చిత్త శు ద్ధి
In the faculty of mind there are four parts (Mind, Buddhi
(Intellect), Ahamkara (Ego) and Chitta (Memory) and we discussed this
previously. The common thinking for a spiritual seeker goes like this, “I need
to control my mind and I have to change”. When I sit for meditation my mind
wanders. This is how a common spiritual seeker struggles. How about a common
person who just wants to be happy? We all want to be happy and keep ourselves
clean and away from all the difficulties of life. Where is this cleansing need
to take place? What we need to do to change ourselves?
Usually people say Chitta Suddhi (Cleansing the memory part
of mind) but this cleansing is not linked with other faculties of mind. It does
not mean that they are not interrelated. We have to use all the faculties of
Mind. How do we clean this memory part of the Mind. If we clean this the other
faculties will automatically be cleaned. If we want answers to these questions,
we have to enter the Chitta itself.
Baba explained this truth in a Story in Sai Satcharita in
the name of a Rohilla story. Baba always used the real life events to teach us
the realities of life because the truth can be understood in real life only. If
one need to change and the change can take place only in real life only. We
cannot imagine a spiritual life without cleansing our Mind and its faculties.
Even if we learn all the scriptures they are of no use if we cannot practice
them in our daily life. To practice any good thing we need clean mind.
Now let us examine the important aspects of Rohilla Story
from Sai Satcharita.
A Rohilla (Pathan) came
to Shirdi and was attracted by Baba’s virtues. He stayed there for a long time
and lovingly devoted himself to Baba. He was hefty like a male-buffalo. He was
self-willed and cared for no one. He wore only a ‘kafni’ upto his ankles
and came and lived in the Masjid.
Whether it was day or night, whether it was in the Masjid or the
Chavdi he would recite the verses from the Koran at a high pitch, with extreme
enthusiasm and full freedom. Maharaj was Peace Incarnate. But the villagers
were very weary. Even at midnight his continuous recitation would disturb
everybody’s sleep. During the day, the
people had to toil in the hot sun, in the fields and forests. At night, they
could not get undisturbed sleep. Therefore the people were annoyed. May be, Baba was not troubled. As for the people,
they felt that they had committed a great sin. No peaceful sleep at night. They
were annoyed with the Rohilla. They were on the horns of dilemma. How long
could they endure this? Day and night, this nuisance was a big problem for
them. They were greatly worried. Therefore
all the villagers came to Sai and entreated him. But Baba paid no attention. On the contrary he
told the villagers: “Do not harass the Rohilla. He is very dear to me. This
Rohilla’s wife is a virago and not ready to stay with him. She is eager to come
to me by eluding him. That virtue less woman does not observe the veil. She is without
modesty and shameless. If driven out she comes back forcibly into the house. As soon as he stops shouting, the wicked woman
seizes the opportunity to enter. When he shouts she flees, leaving him pure of
speech, body and mind. That gives me profound happiness. No one should oppose
him. Let him shout to his heart’s content. I cannot pass the night without him.
I have great pleasure because of him. Shouts of this type are greatly to my
advantage. In this way the Rohilla is benevolent and makes me extremely happy.
Let him shout as he pleases. That itself is my well being. Otherwise,
that wicked wife will trouble me.
When he himself gets tired, he will keep quiet automatically.
Your purpose will be served and that wicked woman will not trouble me”.
Rohilla did not have any wife and Baba said his wife is a
Virago. This rohilla had only one inclination that is to recite God’s name.
What is the advantage of this reciting? This is how he is trying to cleanse his
memory part of Mind. Baba disliked association with one who loathed God’s name.
Then why would he think of driving away the Rohilla when he was continuously
repeating God’s name?
Baba used so many instances
like this to teach us so that we can apply them in real life. Baba said “Wherever my devotees are singing my
praises I am present there. There I am without rest, alert and without sleep”. In this manner Baba conveyed the lesson to one
and all that he liked the Rohilla’s company because he loved God’s name.
Now let us enter in to Chitta (memory). What is Chitta anyhow?
Chitta means memory bank where all the thoughts, impressions
(from this life and past lives) are stored. Whenever the mind wants to work
through the senses, it has to use this memory bank. Each decision has to be
carefully coordinated among all the faculties of mind. It depends on the memory
bank whether the lower faculty mind can use of Buddhi (Intellect) and how
strongly the past memories are influencing the mind. Then the ego part of it
also needs to cooperate. Then only this might work. How to understand this
Chitta? Why this has become such a huge issue? Why we became helpless and let
the Chitta go out of control?
For anything there needs to be a beginning. Our scriptures
say that the consciousness merged with energy (Maya) then creation manifested
in the form of universe. This so called Maya obstructs us from seeing the truth
but God gave us the means to realize this truth through the scripture. He
himself comes as Guru to not only teach this, but to make us experience this
this reality. God gave us his commandments and how to lead this life. He taught
us to live with virtuous mind. Never cross the limits of this virtuous thinking
to achieve our means of life and not to become selfish in this process. Here
the God is not dictating us but he is trying to make us understand the
consequences of these actions. Even God do not want to change these rules.
What is Moksha or Mukti (Salvation)? To be free from this so
called illusion of life (Maya) is nothing but Mukti. Where is this Maya? This
is in our Mind. So abolishing the mind is Moksha. When we realize this truth by
experience then that state is called Self-Realized state. Sadgurus described
this state as pure, without second in nature, eternal happiness and permanent.
These are very powerful words how can a common man understand this? How can a
common man abolish his own mind when this person can never even try to
understand his own mind? So to understand this where do we begin?
The only place we can start is where we are. That is our
current state. We are busy living our own lives, taking care of our families,
our jobs, businesses, and facing all the difficulties of life each and every
moment of our lives. In the process we want happiness and difficulties are a
difficulty. This could be normal but why we are not happy? The problem is not
in what we do, but motive behind what we do is the reason why we suffer
consequences of that particular action. So our motives need to be positive then
only we can acquire positive and happy consequences. Here Maya plays a big
role, and it will throw us into wrong path. We can see others enjoying their
lives on the outside by doing some negative things. They are happy so I will do
it too but this is wrong thinking in the long run. The truth is always tough to handle but it
gives ultimate happiness. This is what our scriptures wanted us to learn.
This truth can never be understood in one day or in one
lecture because this truth is our life. This is eternal and permanent. We have
a great responsibility as a human being to stop for a moment and think. This is
the first and foremost thing that we have to do. We have to believe that the
answer is within us. We cannot find this truth outside our
selves. We need a great Sadguru like Sai
to make us experience this truth. We need Faith and Patience for this. So let
us take an inside journey in to our mind. Let us get up, and move forward in this
cleansing path.
OM SAI RAM!
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