Recorded on 16 May 2026 with worldwide participants.

0:00 Intro
0:27 What is the mind?
2:11 How does Babaji define mental health?
4:54 How can people overcome stress, depression, fear etc and achieve a healthy mind?
7:48 It seems that mental health has deteriorated more and more throughout history. Why is this?
27:53 Many young people today are unable to function properly due to lack of concentration. What is going on in the mind and brain in this situation and what is the solution?
34:26 What is happening in a person’s mind when a situation gets so extreme that they consider taking their own life?
48:55 What about the medicines that doctors prescribe to control these mental state?
51:11 When we want to be peaceful but others try to trouble us, should we take it as a challenge or is it a prarabdha that we face this situation? How should one get out of this situation?
52:48 How to accelerate the cleansing of the acquired habits of the mind in meditation if we are not aware of what is there in the subconscious layers of the mind?
54:25 Our attitudes hold our emotional content, so is it more important to remove the attitudes than the imprints?
55:12 How do we protect ourselves in mediation from astral beings who may want to harm us in our meditations?
56:30 Is it ok to continue with the practice of meditation that Babaji teaches if I have been initiated by another Guru?
57:22 Breathing becomes slow and shallow in meditation and is distracting.
58:40 How to get over depression when working in mental health therapy.
1:00:10 A feeling of unconditional love.
1:01:30 How long does Babaji recommend for the daily practice of meditation?
1:02:28 A pressure, tightness and pain when concentrating between the eyebrows in meditation.

Mental Health | In Quest of Truth – Babaji Q&A, No. 275

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/dXXntiw7IR4

Recorded on 16 May 2026 with worldwide participants.

Question:  Pranams, Babaji. Today’s topic is ‘Mental health’. I think in today’s world it is something that is coming up more and more. So, the first thing is to understand this topic, we should be able to understand what is the mind. So, can Babaji explain what the mind is?

Shri Babaji:  Mind is your consciousness energy, and this mind needs to apply and use the brain for you to be conscious of this world and be able to live or operate in this world. And generally, people recognize mind based on thoughts and visions only. Time and again I have told, when thoughts and visions all disappear, what that mind itself is; it is the combination of consciousness and energy, finally. So, if this consciousness is too imaginative, more than that is necessary, has become habitual, then it is the mind. If you are able to control this mind, means control the thoughts; think only when you need to think. When you don’t need to think, you should be able to keep quiet. That is the consciousness. So, mind and consciousness are same. So, that’s what it is.  Infinite in nature; you don’t see it in naked eyes, yet it is there. So, when you [overcome] all thoughts and visions, then you experience the existence of what we were trying to call this as ‘mind’. This is nothing but you, yourself. From that is where the ‘I’ consciousness is arising; that you will discover.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. So then how would Babaji define mental health? What is that definition?

Shri Babaji:  Ah, it’s a very wide subject. Little bit we will try to discuss. One thing is, if the brain is healthier, then the mind has to apply itself onto the brain and use the brains. While doing so, first thing, the brain needs to be healthier, otherwise it is the brain-challenged person. So, such a person would appear very abnormal in behavior. Generally, we used to call as mentally challenged, mentally deranged, all these things, but it is actually the brain challenged or brain’s ill health, brain deranged, any such thing it can be.

Now, if the mind is totally purified, best concentrated – with that concentrated mind of yours, if you can apply the brain, you can achieve wonderful results. You can live or behave, achieve things like a genius. So that is what is very important. That’s what the mind’s health is. See, if a person, even though his brain might be in good condition, he might appear to be normal, but if he’s not behaving properly towards fellow human beings or creatures, and if he’s not behaving in a good manner, not thinking about the larger cause of the world’s happiness, world’s benefit, like this, then such a person can be considered as mentally ill health, deranged. He doesn’t have proper education.

So, to give education to the mind is what is mental health. If the mind is healthier, it should be able to think about a larger cause, not simply selfish in a narrow-mindedness, thinking this body to be ‘me’. That is not a healthier mind. To me that is unhealthier mind which has not obtained proper education, proper character or culture, any such thing is not there. So, such a person we tend to call as, I would call at least, mentally immatured, ill health, any such thing.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. One thing is going to the common person that has the brain in a good condition, but that mental health is not there due to maybe stress, depression, pressure from the world, doubts, fear, all of that. So, I think everyone seems to be able to recognize that illness, that they are in that state, but I think very few are able to come out of that. They don’t know how to come out of those situations and keep the mind healthier. So, can Babaji elaborate on that?

Shri Babaji:  Important that the mind needs to be kept purified. Otherwise, the mind is habitual, always like a chatterbox, thinking, stressful, preoccupied with imaginations, unwanted thoughts, corrupted thoughts, jealousy, anger, and all sorts of things. So, such a mind is unhealthy; is unable to consider about others is also unhealthy. When such a mind is totally selfish and narrow-minded, such a person is unhealthy mentally, that’s what I would like to call. If a person is behaving properly like a human being with consideration to fellow beings, others, not only others, also for other creatures also, responsibly, then we can call, “Oh, he is a right human being.”

