find one or two cooks there inside. He always talks to them: “Serve a little. Don’t serve. Stop serving. Useless fellow, you’ve not done well.”

So, do you think that those cooks are the people at whose feet I should fall? Not necessarily. Therefore, Swami’s external talk may please you, but it is more pleasing when others watch it. (Laughter) The little ego will be satisfied.

I continued talking to the M. Tech student, a gold medallist at the post-graduate level, MSc mathematics, and told him, “We are confused, therefore we are unhappy. Our goals are worldly, while our path is spiritual. We have worldly goals like gaining a big name, fame, prestige, influence, and all kinds of benefits - business benefits and profits. All these goals are worldly. But the path is spiritual -- coming to Prashanti Nilayam, sitting in the front row, praying and going around Ganesha and all that. That is a spiritual path no doubt, but our goals are worldly. Therefore, we are confused.”

What should be our spiritual goal? The spiritual path is OK, but the spiritual goal is to go beyond want and desire. What are our desires? We should desire to be desireless. The only desire is to be desireless. That should be the spiritual goal. So for a spiritual goal, the spiritual path is acceptable and justifiable.

I cannot take a ship and expect to fly in the air. I cannot expect to ride on my bicycle on the surface of water. So, you need a boat in the medium of water and an airplane to fly across the sky.

Similarly, for the worldly path, for worldly goals, there is one route. For the spiritual path and spiritual growth, there is another. But since we get confused, we’re depressed and very much frustrated at times, and full of doubts. Therefore, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’ Let us not judge anybody.

I also know a time when Swami suddenly slowed down His car on the way to Kodaikanal. When the car was speeding up, suddenly He slowed down His car. I thought something was wrong with the driver or something was wrong with the car. Nothing was wrong with either. Everything was wrong with me. (Laughter) The reason He stopped the car was to get out and talk to a beggar who was sitting by the roadside. He gave her some money and a blanket, and then got back into the car again.

“Judge not, lest ye be judged.” I have no business to judge. Let us not estimate. Let us not assess. Let us not calculate. Let us not evaluate because God is beyond the mind. The mind has the tendency to judge. The one who does not judge is really spiritual. The one who judges is non-spiritual, irreligious, immoral. Let’s not do that.

Long ago, about twenty-five years ago, there in the Poornachandra Auditorium, I was seated there, and while Swami was speaking, the audience started clapping. Yes, claps, repeated applause.

I told my friend, “What are they doing? We can’t hear clearly with the clapping. Why do they clap like that? It is awful.”

The gentleman agreed with all that I said. Suddenly after ten minutes, when Swami made a wonderful statement, I was the first man to start clapping. (Laughter) I was the first man to do it. See that! “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” It is easy to judge the other man. But later, when you are in his shoes, you may be much worse than the person you pointed out.

Therefore Bhagavan says, “Seek out your own faults and others’ merits, so that you never think of anything that is negative in others. Judgment is one of the weaknesses of the mind.”

The Mind Always Doubts

Next point, we must ‘master the mind’ because the mind always doubts.

One person says, “This is the ring Bhagavan gave me. What sort of ring did He give to you?”

“Why are you bothered about the ring He gave me? Keep quiet!”

He’s bothered because he wonders whether the ring given to me is costlier than the ring given to him. (Laughter)

And he wants to know, “Sir, what is the quality of the stones?”

You are the stone -- inert, dull, passive and worn out. May God help me to keep away from you!

This is not the right thing. The mind that doubts is the worst possible.

Samsayaatma Vinashyati.

The Githa clearly states, “The one who doubts shall perish.” So, doubts arise from the mind. Therefore, ‘master the mind’.

So my friends, when Bhagavan says, “Master the mind”, He means that we need to master it for our own satisfaction. We need to master it for positive thinking. We need to master it for our own contentment. We need to master it to be free from doubts. We need to master it to develop a spirit of surrender. Therefore, master the mind.

Be A Mastermind

Then comes the second part of the sentence: “Be a mastermind.” Once you master the mind, you can be a mastermind. ‘Mastermind’ means that the mind is no longer a slave. ‘Mastermind’ means a mind that is directed along the right path.

Bhagavan says, “Same lock, same key. If you turn it to one side, the lock opens. When you turn it to the other side, it closes. Same lock, same key – just a difference in the turning.”

A mastermind turns toward God, so one opens to liberation. On the other hand, a mind that is not mastered, which is not disciplined, what will happen? It will turn toward the world. So when the mind turns to the world, it gets locked or in bondage. On the one hand, it opens to liberation. On the other hand, it closes and there is bondage. It is the same mind. So, a mastermind will take us toward liberation, nirvana or moksha. That is the mastermind.

The mastermind has total control, a ceiling on desires. Bhagavan has given an example. If an elephant can be taught to sit on a small stool and if a snake can dance to your tune, why not the human mind?

