Whatever Comes to Mind

Transcript

I’d like to talk to you about whatever comes to mind. Specifically what comes to mind when meditating and I’ll turn again to the pages of the English translation of Chitshakti Vilas the spiritual biography of Baba Muktananda. Known as Play of Consciousness.

He is describing a story in chapter 7, meditation on the guru. He’s talking about a young man coming to him and the young man is confused. So in love with a girl who has broken his heart. He is unable to leave the idea of this woman.

This woman just keeps coming to mind, he is infatuated with her.

And Baba’s commentary is…isn’t that remarkable? He had not worshipped the girl for a long period according to any prescribed ritual, he had not meditated on her using the seed rituals on each part of the body.

He had not received a mantra containing her name from any Great Siddha or holy man yet her image would not leave the young mans mind. He came to ask for means to get rid of her.

These are the consequences of being together. When we set someone in our heart with love we cannot remove them even if we try. We say leave my mind but he does not leave. This is the fruit of meditation combined with love.

Why don’t you meditate on the guru? The same kind of love, he has only to enter your mind and heart once for his image to sit up there. Then he won’t leave it, even if you try to make him.

Wordly people have constantly repeated this refrain, Babaji. I try to meditate but as soon as I sit down worldly things come before me. The office, the factory, the children. What should I do about it? I just can’t meditate.

I answer but you certainly are getting meditation, to have your office or factory appear to you is meditation. To see visions of your children is meditation. Aren’t you satisfied with the fruits of your meditation?

All these things you have loved, thought about and pursued in every day life are bearing fruit for you. You have visions of your office and your factory and your children yet you do not consider it meditation. Look brother. In the same meditation I meditated on asdasdsadasdasd, I adore the different aspects of my sadhana. I have graced and kissed at the feet of my dear Gurudev.

Now all this continually arises in my heart, guru dev. Gurudev. It repeats itself within me even when my mind is not thinking of him, my guru floods every part of my body. He is in every part of it. He comes to me in dreams and is perfectly real to me.

Now I think there is some important lessons to be gained from what Baba is telling us here. One thing is that we shouldn’t worry when we try to meditate and things come up like the factory, children, our work, our worries.

We don’t need to let that bother us, or think we aren’t meditating because in my experience even if these things do arise they will pass. They will eventually subside and they will be replaced with something purer, something more spacious that allows something new to grow.

The other aspect is to be aware of our thoughts in every moment. If we are obsessed with things that do not further our path, what will happen when we go to meditation or prayer?

We will be constantly distracted by these things.

But we have the choice to think about great things, grand things, to think about ideals and mantras that represent the finest qualities of our spirit, of the divine. To remember the gurus name or face, or feet. To remember a great saint, whichever one we choose to follow.

Or even some aspect of nature that fills us with awe, imagining the pure sun shining on us. The bright blue light of the sky, beaming down. The grand eucalyptus that towers of us filling us with the feeling of awe. Whatever we choose to focus on will eventually fill us. Will eventually come to mind.

All by itself. So, make it good. Make something good so it comes to mind.