Human qualities, human values, upholding human values is very important. Means if he has obtained a body of the human being, he should be behaving like a human, not behave like an animal. That’s what we would tend to call such a person who is not mentally ill, “Oh, he has animal instincts, he has animosity.” You see, he is unable to behave like a proper human being. His manners is also bad. He behaves, he doesn’t respect elders, he doesn’t know how to talk in front of people, he doesn’t know how to behave in front of people. He might be academically very well qualified, he might be earning large amount of salaries, or he might be holding a status in the society with a well-dressed personality. But if his mind is not healthier, his behavior also will not be healthier. So that is what we need to take notice of.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. In today’s world, it seems like from every time; fifty years ago, five hundred years ago, five thousand years ago, it looks like that mental health is deteriorating all the time, more and more and more and more. And people are struggling now, nowadays, so many of problems, mental problems, they don’t know what to do in their life, they don’t know where to go. So, why is that deterioration happening and what is the main reason or cause today’s world has lost that mental stability? I remember in one interview in US to Swamiji, they asked Swamiji why He’s here, what is the purpose? What Swamiji said, the humanity is reaching a point of tension in their minds too high, so He came here to reduce that tension. That was one of the main reasons why Swamiji came, like Babaji is also doing. So, can Babaji please elaborate on this?

Shri Babaji:  Yeah, we are trying to teach meditation to people irrespective of caste, creed, religion or anything, to all human beings whoever wants to learn, so that they can concentrate their mind, practice, and purify their mind. Then if they behave, they will be able to behave properly like a human being. This is very important.

Otherwise, as I told, you see, we have been able to tap the resources of the nature on this earth in the atmosphere in so many ways, advanced, like what we call as the science technological field and so many other fields, we have done. And intelligence, artificial intelligence has come. So, everybody needs to learn and use it. A certain thing which you would have taken one week or several days, now you are able to finish it in ten to fifteen minutes.

So, this is all very good thing. But while utilizing all these energies, the resources of the nature that we have tapped, what we would like to call AI or any such things, we need to be careful that we don’t become corrupted people. Corrupted in the sense, these things we need to utilize for the welfare of humanity, for one’s own living, not too much of selfish and narrow-mindedness, should be able to consider. So, that’s what we always tell. I hope there is something just like the AI has come into existence, one day somebody can discover some intelligence, some behavior which can bring humanity together with care for each other, love and honor for each other. That also if humans can learn if some such intelligence comes.

So here, like AI, many people talk to me about this thing. It is a wonderful thing that nature’s resources have been tapped. But finally, it is the human mind which has to handle, which has to utilize, which has to set programmed, all these things have to happen. So, for this it is necessary that the human mind is purified, is matured. Matured means he is able to think a larger cause, not simply sitting and talking totally nonsense, nonsense, nonsense without understanding the consequences. It is essential. And then to suppress one lie, you tell another lie, you tell another lie, you tell another lie. You become habitual of telling lies only. If you open your mouth, you tell only a lie and you don’t tell anything else. We have seen many people. They boast about themselves, but while acting upon, they are a total failure. They are very weak people, like what we call as the spineless characters. Sometimes we have seen this thing, but when they talk, they boast such things.

So, all these things has happened due to lack of control over the mind, unable to purify one’s own mind, because it is the mind which induces a person to behave. Like for example, if your mind is well cultured – you come in front of your Guru, all the time you will be aware how to behave with a Guru or a Saint. If you are cultured, well cultured, and understand that we need to respect saints because they are working for humanity, for societies, then you will have the awareness to behave properly, not to argue with a bad language, foul language, not to behave like a villain. You will behave properly, you will be respectful.

Like for example, when we were young, suppose eighteen or twenty years old, if we had met a person of fifty-year-old, we would always be aware twenty-four hours, “Oh, this person might have children of my age, even elder than me. We need to respect this person as if I am respecting my father.” This awareness used to be there and we never spoke disrespectfully to any elders. But in today’s world we see very often people behaving very disrespectfully, unmindful of whoever it is, whatever it is. They have to shout and they have to talk nonsense. They have to be rude. They don’t bother to understand things at all, who it is.

So, these are the reasons which are due to lack of proper cultured mind. Culture. Culture is very important. Character is very important. If that mind is not well cultured and properly charactered, he might be academically very well qualified, he might be earning, he might be having cars, but when he behaves, when he talks, he introduces himself as a villain, as a rude person, as a stupid person because his mind is not trained. Basic reason is he had never been actually spiritual at all. That spirituality we have to practice.

