::THE WORKING OF HUMAN MIND AND MEMORY::
                                                             (MIND OVER MATTER)
Philosophy tells us that the mind decides, not merely the goodness or badness of a thing or experience, it creates all things and all experiences. Without the mind, there can be no object or feeling or emotion. No mind, no matter! The mind revels in name and form; it imposes name and form and thus, helps in creating things and experiences. It cannot contact or operate upon anything without name and form. That is why the mind is helpless when meditation has to be done on the nameless and the formless. It clings ever to name-form. Mental pictures have concretised themselves as objects and as ideas; so, the Shruthis declare: "Yath bhaavam, thath bhavathi" ("As the thought, so the consequence.") (Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1974)

The mind can remain unaffected by the storms of emotion only by bending to the yoke of buddhi (intellect). It should escape from the grips of the senses and yield to the reins of the reasoning faculty, and obey unquestioningly its dictates. The senses are inert, so long as the Self keeps away from inducing the mind to accept the information submitted by them. This mike before me helps those who are sitting all over this vast Auditorium to listen clearly to My words. But, the mike and the loudspeakers are inert metallic things.The eye that sees is inert; all objects 'seen' are inert; only the seer is 'intelligent.' And, the current of intelligence is supplied by the aathma, which is your Reality. When the current does not activate, the eye might look on but it does not see; the ear might be hearing, but, the hearer does not react or recognise. For, the mind is elsewhere. It has to function with the help of the Divine Consciousness within.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1974)

The mind is like a fragrant flower; it emits fragrance whether it is held in the fight hand or in the left, whether the person who holds it is good or bad. It walks blindly along, irrespective of the lie of the land. It is blind; and so, someone has to take it on tow. When you invite ten blind people for dinner, you have to lay twenty plates. For, each blind person brings with him, and has to so bring with him, a guide who can lead him to your home. So, the mind too must have a guide who knows the way, the obstacles, the shoals and ferries.The mind has to be watched vigilantly, and warned against its own tricks. It is a clever actor, embroiling you in many a close adventure. The mind is like the revered old gentleman who appeared alternately in the houses of the bridegroom's party and the bride's party during a marriage festival and issued orders to all and sundry, which were honoured by both, since each party thought he was a person with authority coming from the other party! His very pomposity aroused the suspicious of both, before long, and when they jointly sought him and asked him who he was, he took to his heels and made himself scarce. The mind too is just like the gentleman. Catch it and inquire wherefrom it secured credentials to order you about; it will disappear in no time!The only method which you can adopt to escape from the coils of the mind is the cultivation of pure intelligence. This is the sum and substance of all spiritual discipline. And, the intelligence gets cleansed of all partiality and prejudice, hatred and greed, only by the adoration of God through love poured out to all the beings created by God and standing witness to His Glory and Beauty. Share love with all; earn the treasure of love, store it in your heart and invite all to share in it.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1974)

Remember the mind is a very talkative imp, it can never keep quiet even for a second. You have been listening to Me since more than an hour and perhaps you are under the impression that your mind has been quiet all that time. No. The mind has been holding conversation with itself, when it is supposed to be silent! Give it perpetual tasks. Ask it, (as some rishi did to a demon who acted as his servant but threatened to devour him the moment he did not have any task allotted to him); ask it to climb a pillar and slide down it, whenever it has no other work. The pillar is Soham, (I am Thath), a manthra (sacred formulae) that the breath is repeating from birth to death, 'So' when you inhale and 'ham' when you exhale. Let it repeat Soham all the time.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1974)

