Managing the mind 4 – Training the mind by dividing and castigating

[Seminar at Govardhan Eco-Village, Wada, Mumbai, India]

Video:

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Today I’m going to give you a brief introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavad Gita of the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavad Gita of the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavad Gita of the Bhagavad Gita. I was talking about managing the mind. I started by talking about how the mind is the essential link between the soul and the body.
And just like if we have a security camera which brings in inputs from the various gates, like that the inputs from the various senses come into the monitor of the mind from where the soul pursues. The mind is like a horse, it’s a trainable. The horse can be wild and can injure the rider but the horse is also needed by the rider.
So like that our mind can be our enemy but still we need it. And for dealing with the mind I talked about Saam, Daam, Bhed and Danda. So Saam is harmonisation, Daam is accommodation.
So I talked about, Saam means we understand what are the triggers of the mind and avoid that. And we understand what is the nature of the mind and work according to it. So I’ll try to complete Bhed and Danda today.
So that is dissension and castigation, division. So normally our Acharyas frequently personify the mind. Personify the mind.
So here it’s a request made to the mind. At one level the mind is insentient. So what is the point of making the request to the mind? But the idea is that the mind is not dead like a hardware.
It has its default setting like a software. So by praying to the mind or requesting the mind or by speaking to the mind, the idea is that we persuade ourselves to make our mind do it. So Pibamana Sri Krishna Nitya Apshitam.
Oh mind, please drink the nectar of the holy name of remembrance of Krishna. That means by telling this we are telling it to ourselves. So now I’ll come to Bhed and Danda.
So now when we talk about dissension or division. So if an enemy is attacking, at that time one way to it is straight fight the enemy in front. But if we could divide that enemy, then that enemy’s force becomes weakened.
And by that it’s easier to fight the enemy. So the mind is not intrinsically already. It is circumstantially already.
What does it mean? That the mind, as I said earlier, it’s an inherent tool which the soul needs for interacting with the body. But circumstantially based on the kind of impressions we have had in the mind from our past, the mind now has inimical tendencies within us. So we have indulgences and gratification.
So sensual desires are there in the mind. So the mind is not intrinsically already. It is circumstantially.
So based on, now if good impressions are there in the mind, then the mind works in good ways. Say for example, in crowded trains or buses, if somebody touches the feet, even now today in common people, they touch the hand and they touch it to the head. They may not even think about it, but subconsciously they do it.
That’s a good habit which is there. So we also have good tendencies which come within the mind and they also make us act in good ways. So dissension means if we are practising bhakti, at that time if we consider this is the circle of what the mind likes and this is the circle of Krishna bhakti.
So these two are not necessarily non-intersecting circles. There is some intersection somewhere. So dissension means by focussing on the intersection between the two, so what happens is, you like this, but this is there in bhakti also.
You like to sing, oh you can sing for Krishna. You like to read, there is so much literature to read about Krishna. You like to manage, you can do this for Krishna.
So what happens, if something which the mind likes to do, which can also be done for Krishna’s service, then by that the mind’s full force of opposition doesn’t come upon us. That is dissension. So we create the division.
It’s not that the mind itself fully is against us. Some aspect of the mind is definitely against us and for that, so what is a non-intersecting circle? So this is the circle of the mind, this is the circle of Krishna bhakti. Then we win the mind over by doing things, not always, but intermittently, which we like to do or the mind likes to do and which are also in the purview of Krishna bhakti.
And the things which are outside that circle, so those things, if they are, broadly we classify things as say material and spiritual. This is a valid classification, but it may not always be a complete classification. In the material also, there is goodness, passion, ignorance or we could say from a devotional perspective, there is pro-devotional, non-devotional and anti-devotional.
So that which is anti-devotional, that has to be abandoned and rejected. So for that, there is castellation, dandam. Dandam means punishment.
So when the mind pushes us to do certain things, which are seriously wrong, then consequences have to be there for that. So castellation is what helps us to become serious about disciplining ourselves. And when there is dissension, it’s not that we are against everything that our mind tells us to do, but there are certain things which, yeah, you like to do it, you do that.
This can work with even our relationships. Some people we can get along very nicely. Some people it’s very difficult to get along.
Oscar Wilde is a British playwright and he said that some people bring happiness wherever they go and some people bring happiness whenever they go. So some people just look forward to being with them and some people when they go, they heave a sigh of relief. When they are there, it’s like, you know, we are walking on minefield.
When, what will cause an explosion, we don’t know. So now, if in our life, there are only the second category of people, then life will become very difficult. So we have some people in the first category and their association gives us strength.
Their association nourishes us. Their association pacifies us. And by that strength, we can tolerate the people whose association is difficult.
If there is a service required, we may have to work with them. So similarly, the same can apply to the mind also. There is something which we look forward to doing and something which we dread doing.
So we, what we look forward to doing, we do that and get strength from that. And what is difficult to do is austerity. If everything in our bhakti is austerity, we can’t sustain it.
But if nothing is in austerity, then we will not get purified. So there has to be the balance of both. So if everything that the mind says, we start saying, no, no, no, no, we will just find ourselves choked.
We will not be able to sustain. But at the same time, if everything we start saying yes to what the mind is saying, then we will not be able to do anything in life. Or to speak of spiritualist, we cannot even be, we cannot even materially achieve anything.
We can’t even materially enjoy things materially. So we just keep saying yes to the mind. The mind is fickle, not just with respect to spiritual, with respect to even the material.
So there is attachment, there is detachment and there is commitment. So bhakti is neither about rejecting attachment nor about cultivating detachment. Bhakti is centrally about cultivating commitment.
