Nature of the Mind

The nature of the mind is restless. It is like the flag that continues to flutter even when there is no breeze. Thus, no matter to what extent lust, anger, greed and delusion are removed from the mind, or desire, dislike and attachment are finished, it will still be restless. The mind will always run about. If you expect that the mind should become still and steady, that it should stay at one place, you are expecting an impossible thing. It is pointless to try to still the mind. To fight with the mind is like a small child pulling at an elephant’s tail.

The only aim should be that you become anchored in God, that you begin to enjoy uttering God’s name, that your time is spent in worshipping God. If the mind runs helter-skelter, let it. For example, when a woman is cooking a meal, she is not entirely focused on the cooking. She thinks of her child, her husband, her household, but she still manages to cook a delicious meal. So if a meal can be cooked despite a restless mind, why can’t love for God awaken?

If you want to enjoy repeating God’s name, it is not possible to experience the enjoyment and also have a still mind. If the mind stops, the enjoyment will also end. Pleasure is an experience of the mind. So it should be enough that this mind which runs here and there is now engrossed in the pleasure of repeating God’s name. Don’t ask for anything else.