The body is only a temporary rest house for the Spirit. Vedanta declares: "The body is a shrine for the eternal Spirit inhabiting it." It is necessary in this context to know what enables the body, the mind, the senses and the intellect to develop or to deteriorate. The whole Cosmos is made up of Pancha Bhoothas (five basic elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth). Their subtle qualities are represented by sound, touch, form, taste and smell. All these have emerged from Sath-chith-ananda (Being Awareness-Bliss), the Primal Source.Akasa (Space or ether) provides the initial impulse. It is comparable to an infinite container. The other four elements air, water, fire and earth--are contained in it. These elements vary in their subtlety. Water is subtler than earth and is more expansive and lighter than earth. Fire is subtler than water and air is subtler than fire and more pervasive. Akasa is subtler than air and is allpervasive. Each of these elements is covered by a Kosa (sheath). The mind, the intellect, the will and the ego are enveloped by these sheaths.Akasa (space or ether) is activated by what is called Athi-gathi (very high-speed motion or vibrations). These vibrations, by their movement, give rise to air. The movement of air results in fire or heat. It is a scientific fact that friction causes heat, as in the case of rubbing of the palms. To generate heat air is necessary. When the heat cools off, water is produced. Fluids solidify into earth. Hence, the starting point for the five elements is Akasa (space). These elements have come into existence for sustaining the universe and demonstrating the omnipresence and omniscience of the Divine.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 02/10/1988)

In the human being, the Antha Karana (the inner psycho-somatic instrument) is made up of the mind, the intellect, the will and the ego. The ego is linked to the Prana (life principle). It is encased in the Vijnanamaya Kosa (the sheath of integrated awareness). The mind is linked to the Chitta (Will) and is encased in the Manomaya Kosa (the mental sheath). Thus between the individual soul and the Prana (vital principle), the mind functions. The life principle functions between the mind and the body. The Buddhi (intellect) functions above the level of the mind. The vital principle functions below the mind. Both the intellect and the Prana are surcharged with Agni (heat). It is their combined presence in the body that accounts for the heat in the body.The mind should not be treated as something trivial. Man comprehends the world through the mind and hence its workings should be completely watched. Because the mind is located between the Buddhi (intellect) and the Prana (vital principle)----both of which are filled with the fire principle---it tends to melt. The presiding deity for the mind is the Moon. The Moon represents coolness and fluidity. Fluids like water have a tendency to flow down and find their level. Fire, on the contrary, has a tendency to go up. The mind, because of its watery nature, has the tendency to move downwards to get interested in petty things. Efforts have to be made to make the mind look upwards.It should, however, be remembered, that the mind, the intellect, the will and the ego are made up of the five elements, which are all emanations from the Supreme--the Sath-chith-ananda (BeingAwareness-Bliss). This is their Primal Source from which they have emanated like innumerable sparks from a fire. From this source they emerge as billions of atoms and assume countless forms. Man should realise that he has also come from the same Divine Source.Endowed with the human form and gifted with sense organs, the mind and the will, man nevertheless is failing to remember the source from which he came. What is the cause for the body? The root cause is ignorance. Ignorance robs man of the power of discrimination. Lacking this capacity, man tends to inflate his Ahamkara (ego). Egoism breeds hatred, which is the cause of attachment and desires. All karmas (actions) are born of attachment and desires. Hence, the primary cause of birth in a human body is one's Karma.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1988)

