How can we become aware of our default settings?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So to change the default settings We need to be aware of it But how do we become aware of things Yeah It’s actually a part of a later seminar But I just mentioned 2-3 points would be here The first point is Awareness Of our lack of awareness Is also a step towards awareness So sometimes We may chant We say my mind wanders everywhere Well At least Complaining that the mind is Wandering everywhere Is better than wandering everywhere with the mind When I say the mind is wandering everywhere That means I don’t want it to wander But it is wandering everywhere So If we have particular Chanting is an activity Where we are actually forced to be aware Of our minds And when it is going off in other direction And we find it is As you are chanting We may not realize through chanting That Krishna is non-different from the holy name But through chanting Very easily we can realize I am different from my mind I want to focus But what is this force Which is going here, going there There is something inside me which is not me That we can very easily understand By chanting So in that sense Even if our chanting is not attentive Still it gives us some Level of realization It takes us a step towards realization That I am not aware I want to be aware but I am not aware So the first step is Just becoming that I am not conscious, I am not aware Things are going off in a particular direction So any activity Which requires us to focus In a general way Or any activity Which requires us to focus That actually helps us to become aware Of things Become more aware of our mind And mind’s default settings So sometimes we chant And somehow struggle through our 16 rounds And then Finished It appears like a workout If you could wait after that And think for a few minutes Everyday my mind wandered Look you can just look back For 2-3 minutes after that And think where on did my mind wander And then we can try to find out patterns Everyday the mind may find Some new directions to wander But there are some things which are common And some things Which are common, it may worry about finances It may worry about relationship It may worry about this, it may worry about that And then if we can Think through those things Consciously focus on those distractions And process them This is, ok my finances I have this concern, this is a solution for it And I can work out on the solution Now can’t only write things down This can be dealt in this way I am doing these things to deal with it And in future I am going to do this So when the mind starts wandering Or maybe if we know there are 2-3 distractions Which regularly distract us from chanting Then just before we start chanting Just read whatever we have resolved Ok this distraction is troubling me But this is what I have done to deal with this This is what I am going to do to deal with this So what we address The specific distraction using our intentions And then it’s not that the mind will stop wandering But at least the mind will not get so much energy Because what happens, the mind feels This is a big problem, you are doing nothing about it Do something, what is this chanting Stop it, do something else But This is a problem, I have done this, this, this Now sit down, now focus on chanting So the mind It may not immediately listen But it does not get so much energy to agitate us If we know I have done this, this, this to solve the problem Sometimes that means observing We often focus on Concentrating on the holy name And trying to get the mind back forceful to the holy name That is good, that is essential, that is what we want to do But also observing where the mind is going And then Trying to deal with that in a practical As well as an intellectual way That can help us to decrease the force of distraction So just as it applies to chanting It can apply to other things also Wherever we are unaware If we We start recognizing How is it that I am becoming unaware Or what is exactly happening, where are my thoughts going Then we can address It specifically Does it address your question? Any other questions? Yes So Prabhupada was able to persevere for 40 years