From HG Vaisesika Dasa Gurudeva's excellent class - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv3fkxXIktE&t=1341s
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends but one who has failed to do so, for him the mind will remain the greatest enemy."
Goal of Yoga is to pacify the mind. When the mind is thinking about how to satisfy the senses then it's our enemy, but when the mind is the friend it has the concept that I'm spiritual. When you start thinking I'm this body then mind is our enemy. So can we train the mind?
The first and most important is good association. When we have association with Sadhus then it's the speech that cuts away SB 11.26.26.
SB 11.26.26 states:
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya
satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya chindanti
mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ
Translation
An intelligent person should therefore reject all bad association and instead take up the association of saintly devotees, whose words cut off the excessive attachment of one’s mind.
Words of a Sadhu are like a sharp instrument. They cut all the excessive attachement of one's mind. The method of the Sadhu is by Sharpened topics and their words are sharp. They help us wake up from false ideas we have.
Your attitude is determined by the association you keep. If you have good association you will have a good attitude, if you have bad association you will have a bad attitude. Hence, it's very important to associate with devotees and *reject* the bad association.
How can we control and train the mind?
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1. Hearing the words of a Sadhu. They cut through one's mind's attachments to the material world ex - Krsna's words to Arjuna; Mahaprabhu's words to Sarvabhauma, His sharp words cut through. Same way Mahaprabhu asked us to go out door to door and share this knowledge with everyone and speak Krsna's words.
2. Regularly reading the SB and BG. Krsna says He himself resides in the heart of one who reads the SB as He is so interested to hear. Read from SB and BG everyday, so the mind gets trained everyday. When mind is directed towards Krsna then it's our friend. Both 1 and 2 work very closely as Sadhus only speak from BG and SB. SB is very intimate as it melts the heart. By chanting and hearing regularly our heart melts!
How to make your heart change? By the transcendental sound vibration:
Heart is the chariot driver of the body. Heart melts by chanting the Holy Name, it's given in the SB.
Srila Isvari puri taught Mahaprabhu this verse at the time of his Initiation and asked him to memorize it.
SB 11.2.40
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.
3. Learn Toleration. Tolerate the minds plans by dovetailing with Krishna's plan. Matra sparsah tu kaunteya - Irrespective of anything, we should continue doing our duty. For example:
This helps us to overcome our mind's plan making on how we want to become comfortable and mind's imaginations. Imaginations with various combinations to make us more comfortable in this material world. Hence, SP says dovetail your plan with Krsna's plan.
Get a list of mentors and take their help when hard decisions come. Have senior devotees as your mentors.
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends but one who has failed to do so, for him the mind will remain the greatest enemy."
Goal of Yoga is to pacify the mind. When the mind is thinking about how to satisfy the senses then it's our enemy, but when the mind is the friend it has the concept that I'm spiritual. When you start thinking I'm this body then mind is our enemy. So can we train the mind?
The first and most important is good association. When we have association with Sadhus then it's the speech that cuts away SB 11.26.26.
SB 11.26.26 states:
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya
satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya chindanti
mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ
Translation
An intelligent person should therefore reject all bad association and instead take up the association of saintly devotees, whose words cut off the excessive attachment of one’s mind.
Words of a Sadhu are like a sharp instrument. They cut all the excessive attachement of one's mind. The method of the Sadhu is by Sharpened topics and their words are sharp. They help us wake up from false ideas we have.
Your attitude is determined by the association you keep. If you have good association you will have a good attitude, if you have bad association you will have a bad attitude. Hence, it's very important to associate with devotees and *reject* the bad association.
How can we control and train the mind?
--------------------------------------
1. Hearing the words of a Sadhu. They cut through one's mind's attachments to the material world ex - Krsna's words to Arjuna; Mahaprabhu's words to Sarvabhauma, His sharp words cut through. Same way Mahaprabhu asked us to go out door to door and share this knowledge with everyone and speak Krsna's words.
2. Regularly reading the SB and BG. Krsna says He himself resides in the heart of one who reads the SB as He is so interested to hear. Read from SB and BG everyday, so the mind gets trained everyday. When mind is directed towards Krsna then it's our friend. Both 1 and 2 work very closely as Sadhus only speak from BG and SB. SB is very intimate as it melts the heart. By chanting and hearing regularly our heart melts!
How to make your heart change? By the transcendental sound vibration:
Heart is the chariot driver of the body. Heart melts by chanting the Holy Name, it's given in the SB.
Srila Isvari puri taught Mahaprabhu this verse at the time of his Initiation and asked him to memorize it.
SB 11.2.40
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.
3. Learn Toleration. Tolerate the minds plans by dovetailing with Krishna's plan. Matra sparsah tu kaunteya - Irrespective of anything, we should continue doing our duty. For example:
- Whatever happens complete your rounds - Complete your vow- ALWAYS COMPLETE YOUR ROUNDS AND DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO COMPLETE IT!!!
- From Shastra Visvanath Chakravarti says It's very difficult in Kali so people get disturbed in their practices but he says don't worry keep going.
- Also SB it's said from Karbhajana muni that devotees will fall down from their practice sometimes but all we need to do is pick it back up and just start chanting and do your rounds gain. Just keep chanting and bring it back again.
- Whatever happens never miss your daily reading - Srimad Bhagavatam and BG.
- Whatever happens always offer your food to Krsna.
This helps us to overcome our mind's plan making on how we want to become comfortable and mind's imaginations. Imaginations with various combinations to make us more comfortable in this material world. Hence, SP says dovetail your plan with Krsna's plan.
Get a list of mentors and take their help when hard decisions come. Have senior devotees as your mentors.
