How is controlling the mind by focusing it on Krishna different from focusing it on some material object?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So if we can control the mind by directing it towards something material, then how is that different from directing the mind towards Krishna? Three main differences.
First is that Krishna is omnipotent. Krishna is omnipotent, all-pure, all-powerful and all-pure. That material object is not all-pure or all-powerful.
So say for example, people who are alcoholics, they will be told, you take some other drink, some other beverage, that is not that intoxicating. Yes, that is one therapy for overcoming addiction, that is called a substitution. But quite often people end up getting addicted to that thing.
Somebody might be into drugs and they tell you, you take something else, you can smoke or you can drink. But then they give up drugs, they take a drink. So it’s not necessary, that particular object may help, but the change depends entirely on the human effort.
Whereas when we are directing it towards Krishna, it is his omnipotence that is going to help us. He is merciful and he helps the sincere seekers. So that omnipotence of Krishna is what his mercifulness, it gives us access to a power far greater than ours, which doesn’t happen when we are directing something towards something mundane.
Second is, Krishna is not just omnipotent, he is also all-pure and all-purified. That means that it is like say, if there are two paths, and I am going this way but I choose to go this way. So basically I have to push myself this way and the two paths are more or less equal.
But when it comes to Krishna, not only does Krishna help us by his omnipotence to come towards him, but by his all-pure nature, our desire to go towards other things goes down. It is not just because we are attracted to it, it is also because Krishna himself purifies, changes our desires. So whereas in other things it’s mechanical and it’s based on individual initiative, here it is by Krishna’s grace, it is both his power and his purity come to our help.
And third is that whatever mundane thing we get attracted to, that is not the ultimate goal of life. Yes, somebody may be alcoholic and they may decide that nowadays there is a whole genre of therapeutic writing. Whenever you feel urge to drink, just write down your thoughts, journal your thoughts.
Understand your thoughts and get in touch with your feelings. And then you can process them. Yes, you can do that.
And that helps in its own way. But then okay, what is the ultimate goal? I may write a cupboard full of journals, and I am going to die and I am going to again come back in the cycle of birth and death. But when I am directing my heart towards Krishna, I am eternally a part of Krishna.
I am getting in touch with who I really am and where I am really meant to be. So life’s ultimate goal, the supreme satisfaction of life, eternal happiness, that can be achieved only when we redirect our consciousness towards the supreme eternal object. And that’s why redirecting our consciousness towards Krishna is far different from redirecting it towards anything else.