4. Mind is an Action - Stop It!🔗

Let us enter into the second sutra:

The translation is: 'Withdrawal from mental patterns is Yoga.'

Many times, when these truths are expressed, a sudden click happens to people who come with deep devotion and respect. I keep expressing the same truth in the same words to different people. But when they receive it with deep devotion, suddenly the click happens. Suddenly the connection happens.

This is my favorite sutra. In this one sutra, Patanjali has covered everything. If you understand this one sutra, you don't need to go further. Nothing else is needed!

The simple, straight understanding I want to give you all is this: Mind is not an object; mind is not a thing. It is an action!

People always ask me, 'How to stop the mind?' or 'How to go beyond the mind?' Wherever I go, almost every day, somebody puts this question to me. You can say that this is the most frequently asked question!

I tell them that mind is not a thing to struggle with; mind is not a thing to suppress; mind is not a thing to destroy. It is an action. It is an action!

See, it is just like this:

Suppose you are walking. If you don't want to walk, what do you do? You just sit down, right? Or, you are talking. If you don't want to talk, what do you do? You just be in silence! In the same way, mind is an action. If you don't want to do it, you can stop it. That's all! But we say, 'No, no, no! I have already tried this in many ways. I have tried so many times!' Especially the 'professional seekers' - they come and tell me, 'I have seen, I have tried. It doesn't work'! I sympathize with your trying. I sympathize with your practice. But please understand, it is a simple action. It is a subtle action. You are doing it. Is there anybody else doing it inside you? No! If somebody else is doing it inside you, then not just me, even God can't help you! It is you who is doing it! Mind is a simple action. Whenever you do not want it, just stop it - that's all!

If you say, 'No, no, I have tried, but after some time it comes back,' then be very clear

But you forget that it is you who have started it again.

If you understand that you are starting it, at least you will have respect for your decision, for your will. You will not feel powerless in front of your mind. Have this simple clarity. Look inside and understand, 'When I want the mind, I am starting it. When I don't want it, I am relaxing from it!' For now, don't bring in all the philosophies and ideas you have about the mind - 'My mind is filled with thoughts and engrams, they are continuously erupting out, my mind is so negative, it can't be controlled...!

We are fed with so many poisonous thoughts about the mind. Now, relax from everything. Understand this simple thing - mind is an action. Just like walking is your action, talking is your action, your mind is also your action. When you can stop walking, stop talking, why not stop thinking? It is your action. Decide this moment - it is my action. Let me stop it. That's all!

But you say, 'No, no, no! It is not that simple, I have tried for many years. See, even now I am trying to stop it, but it is not stopping.' Do not create that statement within you. If it is not stopping, it simply means you are not stopping it, that's all! You may want to say something or do something. That is why it is starting again. If it is starting again, it means you are starting it. If you approach this sutra with a little devotion, with a little openness, you will have that click. Just bring a little shift in the approach, in the attitude, in the understanding. Please understand, it is we who are stealing our own things from ourselves. Nobody else is stealing anything from us. It is simple. Let us take the whole responsibility on ourselves. If you want, you can think; if you want, you can stop thinking. That is what is the essence of this whole Yoga.

The essence of this whole Yoga is only this one sutra - yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha. Yoga is Cessation of Mind. Yoga is withdrawal from mental patterns.

Mind is not a thing, it is an Action! It is an action which is in your hands. When you are sitting down, do you ever ask yourself, 'What happened to my walking? I was walking just ten minutes ago! How did it stop?' You don't ask that, because you know that you stopped your walking yourself by sitting down.

Whenever you are silent, you don't think, 'Where did my talking go? I was talking just five minutes ago!' You just know that you were talking earlier and now you decided to be silent, that's all.

Same way, you can use your mind when needed, and you can switch if off when not needed. And you can start again when needed! Just knowing this makes you feels powerful enough to handle your mind intelligently and effortlessly.

Today, contemplate on this: Mind is an Action - like any other action. If I don't want to do it, I can stop it. That's all!