How to Get Peace of Mind? An Answer from the Holy Mother

The following teaching of the Holy Mother, Sarada Ma, has been taken from the book: Spiritual Talks by the First Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

About the Holy Mother: Sarada Ma was the spiritual counterpart of Sri Ramakrishna and a God-realized yogi just like him. Regarding her spiritual stature, Swami Turiyananda, a direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna has revealed that the Holy Mother was perpetually immersed in Bhava Samadhi (communion with God).

However despite being immersed in this exalted state of mind, she never neglected her worldly duties (such as taking care of her disciples) but discharged them effortlessly. Enclosed below is what the Mother had to say on the question of obtaining peace of mind.

“If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. No one is a stranger. The whole world is your own.”
– Sarada Ma

The Holy Mother: “The mind gets purified after strenuous spiritual endeavor. Without regular practice nothing can be attained. Both purity and impurity are in the mind.

When a man sees defects in others, his mind first gets polluted. What does he gain by finding faults in others? He hurts himself by that.

From my childhood I could not find fault in others. That one thing, I have never learnt in life. Forgiveness itself is a great spiritual discipline.

Remember one thing, if you want peace of mind give up fault finding. If you find fault at all, find out your own faults and shortcomings. Learn to treat everyone as your own. No one is alien to you. The whole world is yours.”

“Man is composed of both good and bad tendencies; so do not slight another because only the evil ones are visible to you; but, considering him as your own counterpart, try to rectify him and by love draw him towards the good. Then only do you deserve to be called a man. What is the use of crying down a fellow-being!”

You must never find fault with others nor criticize them. Such a habit is extremely detrimental to one’s own good. By thinking of the evil qualities of others day and night, they will be impressed on your own mind; and that, at the cost of the good tendencies that you may possess. So there is no good in fault-finding!

Rather, sing His glory and mix heartily with all and rejoice. It is very bad for Sadhus (spiritual aspirants who have renounced the world) to sit in groups to find fault with others and launch a malicious crusade against them. None but the low-minded take part in such shameful actions!

Always cultivate the habit of looking at the goodness of a man and doing him honour and praising him, even though only a slight trace of goodness is to be found in him. Take it from me, my boy, if you do not show due regard for other’s greatness, your mind will never expand, nor will you ever be called great by others.”

– An excerpt from the book, Spiritual Teachings of Swami Brahmananda. (Free Book!)

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