Since childhood we practiced as a way of life. One-one hour, two-two hours at a stretch, we used to be practicing any chants, any singing of bhajans, remembering God. We increased that. The whole day we started remembering. We prayed, all these things. So, then this thing came very naturally. But in the present-day generations of youth, this is lacking. We don’t get to see. In the group also they are sitting in front of the Master. If the call comes, it is very important that they have to take the call on cell phone. They don’t even tell, “Excuse me”, and go out also. They start talking. Many times, I have seen youth when I am talking, when I’m answering a question, youth are just messaging to their friends and chit-chatting. They don’t have proper manners at all.

Imagine, here are about a hundred and sixty people. If they all consider Baba as a Master, as their own Master, so they will have that respect when I am talking that they will pay attention. They won’t be gossiping, they won’t be sleeping, they won’t be doing this, that, and nonsense things. So, if they are lacking, if they are not doing, they are not disciplined, they are unable to pay apt attention, that means their mind is not trained properly. They have not been actually spiritual.

I have seen people misbehaving with our Guru. For forty years we had seen him sitting for meditation. Sitting for meditation itself is not enough. Inside purification must happen. I saw such people, the purification never happened actually, because they maintained their ego, arrogance, selfishness, and narrow-minded, and when they behaved, they always behaved selfishly, whatever was needed for them. They didn’t bother even if they were utilizing a certain thing, a certain property, or certain matter which belonged to public utility.

You see? We saw such wonderful character of Swamiji. When Swamiji was presented with a huge property, He could have kept it for Himself and lived there happily. But He never kept it. He made a Trust. Means, He made it so that it can be public utility place. In the Meditation Hall, anybody can come and sit and meditate. Like that He did it. He didn’t use it as His own home. He didn’t give to His family or relatives. Never. Nobody was like that one. He dedicated such property to His devotees, to all such spiritual people. Let everybody come, sit, and do meditation like that one. But with that property, if somebody plays games and want to usurp, imagine what is the character of such a person? What is the mental health of such a person? It is such sad things, sad note.

I used to wonder this person meditated so long, so long, and today when he is behaving, he is unable to understand this is Guru’s property which is meant for public utility. I won’t be packing up and taking it with me. We have to leave, but the responsibility is that we have to leave for the future generations. Like this earth is there. This is nobody’s property, all of us are living here. We all have to consider about each other. We all have to consider the point, when we leave this earth, we leave a better world for the coming generation, for the people who will be born.

We were also born in this body years ago and we found a very beautiful world. People were very non-violent. There were a lot of spiritual practices there, people going to places of worship was a very common thing. We all went, we all did, but we all benefited. Our mind became very purified. We could not think wrong and we could not think of any selfishness. But today, generally human mind has become so violent, even for small, small reasons, they are beating up each other, they are trying to kill each other. These things we get to hear if you look into the news, newspaper, news channels, this is what is happening. People are disrespectful to women. There can be a gang rape, there can be anything, there can be killing, there can be robbing. So, these are all the reasons; that they were never actually spiritual. The training was not there, they never listened to.

Gurus like us also need to be responsible, I agree. But the students also need to learn sincerely. When they go to society, their behavior has to be like that one. Like a mature personality, a non-violence is very important. So, if they are very violent, they never really practiced. So, basic reason is, as I have always told, we have advanced through many other fields like science, technology, tapping the resources of the nature. Wonderful things have come up. Miracles and miracles. We have always wondered if our fathers or grandfathers were alive, they would have wondered how this thing could happen in traveling, in communications, in understandings, in applying, in working culture. Means a certain thing which used to take ten days, or fifteen days, now if they are able to do in fifteen minutes. For a certain distance which they had to travel seven to eight days, now this is possible within three to four hours.

So, these are all miracles, you see? Advanced. But have we ourselves also advanced in non-violence, in better understanding, in thinking about a larger cause? This is what is the matter of concern that we need to think. This is why the age of Kali it is said. And in the story at the end of Mahabharata, it said that the Kali entered gold, human mind, it corrupted human mind. Till then the human mind was not corrupted. Even the example is, it may sound funny, the emperor Yudhishtra is going around the town of his capital. He’s surprised when he sees somebody locking his home. “Why are you locking?” That person tells, “I’m locking so that thieves don’t come and rob me. I’m going to my relative’s place.” But the emperor is surprised, “Why thieves have to come? Why thieves will break it? Why will that happen?” He wondered. He had never heard of it. He’s very sorry. He’s shocked. So, that had started. People were worried.

See, there was one time a verbal utterance was like a promise. It was good enough. There was no need to take a promise, or a vow, or any such thing. If uttered “Yes, I will take care like this, I will behave like this”, that was all. But today it is not possible. You need to have a written document. If you are borrowing some money or if you are giving something, if you are talking about somebody, you need to get a written document done. If that itself is not done, you need to have some witnesses. Then also people can twist in the court of justice. You see the human, where they are going, where they are going.

They are showing all their intelligence in wrong things, in corrupted. Any new thing comes, from computer to AI, any new thing comes, very quickly they get corrupted. Hackers also become experts. They are experts, but their culture is not good. What is the use of such expertise? If a person is going to become corrupted, is not going to use it in a proper way? You have a car, you are totally careless and you are drunk and you are killing people on the footpath also. So, what is the use of having such a car, so much of money, when you don’t have proper character or culture at all?

