The Mind and How to Use it. Nisagardatta Maharaj.

About this Video

• Video Title: The Mind and How to Use It. Nisagardatta Maharaj.
• Channel: Soul Spirit Self
• Speakers: Nisagardatta Maharaj
• Duration: 00:07:23

Introduction

This video features Nisagardatta Maharaj discussing the nature of the mind, its restlessness, and how to find peace by understanding and transcending its limitations. The video explores various aspects of the mind, including its relationship to memory, imagination, and the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Maharaj offers practical advice on quieting the mind and achieving a state of stillness.

Key Takeaways

• The mind is a bundle of thoughts based on memory and habit: It's not your true nature; you are the witness of the mind.
• The mind's constant movement stems from desire and fear: It's a restless search for something to hold onto, preventing peace.
• The mind can be stilled by losing interest in its movements: Stillness isn't created but arises when the mind is no longer entertained.
• Quieting the mind involves observation without interference: Let thoughts come and go without clinging, focusing on the sense of "I am."
• The mind is a tool, not an identity: Using it as such prevents suffering and confusion; it should serve, not rule.
• Silence reveals true being: When the mind is silent, clarity and peace emerge, revealing a state of awareness beyond thought and movement.
• Understanding is a starting point, but peace transcends the mind: It requires letting go and not trying to fix the mind.
• Memory and imagination are part of the mind's activity: Staying present with the sense of "I am" helps transcend them.
• Obsessive thoughts are overcome by not feeding them: Refuse to follow them, but don't resist; return attention to the sense of being.
• When the mind is inactive, what remains is pure awareness: This is the Self—silent, spacious, untouched—presence without a thinker or doer.