We commit ourselves to the service to Krishna and that service to Krishna gradually purifies us. So with respect to the commitment, if we consider the sector which we like to do and which is also the sector in the realm of bhakti, to commit ourselves to that is relatively easy. Rupa Goswami, in the Bhaktira Samyukta Sindhu, at the start gives both the perfectional level and the practical level.
Perfectional level, he says that, anyabhijastha shunyam, jnana karma dinavrata, anupulyena krishnamu shilanam bhaktiruttama. With no other aspiration, with no jnana, just serve Krishna. But then he also says, yena kena prakarena manakrishna niveshata.
Somehow or the other fix the mind on Krishna. So somehow or the other means that we have our standard process of sadhana, we have our seva and that we have to do. But it is not that this is going to consume 24 hours of our day.
We do have our time. And during that time, what activity we do, there is some amount of individuality for that. Some devotees may be inspired by Bhagavatam, some may be inspired by CC, some may be inspired by Bhaktira Samyukta Sindhu, some devotees may be inspired by Deity worship.
Even among Deities, some devotees may feel a great connection with Krishna, some may feel connection with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, some may feel connection with Nithyananda Prabhu. So we will offer our respects to everyone. But while personal prayers we are offering, we may memorise more verses related to a particular Deity which we feel connected to.
And then we can devote ourselves more to that. So this is the commitment to the overall process of sadhana and seva is important. But for us, all that will not be always nourishing.
So something which we feel inspired by, if we commit ourselves to that, that will be the thing which will give us strength to do the other things which we normally find difficult to do or which we sometimes find difficult to do. So in the Bhaktira Samyukta Sindhu, there is a word used, Udipana. Now Udipana is spiritual stimulus.
So the whole Rasa theory is a very beautiful, beautiful concept and I will not go all of it into it right now. But the whole idea is that Natya Shastra is a book by Bharat Muni and therein he describes how in Nataka, in drama, particular emotions can be induced in particular audiences. What all needs to be done on the stage, why the emotions can be induced.
And in that, one part is Udipana. Udipana is whatever is the stimulus which will induce that emotion. So that same principle of Udipana, we can apply in our spiritual life.
That what is my Udipana? So what is it that makes me feel connected with Krishna? What is it that convinces me? What is it that inspires me? What is it that fills me with devotional emotions? And the Udipana for different people will be different. So for example, when I go in front of the deities, unless I recite some verses, I just don’t feel that connection. I’m more of a verbal than a visual person.
So the verbal, when it is there, then the visual gets triggered. So when I recite some verse and I connect with the deities, oh and then it’s the same Lord present to me. So once I spoke this in a class, when we go in front of the deities, we can recite some verses.
And after a couple of days, one devotee came and told me, you know, I tried that. And you know, if I have to remember a verse in front of the deities, that causes me so much tension that whatever bhakti is there goes away. So memorising verses and reciting verses is a Udipana for me.
But it is not a Udipana for that person. So that’s why sometimes we get inspired by certain things. And we find that others, they’re not inspired by that thing.
So if we try to impose what inspires us on others, or we try to imitate what inspires us ourselves, that may not work. All of us have different things that stimulate us in bhakti. So now we have to find out what is it that stimulates us.
And we cherish that. So just as in the material sphere, whatever sensual indulgences we may have done, the memory of those sensual indulgences naturally stays within us and keeps popping back periodically. With respect to spiritual memories, that may not happen automatically.
And that has to be done conscientiously. So whatever it is that has specially nourished us, we may go for some yatra, we may have some interaction with the spiritual masters and senior devotees. We may hear some class and get some brilliant, get some wonderful insight.
We all have some experiences which push us on, which inspire us. But they, our mind pushes them in the back. And we don’t recollect them.
So we need to cherish them and recollect them and get strength from them. So when the mind starts saying, this is so difficult, this is so boring, this is this, this is that, then at that time, we need to have ready with us some counters. No, this is not all that bad.
This is good about this. This is good about this. So it is said that we should count our blessings, not our problems.
But the nature of the mind is that it will count problems. And when it starts counting problems, this is wrong, that is wrong, that is wrong, this whole bhakti thing doesn’t work for me, this whole brahmacharya doesn’t work for me, whatever it is. So when the mind starts burning us like that, at that time, it’s very difficult for the intelligence to work.
The intelligence is meant to count blessings. But it’s very difficult. It’s interesting that Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita talks about the intelligence in both ways.
He says in 3.41, that 3.40, when he talks about how the senses, the mind and the intelligence are the storehouse of, are the sitting places of lust. Indriyani mano buddhir asyadhishthanam uchyate. Etair vimuhyate sya jnanam avartyate.
He says the intelligence is also one of the places where kama is stored, selfish desire is there. But then three verses later, in 3.43, he says, evam buddhe param buddhva samsthabyaatmanam atmanam jahishatrum mahabaho kamarupam durasadam. He says, evam buddhe, with your intelligence, buddhva, understand what, param, that you are transcendental.
You are beyond the body, beyond the mind, beyond the senses. So with your intelligence, understand your transcendental nature. Samsthabyaatmanam atmanam.
Situate yourself on the spiritual platform. And then, jahishatrum mahabaho, jahishatrum, that in this way you conquer your enemy. Kamarupam durasadam.
So at one level he is saying that the intelligence is also corrupted by kama. But other level he is saying, use your intelligence to situate yourself on transcendental platform and thus conquer kama. So how is, what does this mean? So if our intelligence is, we could say like a disputed territory.
So part of it is corrupted by kama, part of it still is sober. So, it’s like say in India we have Kashmir. There are insurgents over there.
And there are some areas which are controlled by the insurgents. But it is not that the insurgents, the terrorists have control over the full of Kashmir. So, if the law and order is stored over there, then that part of Kashmir where the police, where the rule of law is there, they have to become active and they have to control the remaining part.