So, like this we have earned everything. We earn money, we earn status, but we fail to earn proper character and culture. This is such an important thing. This is what is the mind’s health. So, mind’s health has deteriorated, deteriorated. So bad the violence is anywhere. Fifty years ago, the violence, even with a knife, it was very violent. But today’s violence, you see? Bomb culture, people are killing. And the war culture also has changed. There was one time on a battlefield, people used to fight. Only the armies used to fight. There was no danger for civilians, but now it is not like that. When two countries are at war, innocents, children, anybody can get killed. Nobody will take a guarantee. Why? Humans are not cultured. They don’t have control over their mind. Their minds are not healthier. They are in a rush to possess the thing, to control the thing, to have the things.

That is why I have always told, thank God that we have not found any living species five thousand or ten thousand light years distance. If they were, I have always told, say if they are weak, we will go invade and destroy their habitat. We want to occupy theirs. If we are weak, they might try to come and destroy us. That is what is happening – this earth’s history is like that. If one country was happy and peaceful, another country has never taken it kindly, historically. They have attacked, invaded, and destroyed and sent away that king, or killed that king. And then with that they have tried to destroy the culture of the country. Such beautiful cultures have been destroyed. Why? Humans are unhealthy. Actually, humans are not healthy. Majority of humanity is very unhealthy today. They are not practicing spirituality. They don’t understand it is only the spirituality which can make humans healthier mentally. That’s why mind is so important.

Almost every other person seems to be mentally challenged, whether their brain is good, healthier, intact or not. At least they are mentally challenged. Medical terminologies might be different. ‘Brain challenged’ also we are seeing now. Earlier we used to hear only ‘mentally challenged’ person, ‘mentally ill’. A common word used to be a ‘mad person’. If a person is shouting at an elderly person, we’ll call, “Oh, this is a very mad boy, what is this? He has no culture at all. He is really mad.” He might be having a healthier brain, but mentally he is very bad, bad culture. So much is there, we can go on and on and on, talking, talking, this ‘mental’.

This ‘mental’ is what is the spirituality. We can purify the mind. If we really, in the real sense, sincerely as the Master told, if we practice meditation, then when the mind becomes purified, then with that purified mind you try to use brain; you will definitely understand a larger cause. You will think of a larger cause. You will not be selfish. If you get twelve bananas you will definitely think, “Oh, see if anybody else is there, we can distribute to them also.” Not that we have to eat, or we have our own family, or we have our own friend. Everybody is a friend. Whoever comes, let us give it to them. These habits. So, these are all mentally healthy. So, when a person is really mentally healthy, we call them as saints. Because common people are unable to behave like a human being. They are always selfish. But if a person is not selfish, we start calling them, “Oh, he is a saint, he is a saintly person.”

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. Now, I would like to touch on, I understand the corruption in the mind nowadays; it is every time more and more about the people, but I would like to go now about the people that have the issue with their own mind. Situations like for the kids, for example, the kids that are unable to to concentrate properly, they are calling them hyperactive or some type of terminology is there, like they have an ‘illness’ and those kids are unable to function properly in their school because of that lack of concentration. So, what is happening there between the mind and the brain in those kids? And then what is the real solution for that rather than giving them some medicine or something that suppresses the brain and maybe can affect the brain’s health? So, can Babaji please elaborate on that?

Shri Babaji:  Ah, you see, I do not have a thorough knowledge about the brain. Only a little bit, whatever we get to read scientifically, we try to understand. So, general notion, if there is any illness in the brain, then the mind is unable to function properly in this world. It is unable to have a proper consciousness of the outside world. I have told, you are able to have the consciousness of the outside world only through the brain. If any health of the brain gets spoiled either from birth itself or when you are young, for other reasons, it can be anything. So, we have to try, try to give a therapy, a therapy in spirituality also. Like music and other things which can be soothing, trying to understand such people, we behave affectionately, carefully, and carefully handle them, talk to them, give them a little bit, slowly, slowly, proper exposure so that they can come out to this world and understand things properly. We will have to take them to such atmosphere where spirituality prevails upon, where worship about God, some chants, some music is being sung, devotional songs are being sung, all these things can be very helpful to them. Slowly, slowly their mind can get proper exposure and they might be, at least to certain extent, be able to overcome any such brain’s weaknesses, any such thing. It can be hundreds of types of illness which we do not know. The experts in that field, medical experts, might be knowing better, any name or any such thing.

But it is a general knowledge that we have about these things. Still, to them also, a lot of spiritual atmosphere, spiritual exercises can be very beneficial. They may not be able to sit and meditate. If they can love to listen to some music, some devotional, soothing music can be a beautiful therapy. And when we talk to them soothingly, friendly, with all the patience is required to be with such people. So that can be very helpful to them. That is necessary.

