My mind Some times goes towards movie, TV, etc, instead of worshipping Krishna. What to do?

My mind Some times goes towards movie, TV, etc, instead of worshipping Krishna. What to do?

COUNSELLING:

A Girl devotee asked like this: (Name Hidden):

Sir, how to control my senses and concentrate only on Krishna? I've tried so many times to divert my attention only to Krishna but sometimes it goes in vain. (Senses like watching movies, tv, etc instead of reading Spiritual books) Everywhere in tv, news, net only crimes, murders, etc are displayed. All these negativity is not elevating my devotional practice. At one time i have full devotion to Krishna and later it diverts. Please tell me how to control my senses and what all a devotee should do in a day? Is ISKCON's Bhagavad Gita available in nearby book stores or in ISKCON only?

REPLY:

This is the only problem that Krishna Himself has recognized. He Himself says that MIND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.

But, He also consoles us saying: BUT, IT IS POSSIBLE WITH SUSTAINED PRACTICE.

So, that means, MIND CONTROL is possible. But, it seems that we need serious practice.

Do you know how powerful our mind is?

Sastras say that raping a girl is sinful. So, a boy may like to molest his familiar girl, but may not be able to molest her. But, he can molest her within his mind by imagining even peculiar thoughts about her. This is the dangerous nature of our mind.

When sastras say that killing is sinful, a man can kill even thousands of people within his mind though he hesitates to kill directly.

You can not meet Obama easily. But, you can have even a breakfast with Obama within mind.

You may not be able to become a Prime Minister of India. But, you can become even the President of America within mind.

The speed of mind is the highest and it can go to even mars within no seconds, but, even light takes about 20 minutes to travel from earth to mars.

Thus, mind has no limits. Its crimes as well as achievements are limitless.

So, do not try to control your mind. But, divert your mind towards Krishna. Your mind will disturb you only when you allow some gap in working. So, Try to be busy always.

I give this guarentee: If you are always engaged in any productive works, your mind will act like a silent cat.

If you remain idle or involve in unproductive works, your mind will act like a big cat, ie, tiger.

So, you must involve ONLY IN Productive acts. If I review my daily routines, I have no time to spend for unproductive acts.

Morning, I start before sun rises.

Chanting, morning duties, bathing, worship, Bhoga offering, honouring prasadam, re-dressing and going to office.

Chanting while travelling. For this purpose, I mostly use public transports so that I can chant while travelling.

Office duties, meeting clients, checking accounts.

While at office, attending the comments and messages of this Krishna and Bhagavad Gita Page and typing the contents for next day’s posts for about 3 hrs.

When my mind is tired while working and attending these pages, I chant some rounds and read Srila prabhupada’s books and also ISKCON magazines, etc.

I return home and have dinner and read about Krishna for some time and then go to bed.

Thus, I have no break to think of enjoyments and entertainments.

I use Krishna Himself as my life as well as entertainments. Reading and hearing His lilas is the great entertainment.

You watch TV programmes. Can there be any better story than Mahabharatha? Insulting women? Cheatings? Respecting mother? Blackmailing father? ? Planning? stealing the wealth? Friendship? Enmighty? God’s power? Benefits of the association of God? Almost all the present stories are already available in Mahabharatha. Nothing new.

So, whenever you get a gap after work or studies, take the literatures related to Krishna and start to enjoy those writings. There are thousands of books and songs about Krishna. We have no life time to read/ hear all of them. Eventhough you read those books all the 24 hrs, you can not complete all the books within your lifetime.

So, hereafter , change your works. Use TV only for hearing news for just 30 minutes a day and watching selected useful programmes from channels like Discovery, National Geography, etc. These channels give beautiful programmes about nature, animals, birds, sky, sea, etc. Everything is about NATURE , ie, the creations of Krishna. No vulgarity. So, whenever you see them, your respect on Krishna will increase. You will wonder how beautiful the creations of Krishna are!

But, you can watch such programmes only after completing all the Krishna related responsibilities. These are all just extra works during excess hours. Not to be used as primary.

Why you have more desire on T.V, movies, etc? Because, you like those media much. As you do not LIKE Krishna that ,much sincerely, your concentration goes more towards movies/ TV programmes.

ONLY IF YOU DEVELOP A TASTE IN CHANTING, YOUR MIND WILL NOT GO TOWARDS OTHER ACTIVITIES.

I usually give this example to fellow devotees:

Have you watched the activities of newly married couples? The wife and husband will always be thinking of yesterday’s experience between them and will be planning how to involve in relation tonight. The wife and husband will be laughing/ smiling alone like mads, thinking of such experiences.

Why do they behave so? Because, among newly married couples, ONLY THE WIFE is the best pet for husband and ONLY THE HUSBAND is the best pet for wife. They will have no other thoughts except sex between them. Similarly, a devotee should always think of Krishna without any other interruptions.

(He He....After one year, the wife and husband will not live in dreams like this. They can never dream because they can never sleep peacefully because of responsibilities)

Srila Prabhupada has written in His Krishna book that a devotee should think of Krishna all the times like a woman who has extra marital relation with a man , always is thinking of her illegal associate .

So, you too should always think of Krishna. This is possible ONLY IF you love Krishna fully.

When you can love Krishna fully? Only when you believe that He is existing and He is the Supreme Lord.

So, develop more attachments with Krishna. COnsider chanting is to satisfy Krishna. Worship Krishna with real love and faith.

When you start chanting as per rules, you can develop a taste IN CHANTING. ONCE THIS TASTE COMES, YOU WILL START TO LOVE CHANTING.

Similarly, develop a taste in reading about Krishna. Taste develop when we fully believe any source. So, strongly believe that Krishna is real and He is caring us and expecting our sadhanas and love. Do your best to satisfy Krishna through all the recommended sadhanas.

When worshiping/ reading/ chanting, etc become your HABIT, you will start to like those activities. once you start to LIKE those spiritual sadhanas, your mind will silently involve in Krishna Bakthi alone.

Try this and tell. Your mind will always be with Krishna. Hare Krishna.