So like that we can say our intelligence is divided. Some part of it, it is controlled by kama. But some part of it is not controlled by kama.
And then, so Krishna says, evam buddhe. So that part of our intelligence which is not controlled by kama, that is open to be guided by shastra. And when it is nourished by shastra, then this part can fight back.
It is not like even the part of Kashmir that is controlled by insurgents, that part is not bad. There are insurgents who are bad over there. So they have to be fought back and driven out.
So like that, in the intelligence, some part is good, some part is bad. And the good part has to become stronger and fight out the bad part. So for this, again, we are talking about the subtle body in which the mind and the intelligence both are there.
So from a functional perspective and a structural perspective, see from a functional perspective, we can say that which is, that which is, which impels us towards short-sighted actions, that is the mind. That which pushes us towards, that which prompts us to avoid short-sighted actions, that which prompts us towards long-term actions, wise actions, that is the intelligence. That is from a functional perspective.
From a structural or a constitutional perspective, constitutional means what it is made up of, what is the constitution of it, compositional perspective. It is very difficult to differentiate between what is the mind and what is the intelligence. Just like I earlier gave the example of the software.
So there is subtle body, gross body and soul. So the gross body, soul is like the user. The gross body is like what? Hardware.
The subtle body is the software. Now if you consider, in the software, we have some programmes which we are using. There is the operating system and other applications programmes are there.
But at the level of the software, there is also the virus. There might be a corrupting virus. Now if we look at it simply in terms of computer code, this is computer code, that is computer code only.
So structurally, that is code, this is code. There is no difference. The essential difference is functional.
Functionally, this helps us to use the computer. Functionally, that prevents us from using the computer. So like that, in Sankhya, when this analysis is done of the subtle body, mind, intelligence and ego, that analysis is primarily done in functional terms.
There may be a structural difference but we can’t perceive that. From our perspective, what we know is that there is some side within us which pushes us towards short term impulses and there is some side which makes us perceive long term. So the side which makes us perceive long term, that is the intelligence.
And that side is nourished by Shastra. That side is nourished by Bhakti. And the side which is short term, that is nourished by more and more sensual exposure.
So when we are practising Bhakti, for all of us, the Uddipan which will work will vary from person to person. And what will work as Uddipan when, that will depend on each person and each person’s situation. When I was in America, I had gone to a mental health care hospital.
I was going to talk there to the doctors. They said, these doctors are all counsellors. I said, they needed counselling.
Why? Because the mental health, when we talk of mental health care, in India we might use the word, Pagal Khana. But it is not literally like that. The people who are there, I met one person who has a double PhD over there.
So, you know, he has a double PhD and he lost his job to somebody who was just a master’s. And he went into such a chronic depression that because of that he was admitted over there. So, this doctor with whom I was talking, he said that there was one patient who came to him and now the patient was troubled and the relatives had told them that we want to admit him over here.
But he had thought that he was brought there for consultation only. So when he came there, when he came to know that he was going to be admitted, he got so angry that within five minutes he destroyed five thousand dollars worth of equipment. So, the doctor’s clinic just got angry and started smashing this, smashing that, smashing that.
And then he had to, they have this, they have this very hefty-bodied people, you know, that five, six people came together and they finally pinned him down. And then after, after he calmed down, what have I done? He just didn’t realise. What have I done? So, it’s like when people are very mentally disturbed, it’s not that they are always, they’re always mad.
Even for people who have mental health care, it’s mostly they have attacks of temporary insanity. But the problem for the healthcare professionals is when that attack will come is completely unpredictable. So, because of that one moment that person is talking normally and the other person, that person just becomes mad.
So, for them, they have special people. They, of course, are strong-armed people who forcibly subdue the person. But they also have some, there are some people who are very good at talking.
They’re called sanguine people, just love to talk. So, each of these mental health care hospitals, they have these people who are just so soft, sweet, nice to talk. And whenever a person gets agitated, before they use this forcible restraint, they try to get this person to go and talk.
He talks this, he talks that, he talks that. And somehow he tries to pacify, somehow he tries to pacify. So, now this, actually, this person who has this post, that person often gets specialised training of how to pacify people who are agitated.
And he has a medical background, but he’s not a doctor. He’s just a good talker. So, the point which I’m making is that our mind, we, you know, we may not be in a madhouse, but our mind can also act like mad.
We all get into temporary fits where we do something and then we go, what did I do? Why did I do that? So, when the mind starts going in that direction, we need to check it. So, for us, when we are dealing with the mind, the, I’ll talk about three things over here for dealing with the mind. Basically, this is our dissension and I talk about castigation.
So, the castigation means when we do something wrong, at that time, the stronger people come and forcibly restrict. So, like that, if our mind impels us to do something wrong and we end up doing it, or even before we end up doing it, we may sometimes have to use a stick. So, if I do something wrong, I may do some austerity to discipline myself.
So, discipline is required at times. So, that castigation, it’s what creates some amount of fear. So, now, fear is, fear can be unhealthy, but fear can also be healthy.
So, if there is no fear, then there are no limits. So, many times when there are natural calamities, at that time, there are some people who go out of their way to offer relief. So, there is a hurricane, there is a flood, there is an earthquake, some people go out of their way to offer relief.
There are other people who just become lawbreakers because there is no power, there is no police, everything is disrupted. So, they will go and loot others at that time. So, when the law breaks down, at that time, even people who are not normal lawbreakers, they may also start breaking the law.
So, fear is an essential curb, which prevents us from doing the wrong things. So, just as there is guilt or remorse, there is the voice of conscience. So, if you consider, say, this is the soul, this is Krishna, and this is the wrongdoing.
