If while chanting some bad thoughts come in our mind is that a sin?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So, if say while chanting some bad thoughts come in our mind, what should we do? Is it a sin? No. Chanting is always a virtuous activity. Naturally, while chanting the truth of God who is supremely pure, so we don’t want impure thoughts.
It is good that we feel bad about it. At the same time, those bad thoughts will go away by continuous chanting. So we don’t have to feel.
The thing is that the external and the internal are related. So, for example, now if I lean back on this chair, I put my leg up, put my hand behind like this and then I say, I am feeling very humble. Now, it’s very difficult.
That is itself a bossy posture. So, the externals do influence the internals. We want the internals.
If somebody is just doing the external without any internal, that could be superficial. But that does not mean that only the internal matters and the external doesn’t matter. So, external means, the external is often the means to the internal.
So, if you just keep chanting, gradually by that, the internal, the bhakti will come in gradually. So, if the negative thoughts come, bad thoughts come in, just try to resist them. What do you do? What you do is, don’t worry about that part.
Just try to… Krishna says in 6.25 in the Bhagavad Gita that wherever the mind wanders, wherever the mind wanders, just bring it back. So, rather than worrying why the mind is wandering, focus on it. As soon as you become aware, get it back.
And you will see by this, the impure thoughts will go away and the mind will become pure. Although it may not happen immediately, by this exercise, you are disciplining yourself. And this exercise will make you stronger.
Even if the purity doesn’t come, the discipline itself will make you stronger.