In the society, it is so difficult. Everybody may not understand; everybody behave according to their own temperament. They don’t try to understand the other at all in this world. This is one of the basic strong weakness, mental weakness of a human being. They simply behave whatever they have learned, whatever they have picked up, such habits, their nature. They seldom try to think about others’ situation, status, why such a thing has happened to them. Let us talk to them. If not, at least give them some understanding.

So, these things require enormous, enormous amount of patience. It’s not easy. So, this is a great mission that we need to undertake. Wherever possible, we should be able to give better understanding. That’s what I have seen. Whoever has come in my contact, I have tried to understand them, try to slowly, affectionately explain to them, not simply shout. Only occasionally, if they are very tough and rude and very, what you call aggressive, then we may have to use some anger to stop such people. If the vehicle is very strong, we need to use strong brakes. That type of thing might be necessary for a Master to control the student. But generally, we tend to affectionately attend to all such people.

Say, if different boys come to me, their temperaments can be different, their attitudes can be different. We try to attend to everyone as much as possible, talk to them, give them chances. All these things we try to. And finally, we discover, we might have learnt a little bit, there is so much for us also to learn. That is why Swamiji used to tell, “Never stop the learning process. From anywhere, from anybody, you might get something to learn.” When you learn, you become a better person and you will be able to help somebody else in a better way. That is necessary.

So, like this we have to go. We have to be helpful to ourselves, we have to be helpful to others. Though if sometimes the brain is not functioning well, then we may need the medical experts’ advice. Whoever dealing expertise, there should be really matured expertise needs so that they simply do not suppress, but they try to enhance its functioning and the mind’s therapy to the mind also is needed. A lot of therapeutical classes may need to be undertaken for such people.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. Now the next situation I would like to say is about more than affecting the brain, it is about the mind. For example, if someone has depression, like an extreme case of a person, what is happening to that person’s mind that he can’t or she can’t come out of that situation? It is so big for them that they may also be thinking about ending their life there, and they cannot come out of that, and then they may even able to do that act and finish. So how can a person understand the situation there when it’s in that extreme mental state, and how can they be understood and how can they overcome that? And how other people can help that person to overcome?

Shri Babaji:  You see, we need to be friendly and try to understand such people. It is very important. One thing is very important; you see, if it is a depression, it could be a status of the brain also. And the mind; even if the brain is healthier also, if they are missing something and they don’t know what it is and they are unable to get it, because in this world, you see, everything is not guaranteed that every person will get according to his or her expectations. Sometimes things might happen, things may not happen at all. In such a situation, we need to understand life is precious. Rare that we have got a human body; such a precious thing. It is here in this human body that we can achieve something, an awareness about ourself, and an awareness how to have peace and happiness. It is the existence birthright for everyone, if only we can understand. So, we have to try to see.

So, important – if it is beyond our capacity that we cannot change the situation, we have to accept. Wherever it is possible for us to change, we have to work it out for that one. Working is necessary. Simply if we go into depression, that means we are not ready to work properly. We become lazy and we want others to sympathize. There is no need for such thing. We can take somebody’s help. We don’t need sympathy only, but we should work out also. And to such people we need to be more friendly because they also need to cooperate. If they have confidence in a person – that’s why an expertise is necessary. Either a medical expert or somebody expert in that field of depression should give a therapy also. Should help them to change the atmosphere. Such people, they should change the places, go somewhere else and see and try to do something else to keep themselves busy in some other work so that they don’t keep thinking about that depressive thing only all the time and thus they will become hopeless. There is always a hope, they need not lose hope. They should keep themselves engaged.

In here one important thing I would like to say, your mind, either you should be able to keep it at peace, silent, through the practice of meditation, etc. – if that is not possible all the time, you should keep your mind busy, engaged positively. This is important. Keep yourself busy. That is the truth. Always it is said, idle man’s brain is devil’s workshop. This thing one has to try. Somebody has to help such people to try to change of atmosphere, go to some other place. If you don’t have friends, you can find some good friends. At one place we may find some people are very hostile to us. Then we come to another place, we do get to find people are friendly with us. It is like if one door closes, God opens another door. It is available always. We don’t have to lose hope as long as we are alive. We must understand the life is precious.

So, to all such people who are undergoing depression, try to change the place, atmosphere, try to find other places. Try to let go things and forget. Don’t keep brooding. If that thing did not happen, it’s no problem. You will find somebody else who is affectionate to you, who is caring for you. Somebody may not be caring for us, somebody may not be respectful to us, but there are others.

Like as a saint, for me, not always that everybody will be respectful or reverential to me. Though in ratio, majority of the people are very respectful, when they get to see a saint, they are very reverential. But at some places, some people can be rude. In a different country, in a different culture, when we travel, they’re talking, their behavior can be very rude. They won’t understand, they won’t bother to know at all. They will simply tell, “Hey, come on, come here.” Like that also people have called us during security crossing or any such thing. I just take it casually, at ease and at peace and smilingly. This person’s mind is not healthier; in my mind I think like that one. If he was healthier, he would have respected.