So, our guilt, sense of guilt is what comes over here. When we are impelled to do something wrong, the guilt comes in the way, no, don’t do this. The voice of conscience, it makes us feel bad when we do something bad.
Actually, if we don’t feel bad on doing bad, then that is very bad. Because then our inner protector is lost. Our inner guard, our inner check, that is lost.
And those people, there are those people who are called psychopaths or sociopaths, who they kill others and they just don’t feel anything about it. And those are considered even more dangerous than other criminals, because they just have no conscience left. So, all of us have our conscience, and that is like our inner guard.
And when you go against the voice of conscience and do something, the mind impels us to do something. So, at that time, we just feel pushed forcefully to do this. And then we do it.
But if we, at that time, ourselves or through consulting our seniors, whatever, there is some consequence for that, then what happens? Then next time, even if because of our own indulgence, the voice of conscience has become weak, at least the voice that there is a consequence for this, that cuts. And that checks us. So, fear is what enables us to stop us from acting impulsively on our own desires.
Intelligence, there are various levels at which we can resist. One is fear. And fear also can be at different levels.
Fear is the consequence of the wrongdoing. There can also be the fear of displeasing our spiritual master. Fear of displeasing seniors, that can also protect us.
In the Ramayana, when Bharata and Shatrughna come back and they see what has happened, Bharata is furious with Kaikeyi. And Kaikeyi tells him, Mantara told me all this. And he is furious.
When they are going out of the palace, at that time, they see Mantara, who is dressed, you know, actually not they are going out of palace, after they have done Dashrath’s cremation, they are coming back from the crematorium. At that time, they see Dashrath, they see Mantara, she is, you know, dressed in golden ornaments and jewels and very opulent. And she is walking along.
Kaikeyi has given a lot of gifts. So, Bharata and Shatrughna are coming together. But some courtiers approach Bharata and they are talking.
And Shatrughna moves ahead. When Shatrughna moves ahead, he sees Kaikeyi, he sees Mantara, he just runs towards her and grabs her and starts shaking her violently. He says, you know, you are the cause of this enormous devastation that has happened in our kingdom.
And she has to run away. She screams. And as she screams, Kaikeyi comes over there.
And as she screams, Bharata also comes over there. So, at that time, Kaikeyi says, Shatrughna, stop. Shatrughna is blind, doesn’t hear.
He is so furious, he doesn’t hear anything. Then Kaikeyi turns to Bharata, he is her son, at least he will hear me. He says, Bharata, tell him to stop.
So, Bharata doesn’t even look at Kaikeyi. And Bharata says, Shatrughna, what you are doing with Mantara, I felt like doing with Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi is shocked to hear this.
His mother is thinking like this. But he says, one thought stopped. He says, if we do anything to either of them, Ram will be displeased with us.
Ram will never forgive us if we cause them any harm. He says, let her go. Shatrughna also drops it.
So, his anger there is justified. But the expression of the anger rejects it by fear of the displeasure of Ram. So, similarly for us, there are certain relationships, certain situations which will drag us down.
But there are certain relationships, certain emotions, certain relationships, certain situations which can lift us up. So, if that fear is there, I don’t want to displease someone whom I love, someone whom I revere, someone whom I worship, then that can protect us. So, this castigation, it doesn’t necessarily have to be physical, external discipline.
It can be internal discipline also. So, this is how, when we are impelled to do something wrong, we check ourselves by not just specifically contemplating the consequence of that wrongdoing in terms of what karmic reactions will come, but the consequence in terms of how we displease those whom we have given our life to please. So, when we are talking about controlling the mind, the mind is going to impel us in wrong directions.
That is unavoidable because that is simply its tendency. So, we find out that which we like to do, we do that, we gain strength by that. And while gaining strength by that, when we are dealing with other issues, when some lower desires come in our mind, so we, by that castigation, can check ourselves.
So, I’ll conclude with two points now. So, if this floor is inclined in this way, then if the water falls over here, automatically water will go in this direction. Why is this water flowing in this direction? I don’t want it to flow in this direction.
No matter how many times I say that, the water is not going to stop. The water is going to flow in that direction. Like that, our consciousness also has got certain inclinations.
And automatically, if we are just sitting and thinking, idling, our consciousness will go in certain directions. That is just unavoidable. In fact, if on this side there is some electronic equipment, the water will spoil that equipment.
I don’t want the water to go in this direction. Then what do I do? Three things. Redirection, restriction, and reconstruction.
Redirection means the water is going in this direction, push it in the other direction, push it in the other direction, forcibly, push it in the other direction. So, we redirect it. So, like that, rather than resenting, oh, why is my mind thinking of this? I don’t want to think it’s going in this direction.
No, it’s going to go. We redirect. And for that redirection, again, our particular uddhipan can help.
Because when the mind is going in a particular direction, how do we get it towards Krishna? If I like kirtans, if I like particular deities, particular picture of the deities, I like a particular dhana, I like a particular Vaishnava song, then having that and accessing that readily, that helps us in the redirection. The restriction means that the water, if it flows, if there is some kind of bandh, then the water will not flow. So, whatever is our vulnerability, so this three-point formula which I am talking about, it is a summary of what I talked earlier, in a sense.
I talked earlier about staying away from our triggers. So, restriction means if I find out what it is that I get agitated by, then keep that not so easily accessible. When our desires come, actually, it’s not that the desires keep troubling us constantly.
They come and they will be there in the background. But sometimes they become very strong. And for some time, they stay very strong.
If during that time, the indulgence is readily available, we will indulge. But if during that time, the indulgence is not available, and then we have to put some effort to get that object for indulging. Then during that time, our indulgence comes back.
