How can we protect ourselves from our mind when we are not in devotee association?

From: pravin

When i am in sadhu sang or in association with devotees i feel safe but i m away frm devotees my mind runs towards indriya trupti. In thiz wat cn i do….

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
That way, we can protect our consciousness.
Try as much as possible to stay within the association of devotees. If we are in college or if we are at work, if we have some other devotee associates, as co-students or as colleagues, then we are extremely fortunate. We can try to take lunch together and try to meet whenever it’s possible and discuss some Krishna Katha.
And if we are staying in a hostel, then if possible, we can live in a room with some other devotees. If we have a youth centre close by, then try to stay in that youth centre itself by which those other people with whom we are staying, share the values which we have. And in this way, we can also make steady spiritual advancement.
So, trying to be as much as possible in the association of devotees is extremely important. Now, apart from that, when we are outside the association of devotees, at that time we can create some safeguards for ourselves. That means, wherever we know there are temptations and dangers for us, we can try to avoid or minimize those situations.
Just like if we are travelling on a road and if we know that there are some potholes, then we in advance plan so that we can avoid the potholes. Similarly, we know that there are certain specific situations, specific circumstances, specific stimuli which tend to agitate us. And we can try to avoid or minimize them as much as possible.
So, this is a practical question and we need practical measures for this. Along with this, we need to strengthen our intelligence by which we become convinced that actual real happiness is in our relationship with Krishna and not in our relationship with the sense objects through their exploitation for our pleasure. Within our heart, there are two forces.
There is the centripetal force, which is the inward force which takes us towards Krishna. And there is the centrifugal force which throws our consciousness outwards towards the sense objects. So, when we are in the association of devotees, at one level there are not too many sense objects to tempt us, but along with that there are devotees who are themselves trying to become attracted to Krishna and in their association our centripetal force gets a surge, gets a boost.
But, when we leave the association of devotees, gradually the centripetal force weakens because it doesn’t get any more boosts. On the other hand, the centrifugal force starts getting doses for becoming strong because all the sense objects, either through hoardings or through advertisements or in our sight or in our thought, they start agitating us. So, by our philosophical conviction and by our devotional purification, gradually the centripetal force will become stronger and the centrifugal force will become weaker.
And as this happens more and more, slowly we will find that even when we go outside the devotee association, still we will be able to maintain our principles. At the same time, we need to remember the danger is always there and because the danger is always there, we have to always be careful. And we shouldn’t assume that now the outward force has become very weak.
We should always know that we are dependent on the association of devotees but still, in the association of devotees, what is it that strengthens us? It is not just the physical proximity. That is only an external protection which is important but which may not always be available to us. In the association of devotees, we should strengthen our philosophical conviction by actually analysing and understanding how sense objects do not lead to happiness.
And by understanding how our relationship with Krishna is what will make us happy. So, when we do these things, in the association of devotees and strengthen our centripetal force, then we will not get agitated when we go outside the devotee association. And when we become very advanced, then in fact, our centripetal force is so strong that even when others come in our association, rather than we getting attracted to external sense objects, we can share our centripetal force with them and inspire them to become attracted with Krishna.
And then at still level, we can ourselves become sharers, preachers of Krishna consciousness. So, but for us to come to that level, initially, we need to strengthen our centripetal attraction towards Krishna by increasing our philosophical conviction and enhancing our devotional attraction through purification.