What is the ignorance that afflicts man? It is the false vision which makes one mistake the unreal for the real and the real for the unreal. An episode in the Mahabharata illustrates how this happens.What is the inner meaning of this story of the Maya Sabha? The cosmos itself is one vast Maya Sabha (a mansion of delusion). Attachment and hatred are represented by Duryodhana and Dussasana. Dussasana means one who is the violator of the rule of law. Duryodhana is one who misuses his strength and abilities. In every man, there are these traits of Duryodhana and Dussasana. In life everyone has to adhere to certain regulations. In the Sathya Sai Institute, for instance, there are regulations relating to conduct of students in the hostel and elsewhere. It is only when these regulations are observed strictly that they can call themselves Vidhyarthis (seekers of knowledge). When students misuse their talents and skill, they beome weak and go astray.How does this misuse take place? The eyes are misused by looking at undesirable objects. The tongue is misused by indulging in evil talk. The ears, the heart and the hand are all misused in different ways. Misuse occurs whenever a divinely endowed capacity or talent is used for wrongful purposes. It is misdirection of energy. If students indulge in such misuse, they turn into Duryodhanas and Dussasanas and come to grief like them. Hence, no one should misuse any of the powers with which he is endowed. It amounts to an affront to the Divine which is the source of all powers.Everyone thinks that it is his sense organs; his eyes, ears, etc.--that enable him to experience and comprehend the world. How true is this? In the dream state none of the senses is functioning. And yet, one has the experience of seeing, talking, heating, walking and doing other actions. What is the eye that sees in the dream? What is the tongue that talks? In the dream state the mind does all the functions of the sense organs, which are dormant at that time. When you feel in a dream that you are walking through a forest, it is not your legs that are walking. It is the mind which does the walking. It is the mind which assumes all the functions of the senses. The entire world is the projection of the mind. When the mind is properly directed, all the senses will be under control. When you water the roots of a tree, all the branches and leaves will get the benefit.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1988)

Your senses, like the eyes, the ears, the tongue, are God-given gifts. They should be used only for sacred purposes and should not be misused. There is only one royal road to realising God. It is the path of Divine love. You have come from the Divine and your destiny is the merger with the Divine. Entertain only sacred thoughts and engage yourselves only in sacred deeds. Thereby you will be sanctifying your lives.The mind is subject to fancies and aberrations. In poor light you mistake a rope for a snake and are filled with fear. When light is brought, you find there is no snake. The appearance and disappearance of fear are entirely the result of mental aberrations. The rope alone was there all the time. The idea of the snake was superimposed on it by the fancies of the mind.How misconceptions and doubts can arise may be seen from a scientific example. When you hold the mirror before you, your image is reflected by the mirror. But the image is not in the mirror. The reflection is seen because of the mercury-coated surface at the back of the mirror. You imagine also that it is a true reflection of yourself. This is not true. In the image, your right eye appears as your left eye and the left eye as the right eye. Hence, the image is not the true reflection of yourself. Likewise, Nature is a vast mirror. You regard as real the varied objects you see in Nature. But they are all different forms of the Divine. "The One willed to become Many." This is the truth recognised by all religions. But man forgets this truth and leads a life divorced from faith in the Divine.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/11/1988)

It all depends on the mind and its proper discipline. The weapon of Love will disarm every opponent. Love begets Love; it will be reflected back, it will have only Love as reaction, Shout 'Love'; the echo from the other person's heart will also be 'Love'.The mind hops from object to object with incredible speed. It rises to the heights and drops to the depths with every wink of the eye. It hides, deludes and distorts. One can subdue it through concentration only. The process can be practised in either of two directions--the A-ruupa or the Sa-ruupa. A-ruupa means 'unbound' by form." One feels that he is not the doer or enjoyer; he is only an agent of God, a tool, an instrument. One is not affected, well or ill, when the act results in good or bad. One has no identity with the ruupa (form or body). Sa-ruupa meditation gets lost in dualities of pleasure and pain, profit and loss, for it considers the name and form, the body and its activities as valid.Similarly, Man has the choice of two paths---the Pravritthi Maarga (the path of involvement) or the Nivritthi maarga (the path of non-involvement). When involved, man is confronted with the six internal foes---lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hatred. When non- involved, man is helped by six internal friends---sense control, mind control, fortitude, contentment, faith and equanimity. The human body is deified as a temple, yes, but the foes have to be evacuated and the friends admitted before the Divine can establish itself there.(Sathya Sai Speaks on 06/05/1983)

Akashik Records:

The akashic record is like an immense photographic film, registering all the desires and earth experiences of our planet. Those who perceive it will see pictured thereon: The life experiences of every human being since time began, the reactions to experience of the entire animal kingdom, the aggregation of the thought-forms of a karmic nature (based on desire) of every human unit throughout time. Herein lies the great deception of the records. Only a trained occultist can distinguish between actual experience and those astral pictures created by imagination and keen desire.The Akashic Records are the energetic records of all souls about their past lives, the present lives, and possible future lives. Each soul has its Akashic Records, like a series of books with each book representing one lifetime. The Hall (or Library) of the Akashic Records is where all souls’ Akashic Records are stored energetically. In other words, the information is stored in the Akashic field (also called zero point field). The Akashic Records, however, are not a dry compilation of events. They also contain our collective wisdom.Your problems are not happening in a haphazard manner and they are not meaningless roadblocks. Your life is working even when you don't think so, and you can move through your life with less resistance when you understand it. On the other hand, when you don't have the proper reference points, psychic readings can become yet another attempt of problem-solving.(Sources:THEOSOPHICAL WISDOM)

You might have heard the name of Chitragupta in Indian mythology. Chitragupta is the name of the private secretary to the 'lord of death'. This means that this Chitragupta keeps an unerring account of the good and the bad which the individuals do in their lives. You may be amused at this and wonder if there is really a 'lord of death' and if he has a private secretary with the name Chitragupta. All this may give you the feeling that the 'lord of death' is being described in terms of an office and thus your faith may be shaken up a little. This name Chitragupta is inside the body itself. The mind is hiding inside the human body and this hidden mind is calledChitragupta. All the thoughts that arise in one's mind are imprinted upon his heart. If someone asks something you may hesitate and give an answer which is not right one but if the question is asked in one's own heart, one cannot give a false reply. Even a thief, who has entered another's house and committed a theft, may say that he has not committed a theft when confronted by the police. This is only for external appearance. His heart knows fully well the truth that he has committed a theft. That which has been so imprinted on your heart is called Ruta. The truth about the idea which generate utterance with your mouth, of the idea that has been imprinted on your heart, is called the truth. Putting the words that have been uttered with your mouth into practice is called right conduct. The meaning of right conduct will, therefore, be evident and correct only when there is complete coordination and an inseparable association between the idea that has arisen in your heart, the word that you have spoken with your mouth and the action that you may have undertaken with your body. Thus, if there is complete coordination between thought, word and deed, one would call it right conduct.                                                                                                                                    ( Sathya Sai Speaks 24/02/1971) The mind plays many tricks with you, the chief of which is to foster the ego and hide the Prompter and the Power within.Chitragupta maintains a register of the good and the bad done by each living being and on death he brings the books to the Court and strikes the balance between debit and credit. Yama, the King then metes out the punishment that can expiate and educate. The Chitragupta has his office in the mind of man, all the time awake, alert. The word means 'the secret picture'; what he does is is to 'picture' all the secret promptings that blossom into activity; he notes the warning signals as well as the occasion when those signals are ignored or wantonly disregarded. You must see that the warning of the Divine against the merely human, or even the bestial inclinations are heeded.( Sathya Sai Speaks on 24/02/1971)

      Women Empowerment in New India Synchronizing with PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat
In our country, respect for women, their status in society and their contribution has proved to be awe inspiring to the entire world, since ancient times. There has been a long tradition of Vidushis… women exponents or women champions. Many Vidushis of India have contributed in composing the verses of the Vedas. Lopamudra, Gargi, Maitreyee…it’s a long list of names. Today, we talk about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, ‘save the girl child, educate her’. But centuries ago, it has been mentioned in our ancient texts, in the Skand Puran(PM Modi on 28/01/2018)

This means, a daughter is the equivalent of ten sons. The ‘Punya’ that you earn through ten sons amounts to the same earned through just one daughter. This underscores the importance that has been given to women in our society. And that is why, in our society, women have been accorded the status of ‘Shakti’. This woman power binds closely together society as a whole, the family as a whole, on the axis of unity & oneness. Be it the erudition of the Vidushis of the Vedic Period… Lopamudra, Gargi, Maitreyee; be it the learning & devotion of Akka Mahadevi or Meerabai, be it the governance of Ahilyabai Holkar or the valour of Rani Lakshmibai, woman power has always inspired us. They have always brought glory to the Nation.(PM Modi on 28/01/2018)