All races, all human beings, irrespective of their caste, creed or races, they need to be respected. This is what humanity needs to learn. So thus, we can overcome depression. Always, we can try to find. If we remain at the same place, the same thing might come to our reminder always and make us to go into a depression. We lose hope as if there is nothing else left. It is always there. A hope is never to be lost as long as the last breath of life is still there to come. We should not lose hope. Keep working, keep working.

We have been working to establish an ashram or to work for the ashram to see that people come and learn meditation. Hundreds of times, thousands of times, there are people who make us frustrated. They try to drag us to other controversies. They are not happy. They are more money-minded even when it comes to ashrams or trusts. They want to control the money. They are scared. We are saints, we want only to spread spirituality. We don’t have any such interest about money. But some places if it is needed, we need to utilize it for the welfare of public, other people, all devotional people. If that also they stop and they don’t give, then the conflict arises, that is the difficult thing. But yet we do not lose hope. We have to make peace. In an institution of our Guru if we are looking after, if somebody tried to disturb the peace, we have to make peace so that people come and sit peacefully and do the bhajans or singing and sadhana, meditation, everything.

These things keep happening because it is the same human beings, anywhere they go they are troublesome, so expect troubles. They cannot behave properly, they cannot even think, “This is a Guru’s ashram, we should be behaving properly,” also they don’t think. They can be shouting at the Guru also because they are scared, they are insecure that they might lose the benefit of taking money, obtaining profit. So, when they are insecure, they try to attack you like an animal. See, animal cannot understand. If an animal is there with its children, and if it’s a wild animal, you as a human being, you try to go in a friendly way, but they may not understand your friendly way. They will simply pounce upon and tear you apart. They are scared and they are threatened, they feel threatened. So, the same animal instinct we get to see in human beings very often.

If they are selfish and they are getting something, profit, then they don’t want to lose, they don’t want somebody to notice such a thing. So they attack, even a saint also, they attack, “If such a saint is not good, is dangerous, we need to get rid of the saint,” that type of thing. “Oh, this person is the chairman. We need to get rid of this chairman. He has powers. He can find out our wrongdoings. We need to get rid.” That means this is a general lesson everywhere we get to see. This is the human ill health that has happened. We don’t have to go into a depression. We don’t have to lose any hope at all. We will work out. As Swamiji said, “We need to be like a valiant soldier. If at all we die, we will die with all the satisfaction that we tried our best. No problem if we have to die.” But these things keep happening. We have seen in our ashrams also, everywhere these people do it. Means I’m talking of depression that you have asked.

Under any circumstances, any person need not become a victim of depression. Please come out of that. Change the place. Try to keep yourself busy. Try some other methods. Some other people, if you have lost any friends, if people are not friendly with you, if people are not caring for you, there will be people who will care for you. Our teacher in high school wrote to me in the autograph, “If there is good in you, there are eyes to see you.” That’s what, I am always peaceful and happy. If some people who are looking after the ashram, they may not be happy with us. They don’t want even to accept me as a saint, but there are many, many in this world who are waiting for me to conduct a zoom meditation class, a question-answer, and want me to go to their places, give darshan, guide them.

So, if one place, if there are no friends, there are many friends. If one door closes, many doors will be opened by the Divinity. So, one need not become depressed at all. Change the place, go to some place, try to keep yourself busy, try to forget whatever had happened in your life. It is not worth it to keep remembering the same thing. That is not all this world is. This world is huge. There is so much. Anything that would have happened in your life is not the end of the world. The world is very huge. The Divine has given so much. You will get opportunities. If you have that knowledge and wisdom, you go and you work for others.

Always, another important thing; if you learn to give, you will become more happy, instead of expecting that you need something. This something of giving and taking is love and honour. You give your love, you become so happy. You will be happy. If somebody is unable to love you, no problem. That person is disabled, mentally challenged. That’s what I think always. In my talks also, a person’s behavior depends whether that person has proper abilities or that person is mentally disabled. If a person keeps shouting, shouting, and shouting and always rude to others and is unable to behave properly, that person’s mind is ill. He is a disabled mental person. So that’s what I would consider. So, we don’t have to worry about such people. We have to keep ourselves well-abled person. Our mind should remain able.

So, if you are depressed, please take care of yourself, become active, become busy, try to do something useful. If you don’t have any other interest, try to do something that’s useful for somebody else. As long as you are alive, if you are useful to somebody else, that is worth it. This body may not be useful for me anymore because I am at peace. But if that body can be useful to somebody else, hundred and sixty people are sitting here waiting for me every Saturday for Zoom. They have some interest, they are serious, that is why they are here. So, it is my duty to come online and help them to do meditation, answer their queries and clear their doubts. So, this body is so useful. So, when this body is useful, why should I kill unnecessarily? I don’t have to. It will die one day. But before that, let’s keep working for others. That’s why Swamiji said, “If you are living only for yourself, that is life. If you can live for others, that is mission.” Every person has a mission when you live for others. These are some points about depression. It’s a very wide subject, so much might be there. So, these are some of my experience and ideas.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. Just the last short question, because the time is coming. When the person is in that state of mind, and I know Babaji doesn’t want to go to this medical field with the doctors and everything, but I understand Babaji says everything that suppresses the brain’s reflection is actually unhealthy for the brain and that cannot bring the mind to a proper state. So, what about all the medicines that doctors prescribe to control all these mind states?

