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Aptavani-1
you only liked good music but now you have become adjustable and so now you have neither likes nor dislikes.
Ride Your Mind
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Even before Gnan I had the awareness of the thoughts that arose in the mind and would know that they would not let me sleep. So I would tell the mind, "Just keep on running. You are the horse and I am the rider. You can run in whichever direction you want. It is just you and I." This would go on until the morning. It is the law of the world that whatever you try to control or restrict, will take control over you. When sugar is rationed in the market, the price of sugar goes up. It is the same with the mind; if you try to restrict the mind, it will run twice as fast. So do not try to restrict it. There would be no problem in restricting the mind if it were obedient. But if it does not listen to you, then you should let it run till it gets exhausted. Why should you worry? You have the reins in your hands. But instead what do people do? They try to control the mind; they try to suppress it so they can sleep. You should forget about sleeping because such times present you with an opportunity to ride the mind. When will you get such an opportunity again?
It is only after riding the mind over and over again that I have acquired such perfect and non-contradictory Gnan.
The mind is a boat in the ocean of worldly interactions. People try to destroy the mind to create a state of thoughtlessness (nirvichar), but such a state cannot be achieved. If a person were to achieve such a state he would be considered a stone. What do people mean by a thoughtless state? If their mind becomes restless in certain matters, they try to suppress it in those matters but they don't realize that it will become restless in other matters. What is the real definition of a thoughtless state? 'The one who remains as the Self, completely separate as the knower and the observer of thoughts that emerge with
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Aptavani-1 the passing of time - he is the one who has acquired the thoughtless state in the Lord's language.'
Many foolish men renounce everything; their home, wife and children and wearing only a loincloth go off to conquer the mind. They run away from people and go off to the forest to look at the animals and the trees. But they don't realize that the mind they take with them will continue to behave the same. In the forest, these men will keep a cow or a goat, grow plants, and build a hut. The nature of the mind is such that it will create a worldly life wherever it goes. It will create a worldly life even in the Himalayas. Now how can you control such a mind? Control of the mind is the greatest paradox. It is impossible to control the nature of the mind. But there are certain yogis who have brought with them such tubers from their past life that makes them feel that their mind is under their control. But they will realize it is not so once their mind starts to oppose them. Those who practice yoga too will realize that their mind is not under their control when someone tries to provoke them. They practice yoga because of their tubers. Practicing yoga is in one's prakruti and yet one believes that he or she is the one doing it. They believe that they have conquered their mind!
The mind surrenders to Gnan. The Gnani is able to dissolve the tubers through Gnan thereby attaining a state free of tubers (nirgranth).
Your mind is the image of your nobility. Understand the mind and its nature completely.
What is a Khashtriya's mind like? It is very generous and noble. If he is in a temple, he will donate whatever money he has in his pocket, he will not hesitate or stop to think about how much he is giving. The mind of a person with Vanik intellect is very narrow. Patidars, Patels are called Kashatriyas. They have a very generous mind but they do not have the wisdom and the