It is certainly worthwhile knowing how to control the
mind. Lord Krishna says
in the Bhagavad-gita that
the mind can be controlled by constant "practice and detachment."(—Bhagavad-gita, 6.35). He says that wherever and whenever the
mind wanders, due to its flickering and unsteady nature, we must bring it back
under the control of the Self (—Bhagavad-gita, 6.26).
The
mind is like a child; a child is attracted to everything. It wants everything
but not all things are good for it. Some things are even harmful...so the
parent must discipline...Sometimes the child becomes angry and cries but the
parent is determined to give the best thing even if at first it seems
uncomfortable to the child.
In
a similar way the intelligence and the spiritual being that we are must control
the mind. The mind is attracted to so many material things and everywhere we
look, someone is telling us that if just have one material thing or another
then we will be happy...but it always proves to be false.
No
matter how much we get, still we're dissatisfied. So the mind must be
disciplined and by practice we must learn to pull it away from those things
that are not good for it. Detachment is helpful because if we can understand
that real happiness comes not from material things, but rather from a loving
relationship with Krishna, then we can become detached from all the pushings of
material desires and we can control the mind.
Therefore, "constant
practice and detachment." Ultimately, we must develop a higher taste. Lord
Krishna says, "The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment,
though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by
experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." (— Bhagavad-gita 2:59).
That higher taste is engaging
in devotional service, the easiest of which is chanting the Lord's holy Names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
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