How is the mind converted by bhakti?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
If we see that the mind gets converted by the practice of bhakti, what does that mean? Krishna says that, In 6.5 and 6.6, he states that actually the mind that is controlled is our friend.
So, when you say, just like a friend, if I am doing something wrong, the friend will tell me, don’t do this. Do something else. Do that.
You know, this is not good for you. You should do that. The friend will tell us to move towards the right course of action when we are going towards the wrong course of action.
Similarly, Krishna enables us to, when the mind becomes attracted to Krishna, when it becomes purified of its lower tendencies, at that time the mind naturally gravitates towards Krishna. And even when we want to go towards other things, even when our thoughts are going towards other things, the mind helps our thoughts to come back towards Krishna, to focus on Krishna and thus we can attain Krishna. So, what we need in that sense is to recognize that Krishna is always our well-wisher.
And to the extent we connect with Krishna, the mind also develops that characteristic of Krishna of becoming our well-wisher. And will it lose restlessness entirely? Not necessarily. Because there is also the transcendental restlessness, which is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life, when he was completely absorbed in pure love for Krishna.
At that time, it was not that his mind was in a state of absolute peaceful trance. Rather, his mind was in a state of absolute turbulence, the madness of love it was. So, we didn’t need to worry too much about this or that.
We recognize that sometimes after we become purified, the mind may also develop its transcendental passion. And it may not be peaceful, but even if it is wild, it is wild within the scope of bhakti. Just like we give the example that the remembrance of Krishna is itself joyful.
It’s like nectar. But within the remembrance of Krishna, there can be emotions of joy and there can be emotions of agony. So, when the gopis are united with Krishna, there is joy.
When the rajvasis are separated from Krishna, there is agony. But in both cases, there is remembrance of Krishna and that remembrance of Krishna is the source of great joy. So, what we can focus on is this principle of remembering Krishna.
And as long as we focus on the remembrance of Krishna, as long as we… If our mind is directing us towards the remembrance of Krishna, that means the mind has become purified. It may not necessarily be absolutely, completely, what shall we say, free from restlessness. There may be some restlessness still with respect to the mind.
But that restlessness will be for the service of Krishna. And just like we see Yashodamayi, she is offering her breast milk to Krishna and suddenly she says, Oh, the milk on the stove is overflowing. And immediately she starts saying, Oh, this milk is so precious.
It is meant to be used for Krishna’s service. I want to make sweets for him and I want to give him so many delicacies with this milk. So, immediately she becomes so restless that she can’t think about Krishna anymore.
She can’t think about Krishna and says, Oh, Krishna is right now at my breast and she is drinking breast milk. Immediately puts Krishna aside and rushes away. So, rushes towards that stove to extinguish the milk.
So, it’s not that bhakti or spiritual perfection is a state of mental placidity. Placidity means complete inactivity or passivity or lack of any agitation. There can be transcendental passion also in the realm of bhakti but all the transcendental passion is connected with Krishna and it all moves us towards the remembrance of Krishna.