A man can control an elephant, but man has become much worse that an ant. A man controls a mighty elephant, but is not able to control himself. But, a mastermind will have total control. A mastermind is ready to apply the breaks at any time, so the mind won’t become wayward. So, master the mind and be a mastermind.

A Mastermind is Always Compassionate

A mastermind is always compassionate. A mastermind is compassionate. Instead of being judgmental, he is compassionate.

Here’s a simple example: Somebody told Bhagavan, talking about someone, “Swami, he is like this, he is like that.”

Because people don’t have anything to say, they speak about another person. Do you know what Baba said?

“Stop it. It is fine if they are happy. It is fine if they are successful. Why do you talk like that? Stop it. Stop it. Next topic.”

He said that. He will not let you go in that particular direction. That is the mastermind. The mind that melts immediately when watching the misery of others is the mastermind. The mastermind is the one who clearly knows the spiritual goal, purpose and objective.

What IS THE ‘No-Mind’ State?

The mastermind is the mind that disappears, which is the final state. So, first you have the mind; then, the positive mind and the negative mind; and finally, the third and final stage is ‘no mind’. That is the mastermind stage, meaning ‘no mind’.

What is this ‘no mind state’? If you go and tell Swami, “Swami, these things are done”, He will credit you.

“You have done that; you have done that.”

Poor fellows, we think that it is true. Certainly not! Things happen not because of us, but in spite of us. Most of the programs, the Sai activities, are successful because of Bhagavan.

I can tell you recently a prestigious body visited the university -- the National Assessment and Accreditation Committee -- the highest academic body of the University Grants Commission. The group visited Sathya Sai University, evaluated, decided, and made the University #1 in this country! (Applause) Sathya Sai University is #1 in this country!

How did this come about? It is not because of the teachers or students. If anyone thinks so, well, woe unto us. It is because we have amongst us the Hero of heroes, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba – we, being the zeros! (Applause) So, the whole, full credit should go to Bhagavan Baba, not to anyone else.

Not only that. The NAAC Committee -- the National Assessment Accreditation Committee -- also said, “At a time when the whole world is thinking of introducing value-based education, it is only Sri Sathya Sai University that has actually already implemented it since a long time. So, it is a model university for the whole country.”

Not only that. They also recommended that Sathya Sai University start a national staffed college, a national staffed administration centre to train teachers from all over the country in the ways and means of implementing an integrated system of education or value-based education. The University is going start this program in June. This is not an ordinary achievement.

How is it possible? It is due to a Mastermind - Mastermind Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The mastermind is universal. The mastermind is cosmic. The mastermind is infinite. But the mind that is not mastered, the mind that is not disciplined, is selfish. It is individualistic, it is finite, it is determinate, and it is limited; whereas, our Mastermind, Bhagavan, is not like that.

We also know that when a certain person was in service at the height of his career, Bhagavan started giving him interviews. He was very happy. When his retirement was very close, Bhagavan said that He would make the fellow say, “Swami, I want to settle here.”

Swami said, “This is the mastermind. I have been grooming him for the past two to three years, so you will find him here in future. Mastermind.”

His plan stretched far ahead of time. How He thinks, how He plans, how He decides that a person should be here, at what point of time -- that is the Mastermind. A mastermind is spiritual. A mastermind is Divine. A mastermind has the Divine Master Plan, which is selfless, universal, cosmic, based on Love for the welfare of mankind -- nothing but Love. These are the points that I want to draw your attention to about this topic: “Master the Mind, Be a Mastermind”.

Memory is Not Intelligence

We consider that a mastermind is the one that has the capacity to memorize. No, no! Memory is not intelligence. Memory is the act of a computer. You don’t need to have mind at all. Computers do better than you and me, too. (Laughter) So, memory is not intelligence.

If I say, “Sir, I have full faith and confidence in my mind because I recall what happened fifteen years ago,” you will think, “Please kindly go back in history and stay there. I would be so grateful to you.” (Laughter)

Those people who go back to history, to the yesteryears, finish there. They are very close to the grave.

So, memory is not intelligence. Intelligence is a response to stimuli. Intelligence is an expression like compassion, kindness, sacrifice, understanding and clarity. That is intelligence; it is not simply memory. So a mastermind is full of intelligence and not simply memory, like a computer.

The President Abdul Kalam

I can also tell you that this mastermind disappears at a time when it should. I can say this simply. You find many, many people coming here to Bhagavan - many great scholars. But they’ll never be egoistic. They forget their positions.

Let me tell you an open secret that Bhagavan said about me on the veranda. He said that I can’t keep a secret. I tell everybody. So, only tell me things that can be shared or else do not tell me, because I have the weakness of sharing with everybody. If you say, “It’s confidential”, that will be made public first. (Laughter) I do this because I feel that the joyful thing is to spread the message of Bhagavan, even at my own cost - it doesn’t matter.

