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bliss, and an expansion beyond duality when detached from the body.
For instance, there is the story of the gopis who were so in love with Krishna that when they thought of Him, they lost body awareness and did not even feel pain. (See Appendix C.) There is also a dramatic event in Sai Baba’s life in which he demonstrated his ability to rise above body aachment. Story has it that as a child he was bien by a scorpion and fell into a trance. He appeared to vacillate between normal consciousness and trance states. His parents, thinking that he was possessed, took him to an exorcist who cut a cross into his scalp and rubbed in caustics to rid him of evil spirits. This was obviously painful and caused swelling of his scalp and face. Sai Baba remained unaffected and made no aempt to stop the exorcism. It was called to a halt only when Swami’s family could stand it no more.6
Unsteadiness (Wavering)
The mind is restless and unsteady, always moving, like leaves in the wind.
Practice silence! For the voice of God can be heard in the region of the heart only when the tongue is still. (SSB)
It is the nature of the mind to be jumping from one external object to another. Once I was talking to a man who deprogrammed people who had been brainwashed. They were usually young people who had come under the influence of a cult that drastically changed their thinking. The man was only too aware of how quickly the mind can be distracted and influenced by even the most subtle suggestions. For instance, television commercials use this influence to great advantage.
This deprogrammer told me a funny story. He said he was talking to a friend on the phone when his doorbell rang. He looked out the window and saw a vacuum cleaner
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