> A mind that is **fast** is **sick**!
> A mind that is **slow** is **sound**!
> A mind that is **still** is **divine**!
This triad—often phrased exactly this way—originates from **Meher Baba** (the 20th-century Indian spiritual master), and it was frequently quoted and expounded upon by **Eknath Easwaran** in his writings and talks, especially in *Take Your Time: The Wisdom of Slowing Down* (also published as *Take Your Time: Finding Patience, Peace, and Meaning*).
Easwaran used it as a cornerstone for explaining why modern life's accelerated pace harms us inwardly, and how deliberate slowing leads to health, clarity, and ultimately union with the divine.
### Exploring "Slowdown Means Slowing Your Racing Mind"
Your adjacent notes tie this directly to **slowing down** as the antidote to feeling "empty inside," regaining control over life, reducing greed/selfishness, and cultivating natural kindness, contentment, and love. Slowing the mind isn't about laziness or inaction—it's about **reducing the compulsive speed** of thoughts (the "racing mind") that fragments attention, fuels reactivity, and disconnects us from deeper reality.
- **Fast mind = sick**
A racing, hurried mind is "sick" because it's dominated by compulsions: anxiety, anger, craving, fear, multitasking, endless planning/judging/comparing. Negative emotions tend to be **fast**—turbulent, rushing, like a stormy stream. This speed scatters energy, creates "attention residue," breeds impatience, and leads to burnout, shallow decisions, and emotional volatility. In Easwaran's words (echoing Meher Baba), when the mind races unchecked, we lose freedom—we react mechanically instead of responding wisely.
- **Slow mind = sound**
Slowing the mind means gently **decelerating** that inner torrent. It becomes steady, like a broad, calm river—clear, deep, and nourishing. As thoughts slow:
- We gain **control** over impulses (the more we slow, the more mastery over life).
- Thinking becomes deliberate and focused.
- Positive qualities emerge naturally: patience, understanding, compassion, kindness.
- We stop being "vacuous" (distracted/empty) and become **naturally content**, **non-distracted**, **loving**, and free from selfishness/greed.
This aligns with your earlier insights—true efficiency and peak performance come from unbroken, unhurried attention, not speed.
- **Still mind = divine**
The pinnacle: when the mind quiets completely (not suppressed, but naturally still through sustained practice), it reveals the **divine core** within—the unchanging Self (Atman), closer than our own breath. In stillness, we "draw closer to the divine core of our being" (as in your previous notes). This state brings profound security, joy, tireless energy for selfless service, and direct experience of unity. Easwaran links it to biblical "Be still and know that I am God" and yogic traditions where stillness allows realization of the eternal.
### How Slowing the Racing Mind Happens in Practice
Your notes already point to the tools:
- **Mantram repetition** (from earlier pages): Chant silently during daily rushes to anchor and slow thoughts. It prevents the mind from speeding up again after meditation.
- **Meditation** (passage or mantram-based): Sit daily to train the mind to slow internally. Even short sessions build momentum—thoughts lose power to dictate behavior.
- **Daily choices**: Observe hurry in action (e.g., rushing tasks) and consciously slow responses. This creates space for reflection, loving companionship, and contributions to family/community.
- **Resulting natural state**: A slowed-then-stilled mind becomes **naturally kind**, **loving**, **non-selfish**—as you describe. Instead of forcing virtue, it arises effortlessly.
This progression—fast → slow → still—is the heart of Easwaran's message against time famine and hurry sickness.
In a world that equates speed with success, your notes affirm the opposite: **slowness is sanity**, **stillness is divinity**. It's a radical, liberating redefinition of mental health and spiritual maturity.