Today women are not just advancing in myriad fields; they are leaders. Today there are many sectors where our woman power is playing a pioneering role, establishing milestones. A few days ago, Hon’ble President took an initiative. He met a group of extraordinary women who have achieved something significanty new in their respective fields.Women achievers of our country… the first female Merchant Navy Captain, the first female passenger train driver, the first female fire fighter, the first female Bus Driver, the first woman to set foot on Antarctica, the first woman to reach Mount Everest… ‘First Ladies’ in every field. Our woman power achieved extraordinary feats, breaking the age old shackles of social mores, creating new records.They proved that through perseverance, grit and a firm resolve, all kinds of obstacles and barriers can be broken & crossed, to chart out an all new path… a path that could act as a beacon of inspiration not just to their contemporaries, but for generations to come. It will infuse a fresh energy, newer enthusiasm into them. A book has been compiled on these women achievers, first ladies, so that, the entire country comes to know about the power of these women and derive inspiration from their life & work.(PM Modi on 28/01/2018)

Time and again we keep hearing people utter ‘There is something special that we as a people possess… no threat is big enough to annihilate our existence’. What is that ‘Special Something’? That ‘Something’ is flexibility, the ability of transformation. Leaving out things that are beyond the constraints of time and accepting betterment in things wherever necessary. And this is a salient feature of our society… relentless efforts towards self-improvement, self correction. We have inherited this Indian tradition as a cultural legacy. The benchmark of any living society is its self correcting mechanism. In our country, there have been unending endeavours against social ills and evil practices, both individually & collectively. Just a while ago, Bihar launched an interesting initiative. In order to uproot social ills in the state, the world’s longest human chain spanning over thirteen thousand kilometers was formed.This campaign made people aware of social maladies such as child-marriage and the dowry system. The entire state thus resolved to fight against these social evils. Children, the elderly, the youth full of energy and enthusiasm, women, girls turned out to participate in this battle. The human chain that commenced formation from Gandhi Maidan in Patna gained momentum, touching the state borders.(PM Modi on 28/01/2018)

On 22nd November, 1981, while announcing the inauguration of the University, Bhagawan, in His address to the students, declared, “Remember that all those whom we are accepting now as leaders, whom we respect as holding positions of authority, whom we worship as elders, were, some years’ ago, students like yourselves. Therefore, you, in your turn, will be the leaders, power-wielders and elders of tomorrow. Do not forget this destiny of yours….Along with subjects related to worldly knowledge, this University will impart instruction in ethical, moral and spiritual codes and sadhanas. It has, as its goal, the cultivation of the students’ minds on these lines. Virtues, purity of the mind, adherence to truth, dedication to the Supreme, discipline, devotion to duty – these qualities will be fostered and promoted in this University. Such seats of learning were established in ancient times by the sages and seers of India and, as a result of their self-sacrificing efforts, they have left for posterity the priceless heritage of Bharatiya culture.”(Excerpts from Sathya Sai Speaks)

One of the truly remarkable features of the Sri Sathya Sai System of Value-based Education is that Bhagawan, the Great Divine Teacher, has envisioned a process of continuing transformation for His students. Education in Bhagawan’s Institutions does not finish with the acquisition of academic degrees. The values of love and service imparted to the students during their period of study have to, necessarily, be carried forward into society, and, from thence, to the world. The ends of education at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning are Spiritual Upliftment, Self-discovery and Social Service.

