What do you do, when you go through an unpleasant experience or when someone tells you something you don’t like? Do you keep thinking about the event or the words said? Do you go on playing the same videocassette or audiocassette in your mind?

This reminds me of a story I have read in the book “101 Zen stories”, about two monks who were walking from one village to another. On the way they came to a large puddle full of mud, which they had to cross. At the brink of the puddle they saw a young woman standing, afraid to cross it.

“Come”, said one of the monks, “I will carry you to the other side”. He took her on his back, and carried her to the other side of the puddle.

After crossing the road, the two monks continued walking silently for hours, until they reached their destination.

The other monk could not keep silent any longer and exclaimed:” How could you carry that girl on your back? We are monks and are not allowed to touch women.”

The monk who carried the women over the puddle smiled and said: “I have left the girl at the other side of the puddle, but it seems you are still carrying her with you!”

This story shows the importance of detachment. Thinking over and over about the past, or repeating futile, unnecessary and negative thoughts, is like carrying a heavy load on your back. It is important to let go and learn to display detachment toward such thoughts. This will develop the ability to clear the mind of unnecessary and disturbing thoughts, and bring a sense of freedom and happiness.

Pay attention to your inner conversations and to the thoughts you keep repeating in your mind, and you will see how much time and energy you waste by thinking over and over about past actions and events, or on what people have said.

It is much better and more profitable to forget the past and concentrate on the present moment. You cannot change the past, but you can make the present moment happier and more enjoyable. Improving your present moment improves your future too. The ability to do so depends on your ability to free your mind from the past and from unnecessary and negative thoughts. Doing so, will bring more happiness, joy and real freedom into your life.

Inner detachment and freedom from thoughts requires some training and inner work. You can find clear and step-by-step instructions and guidance for developing them, in the book Peace of Mind in Daily Life.

Mouni Sadhu was an occultist, a spiritual teacher and author, who lived in the 20th century. He was born in 1897, some sources stating Poland as his place of birth, while others say he was born in Russia.

Mouni Sadhu studied and practiced occultism and magic for years, but after reading Paul Brunton’s book, “A search in Secret India”, his focus in life changed. He was fascinated by Paul Brunton’s account about his meeting and conversation with the Indian sage Sri Ramana Maharshi, and from then on, he developed a strong interest in the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, aiming to self-realization.

Mouni Sadhu discovered Sri Ramana maharshi’s teaching at the time he was living in Paris, but after some time, in 1946 he moved to Brazil, finally settling in Australia in 1948.

In 1949 Mouni Sadhu visited Sri Ramana Maharshi at his ashram in Tiruvannamalai, where his spiritual quest reached its heights. He later narrated his experiences at the ashram in his book “In Days of Peace”.

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People who follow self improvement or spiritual growth techniques, such as concentration, meditation willpower or self discipline, sometimes get bored, lose interest and desire to quit.

There are many reasons why this might happen. If you over practice, your body and mind might resist your efforts. If this is the case, reduce the time you spend on the exercises. Sometimes, doing less is actually doing more.

Like it is with everything else, so it is on the inner path, there comes a time when one becomes bored or tired. In this case it would help, if you were able to motivate yourself to continue. You can do so by thinking often about the benefits of self-improvement or spiritual growth, and by reading about people who practiced what you are doing now and about their success.

There is another point to remember. The mind does not like to be controlled. It wants to stay free and undisciplined. Willpower, self discipline, concentration and meditation are aimed to control the mind and make it obedient to you. When the mind realizes that it is going to lose its freedom, it uses various ways to prevent you from controlling it. It might make you desire to stop the exercises, feel uncertain about the usefulness of what you are doing, make you feel you are wasting your time or just make feel too lazy.

Sometimes one feels as if he or she is being tempted to stop what they are doing. This is the time to show inner strength and discipline. The inner path requires time, devotion and perseverance.

You can help yourself by reading inspiring literature, thinking about what success would mean, not overdoing the exercises, and not obeying the desire to quit.

Sometimes people say that they feel they are losing interest in material things. It is natural, while on the path of spiritual growth, to lose some interest in the material life. One has to use common sense when this happens, and find the balance between the material and spiritual life. It is quite possible to live in both the spiritual and material worlds at the same time. There are people who live in ashrams, who do not care about the material life and about possessions, and there are people who work, have family and possessions, and yet are intensive in their spiritual quest. It possible to go caring about your business, doing the best you can, and the same time have your consciousness, as if in another dimension.

Change and transformation happen on the inner plane and not necessarily on the material plane. Spiritual progress happens inside you, while your external life could continue with almost no change. You may continue working and living the same external life, and at the same time practice self improvement and spiritual growth techniques. As you progress, you will develop some kind of inner detachment, which will allow you to function harmoniously, both on the spiritual and material levels. You will be able continue with your work, job and relationships, but with a kind of free and detached frame of mind.

Recommeded book to help you develop your inner strength:
Will Power and Self Discipline