Shri Babaji:  So, you see, if the condition of the brain is too violent and very difficult or is going stressful, a well experienced doctor, a medical expert, might use some medicines for a while. Such expertised doctors also advise, do not become addicted to these medicines. You have to reduce in due course of time and try to behave normal. So occasionally they might give something so that that person can temporarily forget any stress, so that they don’t think of committing suicide. Then afterwards they tell. So, this is what we also tell. Take care that you don’t always suppress the brain waves. Brain’s health is very important. Just for sake of peace or becoming unconscious, don’t use any such things like alcohol or drugs, it’s very bad. Take the medical experts’ advice, how much is necessary, what is the condition, whatever minimum is required, and then try to overcome that. Try to become a normal person by keeping yourself busy, and changing the place, and try to keep yourself always busy. Do something. Finally, you keep yourself so busy that you cannot afford feel sorry for yourself. Some people say the old saying, “He doesn’t have time to die, he is so busy.”

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. So, today’s session is up to here, so we can take some questions?

Shri Babaji:  Yeah, we have about fifteen minutes, we’ll take few questions.

Question:  Namaste, Babaji, can you hear me? I already got some answer to my questions, but one more. When we even change places and then still we try to be honest and peaceful, but other people, they distract us, they try to manipulate us. So then, shall we take it as a challenge to our spirituality that it’s, you know, it’s a challenge for us, or is it some kind of a prarabdha that we are facing this same situation again? How to get out of the situation where you try to be honest and peaceful, but people are attacking you again and again; how to get out of it?

Shri Babaji:  […] Become tough, take it as a challenge, and remember the Divinity. Try to keep your mind intact. Your defence forces should be intact. Such situations, such people, should not be able to affect you mentally in any way. Keep your exercises like meditation, singing of Divine’s glories, all these things so strongly that you practice more and more, so that nobody can confuse you. If you are an expert in computers, if you are sitting and work, you need to work in a railway station where so much of noise, so much of people will be there, then nobody can disturb you if you are well focused and concentrated. You should take such things as challenge and practice more, practice more, don’t give up ever, never look back.

Same Questioner:  Thank you, Babaji.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. I have two questions. The first one, you have said that through watching, all the acquired habits of the mind, which is generally recognized as subconscious state, they all start getting evaporated and purified. But is there any way of prioritizing the release of harmful subconscious beliefs and also of accelerating this? How can we know? Because if they are subconscious, sometimes we don’t know what they are, but we can see their effects in our lives.

Shri Babaji:  Actually, what happens, here, control over your own mind is essential. When it is all getting evaporated, we don’t know, some good, many bad, everything can come out. And it is like the Samudra Manthan, and Halahal poison also might come, nectar also might come. So, everything goes away. First, important, purify the mind. Then when such a mind uses the brain, it will be able to think the good things, much better things always will be possible. You won’t lose the power of the mind at all. It is available. First, cleansing of the house is necessary. In that, a little bit of good things also might go away. Don’t worry at that time. Just see that the cleansing is happening, then you will be able to act upon in a good way, when the mind is under your control, it is available.

Same Questioner:  Okay, Babaji. And going on from that, You have said it is important to remove both imprints and attitudes from the mind. But from my understanding, and please correct me if I’m wrong, the attitudes are the ones that hold the emotional content that goes with us perhaps into another life, right? So, isn’t it more important to remove the attitudes than the imprints, or both are necessary?

Shri Babaji:  When imprints go, attitude also automatically go. They go simultaneously. If one goes, because of the imprints, the attitude has been built up. If the imprints get purified, attitude will also disappear.

Same Questioner:  Okay, okay. And the last question, Babaji, is how do we protect ourselves in meditation from astral beings that may want to harm us during our meditations, especially for those of us who have not developed sufficient concentration of attention on the consciousness of existence?

Shri Babaji:  If the mind becomes more and more strong, then you are able to concentrate more; that mind will take care of warding of any such evil or wrong, astral or anything. It’s like, you see, if you are mentally weak, anybody can hypnotize you. If you are mentally strong, nobody can hypnotize you. In the same way, astral or evil or any such thing also cannot harm when your mind is strong and remembering Divinity only.

Same Questioner:  So, if I can feel or hear voices or feel an evil presence, I just need to keep watching, right? Concentrate my mind?

