How can we overcome the mind’s rationalizations?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
in our senses. How to overcome the rationalizations of the mind? So, actually we have to evaluate ourselves using our intelligence whether what the mind is saying is right or not. So, that means that the mind has certain fears.
So, all of us in our past experiences we have certain fears. So, when I first went abroad to Australia, one devotee called me and told me that air travel is very fearful, so many accidents happen, so many hijackings happen and you really want to go there. I told him that millions of people travel by air, why are you so paranoid? He said, no, no, it’s very dangerous.
Then I showed him statistics and told him that actually travelling on the roads of Calcutta is more dangerous than travelling by air. So, what happens is our mind has its own default imaginations. So, all of us have it based on whatever we have perceived.
So, what we need to do is there are possibilities and there are probabilities. Possibility means actually anything is possible. Right now I am sitting here, the roof may cave in and I may die.
Anything is possible. But is it probable that this building is well constructed, so many people have lived here and there is no security hazard given by anybody about this. So, I don’t have to worry about it.
Is it probable? Suppose this is an old decrepit building and the municipality has told the building may cave in, don’t stay over here and if I am staying over there then it’s not a possibility, it’s a probability. I will be paralysed by that. But if I am driving a car and the brakes are not working then the accident is not a possibility, it’s a probability.
So, similarly whenever we are trying to make some decisions, the mind may obstruct us. Don’t do this. You start becoming more serious in your bhakti.
Damn! You don’t have time for your studies. You don’t have time for that. Whatever it is, the mind may give us certain objections.
Now, it’s not necessary that the mind’s objections are all wrong nor is it necessary that the mind’s objections are all right. So, we have to evaluate. Use our intelligence.
Okay, how much time do I have? How much time is this activity going to take? And how much time will I have? Instead of letting our decisions be based only on the mind’s projections, even if I do this, this will happen, if I do this, this will happen, if I do this, this will happen, there is a survey done that if we consider 100 worries that people have, 85% of people’s worries are about problems which never happen. Problems never happen. Worry is the interest we pay on loans we haven’t yet taken.
So, worry is the interest we pay on loans we haven’t yet taken. That’s why we don’t have to get okay, if the problem comes, I can deal with it. So, what we do is we use our intelligence to evaluate.
Okay, this activity is going to take this much time. Now, those who are putting in this much time, how are they managing? Actually, the whole idea that bhakti will take too much time, it is not exactly true because our time is not just taken by our activities, our time is also taken by our thoughts. So, that means that say, if I am studying, or if I am in a class, but before going to class, somebody has snubbed me, I just greeted someone, that person just walked away, I feel so angry, I’ll get back at you.
And then the next one hour, I’m sitting in the class, I’m thinking revenge fantasies, I’ll get back at that person. So, what has happened? The activity of being in the class is there for one hour in my schedule, but my thoughts are somewhere else. Because the mentality is wrong, but the mind is misdirected.
So, therefore, our time is taken also by our thoughts. And to the extent we recognize this, what happens by the practice of bhakti is we bring greater order into our thought world. Our thoughts, we can better control them.
Our desires, we can better direct them. And thus, all that time which gets dissipated in thoughts and desires, in stray thoughts, stray desires, all that gets saved. So, actually speaking, although in terms of activities, bhakti may be seeming to be another activity that already burdens our packed schedule.
It may seem like that. But actually, internally, if you look at our packed schedule, how much of that activity that we are doing, we will be active, but how much are we productive? So, what will happen by the practice of bhakti is that the more the mind becomes calm, the more our thoughts and desires stop going astray and they become more focused, then whenever we are active, we will also be productive through that activity, while being active. And thus, bhakti won’t take away our time.
Actually, it will save our time. It will actually help us to better use the time that we have, to better be productive in the activities that we are doing. Do all of us have a worry time every day? Evening 7 to 7.30 is my worry time.
We don’t have a time like that, but worry is like a background noise which keeps going on and on and on, sucking our energy. When we turn towards Krishna, when we start practicing bhakti, we will find that our worry substantially goes down. And thus, all that mental energy gets saved.
So, in that sense, if the mind is giving some rationalization, oh, bhakti will take too much time, so I don’t want to practice bhakti, we can just calm it down and evaluate objectively, consult with senior devotees, understand the philosophy, and then take the appropriate step for ourselves. And it’s not that it has to be like a irrevocable step for the rest of us. We take one step forward and see how it works.
If sometimes we find it’s a little too much, then we can take a step in between somewhere and situate ourselves. It’s not that we have to be afraid to take steps forward towards Krishna. And we can ourselves find that this works, I can manage things.
If we find I cannot manage things, we can adjust at a level which we can manage. So, we can make it, rather than acting on the fears of the mind, we can act with the analysis of the intelligence. And based on that, we will be able to make sounder decisions.