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Om Sri Sai Ram

The Mind and Its Mysteries
Swami’s 1976 Dasara Discourses
A Summary Booklet$

1. The First Step in Spiritual Sadhana

The Atmic consciousness pervading all the living
beings and you are one and the same. Constantly
remember this Truth. [Part of Opening Poem].

Page 2: …outside world is nothing but a

reflection of the feelings of… (Man’s) own mind.
Without mind, the world does not exist…

$
Booklet prepared 0n: 10/23/2015 at the culmination of Dasara

Page references are as in the original text published by the Sri
Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust. Italics added for
emphasis – in this summary.

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P3: It is the mind that can efface a person’s sin

just as it can pile up one’s sins. Again, it is the
mind that is responsible for the birth of the
human body as well as consigning it to the earth.

P5: You have to consider constant contemplation

on God as the path…

2. The Mind Has No Form

P13: There can be no quality nobler than service
to humanity.

P20: When you cultivate the feeling “…Atma

Thathwa in everyone is the same”, your mind
will not be disturbed in the least when someone
abuses you or harms you.

3. Apeksha Binds, Upeksha Liberates

P28: Apeksha is the quality of the mind, whereas
Upeksha is that of the intellect. Apeksha is full of
desire for worldly objects, whereas Upeksha is
desirelessness arising out of enjoying divine
bliss. Apeksha becomes bondage for human
being, whereas Upeksha liberates him.

P30: All that we experience in the objective

world are the reflections of the mind… When we
are in deep sleep, the mind becomes extinct and
therefore the world does not exist. Instead of
loosing the mind in a state of deep sleep, it is

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better to attain a state of mergence of the mind in

Paramatma. In such a state, one can experience
Nithyananda (Eternal bliss).

4. Cultivate Good Thoughts,

Feelings and Desires

P 39: It is… very essential that every individual

shall strive to channelize the mind in the right
direction, experience divinity in whatever activity
he undertakes and thereby sanctify his existence
as a human being. …a person who is faultless
and of impeccable character will not try to find
faults in others. Hence, it is the first and foremost
duty of a Sadhaka to try to remove his own
defects and faults.

P44: We should not allow Ahamkara (ego) to

enter our mind. … When we are able to realize
the truth that the “I” principle in every individual
is one and the same, there is no chance for
Ahamkara to set in.

5. Reduce Your Desires to

Achieve Manonasanam

P55: The mind is the root cause either for Loka

Vasanas (worldly desires) or Sastra Vasanas
(scriptural desires) or Deha Vasanas (bodily
desires) or for Atmabhimana (attachment to the
Atma or spiritual yearning). One should stand

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aloof as a witness to mind’s fluctuations and not

get involved in it.

Page 59: At present, man is entangled more and

more in bondage, as age advances.

P60: …as long as we are in a state of ignorance,

we establish worldly relationships. Once we enter
the wakeful state of wisdom, no more worldly
relationships bother us.

6. Happiness and Sorrow are the

Making of One’s Own Mind

P64: Having experienced which we do not wish

to experience anything else, having the vision of
which we do not wish to visualise anything else
and having enjoyed which we do not wish to
enjoy anything else – that state is called
Saswatha Mukthi (liberation forever).

P70: The best and easiest Sadhana would be to

divert all your desires towards God. Whatever
you aspire for, whatever you see – everything
should be done in a spirit of dedication to God.
…It is only when we undertake Sadhana
deliberately shall we be entitled to receive the
fruit of our Sadhana.

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7. Sathwic Food and Sathsanga Will

Help Control the Mind

P73: The sankalpas of the mind spread

everywhere and envelop the entire world. Even
though the man dies, his sankalpas will not die.
…we should pray for a change in our behaviour,
cultivate sacred desires and lead a life of
contemplation on divine thoughts.

P76: …the question arises as to what all could be

the basis for the mind. First of all, the food we
eat. As is the food, so are the thoughts. As are the
thoughts, so is the mind. …we must provide
sathwic food to our body.

P77: …all the food we take through these five

senses must be sathwic. It means that the eyes
must have sacred and divine vision. The ears
must listen to sacred words. The nose must smell
divine fragrance. The skin shall experience
divine touch. Thus, all the five senses must be
purified by consuming sathwic food.

8. The Purpose of Religion is to

Regulate the Mind

P85: …religion and caste are not at all

responsible for conflicts and anarchy in the
society.

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It is the ego and jealousy of some selfish people

that is responsible for this situation. …what we
have to do today is to destroy the feeling of
hatred and intolerance on the basis of religion
and caste…

“There is only one religion – the religion of love

and there is only one caste – the caste of
humanity.” Hence, there is no necessity
whatsoever for proselytization.

9. Sublimate Your Intellect and

Develop the
Power of Discrimination

P100: When the Karmas are performed with

Kama (desire) the sanctity of the Karmas will be
lost.

P101: …next one is krodha (anger). It will

destroy the discriminatory intellect man
possesses...

Once you get angry, it will burn away the

strength acquired from three months’ food.

The third quality to be avoided by a Sadhaka is

lobha (greed). It has two stages – one to
accumulate and another to enjoy.

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Page 102: …you should make an effort to enjoy

the bliss flowing in your own inner self by
controlling …Kama (desire), Krodha (anger) and
Lobha (greed), as far as possible.

Om Sri Sai Ram

Submitted at THY Lotus Feet