By Master : “One must have for God the yearning of a child. The child sees nothing but confusion when his mother is away. You may try to cajole him by putting a sweetmeat in his hand; but will not be fooled. He only says ‘no I want to go to my mother’. One must have such yearning for God.”
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Vol II Page 673
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We were standing below an old banyan tree when the following conversation started.
Me: There are some more aspects of the mind that is important to know, before going into Bakthi. We have to use what are at our hands. We cannot ask for something that is not in this world. We have to climb up to reach the supreme personality of Godhead with whatever is available here. So the same characteristic of mind which distracts it can be used to bring it to focus on God.
Till now I was talking about some characteristics of the mind but can you tell me what is this mind stuff is made off?
He: Ya it is made of thoughts as we think with the mind.
Me: Correct. Now what are thoughts made off?
He: No, I don’t know.
Me: In what language do you think?
He: In my mother tongue-Tamil.
Me: Can you think in German?
He: No no
Me: So, do you agree that thoughts are of language?
He: Yes Yes
Me: What are language made off?
He: Words and syllable representing sound.
Me: Yes. So we have to conclude that mind is nothing but sound.
He: Yes I have to agree, it is very convincing logic.
Me: So sound is a basic of mind. But as such the mind cannot survive without inputs from the environment. The mind receives its input through the five sense organs of the body .The smell organ, the touch organ, the sight organ, the taste & speech organ and the hearing organ. What ever feed it received from these organs are interpreted by the brain and stored. The memory of the brain can be reclaimed when and wherever needed voluntarily or otherwise.
These inputs create “a feeling” that is manufactured by the mind.
When two minds see or hear or tastes or gets touch off or smell of the same thing or situation they differ in their “feeling”. They feel differently.
Feelings are things like love, anger, fright , etc.
Even though brain is the analytical tool like the data processing part of the computer it doesn’t have feeling. It just analysis and gives the result objectively. The mind is the one which perceives the results and “feels” about it.
He: Then a deaf person doesn’t have a mind, as you have said that mind is a sound stuff?
Me: They do have mind but it is not based on sound , but it is based on signs and figures. People with all the five senses have a full mind, because they can perceive this world to the fullest to the extent the five senses put inputs into it. But people who have one or more of the senses defective have lesser inputs to perceive through the mind.
He: Oh!
Me: The mind perceives every thing in this world giving them identity and name. What I mean by this is ..Say it is like this. Say you are looking at a coconut tree. If only you look at it with the name”coconut tree” you will understand it. Otherwise you won’t understand it even if you look at it for hours. You can check it out yourself. This is ‘perception ‘of the mind.
He: I will try.
Me: Another characteristic of the mind is that it wants always something new that is it doesn’t like monotony or to some extent routine. This is the bases of human beings marvelling at miracles.
Many of the religions are entirely based on miracles. Miracles are nothing but something that is not regular.
He: Yes. There are faiths that accept sainthood or godliness only if miracles are performed.
Me: Oh. We have come to our parting point. Shall we meet tomorrow?
He: yes, see you tomorrow.
