good path by giving up bad habits.

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 2/11/1 — "All deeds, good or bad are done by man only. Mental weakness is a symbol of man's ignorance. Willpower must be achieved for obtaining excellence. This is possible only when man goes towards the good path by giving up bad habits."

Message: The mind rushes towards material subjects with great intensity, but it is extremely necessary to pull it back from there. Once it is stopped, it becomes quiet and pure. As long as it is possible to runs the mind back from the external (material) world, the mind will not run after sensory subjects. When the mind will completely withdraw from the external world, only then will we be able to achieve the ultimate objective.

Is it really possible to withdraw the mind from the external world? The common man has to live in the material world only, then how can it be possible to be completely separate from it? There lies the difference between the common man and the 'gyani' or the wise, knowledgeable man. Although the knowledgeable man carries out his duties in the material world, he does not get trapped in its temptations, but the common man despite making efforts is not able to free himself from them. Here, there everywhere he lives in the jungle of sensory, mental objects. There is no end to the existence of material world for man, so what is the meaning of 'withdrawing form the external world'? Its meaning is that we should discard our ignorance and become a 'tyagi'. A wise, knowledgeable man has a spiritual viewpoint. Even though he lives in the material world capable of influencing his mind in numerous ways, he destroys the attack of temptations by his power of discretion.

We must pay careful attention to our senses and guide them in every way. Innumerable dirty activities already exist within our minds; we must destroy them and also replace the dirty activities with good activities. We must accept only the good habits from the external world. Most people usually think that they do not have good habits and that their mind is adopting only dirty activities. But this thinking of theirs is completely meaningless and is a sign of their ignorance and weakness. The man usually commits mistakes and he himself has the power by which he can eliminate them. God has given limitless power to man to free himself from bad habits. If he really wishes to free himself from personal wickedness and addictions, and make efforts then nothing is impossible for him.

It is true that habit is our second nature, but there is an even bigger truth which can make it ineffective. If habit is our second nature, then we must be having some first or original nature. Basically we are all of a divine nature. If we are adopting only unclean thoughts because of the body's desires, then it is also the truth that by nature we are divine and divinity is our brightness. We must develop this positive thinking and conquer our bad habits on the strength of excellent thoughts.