​How can we control the mind in professional settings where we can’t do devotional activities?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So, how do we put a wall on the mind, when we are in situations where we cannot directly chant, when we are working in a professional setting. The more we connect with Krishna, due to the direct devotional practices, the more Krishna becomes, at least a background presence in our consciousness. So, I talked about the default programs.
So, when we start, say, practicing chanting regularly, then Krishna becomes more and more of a latent presence in the background, even if we are not aware. That’s the first thing. And that’s why even if I am not able to chant, in the way I do kirtans, but if we are habituated to chanting, habituated to invoking Krishna’s presence, then even through our prayers, even in our mind if we try to remember, even if in our mind we try to chant, we will be able to invoke His presence.
Not as forcefully as we would say by verbal chanting, but still we will be able to do. So, broadly speaking, the more we connect with Krishna, then we have the opportunity directly to do. The more Krishna will reveal Himself, even when we don’t have the direct opportunity.
So, rather than worrying too much about those situations, we can worry about a situation when we have direct opportunity. So, if we show Krishna that we want to be spiritually minded, then He will give us the facility. That’s the first point.
So, we try to be as attentive in our direct devotional practices as possible. And second thing is, it is within our professional setting also, we can find out what are the ways or what are the situations, what are the activities that are relatively calming and those which are relatively agitated. Say, even if we are in a particular profession where we have to go to particular kind of activities, but within that also there is variety.
Say, somebody is a professor, within that also they can go into research, they can go into teaching, they can go into administration. The Vedic idea is that there are people of different human types and the more we are engaged according to our human type, the more we can be peaceful. So, if somebody is intellectual and they get intellectual engagement, then they can be peaceful, they can be joyful in that.
If somebody is of a managerial orientation and then they are given intellectual work, it will be like a constant burden for them. They can do it, but it will be a constant burden for them. Same way, if an intellectual is told to do constant managerial work, that will be a burden for them.
So, as we live with ourselves, we start understanding what our nature is. And within our profession itself, when we start feeling a little irritated or agitated or disturbed, within that itself we can shift focus and do some things. Even if we can’t do something which is directly devotional, within that, if I am feeling disturbed, I can read something, or I can plan something, I can do something.
So, something within the sphere of our professional activities, which we can relatively more easily absorb ourselves. Then that absorption, it is not necessarily spiritual, but it is material which is more comfortable for us, more natural for us. So, it’s not that everything material is undesirable.
Even within the material, there are things which are beneficial and there are things which are not so beneficial. So, if we find that those things, within our profession also, we can absorb ourselves relatively easily. They can also act as a safety measure for us.
And overall, if we are vigilant, we can learn, these are the situations in which I do become stressed or I do become agitated. Say, if I am going on a road, then, I have not seen it here in America, but in India often the roads have potholes. So, now, if there is a pothole and if I am going along the road, if I know there is a pothole, then before only I will move my car in a way that I can avoid the pothole.
So, like that, if we observe ourselves, we can find which are the situations in which we get too much pressure, we get too much tempted, get too much agitated, and we can plan in advance for that. So, that way by direct, focusing on direct devotional activities whenever we have the opportunity, by finding out within our profession things which are relatively more absorbing for ourselves, and by planning in advance how we can deal with tempting situations or troubling situations, preparing for them in advance, by that we can check the momentum of the mind. Thank you.
Yes.