Shri Babaji:  Keep watching. If necessary, if you have any inclination about any form of the Divine like Hanuman or any such thing, you can remember for two minutes, then continue watching. It will be warded off.

Same Questioner:  Okay. Thank you, Babaji.

Question:  Pranams, Babaji, I have a couple of questions. Well, first one is actually the most important one for me because You mentioned that You have initiated us into this technique. So actually, I’m already initiated by my Guru and I’m also doing sadhana regularly. So, in this particular case, would it be correct for me to continue with today’s practice as my daily meditation?

Shri Babaji:  Yes, yes. There is no conflict if you have been initiated by any other guru. All are same on that level. Have faith. Even when you do this meditation also, you think that you are with the guru only. Whomever you have inclination, you have devotion.  Try to see that same guru in every sadhana. Try to do this also along with the other sadhana you are already doing. It will be very helpful.

Same Questioner:  Thank you. And the second question is like during meditation, it happened like today also. So, what happens is my breathing becomes very slow and very shallow, like I hardly feel the breath. And sometimes I get scared by it. I don’t know why. When I suddenly notice it, I get distracted. And so, I don’t know why that is happening.

Shri Babaji:  Ah, it has to happen by a practice because slowly breathing is very necessary. You must not starve yourself of oxygen. That by practice. Just like for a car driver, the eyes are on the road, but by practice mechanically he applies the gear or brake or accelerator, everything like that, eventually. Try to keep the concentration in between eyebrows and if necessary, breathe long, take a long inhale and exhale of the breath. Practice like that for five minutes then slowly you will see that the breathing will go on mechanically without disturbing your mental concentration. You will be able to achieve that one. Our prayers are with you. My blessings.

Same Questioner:  Thank you.

Question:  Thank you, Javier. Thank you, Babaji. I am a mental health therapist, and I get that depression, I’m not a naturally depressed person, but I get that depression you’re talking about when I have to work in facilities and it’s all rigid. It’s not like the things you talk about that I feel are truly healing. And when I’ve tried to go out and be in private practice, I’m a single mom, I just don’t have the money. But that’s when I’ve tried it, I really start to help people. But then as I am right now, going back looking for a job in America is so expensive just to pay, and we feel stressed. And then when I go in there, they want me to follow these forms and that’s the cycle I’m in. I wonder if if you had any suggestions because I am a mental health therapist and I want to help my patients.

Shri Babaji:  If you practice this meditation, mentally you will become very strong. You will be able to overcome any such mental weaknesses and you will be able to work in a better way as a therapist also. You will be able to help many such patients who need your therapies. So, you just practice this meditation, try to silence the mind during meditation, then it will become very strongly concentrated. When such a mind applies the brain, then you will not have any stress and you will overcome all such things. You will be able to help in a better way as a therapist also. I’ll pray for you. My blessings are with you. Take care.

Question:  Hi Babaji, I live in Los Angeles. I am very happy to have a Zoom interview with you. It’s a blessing. Yeah, I have a question. I was experiencing the love. I think last year when I do the meditation, I also listen every day, I listen to a lot of the bhajan or kirtan. And one day I feel a lot of energy around me and I feel my mind become like unconditional love, you know, to everybody. I even can feel the God is dancing in my mind.

Shri Babaji:  Wonderful. Very good. Continue the meditation. As you continue meditation, you will have more such experiences. As your mind becomes aware of the oneness of the Divinity everywhere, you will be able to love unconditionally and you will have more Supreme Peace for yourself. One day you will be able to realize that Divinity also. You practice more of meditation. My best wishes and blessings are with you.

Same Questioner:  Okay. Babaji, normally how long you suggest people do meditation? Like one hour, two hour?

Shri Babaji:  First achieve one hour of sitting comfortably, so that in all the one hour if the mind can remain totally silent and focused; that is the real meditation. Till then you are trying to meditate. It must not get distracted. After achieving this, then you can try for the next one hour. But first this one hour, you try to achieve mastery. It will be very helpful. Do it. It will come.

Same Questioner:  So just focus on the between the two eyes and take a breath, like the long breath for five minutes?

Shri Babaji:  Yes, focus in between the eyebrows, and take a breath, a normal breath and just try to focus your mind and sight here in between eyebrows, and practice like that for one hour. It will come. I will pray for you. My blessing.

Question:  Yes, Babaji. When I practice, I focus my attention between my eyebrows. I feel pressure, tightness, and feel pain. And it pushes me have to drop this spot and then come back again. In this situation, what’s your suggestion to take care of this situation?

Shri Babaji:  One important thing, do not try to be very hard on you, or rush to achieve. Be gentle. That’s why we tell close the eyes gently, and gently watch. It takes some time. Patience is required because eyeballs move parallelly. It doesn’t come into one direction. If you have patience and just try to watch, then slowly the eyeballs will also come. When the energy moves, then you might feel that tightening, but if you are peaceful and patient and gently do it, that will get released, that pain will get released. Don’t worry, I will pray for you. My blessings are with you. Take care.

End of Session