Don’t you think the world would be chaos if you give freedom of expression to the mind?
I think if the people who are trying to discover spiritual life are given freedom of expression of mind, there would be more peace upon earth. Many times we talk about giving freedom to the mind, but it is not understood in the proper context. We are not saying to give freedom of mind to the whole world. We are only talking to people who are trying to discover the inner life.
In this world there are three categories of human beings. The Samkhya system has these classifications: the sattwic, rajasic and tamasic type of people. The tamasic type of people must be driven as you drive a horse or an animal. The rajasic type of people must practise self-control. If they do not practise self-control, the whole world will be in chaos, because the rajasic type of people are totally aggressive people. But the sattwic type of people are the people with harmony and equilibrium. They have a very high quality of discrimination and the spontaneous quality of self control. These people are trying to discover the inner life and they must be given complete freedom of mental expression.
Kindly remember, whenever I write or say, ‘give expression and freedom to your mind’, I mean to address the spiritual aspirants and not the rajasic and tamasic types of people.
Your natural self makes you feel like doing something but the mind negates it. What to follow, your feelings or your mind?
Many times you are afflicted by a thought and the thought comes in the form of neurosis. This is mainly due to a low voltage in the nervous system. When there is a sort of depression in the nervous system, then the quality of thought haunts you again and again. As a result of that, you are cut off from the external environment. When you are isolated from the external environment you are in a state of melancholy and this melancholic state is so contagious that it begins to affect everybody around you.
You must understand whether you should have it or not, whether it is natural or unnatural. If the consequence of the thinking process is negative and not conducive to happiness within you and outside, how can it be accepted? Those who are spiritual minded people are introvert, but their nervous system is in perfect balance. The moment they are able to communicate with the world and other people, they are completely open. You never find them melancholic. They will always be smiling. They may not laugh. They need not even smile. Their eyes bloom and beam forth.
If that is the situation, you can just understand that this situation is acceptable. Do not worry about the natural mind, the unnatural mind or effort. Just find out whether you have a sick mind or a healthy mind. Find out if you are able to communicate with everybody in a very creative, optimistic manner.
Saints and sages withdraw themselves. They isolate themselves, but when they come out, they are able to communicate with us.
28 March 1982, Barcelona, Spain