Mind is like a Mirror

Sri Saradamma

If you are always thinking about worldly things your mind becomes dirty. From spiritual point of view the mind is like a mirror; it is only useful when it is clean. If you keep a mirror outside it will get covered with dust and mud that you cannot see your face in it. If you keep the mirror inside a cupboard it stays clean and you can use it whenever you need it. When the mind wanders among worldly things a layer of vasanas (mental activities) forms on it which prevents it from reflecting or being aware of the light of the Self within. If you stop the mind from wandering and keep it turned towards God, then no outside influences can deposit any vasanas on it. This is the mental equivalent of keeping the mirror in the cupboard. 

Sometimes you have to use your mind. On such occasions, take it out of the cupboard, let it do its job, and then put it back again. When you don't need to use your mind, put it back in the cupboard by thinking of God, otherwise it will get dirty.

When a devotee first comes to a Guru, the Guru will look at his mind and see all the vasanas that have accumulated on its surface. If the devotee stays with the Guru, the Guru will begin to test the devotee to see how strong and genuine his devotion is. These tests come automatically from the Guru and they clean the devotee's mind by removing its imperfections. When God or Guru tests a devotee, good results always follow.

When the Guru is cleaning the devotee's mind, the devotee will start to experience blissful states. The devotee then thing that he is making good progress and his ego starts to rise. When the Guru sees this he automatically produces new tests which curb the devotee's rising ego. The devotee is not usually aware that his ego is starting to rise, but the Guru always sees it and takes the appropriate corrective action.

It is much easier for the Guru to catch the ego as it is starting to rise, rather than wait for it to flourish in its full form. The ego is like a crooked tree. If you catch it when it is small, it is easy to tie a stick to it and straighten it out. If you wait till it has grown big, it is far more difficult to control.