And then what happens? I don’t need to do this. So, that restriction creates some distance. Psychologists call this the principle of propinquity.
Propinquity means, it’s a simple term, it’s a complex term. Propinquity means at one level, the complex definition is the effect of space and time and situation on human behaviour. The effect of space and time and situation on human behaviour.
So, the example is given. If I’m driving by a particular place, and there’s a restaurant, which has a food that I like. Then if I find, oh, this food is there, let me go and eat it.
Now, if I find that, oh, the restaurant is mostly empty, and I will get it within five minutes, and then take it. But if I find that restaurant is crowded, and I will have to get to the head, it will take me half an hour. And after the order will take half an hour, I have to wait one hour.
Then I say, maybe next time I’ll take it. So, the mind chooses the path of least resistance. So, if many times, there are certain attachments which are very deep rooted within us.
But many times, the indulgence happens circumstantially. So, okay, if the indulgence is easily available, we indulge in it. If it’s not so easily available, the mind’s path of least resistance will choose, hey, this indulgence is too troublesome, let me not do it.
So, if we create a restriction between us and the indulgence to which we are attached to, then that restriction makes it that the mind’s tendency for least resistance works for us against us, instead of against us. So, this is also, again, create dissension. So, whichever we are vulnerable to, we create some restriction.
And that restriction can work very positively, it won’t purify us. But the impulsive indulgence that happens, that will stop. So, if we all can find out what it is that we can, what is it that we are vulnerable to, we will find much of our agitation and relapses will decrease by that.
And third is reconstruction. Reconstruction means that if I want the water to flow this way, not that way, then I have to reconstruct the floor, to change its elevation so that this side is higher and becomes inclined this way. So, bhakti ultimately is the process of reconstruction of our consciousness.
By the practise of bhakti, our mind will become attached to Krishna. In 12.9, Krishna says, abhyasa yogindato maam icchaaptum dhananjayah. If we keep doing the abhyasa, the process of sadhana bhakti, we keep practising regularly, then by that maam icchaaptum, your desire for me will become stronger and stronger.
And when our consciousness becomes inclined towards Krishna, that is the time when the mind becomes our friend. That is the time when bhakti becomes joyful. Because the mind is no longer agitating us.
So, this redirection, restriction and reconstruction, the three steps which we can take, by which we can gradually change our mind. Redirection is something which you have to mechanically do. Restriction is something which we can plan and make sure that it is there in place.
And reconstruction is something which will gradually happen. But till that point, we will struggle. And even if we struggle, and even if we fall, we have to be very careful what we do.
Suppose there is a boxing match going on between two boxers. This is the last point I am using. And one boxer, boom, it’s a big blow and the boxer falls down.
Now, when the boxer has fallen down, there is the pain of the blow over there, there is humiliation of the fall. At that time, if the boxer wants to get some morale, get some boost, morale boost, some encouragement, the boxer will look to whom? The coach. You know, the coach, the friends, come on, you can do it, back off.
But if this boxer turns and asks the other boxer, can I defeat you? Never! So, what happens is, for us, the mind knocks us down. And then, we ask the mind, will I be able to give this up? The mind says, never! So, what the mind does is, first it knocks us down, and then it keeps us down. So, we cannot, if we have done, if we have succumbed to some wrongdoing, at that time, we cannot consult the mind.
See, what happens, the first the mind beats us down, and then it beats us for having fallen down. First, the mind makes us fall down, and then, you fell down, you are a fool, you are never going to get up, you are hopeless. So, if we consider the graph of our consciousness versus time, you know, there are, sometimes, these desires just spike up.
And when the desires shoot up, it may sometimes be just impossible to resist. And there may be some relapse that may happen, some indulgence that may happen. But after that, the consciousness becomes normal.
And during that time, we can practise bhakti, we can become purified. But unfortunately, during that time, the mind is, you fool, why did you do that? You are such a fool, you are such a useless person, you are hopeless, you are lost, you will never succeed. And then, if we are just simply beating ourselves up like that, that’s how it goes on.
And next time, when the spike comes, again, we are unprepared, and then, again, we fall. So, yes, if sometimes we fall, okay, I fell, I did something, okay, that’s over now. Now, let me take shelter of Krishna.
So, what happens is, when the spike comes, we are conscious of the mind, do it, do it, do it, do it. And after the spike goes, again, we are conscious of the mind, why did you do it? You are such a fool, why did you do it? So, in both cases, we are mind conscious and not Krishna conscious. And that is the way we can never go out of mind consciousness.
So, there are certain spikes which will come at that time, the mind’s force may be irresistible. But after that force subsides, okay, whatever happens, Krishna has not left my heart. Krishna has not rejected me.
Krishna is still there with me. Krishna is still ready to give me his mercy. So, after that, again, we take wholehearted shelter of Krishna.
If we take that wholehearted shelter of Krishna, then that will make us strong. So, Krishna’s love for us is not based on who we are. Krishna’s love for us is based on whom he is.
He is the all-loving, all-merciful Lord. The Bhagavatam says sometimes he is Bhakta Vatsala. But Prahlad Maharaj, one prayer also says he is a Krupada Vatsala.
So, his love for us is always there. Whether we are practising bhakti seriously, casually, or we are indulging in wrong things, Krishna always loves us. Of course, our actions determine whether we can experience Krishna’s love or not.
Because if we are too attached to things, we are too infatuated by those things, then we cannot think of Krishna, we cannot perceive Krishna’s love. But Krishna’s love for us is based not on who we are, it is based on who he is. He always loves us.
He always values us. He wants us to come to him. Madhruk prapanna pashupashyam mokshanaya muktaya bhuri karunaya namo alayaya.