At Anantapur, right from the inception of the Sri Sathya Sai Arts & Science College (for women), Bhagawan’s instructions were that the girls should be taught all the household arts and skills, along with academic studies, since His idea was to uplift the status of women without jeopardising the social fabric of traditional Indian society. Therefore, the girl-students had to sweep their rooms themselves, cut vegetables, roll chapattis/puris, clean the campus surroundings on Sundays, manage the dispensary, oversee the water-supply, weed the gardens, etc. Apart from all this, they were trained to take literacy classes for the adult workers on the campus, and Bal Vikas classes for the children of the workers. Though this routine may sound strenuous, regimental and demanding, since alongside these variegated activities, the girls had also to study for examinations at the end of each year, Bhagawan was very firm about the details of this discipline being meticulously observed, as the girl-students of those early years will testify.

Bhagawan’s visits to Anantapur, in those early days, were Gifts of Grace. He would advice the students about the need for women to be ideals to society. He shared with them His vision of a resurgent India in which women, no longer ‘abalas’ or weak, were endowed with the moral strength to create a cultural revolution.During one of Bhagawan’s visits to Anantapur in 1968, He told the girls that, being the upholders and protectors of Culture, women had to be educated in a different way than men. It was the duty of the elders, Bhagawan suggested, to see that the girl-students do not leave the institution without securing the ‘priceless treasure left by the sages of the past.’ A Women’s College, He said, ‘has the added responsibility to practise and preserve the essential values of Bharatiya Samskrithi.’ Thus, under Bhagawan’s Divine Guidance, an ‘Indian Culture’ Class was introduced - to be held every Thursday - to impart lessons on culture.

Blessed was it in that dawn to be alive, to be young was very heaven. Bhagawan’s Divine Plan for the redemption of humanity charged every student with a sense of ‘mission.’ Though not the recipients of Bhagawan’s proximity with equal measure as the boys, the girls hoped to participate in the unfoldment of Bhagawan’s Plan, if not by doing Great Things, then by doing Small Things in a Great Way.

The “Messengers of Sathya Sai” undertake all service-oriented activities as a humble and loving offering at the Divine Lotus Feet of Beloved Bhagawan, in gratitude to the Lord for all that He has given them, and taught them – a definitive spiritual goal, a noble path, and the loving way of walking it.

The Declaration at the bottom of the application form to “Messengers of Sathya Sai,” which every student seeking membership has to sign, sums up the sentiment:

Men should realise the high status of women, and honour and respect them accordingly. They should not make women weep and shed tears. A home where the woman sheds tears will be ruined. Men should therefore, as much as possible, lead their lives by giving women an honourable place and their due importance. The archetypal woman is described as Adhishakti (the primal source of all energy) having a whole array of powers.

he word Sthree is a combination of three syllables. They are the consonants, 'Sa', 'Tha and 'Ra'. Just as in the Aumkara we have 'A, U and M', in the word Sthree we have 'Sa, Tha and Ra'. First and foremost, 'Sa' signifies the Satvik nature of women. This is what leads to Salokyam (being in the same sphere of existence), Sameepyam (proximity) and Sayujyam (mergence). So it is the 'Sa' that represents the Divinity in Salokyam, Sameepyam and Sayujyam. Most women are endowed with this Satwik nature.After which comes the 'Tha' which signifies the Tamasik quality or Tamo Guna. But this Tamasik quality is not indolence, gluttony and slothfulness. Tamo Guna includes qualities like humility, kindness, shyness and modesty. The woman in all her humility serves the cause of the family and society honour in the right spirit. There is a saying in Andhra Pradesh: 'Judge a home by its mistress.' As is the woman, so is the home.The third and the final letter is 'Ra' which represents the Rajoguna. This does not mean pugnacity or aggression. This quality signifies the preparedness of women to even sacrifice their lives for the sake of their honour and the reputation of their family. Bharath’s history is replete with examples of women who fought valiantly and gave up their lives to protect their husbands and their honour. This is the quality of Rajo guna. To uphold the truth, they sacrifice everything; this is the main quality of Rajo guna. Hence the embodiment of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas is Sthree.(Excerpts from Sathya Sai Speaks)