Question: Radhey Radhey, how do you control your mind?
Answer: This is the question that Arjun asks to Shri Krishna in Gita also. Shri Krishna, especially in chapter 6, was saying to Arjun that we have to focus the mind, control the mind, do dhyan, meditation. Chapter 6 is basically about doing sadhana. And then as you asked, Arjun said to Shri Krishna,
चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् |
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् || 34||
(chañchalaṁ hi manaḥ Kṛiṣhṇa pramāthi balavad dṛiḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram) Gita 6/34
“This mind is so strong, turbulent and unyielding.”
I think He's saying that it's more difficult to control the mind than it is to control the wind. ‘वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ‘ (vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram). How to control? How am I going to control this mind? You're telling me that I should control the mind. I should meditate. It is so difficult. The moment you sit down and try to meditate, the mind runs away. Instead of meditating on Shri Krishna, Radharani, the mind runs to the world.
Shri Krishna agreed with Arjun. He said, “Arjun, I agree with you, 100 percent.”
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् |
(asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam)
The mind is difficult to control. ‘दुर्निग्रहं’ (durnigrahaṁ). Difficult, but not impossible. How to do it?
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते || 35||
(abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇ cha gṛihyate)
Through constant practice. I mentioned before the word vairāgya (वैराग्य) comes here, detachment. But detachment we can't do. This mind is very crazy, chañchal. If you force this mind, it'll get more crazy.
So it has to come through knowledge. Knowledge is very important. Tattva Gyan. How do we get this knowledge? The word abhyās means two things: One, listening to Divine philosophy, tattva gyan, again and again and secondly, practicing to focus the mind, roop dhyan. So, two things are here. And both are important. Knowledge is very important. But not just any knowledge. So, as I mentioned before once that Shri Krishna is saying knowledge, right? Tattva gyan. So, I will go and read Gita. I will read the Ramayan. I will read Bhagavata, Puran, translation of Vedas, etc. The knowledge does not mean tattva gyan. The scriptures are very difficult to understand: Shruti puran bahu kahahu upayi, chhute hi na adhik adhik arujai.
Tulsi ji Maharaj says in the Ramayan that there are so much contradictions and complications in any scripture, one scripture itself. And there are so many that if we were to read by ourself, instead of our doubts getting removed, we'd become more confused, wanting. Secondly,
Bhagavata rasik, rasik ki baate, rasik bina kou samujhi sake na, khag jane, khag hi kai bhakh.
Again, Tulsi ji Maharaj is saying, “Just as a bird alone, bird, pakshi, alone can understand the language of another bird.” The bird is whistling; only another bird can understand. In the same way, Divine words, these scriptures, Gita, Ramayan, Bhagavata, all the Puranas, Vedas, Shastras, these are all Divine words. Either they are written by a Saint, as in the case of Puran etc., or they are the words of God Himself, as in the case of Vedas. So they are Divine. Even Ramayan! Tulsidas ji did not write the Ramayan.
“Oh, Tulsidas ji did not write the Ramayana?!” But we say “Tulsikrit, he wrote the Ramayan.” Ah, it says Tulsikrit. But Tulsidas ji, first, he realized God. He saw Ram. He realized God. And then what happened? Bhagavan Himself wrote the Ramayan through the pen of Tulsidas.
“Jo kare so Hari kare.” After attaining God-realization that person who has attained God-realization, he stops doing everything. He no longer does anything. Look, why do we perform action in the world? Because we are lacking. We are looking for something. What are we looking for? Happiness! Sukh! Anand! We already heard about that in detail. When one attains God-realization, he attains Shri Krishna, Shri Ram. He attains infinite happiness. We heard before Shri Krishna, another name for Shri Krishna, Shri Ram is anand, bliss, happiness. So when he attains God, he attains infinite happiness. Now he should no longer do anything.
You can question such a person, “Hey, why are you sitting?”
“Okay, I will stand up!”
“Why are you standing?” Okay, I will lie down.
“Why are you lying down?” You can question.
So, after attaining God-realization, no Saint does anything. Now everything he does, God is doing. He's no longer the performer.
Look, in the world, we have heard and some of you may have seen that there are people, they get possessed by evil spirit, ghosts. They went to the wrong place, in the wrong time, doing wrong things, and they get possessed by some ghost spirit. These people start speaking on topics and subjects that they have never heard before. He may even start speaking Sanskrit. Now as long as that person has been possessed by that ghost or spirit, he's no longer responsible for what he's doing. They can put fire in the mouth. They can pierce the body, all kind of things, and they don't feel any pain. But as long as he's been possessed, whatever has been done, the ghost, that spirit is doing. Then the spirit leaves, and he becomes again in the world.
In the same way, when one attains God-realization, the Supreme spirit, Supreme bhoot, that Supreme spirit, Shri Krishna possesses that soul and takes possession of him. And just like in the world, now that person is no longer responsible for what they are doing. Whatever he does, Shri Krishna is doing.
