Make Your Mind the Master of Desires
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Embodiments of Love!

Easwaramma Day is held to commemorate the day
    when Easwaramma left her physical body.
The body is made up of five elements and
    is bound to perish sooner or later,
But the indweller has neither birth nor death.
The indweller has no attachment whatsoever and
    is the eternal witness.
(Telugu Poem)

Understand the importance of the mind

People are deluded by body attachment. The body is ephemeral, evanescent, and impermanent. Whatever is born is transient only. Whatever is there in this world is bound to perish. Only one thing remains forever, and that is the mind.

But many people call it monkey mind. No. You belong to mankind and have nothing to do with monkey mind. The mind, in fact, is of the nature of the Self. You should make befitting efforts to understand its true nature. Only those who have control over their mind can be called human beings.

Many in this world  are highly educated. Also, many  have mastered various forms of knowledge and are engaged in mighty tasks. But they cannot be called human beings in the true sense of the term if they have no control over their mind. All kinds of good and bad thoughts occur in the mind. Keeping the mind away from all that is bad, you should accept only that which is good. Never allow your mind to associate with anything that is bad.

Goddess Lakshmi always chants only "Narayana! Narayana!" The principle of Atma originates from Lord Narayana. You may say Atma or mind or hridaya (heart); they are all one. The Atma means Narayana only! The mind is also Narayana! And so is the heart. Narayana is called Hridayavasi (indweller of the heart).

We should give utmost importance to the mind. But many people do not give due importance to it. One who consider their mind as the basis of his life is a true human being. One who leaves their mind to its whims and fancies is, in reality, a monkey and not a human being. You should make your mind the centre of your awareness. Leaving the mind to its arbitrary ways is like leaving your life principle itself. Hence, make your mind the basis of every aspect of your life.

(At this point, Bhagawan materialised a gold medallion.) This medallion has the image of Lakshmi at its centre, with precious stones all around it. The precious stones represent the desires, over which presides Lakshmi who is true, eternal, and permanent. You should make your mind the master of desires, like Lakshmi. Everyone should try to know this truth.

As the feeling, so is the result

At the time of my departure for East Africa, Easwaramma tried to dissuade me from going, saying, "Swami! I hear there are many fierce animals in those forests, and the place is full of all kinds of dangers. So you should not go there. Whatever You will, all that will come here. Then why do you want to go there?"

I told her, "I am not going to see the wild animals there. I am going in response to the loving prayers of My devotees."

When I went there, the devotees of East Africa arranged small aeroplanes. I went round the forest in one such plane. There were thousands of wild elephants in the Kampala forest. It looked as though the entire forest was full of elephants. I had taken bananas with Me and gave one each to some of them. All of them enjoyed eating it.

Bisons were also seen in thousands. We saw lions lying on the road here and there. Even when we drove our jeep over their tails, they did not react. Even fierce animals will not harm us if our mind is good. They will attack us only when we try to harm them. When we look at them with love, they also will look at us with love.

Yad bhavam tad bhavathi (as the feeling, so is the result). Our thoughts are the cause of their enmity or trust.

As we went forward looking at the animals, we saw fifteen lions lying near the road. Some were suckling their young ones, some others were eating the meat of an animal brought by them. I said to Dr. Patel and others who accompanied Me, "When we do not harm them, they also do not harm us."

Taking a camera from one of those who accompanied Me, I went near the lions and took their photographs. All of them were happy to see Me. You can see, none of the lions did any harm to us. When you approach them with the evil intention of harming or killing them, they will also try to kill you. Never go to them with such wicked thoughts. In fact, do not look at any being with evil intentions.

Do not develop body attachment

Meanwhile, Easwaramma kept thinking about Me with great concern and did not even eat her food properly, with the result that she became quite weak. I kept her informed everyday morning and evening by phone from Kampala saying, "I am quite all right." Hearing this, she used to be somewhat comforted.

When I came from Kampala, she was very happy. She came near My car and garlanded Me, saying, "Swami! You look very happy and healthy." She took Me inside and rotated a coconut in front of Me to ward off the effect of evil looks of others.

Beside herself with joy, she said, "Swami, I never imagined that Your trip would be such a grand success." She shared her joy with one and all in Puttaparthi. Whenever we visited other places, on our return to Puttaparthi, Easwaramma used to describe to the people all that happened during these visits and exhorted them to follow the ideals set by Swami.

Once, the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality was being conducted at Bangalore. At that time, Easwaramma had also come with Me. As long as she was alive, she always desired, "Swami, wherever you go, I should go with you." She asked Me to give her a promise that I would not leave Puttaparthi.

I gave her the promise. "Wherever a tree is planted, it should be allowed to grow there only. If it is pulled out and planted at different places, it cannot attain proper growth."

She used to plead with Me, "Swami! You should always reside at the place of your birth."

One day, after her breakfast, she had a cup of coffee. Suddenly, she shouted, "Swami, Swami, Swami."

I called back saying, "I am coming, I am coming, I am coming."

She asked Me to come quickly, and I came to her immediately. She caught hold of My hands and placed them on her head and breathed her last.

Where was the need to keep the body that had no life in it? Therefore, immediately, I sent her body to Puttaparthi. I sent Ramabrahmam with the body after giving him necessary instructions.

Those who were present there said, "Swami! You should also go with the body." But I refused to go. Summer classes were in progress, and students had come from many countries. The students thought that there would be no classes on that day since Swami would be going with the body of Mother Easwaramma. But the classes were held as usual, and I went to the second class.

The students wondered, "How has Swami come! He was supposed to go with the body of Mother Easwaramma!"

Why should I go with the body? The body goes as it comes. I did not come with her body; I came separately. Therefore, I sent her body to Puttaparthi in a car with the instructions to make a samadhi for her.

Many people in Puttaparthi also wondered, "Why Swami has not come with the body?" The body comes alone and goes alone. Everyone comes alone and goes alone. Ekameva adviteeyam Brahma (God is one without a second).

After the completion of the summer classes, I went to Puttaparthi. I told everybody there, "It is natural for the body to have birth, growth, and death. All bodies are like that. Therefore, nobody should have body attachment."

(Here, Swami told the life story of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, who fulfilled the noble desires of his mother and set an example of service to society. He also taught the lesson of humility and selfless service to an I.C.S. officer by carrying his suitcase from the railway station to the place where Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar himself was to deliver his speech.)

Easwaramma was happy that I ate only simple food. She would say, "Swami, You should let the world know about Your food habits."

I said that I would certainly do so. Right from those days, I have been emphasising the need to have simple and sathwic (pure) food. When I am in Puttaparthi, I always eat ragi sankati with groundnut chutney. Sometimes, I take sankati with totakura dhal instead of chutney. I do not relish any other item. I do not touch spicy items like kurmas, burmas! I do not even like the smell of kurma. My only dietary requirement is sankati with chutney.

But when I visit other places, people in those towns do not know what sankati is. So, I eat whatever the devotees prepare for Me. I conduct Myself in accordance with the time, situation, and circumstances. However, I never deviate from My practices; I strictly adhere to them. Let people think what they want. I never imitate the practices of others. In this manner, this body is completing 81 years. But none can say that I look like an 82-year-old person.

May you sanctify your time in the service of Swami! May you put into practice the principles of service that I have taught you! With this, I bring My Discourse to a close.