There are many ways of controlling the mind....

The more you chant the Divine Names, the more you become the Divine Names and the more the mind ceases to trouble you. Once the mind ceases to trouble you, it will be much easier in your meditation. So, when you help others, you see this happiness, you feel this happiness and with the Divine Names you will realise that you are serving the Divine. This helps you on your spiritual path. But I will give you one simple way of calming the mind, which is through the breath–the gift of life. You can go on, you can live without food, you can live without drinking, but you can’t live without breathing. That’s what Christ said: Give us our daily bread– the bread of life, which is the Pranashakti. In all spiritual paths, wherever you go, in whatever culture, they have the controlling of the breath. So we will do together now one easy example of how to control the mind. There are many ways of controlling the mind. Some are very easy and some are very difficult. So, which one do you like? The more difficult or the more easy? The mind flow is always running ahead. Even when I tell you to sit for meditation, where has your mind already jumped? It’s already thinking “Oh, how would it be?” Sometimes, you are sitting here and you are already sitting in America. So fast is the mind. That’s why we say “It’s jumping like a monkey from tree to tree.” So to hold this monkey, to tie it up is very important. Otherwise, you will never be free. You will be like this monkey.You see, when I say to meditate, the first thing people always do is to close their eyes. It’s a trap. The moment you close your eyes, your mind jumps. First, before doing this calming of the mind, let’s see in one minute how your mind is. OK? Close your eyes and observe your mind. Stop. Tell me without being ashamed or being shy, in this oneminute’s time where were you? Eh? So, your mind ran outside? How many were travelling around? Were you far away? Were you very far, like India? Not so far, eh? Well you see, so quickly we can travel. Faster, even faster than lightning is the thought of men.