Bhagavan said this, “The President of this country, Abdul Kalam, wrote a letter.”

“What did he write?”

He wrote, “Swami, don’t put a chair there on the veranda for me. I want to sit on the ground along with the devotees because I am coming there in the capacity of a devotee, not as the President of India.” (Applause)

That’s what he said. Can you believe it? That is what is called ‘no mind’ (no ego) state. That is the state of a mastermind. That is what is called annihilation of the mind (or ego). That is what we call withdrawal of the mind (or ego). That is what we call an egoless state. The mind is just ego.

Bhagavan also told us, as we have witnessed, that the President of this country, after the Convocation at nine o’clock in the evening, went around Prashanti Nilayam, going around to the sheds and all that, for an evening walk. The police could not keep pace with him. He went on saying, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram”, to everyone there in the sheds. (Laughter)

And when he came there inside the Sai Kulwant Hall, he said to police, “Please go away. Let me see the hall - how beautiful it is.” (Laughter) Yes, this is the no-mind (no ego) state. If he feels, “I am the President”, then he’d want ABC network on that side and the police this side.

So, to forget what you are, to forget your qualifications, to forget your status, to forget your influence, to feel that you are nothing is ‘no mind’ (no ego) state. As long as you feel that you are something, you may become something incorrigible - impossible to repair. So, the total egolessness that ‘I am nothing in front of God’ is the ‘no mind’ (no ego) state.

Not only that. The President of India wrote another letter of thanks after his return to Delhi. He told Bhagavan, “It is only in Prashanti Nilayam that I experienced the highest peace of mind. Only there - nowhere else.” (Applause)

See that? And you must also know of an army general who retired recently, Padmanaban - Army General #1 of the Indian Army. He came to see Bhagavan recently and he said, “Swami, I will be retiring very soon. I will be very grateful to You if You give me any simple job in Prashanti Nilayam. I’m prepared to do it.” (Applause)

Egolessness is Mastermind

This is the mastermind -- to feel, ‘I am nobody’ – egolessness. We see Swami helping a sick person to walk to the dais. We see Him assisting a person, holding his hand and directing him into the interview room -- God Himself.

God is not a position; God is not a status. God is a quality of life. God is a quality. God is not a commodity. God is not a person. When we think God is a person, we want to influence, to manage Him. When we think God is an object and a commodity, we want to possess Him. You cannot possess, you cannot acquire, you cannot manage, you cannot manipulate, you cannot own and you cannot disown God because you are God -- that is it.

Therefore, God is not a goal. God is never a goal. God is a pilgrimage. God is a journey. God is a journey, but not a goal because you are God, as Bhagavan has repeatedly told us.

My friends, you can extend your study, collect as many points as possible on this subject, “Master the Mind, Be a Mastermind.”

Prayer to Bhagavan

Before I answer the questions that I have received, I want to conclude this portion of today’s talk by offering a prayer to Bhagavan to help us to master our minds. We may not know what havoc our mind is creating. We may not know how bad we have become because of our identification with the mind. We do not know how egoistic we have become, how restless, how frustrated we are, because of the mind.

Bhagavan, please help us to know the stumbling blocks -- that ‘iron curtain’ of the mind. Please, help us to break it, to cut it off, so that we’ll be totally humble, completely egoless, all loving, all surrendering unto Your Lotus Feet. Sai Ram.

(Applause)

QUESTIONS

Here are a few questions. Of course, there are so many, many letters of appreciation. Appreciation encourages me to continue with the job more carefully, (Laughter) in a more responsible way than before. Yes, I take it that way.

How Should Youngsters Behave?

One question is this: “How should youngsters behave, particularly when they are overwhelmed by images and news? How should they behave?”

Bhagavan says, “There isn’t anything on how youngsters should behave.” But, here is Bhagavan’s general guidance on this matter:

Start early, drive slowly, reach safely.

So, when a youngster starts his life, directed along the spiritual path at an early age, he’ll have the correct perspective, and know the right way of handling life and its situations. That is why Bal Vikas was introduced.

How To Deal with Reincarnation?

The next question: “How do we deal with rebirth or reincarnation? How does it reconcile with Adwaitha? What exactly is rebirth, if only God exists?”

How do we deal with rebirth? We cannot deal with it because it is not in our hands. None of us submitted an application to God before our birth to be born as a human being. Really, had application forms been given to us before our birth, we would probably have filled in volumes of columns at least, to make sure we’d be born as a millionaire. (Laughter)

“Oh God, at least see that I’m full of joy, fun and frolic forever. (Laughter) See that I won’t die next time.” (Laughter)

These would have been our expressions. So there is no question of dealing with rebirth because it is not in our hands. But, how do we reconcile it with Adwaitha? Adwaitha means, as you know, non-dualism -- only One exists, not two. As Baba says:

Ekam Eva Advithiyam Brahma.

