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flees. Hence we never see it pinned down to one object. Gather together a sum of ten thousand rupees. At the outset, the mind may say, "Perhaps there is pleasure here." But alas! the very next moment it moves away. Hardly does it begin to sit at rest when it finds itself disillusioned. Accumulate ten lakhs, then ten millions. Again you experience the same disappointment. Even ten crores heaped up by you will not make any difference. We cannot prevent the rambling propensities of the mind which rushes on, as I said, to the place where it gets a glimpse of pleasure. It flees as soon as the glimpse, too, vanishes, but is a little constant so long as the image of possible happiness lingers. The day it gets the never-vanishing glimpses of Eternity, of real pleasure, it winds up its inclination to flee and is filled with plenitude and absolute stillness.
I will not, therefore, advise you to enforce steadiness of mind. Forced steadiness causes sluggishness and leads rather to stagnation than to the attainment of the ultimate goal. When the final goal is reached, the mind remains steadfast. This fact, when misinterpreted, gives rise to the wrong notion that, once the mind is kept steady the final goal can be reached. This is as absurd as putting the cart before the horse. The fact that eyes remain closed when we are asleep does not justify the reasoning that the advent of sleep is assured in merely shutting the eyes. My advice to you is that you should make your mind move in the direction in which the fragrance of real pleasure spreads; slowly and lovingly should you lead the mind to the abode of real felicity. Set your eyes on real happiness and the mind is sure to follow it up. But use no force, no compulsion even unconsciously. Compulsion is sure to provoke resistance from the mind contrary to your expectation. Your inhibitions become invitation and your taboos attraction. If you evince a desire to restrain it from doing anything, the mind takes to it with added avidity. This is but natural. It is your ignorance of this simple fact that involves you in what are, normally, not unavoidable sufferings. The fundamental point is that your mind is not your enemy. You
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