Fill in the Grooves of the Mind

During the early 1970s, much of the land at Dera was reclaimed so that buildings could be constructed to accommodate the growing sangat. Disciples lovingly moved mounds of earth dug out of the hills to fill deep ravines. Using a head ring and a basket, devotees first went to the digging site where willing helpers filled each basket with dirt and placed a load on each head. Each disciple carried their basket to the dumping site, tossed the basketful of dirt into the ravine, and then headed back for a refill. This human conveyer belt moved tons of sandy earth throughout the Dera under the watchful eye of the Master.

In the book Legacy of Love, there are pictures of Maharaj Charan Singh overseeing mitti seva, as this manual transport of dirt was called. This gradual transformation of the land from deep gullies and ravines to flat land by purely human effort was an astonishing and monumental task. Slowly, deep ravines were filled in, one small basket at a time. There was often more love in the sevadar’s basket than there was dirt. But with each trip, bit by bit, the ravine was filled. Master was watching over the work and showering his love on each sevadar – each trip filled with love, filled with simran, and a basket of dirt.

Our simran is so much like that mitti seva. Just imagine that each round of simran is a basket of love and devotion filling in the deep grooves of our mind. And know that Master is there with us, overseeing our effort and showering us with his grace. The deep ravines in our mind, created by eons of past karmas, will eventually be filled in with each round of simran. Slowly, slowly as we continue the repetition, the mind begins to smooth out, and many of our negative traits are lessened.

We have often read or heard that not one round of simran goes to waste, so when related to the image of mitti seva, the benefit of repetition becomes immediately understandable. The more ways that we can understand how important simran is, the better – because simran not only makes us fit by helping to eliminate negative tendencies, it is also our bridge over the ravine of illusion, the illusion of separation.

Let us bring Master our simran! Fill each basket of love and devotion with simran! Over and over, one-pointedly, let us carry our simran to him inside. In time, the grooves of our mind will be filled with his love.

O mind, let me not cherish any remembrance
  that would take me away from the Lord’s divine feet.
May my tongue repeat only the Lord’s Nam
  and my ears hear only the divine melody of Nam.
Let me not bear ill will towards anyone–
  it benefits no one and causes misery.
Let my mind always be calm, says Tuka–
  through forgiveness and peace one gains inner strength.
_{Sant Tukaram, Voice of the Heart}