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Be Forever Steeped In It > Page1
12. The thing we practice day and night sticks on us. Let us not be deceived by the story of Ajamila. He was to all appearances a sinner, but hidden deep in his life was a stream of holiness. This came to the surface at the moment of death. If you imagine that you would remember the name of Rama at the last moment, even if you had been a sinner all your life, you are sure to be disappointed. You will have to train the mind aright from childhood. Take constant care that good samskaras alone come to the mind. Don't say, "What does it matter whether one gets up at four in the morning or at seven?" Talk of this sort is pointless. By letting the mind go as it pleases, you will defeat yourself. Then you will never acquire good samskaras.
We have to accumulate wealth coin by coin; we must gather wisdom without wasting even a moment. Watch, therefore, that only good samskaras take root in the mind. Any bad word that comes out of your mouth starts an evil samskara. Every act is a stroke that chisels into shape the marble of our life. Even if the day passes well, evil thoughts disturb our dreams. It is not as if only the affairs of the immediate past appear in dreams. So many samskaras lie hidden in our minds behind the veil of forgetfulness. We cannot tell when they will come out into the open. Therefore, we should be vigilant even over little things. A drowning man clutches even at a straw. And we are drowning in the ocean of samskara. If we utter a good word, even that serves as a support to us. A good deed done is never wasted; it will take you ashore. There should not be even the slightest trace of a bad samskara.
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