And unlike the material world, the person who gets possessed by the spirit or ghost a little while and then the spirit leaves, once he gets possessed by the Supreme spirit, Shri Krishna, it is forever. From that moment onward, whatever that person is doing, Shri Krishna is doing. So, that's why Tulsidas ji is not writing, but Shri Ram Himself, that's why we worship Ramayan. If we thought some man wrote Ramayan, nobody would worship that. So, these are Divine words. The point is to understand Divine words, we need Divine mind, Divine intellect. So, we'll get confused. So, this is why we have to go to the Saint, one who has attained God.
The Vedas say,
āchāryavān puruṣho veda.
Don't come and read me by yourself. Stop! Go to the one who has attained God, who has become God personified. Let him tell you what is written in Vedas, what is written in Ramayan, what is written in Gita. So, a Saint comes in the world, and he gives us the knowledge, true knowledge, what is written in Gita, Ramayan, Bhagavad, Veda. That is called tattva gyan. That we listen to again and again.
As I mentioned before, in the previous question and answer, there's a Brahma Sutra, Vedanta Sutra, it says, “Aavritti asakrut upadesha.” Aavritti means ‘bar bar, bar bar’ - again and again. Listen again and again. Read again and again. What? Upadesh. It didn't say go and read Gita, Ramayan, Bhagavad! It says, “Upadesh”. Upadesh means the explanation of scripture being given by Guru, a true Saint, a true Guru. That we have to listen again and again, read again and again. The more firm that knowledge becomes in the mind, once the knowledge comes and sits, automatically detachment will come.
You see, right now, why we are attached in the world? Why the mind keeps running in the world? Because of ignorance! We don't have true knowledge. We don't have the knowledge of who we are! ‘Mein kaun hun?’ We have forgotten that I am the soul, atma, from beginningless time. We have been identifying with the body, the physical body. So, with that knowledge that ‘I am the body’, we start making all these relations in the world. We look for happiness in the wrong place. We have been doing from beginningless time. We want happiness. It's our nature. We can't help it. Being a fraction of happiness, fraction of Shri Krishna, it's our nature to want only happiness. But because of ignorance, not having true knowledge, not associating with a true Saint, taking shelter in a true Saint, a true Guru, and not acquiring the true knowledge, we have been wandering like pigs from beginningless time. So, knowledge, when the true knowledge will come and sit in the intellect, and this happens only through Guru's grace. That's why Guru is so important.
Guru gives knowledge. We don't get knowledge by reading Gita, Ramayan, Bhagvad. Guru bin hoi ki gyan? When we associate with a true Guru, a true Saint, after a period of time, with faith and reverence in our heart, accepting that he is Saint, accepting that he is Shri Krishna personified… We meet a Saint, and we think, “He's just like me. He also eats food. He goes to sleep. He is married. He has children. What's the difference?” We take our material mind and we judge him. So, first we have to understand: who is a Saint? Bhagwan Krishna tells us in Bhagavad Mahapuran.
We are saying daily prayers. One of the lines in the daily prayer:
“acharyam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhyasuyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruh”
Bhagwat Mahapuran, 11th canto, 17th chapter, 27th verse.
Shri Krishna is saying, “Uddhav, know the one who has attained God.”
‘Acharya’ means Saint; one who has attained God. Know that Saint to be Me, Shri Krishna. ‘Mam vijaniyan’. “Know him to be Me, Uddhav”. Shri Krishna Himself (is)personified. Do not see him as a material person. Do not use your material mind and intellect to understand him. And know that all forms of God resides in him.” So, when we meet a Saint, a true Saint, that faith has to be there that ‘I am meeting Bhagwan Shri Krishna, Radharani Herself, God personified’. Then we'll benefit. Or we just think he's some man. And again, the Bhagavad, another prayer we say,
Yasya sakshat bhagwati gyandeep-prade Gurau. Martya-saddheeh shrytam tasya sarvam kunjarshauchavat.
This prayer we say also, just said it in the evening prayer, is from Bhagavad, 7th canto, 15th chapter, 26th verse. This verse from Bhagavad is saying, “Know the one who lights the light of knowledge, that Guru, the true Guru who brings knowledge to us.” ‘Gyanadeep prade Gurau’ – “Who lights the lamp of knowledge in our heart, know that Guru, that Saint, to be Shri Krishna personified - sakshat Bhagwan.”
One who meets such a Guru and sees him as a man, just like us in the world, is like an elephant bath. It's like when an elephant is taking a bath, the elephant goes in the river, bathes, and then comes in the bank and takes dirt and throw on itself. Then why take a bath? In other words, when we don't have the feeling when we meet a true Saint, a true Guru, that he is Krishna, Shri Krishna, Radharani personified, whatever he tells us will not have any benefit.
So, faith and reverence, knowing him to be Shri Krishna personified, that knowledge will then come. He will bring that knowledge. He will give us true knowledge. So, listen again and again. Every day, every day we should listen to some lecture of Shri Maharaj Ji, read some of his philosophy, Prem Ras Siddhant.
So many wonderful books he wrote for the benefit of the whole world, read some, listen to some lecture. So, this knowledge will come through that, right? Again and again. Don't think, “I already heard this lecture. I heard this lecture many times.” No. We listen and we forget.
