In the Samvat year 1876 on the first day of the dark half of the month of Paush in the evening, Shreeji Maharaj was seated on a wooden bedstead laid in the veranda in front of the hall facing the north. near the temple of Shree Vasudev Narayan in the Durbar of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. He had put a white turban on His head, and a white upper garment over His shoulders. He had covered His body with a white cotton “shawl.
Garlands of white’ flowers adorned His neck Tassels of white flowers were hanging over His ears, and wreaths of white flowers adorned His wrists Saints and devotees from various places had gathered before Him in an assembly. Saints were singing devotional songs.
Then Shreeji Maharaj said, ”Let us now start questions and answers.”
There upon Deenanath Bhatt raised a question, “Maharaj sometimes the mind is full ‘of thousands of ideas, but none of them leaves any impression on the mind. But sometimes only a small idea crops up in the mind and it leaves a permanent impression on the mind. What is the reason? And what is the remedy for a devotee of God to clear his mind of such ideas?”
Shreeji Maharaj replied, ‘The reason is the attributes of Maya. If thought arise when tamogun [evil attribute of Maya] is predominant. they do not leave any impression on the mind because the mind is as if it were in sushupti [state of dreamless sleep]. And ‘if thoughts arise in the mind when sattvagun [divine attribute of Maya] is predominant, the mind seems to be enlightened, and it drives away what ever thoughts arise, and
hence they do not leave any impression oh the mind.
But if thoughts arise when rajogun [pleasure seeking attribute of Maya] is predominant, then whatever thoughts arise in the mind, they do leave an impression on the mind. Whether an impression is left on the mind depends on the attribute of Maya that is prevailing at that time. A wise will think over this feature of thoughts and will focus his attention on the thoughts whenever they arise and identify he attribute of Maya which is predominant at that time. But subtle thoughts that arise every moment are almost imperceptible. Even a wise man like you will be able to identify only two or three material concrete thoughts that arise during the whale day. If he focuses his attention on the attribute which is predominant and which causes such thoughts to arise and if he diverts his mind from such thoughts and concentrates on talks about God which are discussed in the holy fellowship, the power of the holy fellowship, is so great that
whatever thoughts that arise in the mind due to any attribute of Maya are immediately dispelled. Mind becomes absolutely clear and begins to concentrate on the constant meditation of the divine image of God. All the other countless means cannot dispel such thoughts and eradicate the influence of the attributes of Maya unless one seeks the shelter of the holy fellowship. Only if one sincerely remains in the holy fellowship and thinks and talks about God, his vicious thoughts will be dispelled.
Thus the power of the holy fellowship is very great. Other means do not stand in comparison to the holy fellowship. The vicious thoughts that cannot be dispelled by any other means are dispelled by taking shelter unto the holy fellowship. Therefore one who wants to dispel the vicious thoughts caused by the predominance of rajogun must take shelter unto the holy fellowship sincerely by mind, words and deeds. His vicious thoughts are sure to be dispelled by the power of the holy fellowship.
