92. Just stop the mind-games🔗

Mind is built on time. Mind moves in time. As long as you allow the concept of time in your spiritual practice, even if it is ten years or twenty years, it will continue to retain its identity, because it know that after ten years or twenty years, it can come back and play its game. Your mind will tolerate anything if it knows that it is going to come to an end. It has the ability to tolerate anything and survive anything, if it knows that it is going to come to an end at some time.

That is why, in the Vedic tradition, all the big decisions of your life are taken with the vow of 'forever'. Once you get married, it is forever. Once you take sannyas (monkhood), it is forever. Only then will the mind stop playing its games.

Listen: the moment you have the freedom to change something tomorrow, you are going to think, 'Why not do it today?' Even if you have a small misunderstanding with your spouse, your mind will immediately think, 'Anyhow I have the option of divorcing this person at any time. So why should I put up with them? Why wait? Let me do it today.' The moment you know you have the freedom, you always think, Why tomorrow? Why tolerate this? Let me do it now.'

But if you know that you are going to be married to the same person for seven janmas, seven births, immediately you think, 'This is going to be my lifetime relationship for seven births! So let me make it work.' So, your idea about future plays a major role on your life and actions in the present. which you have about your body and your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you have the right idea about your body and mind, that will be your best friend. If you have the wrong idea about your body and mind, that will be your worst enemy.

The vows of the Vedic marriage say, 'We will be together till the (digestive) fire is there in our stomach.' It means, you will be together as long as you are both alive. Not only that, you are going to have the same life-partner for the next seven births also! So naturally you try your best to adjust to the other person. Your mind starts getting settled. From the very beginning you know, 'I cannot unnecessarily create conflict. I can't afford it. I have to be careful. I have to start genuinely connecting to the other person. I have to start healing. I have to be respectful. I have to be loving." So you learn to train your mind, master your mind.

I have seen all types of cultures, all types of civilizations. The kids who are given the right understanding about their body and mind not only live long, they live happily. Happiness, bliss, joy, health - all these things are nothing but ideas which you carry about your body and mind from the young age. Your idea about future can create miracles even in your physical body. When you train your body and mind with these ideas, you will live a longer, healthier, happier, conflict-free life.

Sometimes people ask me, 'Swamiji, is divorce not a big freedom?' I am not judging whether divorce is a freedom or it is right or wrong. All I am saying is, the idea which you carry about yourself, your mind, your life, is very, very important. That is going to decide about your action. The idea

Going through my own psychological death at least once is the only way to transformation and enlightenment.