You have come to the programme and whilst sitting here, you are still thinking about your problems and worries. Oh, this happened to me, that happened to me. When should I discuss this with Mataji — what calamity has fallen upon me? Mataji, you are the Goddess, these are my troubles. control your attention
Instead of trying to understand what is being said, you continue to overthink about your problems and are allured into illusions. These illusions cause you cancer, or else you get this disease or that. This type of mental projections – what are we thinking? What type of thoughts do we get? Thoughts such as- we have this grief,
we have that grief, this mammoth problem. Instead, you should rather “count your blessings”. How many blessings the Almighty has bestowed upon us?
Crores of people live in this city of Delhi. How many of them have got Sahaja Yoga? We are some special people; not some frivolous people who should spoil their attention. We have been blessed with Sahaja Yoga. We should have a realization of this from within and should go deeper into that inner being.
That is how you can get rid of these deceitful limitations. If you will not break free from these limitations yourself, somehow you will start having such experiences that will themselves break these shackles- when you think, this is ours. If you will say we are from Delhi, one day these people from Delhi will outcast you. If you will say we are from Noida, then people from Noida will run after you with their guns.
Then you will realize why did I say I am from Noida. Then, when you will run towards Delhi, the people from Delhi will scorn you saying why are you coming here now, you are from Noida. This way, you will belong nowhere and will have nowhere to call your own.
ATTRIBUTE OF A SAHAJA YOGI
The reason for this is that your attention (Chitta) also belongs nowhere – neither this way nor that. Unless you realize and go deeper into this, you might call yourself a Sahaja Yogini or a Sahaja Yogi, I don’t think you would have become one in the real sense. Because the first attribute of a Sahaja Yogi is that he has tranquil attention (Chitta) and is extremely powerful – not scared of anyone – is strong.
And his life is very pure, his body is pure, his heart is pure and with the light of his Spirit (Atma) he spreads love in the whole world. I think somebody who cannot love, cannot be a Sahaja Yogi at all. He hasn’t climbed even the first rung of the ladder.
Like you see, so many kites flying in the sky but the strings of all these kites are in someone’s hands (control). If any of the kite’s string breaks, or if the grip is lost, one can never know where the kite will fly off. That hand is the Spirit (Atma). So, keeping your attention towards your Spirit and making yourself pure in this process is the penance (tap swaroop) in Sahaja Yoga.
For this, you did a hawan today, this is also a penance (tapa) because fire engulfs and destroys all the things. Similarly, by your penance all your bad thoughts, all the wrong and all your limitations within, are destroyed. Receiving this bliss is your right and you can achieve this joy and you have achieved it too. But, to spread this joy, you must have the depth.
Your Attention Towards Your Spirit / Control your Attention
If you go to Ganga Ji (River Ganges) with a small bowl, you can fill water in it and come back. And, if you take a pitcher along, you can fill the pitcher and be back. However, if you can make such arrangements that the water from the Ganges can be redirected towards you, you can have all of the river water flowing around you.
So, you should watch your state. Are you taking water in a bowl from Sahaja Yoga? Are you limited to the joy of self? Or for everyone’s joy? Or, are you the source of this bliss. So, this Agnya Chakra is penance (tapa), this is a penance. To attain depth, it is important to have austerity (tapaswita).
We spread far and wide. Sahaja Yoga spreads rapidly. Sometimes, you will see in programmes I wonder whether all people can be accommodated in the hall? How will it be managed? It will spread rapidly. But how many attain the depth? So, for attaining this depth, austerity (tapaswita) is required.
By penance, I don’t mean you should sit and fast. It is not required. But, if your attention is on food, then you must abstain from it. To watch your attention (Chitta) at all times, is the penance (tapaswita) in Sahaja Yoga. Because you may spoil your Agnya due to your attention (Chitta).
Where is my attention? What am I thinking? What am I doing at this moment? What am I thinking? If you watch your attention, always watch your conscience (antarman), then your attention will be illuminated in the Agnya. This is the penance (tapasya) to control your attention, observe and watch your attention and thoughts.
Watch now, where is your attention? I am talking and where is your attention. The moment you start talking about attention, where did it go? The attention (Chitta) is so distracted. I am talking and where is your attention. So, you should watch your attention. Controlling attention doesn’t mean doing it forcefully. But when you watch your attention in the light of your Spirit (atma), then your attention becomes illuminated.
You should be focused on watching your attention (Chitta). When you see anything, for example, this pillar in front of me is adorned with beautiful flowers. Now in each vision you can observe something. I can remember everything, where, which, wherever and how much is the difference. The whole image is formed. The attention’s (Chitta’s) concentration (ekāgrata) is what forms these images. That is what improves your memory. You can know everything in totality. You come to know of everything through your attention.
But, if your attention is distracted, then you cannot grasp the depth or intensity of anything. If your attention is moving outside all the time, you cannot remember anything. So, you see, I see this everywhere, like at the airport – talking to someone here but looking elsewhere, looking here, then looking there. But you won’t remember anything – who is it, what is it? So, pure attention (Chitta) is very focussed (ekāgra).
And such attention will absorb only what is worthy of being absorbed. Something that isn’t worthy, pure attention will not absorb it. It won’t look towards such things. It will be averted from such things on its own. Because it is so pure, it can’t be corrupted by impure things. It won’t go there. Now this is up to you that you watch within and see where your attention is going. This is the penance (tapa).
In Sahaja Yoga this is the only penance (tapa) – watch where the attention is going. Where am I going? Where is my heart going? If you can do this penance, you will be able to cross the Agnya. And there are no doubts about Sahastrāra because I am already sitting there.
Reference : 1991-02-28 Hindi Talk