By: Dr. G R Vijayakumar
Nana Saheb Chandorkar was in great anguish when his son-in-law had an untimely demise and was worried about his young, widowed daughter. Baba consoled him in the mosque but that was inadequate to still the mind of Nana Saheb.
The next morning when Baba started his morning walk to Lendi Baug, He sent word to Nana Saheb Chandorkar to join him in his walk. The conversation between the two is memorable for eternity.
As Sai Maharaj and Nana Saheb were having a conversation it was a cold day and the rivulet Lendi with its flowing waters was making a benedictory invocation to Sai Maharaj. Sai Maharaj stopped; he asked Nana Saheb – “What does this flowing Lendi water remind you of?” Nana Saheb answered, “It reminds me of my mind and its restless thoughts”. Sai Maharaj said, “Yes, the mind is neutral like water. It is neither good nor bad. In the flowing water the wind creates waves as desires and fears produce thoughts.”
Sai Maharaj then asked Nana Saheb to imagine that he was in a boat in a stormy ocean. Nana replied – “Certainly not.” Sai Maharaj responded – “You are right; your mind is there all the time, within this storm. Most people are in a rudderless boat in the middle of a stormy ocean, and they do not realize it. The minds of people are restless. Thoughts of all kinds come and go incessantly, agitating their minds like ocean waves.” Nana Saheb said, “Yes, I know. That is the reason why I came to meet you. I want to learn from you.”
Sai Maharaj smiled at Nana Saheb and said – “You can’t calm the waves of the ocean by holding the water and not letting it move. What is necessary is to stop the wind. Your thoughts, desires, and fears are like the wind, you need to calm them down. You can learn to control them by controlling your attention, focus, and actions, only then the ocean of your mind be calm.
Sai Maharaj further added – “Suppose the ocean can disregard the wind, what would happen then? You can’t control the wind in nature, but you can calm the winds in your mind. Learn to focus your mind, develop willpower and discipline, and learn to meditate. Only then can you control your mind and calm your inner world; then you will be able to control the world around you.”
And how do we cultivate the stillness of mind? The best way is to embrace silence, which will bring about profound changes in our lives. We will find that this silence allows us to reconnect with our inner selves, better understand the world, and nurture genuine connections. We will
then find the power to thrive amidst the noise of modern life. This silence can be found not just in quiet places, but the environment is also important. But it can be cultivated by stopping ourselves now and then for introspection and self-reflection. This quiet break in which you breathe slowly contemplating the Almighty will cheer you up. Being still will replenish whatever energy you have lost due to anguish and make you return to a calm peaceful center in your soul. This stillness allows time and space to self-reflect and hear our thoughts
Baba thus advised Nana Saheb Chandorkar to come out of his miserable state of mind and maintain silence through deep meditations. They returned to the mosque and by then Nana Saheb was glowing with cheerfulness.
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