Untiringly he loves us. So, that’s why even if there is a spike, something bad has happened, we don’t become discouraged. We stay enthusiastic and continue practising bhakti.
And if during the calm period, after the storm comes the calm, during the calm period, if we wholeheartedly practise bhakti, the next time when the storm comes, we will be better equipped to resist. Even if we can’t resist, if during the calm period, if we keep practising bhakti, over a period of time, we will become strong enough to resist. So, that’s why it’s important that the mind may degrade us.
And we may not be able to stop ourselves from that sometimes. That’s the force of the conditionings. But the mind doesn’t have to discourage us.
Our sometimes wrong actions will just happen. But what we do after that is up to us. We never lose the war against maya till we lose hope.
So, the mind’s most dangerous trick is not to make us do wrong things. The mind’s most dangerous trick is to make us lose hope. If we don’t lose hope, if we turn towards Krishna, take shelter of Krishna, become absorbed in Krishna, then if that hope is maintained, then no matter what conditionings are there, they can be overcome.
And one can actually transcend. I met one, when I was in our ashram in America, I met one person, young boy. Now, he just was 18 and he got some big inheritance from his grandmother.
His grandmother and mother were not getting along. So, grandmother gave like one million dollars to him. Not to his mother, not to her daughter, but to her grandson.
And this boy was just getting into drugs at that time. And it’s one million dollars he spent in less than one year. And at the end of it, he was in a drug, he tried suicide and he was somehow saved and he came and he was in a drug rehabilitation centre.
There somehow, there he met a devotee. A devotee was one of the nurses over there. And then he started practising, he started chanting Hare Krishna, practising bhakti.
And from that point, you know, he just, he just recovered very fast. And he came out. And then now, he has become a brahmachari in the temple over there.
So, now, whether he stays as a brahmachari or not lifelong, that’s not the important thing. The important thing is that he’s got completely transformed. His doctors were astonished at how rapidly he changed.
And he said that now, if I look back, even if somebody gives me, I don’t feel tempted only. Although he was just, he’s been practising bhakti for two and a half years now. So, it was just a few years ago that I was completely into drugs.
But he said, now, even if somebody gives me, some of my friends, old friends call me, I just don’t feel tempted. It isn’t going to that associate at all. But the point is that whatever our conditionings may be, drug addiction is a far, far, far serious.
He had to take some medical treatment to deal with it. But the potency of bhakti is so great that even somebody from that level can be lifted up. So, whatever our conditioning is, it is not so much that it cannot be overcome.
So, we, we lose only when we lose hope. And that’s why we need to maintain hope. So, by the proper understanding of the process of bhakti, we can maintain that hope.
And if we maintain that hope, in due course, the process of bhakti will purify us. And as we become purified, then, su-sukham kartamau gayam. Atavai kavayo nityam bhaktin paramaya mudha.
Vasudeve bhagvati kurvanti atma prasadane. This is a very interesting verse. Because atavai kavayo nityam, that’s why the sages always, they practise bhakti.
Atavai kavayo nityam bhaktin paramaya mudha. They joyfully practise bhakti, with great joy, paramaya mudha. Vasudeve bhagvati kurvanti atma prasadane.
That which gives joy to the heart. So, if we take out the other parts, what is the verse missing? It is saying, the wise people joyfully practise the process that gives joy. So, what does it mean? Is joy at the end or is joy in the process also? So, Prabhupada says, chant Hare Krishna and be happy.
Now, is this one instruction or is it two instructions? Is it that chanting Hare Krishna will make us happy? Or we chant Hare Krishna as a principle and also be happy as a principle? So, actually, it is both. It is that chanting Hare Krishna, when we become purified, it will make us happy. But in the intermediate process, there will be austerity.
So, while the austerity is there, we are grateful and we are happy. At least we have the process of purification. We are grateful and happy that we have Krishna with us.
We have the association of devotees with us. We have Srila Prabhupada’s mercy with us. So, during the phase of struggle, the happiness may not always be there.
So, we have to consciously remember our blessings and be joyful. And when we joyfully practise bhakti, despite our struggles, then we will become purified and then that joy will come as a result of our steady and strong connection with Krishna. So, I’ll summarise.
I spoke about dealing with the mind through dissension and through castigation. So, whatever is in the circle of intersection between what we like and what is the process of bhakti, what the mind likes, that if we commit ourselves to doing that steadily, that can give us strength. And whatever are the difficult parts in bhakti, we’ll get strength from here to do those difficult things.
So, when the mind says, oh everything is bad, we turn around and say, oh this is good, this is good, you like this also, this is nice. So, the mind will by default count problems. But we have to have an intelligence ready by which we count blessings.
And this deepan which we have, that which we are naturally attracted to Krishna, which will vary from person to person, that is something which will easily and joyfully connect us with Krishna. And we cherish that. And in the other circle, there can be non-devotional and anti-devotional.
What is anti-devotional has to be dealt with by castigation. Castigation can refer to external disciplining, which will be required as a consequence of wrongdoing, but also refers to our own choosing to discipline ourselves. Our conscience and the feeling of guilt that comes from it, that is our inner protector.
If we do bad and don’t feel bad, then that is really bad. So, if we, fear is also a very valuable protector. It can be the fear of the consequence of wrongdoing, it can be fear also of displeasing those who we are meant to serve.
The example of Bharat stopping Shatrughna by remembering that Ram will be displeased. So, for dealing with the mind, I talked about three steps. What are the three steps? Redirection, Restriction, Reconstruction.
So, redirection means when the mind will by default go towards worldly objects, we consciously push it towards Krishna. Restriction means we create blockages so that the mind’s tendency to choose the path of least resistance will not go towards temptation, but will go away from the temptation. And reconstruction is what happens when we become naturally attracted towards Krishna.
