Sri Nannagaru: If the mind is not put right, Atma drishti won't remain steady. The mind will not become subdued by doing pujas and japa over time. It is good to do pujas and japa with reverence for Eswara (God). However, it must be observed whether the mind gets subdued through that or not. It should be seen that there are no faults (defects) in one’s thoughts and work. Do not keep the feeling of difference between enemies and friends. Whoever you talk to, you should talk wishing for their welfare, but don’t talk with emotion.

Due to the body having the organs of the senses and the mind, the world seems as if real. But the world is not real. We are in a dream; therefore all seems to be real. We came for the sake of training. Truly, we are not paying attention to the mind. We are satisfied that for some time we did pradakshina of the mountain or went to a temple. We have thrown the mind to the wind and we are unable to know that due to this, we are bound. It is the mind that is responsible for whether we are bound or if moksha comes.

Without having the mind disciplined, don’t look expect that someone will come and save you. Doing sadhana while letting the mind loose is the same as taking inappropriate medicines for an illness, and noticing that after a year the illness has not decreased. If the mind is let free, though sadhana is done, moksha will not be gained or attained.

In the same way that a living being has a body, the world is like the body of God. The whole world has many different kinds of human beings. We should learn to live in the midst of all these types of individuals without spoiling our mind. The people in our house are of several different types. We should see that we soothe our mind whilst in the middle of all of them. Atma jnana will not come without the mind becoming calm.

One should be careful in thought, word and deed. The work that is done should be pure and unwavering. God won't see whether the work that is done is big or small. Even if you sweep the verandah it is enough. We consider that the work of one, who looks after accounts, is great but the work of one, who sweeps the verandah, is small. But, God will give moksha first to the one who does his work properly. If the District Collector does not do his work properly and the one who sews chappals does his work well, then God will give moksha to the one who sews chappals before the Collector. We must put the mind carefully to the work at hand. One should not impose limitations thinking, ‘These people are like this, those people are like that and we should also be like them.’ We should be calm.

The world is full of gunas (qualities). If there were no gunas, there would be no world. The whole world is not of just one type. Leave the turmoil of others. Great beings are born on earth to make right the minds of sadhakas. Whoever we are doing the work for, if the work is done in a pure way, they will be helped externally and our minds will become calm. Moksha won't come unless the mind is calm.

We have told in numerous meetings that the difficulties that arise out of ego are greater than wind, rain and earthquakes. If we feel like speaking good words to someone, we may say them. However, if they didn’t listen, we should not get emotional. If we get emotional, we will be ruined.

Bhagavan said that every name and form brings sorrow for human beings. Even as we remain, that form disappears (referring to death). Recently Sitamma’s husband died. Whoever remembers his form, whether they are relatives or friends, becomes sad. Let alone his wife, everyone else also becomes sorrowful.

In Kakinada (in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh), a lecturer, even from a young age, had the desire to go to Kasi. After he was sixty years old, he retired and went there and died. That is the will or plan of Eswara. If the words, ‘All is Eswara’s will,’ is said with the mouth, sorrow will not be destroyed, but sorrow will be destroyed if it sticks to the heart. In a house, some people will be sad and others happy. Even that is only Eswara’s will. A few people in the house will be well and some will become bad. Then, who is the one responsible for this? When even the fingers of our own hand are not equal, how will society be without differences?

If we leave our mind to the wind, it will be like tirtham to tirtham, prasad to prasad, but jnana won't come*. The path should be the correct one. Even if one walks slowly, it doesn’t matter because if the path is not correct, even though a crore of (ten million) births are taken, the goal will not be reached.

Krishna said in the Gita that the mind is the cause, whether you are well or go bad. We came on earth to make the mind well. People having crores (of money) are also unable to be happy. There is always only sorrow. People who don’t have money see millionaires and think that they are happy. And then some people without even a top and thread (a spinning top – a plaything) are always at peace. The reason is only the mind.

If every human being is seen with Atma drishti, distortions won't come. If there are no distortions, the mind will be subdued. If fire comes in the water, the water won't catch fire. The fire is extinguished. The heart of the jnani is also like that. The heart of the ajnani is like fire put on dry cow dung. If one puts fire on dry cow dung, it will catch fire.

One must conduct oneself according to the word of God. Every moment we must observe whether our mind is subdued or not. Sadhana that is done with a mind that is let loose is like rose water poured on ashes. The sadhana that you do will come back to you with interest, as the grace of Eswara. At times it takes hundred births to understand one small matter. We should be calm. We should not expect that the world should be happy if we do some small good work.

* (Note: this is an expression meaning that there will not be any coordination or relation between the two; each will be separate.)