Why the Brahma Sutra is saying listen again and again? Because our memory is very weak. One of the problem in this Kali Yug: we forget very quickly. Sometimes someone tells us something, now 10 minutes afterwards you ask, did you do that? “Oh, I forgot.” So, we have to listen again and again. We forget very quickly. So, again and again, the knowledge should be kept fresh. Why we do wrong things? Why we forget, why we get careless? We forgot. So, to keep it fresh in our mind, listen again and again. Until the day that knowledge will become one with you, just like how you always know I am Sunny. You never think I am Chirag, not even while sleeping. Always I am Sunny. When the knowledge becomes one with you like that, then you will be okay.
All right. So, we have to practice that. One. Two, we also have to practice to do roop dhyan - every day. Now don't be careless. We start doing sadhana and we do one day, two days, one week and then we get careless. And then we do next, we skip a week or we skip a month and then we think, “Oh, I should do sadhana.” No! Every day. ‘Abhyas’ means regular practice. Every day we have to take some time and do sadhana.
Sit down by yourself. Ekaki. It's one of the things Shri Krishna says in Gita. When we are doing sadhana we have to be alone. All right. Congregational worship is very important also. That's also helpful. At least once a week we should do congregational worship. That has benefits. But sadhana, we do alone. All right. Because the mind is very चंचल (chanchal).
“Viviktsevi laghvashi”
The Vedas say, “A lamp in a windless place, flicker it not.” The mind is so chanchal. So, this isolation, being alone will help to keep that wandering mind, it will help to keep it focused, to keep it from wandering. All right. So, there are some rules. One, you should be in isolation. You don't have to go in the forest or mountain cave. In your home itself, in your own room, or some place you can be alone and close the door. Then, what to do after that? ‘Asinah sambhavat Brahma Sutra.’
When doing sadhana we should sit. One person was asking me recently, “Can I not lie down and do sadhana to think about Shri Krishna.” You can lie down, but you get too comfortable and you'll fall asleep. Sitting in a chair, you get comfortable, you fall asleep. So, the best way, palathi marake, fold the feet like this, like I have my feet folded. Don't do lotus, full lotus, just fold them and sit. So, sit in ‘asinah sambhavat’.
Second mantra, Brahma Sutra: ‘achlatvam chapekshya’. Be alert, keep the back straight, especially in the beginning. Keep the back straight, be alert, focus the mind. Anytime any kind of slackness in posture again will make that mind wander away. So, we have to be alert. And number three: ‘dhyanaccha’. Do roop dhyan. All right. Don't just chant. Don't just chant some Mahamantra, “Radhe, Radhe, Radhe Govind.” Ah, do it, but do roop dhyan. Without roop dhyan the mind will not stay. People are doing jap; the Guru has told them do this mala, one mala or two mala, some 16 mala. What is a mala? Normally, there's a rosary and sometimes it is chandan wood, sometimes rudraksha, different crystal, different, different things. And normally it's 108. So, you start from one position; you go around and once you go around one time, 108, one mala. So, the Guru gives instruction, some mantra,
"Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare",
a different mantra,
“Om Namah Shivaya”.
And is told, “Just do this mala, do one mala, five mala, 16 mala.” And nobody has told them to meditate - roop dhyan. You get bored, I've seen people doing jaap and they fall asleep.
“Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Hare Krishna, Hare.”
You get bored. You fall asleep. So, when we do roop dhyan, using bhajan and kirtan written by a Saint, like Jagadguruttam Kripalu Mahaprabhu, so many beautiful parts are describing the Divine pastimes of Radha Krishna. And especially Dainya Madhuri, showing us the condition of our mind; how dirty, how sinful we are. And we feel that it will make us shed tears. And also when we start visualizing the Divine leelas of Radha Krishna, this will also increase our love for Radha Krishna, etc. So, the mind gets more with this association. It becomes difficult to get bored and fall asleep. And you don't only have to do what the scripture is saying, “Anything you want, (yena kena prakaren)” the scripture says. Whatever it takes to keep the mind there, that is sadhana. Anything once is in the area of Radha Krishna and Guru, you're correct. If it goes outside the area, then (there’s a) problem. So, whatever it takes to keep your mind focused on Radharani, Shri Krishna, Maharaj Ji, you're okay. That's the main thing that the mind should stay here.
Whatever it takes to make the mind stay and keep practicing. So, every day, take some time by yourself; stay alone. And how long should we do sadhana for? So, Shri Maharaj Ji had told us, “Two hours, at least two hours.” But in the beginning two hours is difficult. You have not practiced in any special way. So, start a little time; start (for) 20 minutes. When you get comfortable, increase it to half an hour. You get comfortable with that, increase it to one hour. Eventually, two hours will be easy.
All right. Preferably (meditate) at least two hours every day, we should do sadhana. All right. So, once we practice that and we also listen to the philosophy again and again; Slowly, slowly, the mind will start coming under our control. All right. There's much, much more, but if I keep going on, already so much time I've taken, almost the whole time. It’s a whole lecture.