So, for us, when we somehow fall, rather than getting discouraged by consulting the mind, we have to consult those who encourage us and we have to look towards Krishna. No matter how many times we fall, Krishna’s love for us is not based on who we are, it’s based on who he is. He always loves us.
And when the spikes over, in those spikes we get overpowered, rather than being mind conscious in the remaining times, we become Krishna conscious and gradually become stronger to overcome whatever negativity is there. And while we are struggling with the mind, it is difficult for everyone. But rather than just obsessing over the difficulty and feeling bad, we can count our blessings.
There is so much positive in my life. I have the process for purifying the mind. So, chant Hare Krishna and be happy is not just causal, it is also parallel.
So, we cultivate happiness as a choice, satisfaction as a choice, and then we can joyfully practise the bhakti that will bring us supreme joy ultimately. Thank you very much. Do we have time for questions? Any questions? Any comments? Thank you.
You said about bheda, you spoke about dissension. Yeah, you can speak, I’ll repeat the question. When I spoke about bheda, basically what I said is, when the mind starts saying, everything about bhakti is so difficult, I can’t do it.
You create a division within that. Actually, there is this about, this is good also, this you like it, this you like it. There are so many things you like.
So, dissension means, rather than making it seem that the whole process, rather than thinking that the whole mind is against us, we see that there is some part which the mind likes, which is also nice, which also is a part of bhakti. So, the mind has a particular set of emotions associated with certain things. Not all of them are against bhakti.
But the mind can make us feel, everything is so difficult. So, but we show the mind, no, this is nice, this is nice, this is so joyful, this is so wonderful. And that way, we create dissension.
Kashmir, yeah. Okay. So, when I said some part of the intelligence is good, some part of the intelligence is bad.
Prabhupada writes a letter that we are meant to use our intelligence to control our enjoying mentality. But our problem is that we are habituated to enjoying intelligently. So, enjoying intelligently means that we enjoy in a way that we cover our tracks, that nobody comes to know about it.
So, say, this can go at any levels. If somebody may serve something wrong on the net, and then they do it on an incognito, or they cover up, they delete the browser history. So, here, we are succumbing to the mind, but we are using our intelligence, how to do it in such a way that I will not be caught, I will not be detected.
So, the mind, the intelligence can be used. So, so for us, sometimes the intelligence restricts, no, don’t do this. Sometimes the intelligence only plans, oh, you can do it this way, you can do it this way, you can do it this way.
So, the some part of the intelligence works to reject or resist temptation. Some part of the intelligence will work to rationalise temptation. Hey, there’s nothing wrong in it.
What’s the big deal about it? Some part of the intelligence will look up to cover up the indulgence. So, basically, Shastra has to be our pramana. When something is prompting us, you know, this is how I am thinking, is that right? Is that wrong? So, if Shastra is a reference point, Guru Sadhu Shastra, then when the intelligence does something, is this right or is this wrong? So, in Kaliyuga, even materialistic, atheistic people are extremely intelligent.
There are people who, people who write books about atheism. There are people who write books about materialism. So, there are, there are very aggressive feminists.
Prabhupada would say that men, women, when they unite, woman has to become pregnant. Man goes, goes caught free. So, that’s why, so, Prabhupada, that is the way nature has tried to restrict the thing.
So, now, some feminists, they say that actually nature has been unfair to women. So, they say pregnancy is biological slavery and abortion is woman’s tool to liberation. So, the slavery that nature has imposed upon women, through abortion, we liberate ourselves from that slavery.
So, this is such a terrible thing. Normally, in traditional circles, in most societies, if a woman is not able to have a child, it’s considered a sad thing. In the western world, they don’t say a childless woman.
They say a child-free woman. Free from that, you know. So, just to come up with a word like this also requires intelligence.
Or to speak of, write books about it. So, there is the intelligence which is used to rationalise wrongdoing. That is the corrupted intelligence.
And the intelligence which is used to resist and reject wrongdoing, that is the good intelligence. Does that answer your question? No, no, no. I am not saying that person is completely bad.
No, even for that person to write a book about that requires intelligence. And they write that book with their own logical argument. They write it using good grammar, good English.
So, intelligence is there. So, that intelligence may not be according to Shastra. I think we are using intelligence in different senses over here.
Intelligence can refer to information processing ability. Intelligence can refer to moral discerning capacity. So, moral discerning capacity means this is right, this is wrong.
Information processing means this is how I should write, this is how I should analyse, this is what I should do. So, some people may have very good intelligence in terms of information processing. But their intelligence in terms of moral discerning may be very poor.
Or for that matter, some people, their moral discernment, their capacity to understand right or wrong may be very good in one field and very bad in another field. One of the greatest ironies you could say of the 20th century was that Hitler, who caused the death of more people than any other person in recent memory, historical memory, Hitler was a vegetarian. So, he killed human beings but he didn’t eat fish.
So, that part, one of the earlier days, I gave the example when people go for a drinking party. At that time, they decide, you, on this day, you will not drink because you have to drive the car. So, they have enough intelligence to know that I should not drive when I am drunk.
But they don’t have enough intelligence to understand I should not drink. So, some part of the intelligence is good, some part of the intelligence is bad. So, we have to use the good intelligence and we have to work to cure the bad intelligence.
Does that answer your question? Apparently, these two techniques that you spoke about, it seems like the observer needs to separate himself from his mind and intelligence and apply this technique. But if he already has a capacity to do that, why does he need the technique in the first place? The first two techniques seem very practical but I found these techniques are very difficult to apply. So, to apply these techniques, we need to separate ourselves from our mind.
