Wiles of the Mind

In the poem Ratan Sagar, the 18th-century mystic Tulsi Sahib and his disciple Hirdey discuss the ways in which the mind plays tricks on us, and how its deceits can be overcome. At the poem’s beginning, Hirdey cries out desperately to his Master and confesses:

The wiles of mind are beyond limit and measure.
Moment after moment waves arise in the mind,
even as the surface of the ocean ceaselessly undulates.

We can empathize with Hirdey’s frustration: it seems almost impossible to stop the mind from projecting an uninterrupted stream of images that keep our attention outwards rather than inwards. These projections are a bit like graffiti: scribbles without apparent meaning – annoying, even destructive. Tulsi Sahib presents the fight with the mind as the ultimate struggle of life in which – continuing with Hirdey’s analogy of the ocean – spiritual aspirants seek to travel from one shore to the other. However, since the ocean is stormy, and the waves so unrelenting and strong that they would crush our weak vessel, true masters help us navigate dangerous waters. They begin by telling us about the divine of law of karma and that human beings are the only life form in which liberation may be attained. This, in turn, is contingent upon conquering the all-powerful mind.

The poem discusses the different ways in which people of yesteryear sought to attain inner peace. With our modern sensibilities, we may, for instance, view asceticism and pilgrimages as irrational and futile, believing any relief such measures may provide to be temporary. Yet, despite the science, reason, and rationality of which we are so proud, we are still on the same quest for everlasting peace, turning to books on mindfulness, health and life coaching, for example. True masters, on the other hand, try to dispel our misconceptions by emphasizing that intellectual understanding does not guarantee spiritual development. Accomplishments or fame from artistic or scientific work are also of no use in making the mind motionless. Perhaps the most serious problem with using outward-oriented remedies to seek tranquility and, by association, soothe the soul is that they, as Hirdey observes, ‘raise false hopes’.

Baba Ji emphasizes the gravity of having our hopes falsely raised when he tells us that we will never attain spiritual liberation by holding on to incorrect ideas, myths, illusions and clouded thinking. It is easy to see that in our everyday life, the ‘false hope’ remedies do little to safeguard us from the five passions. These are anger, which causes us to lose our reason completely; lust, which blinds us with desire for sense pleasure; greed, which drives us to acquire possessions way beyond our real needs; attachment, which we mistake for love; and finally egotism which allows us to pursue our own glory whilst forgetting our concern for others.

Having described the different ways in which the mind takes control, Hirdey implores Tulsi Sahib to tell him how the saints subdue their mind. In response, Tulsi Sahib explains that the peace, tranquility and freedom from the constant chatter of the mind which Hirdey is seeking is only attainable by taking refuge with a Master. The Master will teach the disciple that, whilst the body is much like a mansion with many courtyards and staterooms for interacting with the external world, it also has a place into which we can retreat. To reach this retreat and free our soul from the mind, all we need to do is to repeat the names given to us as instructed.

Repetition brings our scattered attention to a single focal point, the place described as ‘the chamber of repose’ in the Ratan Sagar. However, because of the concentration and effort it requires, we soon realize that repetition of the holy names, though simple, is far from easy. Tulsi Sahib reassures us that, with the help of the Master, meditation precipitates a marvellous transformation. In the same way that spring water becomes a lump of ice in cold weather but reverts to water when it melts in the sun, meditation will free our soul from the bondage of the mind and allow it to shine in all its glory.

The joy and tranquility that we are told awaits us upon opening the door to the chamber of repose is undoubtedly inspirational. Going by our own personal experience though, finding the so-called tenth door may seem impossible; and the state of super consciousness so far beyond our daily experience that it begins to seem unreal and fantastical. In this condition, we are vulnerable to the mind which may undermine our spiritual awakening by making us believe that meditation is too hard; that the habits and power relationship between mind and soul is so deeply entrenched that we are rendered helpless.

But we cannot blame our failure to meditate on the mind. We have a choice. We can either be positive and do our meditation, or be negative and justify our failure to follow the Master’s instructions. Each time we choose the latter, we make our Master’s task harder. The Master follows the laws of the universe, so he can help us only if we give him something to work with. This is why true masters insist that it is not the quality of meditation which is important but consistent daily practice. Our tiny, daily offerings are enough for the Master to work his magic and make us fit to merge with the Divine.