— An Explanation by Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi…

Why does my mind keep running outside all the time — why does it not meditate by itself?

A devotee asked Ramana Maharishi:

“Why do we need to meditate? I say it is “my mind” — then should it not listen to me and meditate by itself when I tell it to? Why does it keep running outside all the time?”

Ramana Maharishi kept silent at that time.

At about the same time, a squirrel had given birth in the ashram, and unfortunately, a few days later, a cat devoured the mother squirrel. Ramana Maharishi took care of the baby squirrels. He kept them inside a cage that was kept in the mediation hall. After a few days when everyone was sitting in the meditation hall, the same cat came inside. It so happened that the baby squirrels rushed out of the cage at the same time. Ramana Maharishi got up hurriedly, caught all the baby squirrels one by one, put them back in the cage, and locked the door firmly shut.

He then turned to the devotee who had asked the above question and calmly said, “These poor little squirrels do not have the maturity to know the dangers of the outside world; if it goes out, the cat will make a meal of them. When they get that maturity, they will go hide inside by themselves. Until they reach maturity, we must keep putting them inside. It is the same thing with our mind. Our mind does not know that if it goes to the outside world, there is nothing but suffering. It keeps running out in ignorance. When it reaches maturity, it will withdraw within itself. Until then, it is our job to put it inside with effort — which we do during meditation.”

There are different techniques given in different yoga (paths) for the withdrawal of the mind from the external world.

In Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge or path of self-enquiry), the technique is viveka (discrimination) and vairagya (dispassion). Through intellectual, scientific, rational, and logical analyses, we conclude that there is no inherent joy, pleasure, or happiness in the finite things and beings of the external world. With constant analyses in this way, we develop vairagya for ephemeral existence and are thus able to withdraw the mind within.

In Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion), Japa is the technique for withdrawal of the mind. In the practice of Japa, the mind is trained to flow in a single theme of similar thoughts, like tailadhaaravat — a thin single flow of oil — avoiding all dissimilar thoughts. It helps the mind to withdraw from the external world.

In Ashtanga Yoga (the path of eight-limb yoga), the technique of pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) is prescribed, leading to pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from the external world). Without the withdrawal of the mind from the external world and making it single-pointed, contemplation of the higher reality is not possible.

Concentration is the ability to hold on to one line of thinking or one thought to the exclusion of all other thoughts. This one-pointed attention allows the awareness to pierce and enter the various depths of the mind.

Unless the mind is made single-pointed through the practices of Dharana (concentration), one can never attain the spontaneous state of meditation (Dhyana and Samadhi).

A scattered mind is as ineffective as the scattered rays of the sun are ineffective in burning anything unless concentrated through a magnifying glass.

“Meditation is a journey which begins from wherever you are right now and ends in where you have always been!!” 

The spiritual quest is a journey without distance. We travel from where we are right now to where we have always been. From ignorance to recognition, for all we do is see for the first time what we have always been looking at.  

Whoever heard of a path that brings you to yourself or a method that makes you what you have always been? Spirituality, after all, is only a matter of realizing who or what we really are.