Why do so many thoughts arise? Is it possible to control your thoughts? And why should we not suppress our thoughts?

Contradictory inclinations of the mind

Questioner: Many types of thoughts keep coming to the mind. The mind does not become shunya (zero, thought-free). Thoughts keep on coming.

Dadashri: In terms of thoughts, the fact is that the mind gives you information. ‘This is good, this is fearsome… this is like this…, this is like that.’ Thus, it is carrying out its function (duty). Otherwise, if it does not inform about a dangerous place, it will be considered at fault for that. In those situations, you accept what you feel is worth accepting and leave the rest. The mind is simply carrying out its function.

Now, 'we' may be coming here by taxi from Santa-Cruz, and if 'we' see an accident on the way, even 'our' mind will say, ‘If we continue, we may get into an accident.’ Then we would say, ‘Brother, I have made a note of what you say. You are correct. We should remain alert.’ Then, the next thought may come, ‘There is nothing around that may get you into an accident.’ Then, we say, ‘I have made a note of it.’ Then, it will talk about something else. It is not something that wants to hurt you. It is not the nature of the mind to sit on just one topic. Have you ever looked into the mind to see that the mind sits around for one topic only?

Questioner: It will go on moving around.

Dadashri: If you sit around on one topic, it will sit around. But if you say to it that what it is saying has been noted, it will then talk about another topic. But if you say, ‘Yes, what you are saying is correct. What will happen now?’ It will then go on for hours.

You can know what types of thoughts are coming. The mind may turn bad and say, ‘What will happen if your mother-in-law dies today?’ Then you say, ‘I understand.’ Then it will say, ‘What if you were to die?’ You say, ‘I understand that too, now talk about a third thing.’ It may even show you, ‘If you die tomorrow, what will happen to all these people?’ Then you say, ‘I have made a note of it.’

Hey! It will talk about getting married even at such old age; that is how the mind is, there is no telling when it will say what. But then, why should you get angry upon listening to it? It may even tell you about widowhood, ‘What will you do if you become a widow?’ Then you say, ‘Brother, I accept being widowed. Now, go ahead and talk about something else!’ The mind has a habit of nagging. You are not to take it into consideration. If a mad man is walking behind you, what harm can he do to you? Consider it to be like that.

Thoughts come on their own; you just have to see what kind of thoughts are coming, that’s all. There is nothing else. The mind does not have any insistence that it only wants to talk a certain way. If you become awkward, it will become awkward. You just have to say, ‘I have noted the (mind’s) contents.’ Yes, otherwise it will say, ‘You have no respect for me.’ If you respect it first, will the mind give you any trouble? No!

Questioner: But the one that informed you that there is a likelihood of an accident, was it the mind? Did the mind say it?

Dadashri: The mind said that and we then accept that, ‘Brother, what you are saying is correct.’ Then it will talk about something else. It will move ahead and talk about satsang. It doesn’t feel that you don’t like this. It will go ahead and say what it sees. Therefore, all this is circumstantial evidence. Hence, you make note of it. If it scares you and you get scared, then its’ over! It is not trying to scare you, it simply cautions you, it says, 'Beware.' ‘We’ do not get scared so easily. It will scare an ignorant person. ‘What if there is an accident?’ he will be engrossed during this period.

Once the knowledge of, ‘I am pure Soul’ is born, the mind will be contained, otherwise the mind can never be contained. Now, when the mind is wandering around, you are just to ‘See’ and ‘Know’ it. Then there is no interfering in it at all, is it?!

Now, you feel that the mind is contained now right, since it has come under self-control?

If you fall sick, it may even caution you inside, ‘What if I die?’ then you say, ‘Yes brother, I shall remain quite careful in this matter, now talk about something else.’ Thereafter, the mind will talk about something else. But what is the nature of these ignorant people, i.e. people who do not have Self-Realization? They become engrossed in whatever thoughts come in the mind, and so it cannot show them anything further and they become ‘drowned’ in it. What can ignorance not do? He gets engrossed in it; even before the subject is mentioned.

Therefore you should understand the science of the mind. It functions just as all the senses do. It is performing its own function (duty). Even if you don’t want to, the ears will not refrain from listening, will they? You can listen, but if you do not want to take the ‘phone call’, then don't. That is your responsibility.

I myself talk to my mind this way and I am asking you to do the same, say to it, ‘Brother, I have noted.’ That is what you tell the mind. Thereafter, it will end. It will talk about some other nice things. This is because there is only one thing in this body that is completely contradictory. If there is something that is completely contradictory, it is the mind. And that is why there is fun! It would be no fun if it were to go only on one track. A moment later, it will say something quite different. Hey! There was a sixty-five years old man; do you know what his mind kept telling him? ‘What if I get married?’ So he told me about it. I said, ‘You fool, what sort of a mind you have! It is contradictory!’ Only 'we' tell you the process that I have used. How I have become independent. I have become independent of even God. This is what I am showing you. Once it is into your process, you will have no problem. (I have) seen this path, experienced this path, and known this path. It is possible for you to adjust it on your own. If you can’t do it, tell me where you are not able to adjust, so then I can show you. However, no one has attained Liberation by killing the mind.

Once you attain the Pure Soul (Shuddhatma), all this (inner workings of the mind) is vyavasthit (Scientific Circumstantial Evidences) and no one is able to interfere with it. The intentions present in the mind cannot refrain from expressing. Just as the ears cannot stop from hearing, the mind cannot refrain from saying (expressing). When it expresses itself, you should heed it if it is useful for you. If it is of no use, you simply have to say to it, ‘What you are saying is right, I will be careful from now on.’ Then it will talk about the next thing. It is informing you of whatever circumstances or phases it sees. ‘What if this happens…what if that happens?’ What objection do you have to that? You know that all that is vyavasthit. It (the mind) will then talk about the next issue. It is not that it wants to keep talking about the same thing. However, when there was only ignorance prevailing (prior to Self-Realization), you were getting engrossed with the mind and consequently you were suffering.

It is not necessary to push the mind away, nor is it necessary to kill it. To kill something or someone and go to liberation, that can never happen. You tell the mind, ‘You live as you would.’ I am in my location; in my space, you are in your space.