But if somebody can already do that, then they will not need this. If somebody can’t do that, then how will they apply it? See, again, it is like our mind doesn’t delude us constantly. We all go through phases.
Sometimes we are in rajoguna, sometimes tamoguna, sometimes sattvaguna. So, when we are in sattvaguna, in the mode of goodness, that’s an introspect. This is the situation in which I get tempted.
For example, if I have a quarrel with someone, as a relief from that quarrel, I tend to overeat. There is a genre of food, they call it comfort food. So, when life makes you uncomfortable, eat comfort food.
That is the idea. So, comfort food. So, people do that.
They try to get some relief through food. So, that is the time when I tend to overeat and that creates problems. Then I understand, okay, this has happened.
So, at that time, you may indulge like that. But afterwards, okay, this is the time which happens. Rather than simply asking, why did I do that? We try to analyse the object.
Okay, what happened? This, this, this, this. And then I understand, okay, this is a situation which prompted this. So, then I try to chart an alternative way.
Okay, when this happens, what can I do? When I have a quarrel with someone, maybe instead of going towards overeating or oversleeping or whatever else, maybe I can, I have this friend, maybe if I call him and I talk with him, and if I maybe I plan and tell in advance, you know, sometimes I may be in trouble and I may need to talk with you urgently, please respond. So, then we plan out an alternative way to deal with it. So, it’s not that we can constantly identify this is my mind speaking.
But it is not that we can never identify it also. We are often in the mode of goodness. See, when we are in the heat of action, at that time, we constantly start thinking this is my mind speaking, this is my mind speaking, we’ll become paralysed.
We do have to act in life. But there we also need times when we are more introspective, when we observe, oh, okay, this is what happened at that time. So, when we are in the mode of goodness, that is the time when we need to plan how I can, how I can deal with the mind.
And then at that time, when certain things start prompting us, that time, if we have thought in advance, then we identify this is the mind speaking. Otherwise, it is very difficult. But if you have planned in advance, contemplated in advance, analysed in advance, then if I have eaten enough, if I have slept enough and still I am feeling tired, then sometimes that tiredness may just not be because of, because of actually physical need, it may just be because of mental boredom.
So, then I can say, I need to be tired of this. This is the time when I sleep because of laziness. So, that time I may not realise it.
But if I have planned it in advance, analyse it, then I recognise it. Then maybe, you know, maybe I can talk with someone, maybe I can go for a walk, maybe I can do something else. So, that way we can plan.
So, during the heat of the moment, it is difficult. But during other times, when we are in the mode of goodness, we observe and then we learn about how the mind works on us and how we can counter it. Separating is when you read Prabhupada’s Purports or like when you are reading past times or, you know, messages from the Bhagavatam.
So, you know, we are dealing with a certain situation in life which is bewildering us. But when we read that, then we find, you know, a reflection of what we are going through. But then a very high level of response compared to what we are, you know, dealing with the way we are dealing with.
So, that immediately gives a very powerful contrast and that immediately, you know, makes us feel that, yes, this is what I am going through, but I am completely bewildered by it. But this is how it should be. So, that Shastra, Nityam Bhagavatsevaya, separates.
That acts as a separation because it is not that, you know, because I know Shastra, it can help me remember it every time because at that moment, I need that reminder. So, therefore, the most impactful Shastric experiences are when you are going through difficulties, you are overwhelmed and you read passages which are very relevant and it really impacts. Like, for example, you know, I was in Pittsburgh and there was a family which lost a son.
Young boy, 18-19 year old, he committed suicide, medical college. He succumbed to preaching by people who said that what is the use of your life, you know, you are not able to do anything in life. Better give up your life and donate your organs.
There is a whole organ donation, you know, campaign which induces, inspires, you know, adolescents to commit suicide as their mission. So, he succumbed to that. He was a topper in medical school.
Family was devastated and at that time, I was totally bewildered, I wanted to speak to them. So, I just opened the Chitra Ketu pastime and then I just read the purports. So, at that moment, the impact which Prabhupada’s words had was totally different because those words of Sri Prabhupada were referring specifically to a particular situation which had bewildered everybody.
I had come to give them, you know, strength and solace and I was the most bewildered. I was more bewildered than them. And so, when I took Shraddha Prabhupada’s purports, when I read those words, it kind of immediately took me beyond the mental platform to the spiritual platform.
So, that’s the closest to self-realisation. The second is, of course, Nityam Bhagwat Seva. Bhagwat comes in another form is a devotee who is like watchful and he can see very clearly.
He or a group of people can see very clearly that you are off. But, you know, because I am totally in my own world, I can’t see that I am off. So, they come and say that, you know.
So, we have a group of devotees who, whatever, redirect, reconstruct, respond, you know. And when that happens, it doesn’t appear very pleasurable. Because you are thinking, why is he restricting? Why is he reconstructing? Why is he directing? But that’s again because, you know, in response to your question that the soul in the conditioned state does not have the capacity to, you know, be an observer.
And therefore, we have so many observers. So, therefore, in short, it is Nityam Bhagwat Seva. Either Bhagwat in the form of literature, songs, vibrations, or in the form of personalities.
They can do a, what is good for us is not always pleasurable. And therefore, you know, help can come in different form. But when help comes, I will not be able to appreciate that it is help.
So, therefore, you know, it’s a very interesting point you made about these three things. But probably, you need very high level of realisation to be actually able to, you know, apply this. But in my personal experience, I have seen that this help comes in this form.
Prabhupada’s books and those who are experiencing those books, and they are not going through that crisis. They can see what they are going through and they can come out. These are my two cents.
Thank you. Stop here. Thank you very much.
Shri Prabhupada Ki Jai, Gaur Bhakti Vindaki, Jai Gaur Premanoor.