Ekam Eva means ‘only one, not two’. So, how do we reconcile this with rebirth?

My friends, as long as I feel that I am separate from God, I have to be born again and again. Once I understand and experience that God and I are one, there’s no rebirth. So birth and rebirth are due to separateness or due to the feeling of a separate identity, due to one’s identification with the body, mind and intellect. Because of this separation from the Divine entity, one has to be born again and again. Once you experience and deeply identify with Divinity, it cuts short the chain of birth and death.

How D o You View Depression?

The next question is: “How do you view depression in a civilised world?”

Civilisation necessarily makes you depressed (Laughter) because civilisation is nothing but the expression of the outer personality, comforts and conveniences, electronic gadgets, and so on. If I have the latest car, I’m sophisticated. If I have an air-conditioned home, well, I’m really civilised. Civilisation has no limits – the sky is the limit. In the name of civilisation, we have too many desires -- desires are multiplied and multiplied. There’s no end at all. So, civilisation will certainly take you to depression.

What we need is culture. Culture is based on values. Culture gives you satisfaction. Culture helps you to develop a balanced state of mind, whereas civilisation takes you to confusion. It is like a fire -- whatever you put into it, the fire consumes. So, civilisation goes on consuming your energy, sapping your time, leaving no time to rest, stand and stare. Thus, in a civilised society, we should learn how to be cultured. Keep civilisation ‘number two’ and culture at the top of our priorities. Then there’ll be no depression.

Shall We Follow One Who Clams to Be Jesus?

Next question: “There are many people who claim that they are the reincarnation of Jesus.” (Laughter) “Shall we follow him?”

If anyone calls himself the reincarnation of Jesus, before you decide to follow him, let the psychiatrist decide. (Laughter). There are many people who make claims like that. Let’s not go by false claims.

Please Clarify Accelerating Karma

The next question: “We have very little time to work in the organisation. Baba, with all His compassion, is accelerating everybody’s karma. Please clarify.”

Acceleration of karma is not limited to organisational works. Please, be very clear -- our work in the organisation is not in any way different from our office work. It is the spirit that counts, not the work that matters. So long as I think I have done the work, whether it is organisational work or office work or domestic work or menial work, or whatever work I do - if I do it with a sense of ‘I-ness’, that is ridiculous. That is undesirable.

Without this ‘I-ness’, whatever you do -- whether office or personal work anywhere -- if it is done with the feeling, “Baba, You are the doer; I’m only an instrument in Your hands,” well, that will certainly accelerate everybody’s karma, leading to total annihilation, freeing you from bondage. So, this ‘I-ness’, the spirit, is more important, not necessarily whether it is organisational work or office work.

Does Spiritual Evolution Continue After Death?

And then, “Does spiritual evolution continue after death?

I have not met anybody who has returned after death, telling me, “I have evolved.” (Laughter) No, I have not come across anybody like this.

But the scriptures clearly say this: “There’s no death at all.”

Understanding death will help you to understand that there is no death. That is the reason why we have to understand what death is -- in order to be deathless. So, there’s no death. There can only be death if there is birth; but there’s no birth either. No birth and no death is the reality -- even though it is so difficult to believe -- because the soul or spirit is eternal, immortal. Swami always says:

Sunwantu Viswe Amrutasya Putraha.

The real Divinity in you is beyond birth and death.

The so-called birth is only the appearance of the body, and the so-called death is only the disappearance of the body. To quote Bhagavan here: “You move from one room to another room. That does not mean that you are already dead in the next room and you are going to be born again in this adjoining room. Certainly not! You are moving from one room to another. The whole thing belongs to you.”

In a similar way, birth and death are only a change of dress. This is why, when He was on the cross, Jesus Christ told His mother Mary, “Death is the dress of life.” That’s what I can say.

And what is spiritual evolution? Spiritual evolution is the feeling that a drop belongs to the ocean. The drop is not separate. The drop and the ocean are one and the same. The spark and the fire are one and the same. The foam, the wave and the water are all one and the same. The clay and the pot are one and the same. The gold and the jewels are one and the same. This kind of experience is a culmination in the evolution of this organic world.

Well, that brings us to the end of the questions submitted to me. I thank you very much for having been here with me this morning and for listening to the talk with rapt attention. May Bhagavan be with you forever and ever more!

(Anil Kumar closed his satsang by leading the bhajan, ‘Kshirabdhi Sayana Narayana…’)

Thank you very much!

Om Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya

Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!
Jai Bolo Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Ji Ki Jai!

Thank You!
 

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