Vishal, 23 February 2020
Hare Krishna,
Dandavats to everyone.
I have heard statements a lot of time, ignore your mind. Can we really ignore our mind and overcome issues like sadness, depression, laziness, confusion etc. Is it so easy to ignore ?
Please help me to understand what it means by ignoring the mind.
Hare Krishna
Vishal
Nuria.k, 23 February 2020
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
In my humble understanding it means ignoring what is not good for Krsna consciousness because sometimes the mind is lamenting or putting obstacles like on the spiritual path. In that case it is better to strengthen our sadhana and move our attention to Maha mantra and spiritual master.
Nuria.k
Tapas Chakraborty, 24 February 2020
Hare Krishna
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
High regards for putting forward such an important subject around which revolves our resolves in our tune to consciousness. I hope a lot of debate and inputs from our learned disciples to shed enough of illuminations for others’ enlightenment.
As a novice in the subject, I am just attempting to put forth my understanding.
Mind is the most critical part of human intelligence, the control or discipline of which is the core to values in understanding of the truth or opening our intelligence to higher knowledge. Ignoring the mind is not a lasting solution to our spiritual journey for everlasting peace and ecstasy rather training it to be focused on our objectives of desires for higher realization in pursuit of excellence.
But the question remains how? In Bhagavad Gita this Subject has been dwelt in great details with 4 paths, viz Bhakti Jyana Raj and Karma yogas each of which deals with different aspects of training our mind. At ISKCON we are in the path of Bhakti Yoga in achieving the twin objectives of Krishna consciousness as well as controlled focus of mind as well as our senses.
I wish to hear in detail from the disciples in this group whom I look upon as highly realized souls.
Hare Krishna
From an endearing servant
Tapas
Sacinandana Das, 25 February 2020
Hare Krishna.
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumata ji.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We should ignore the mind if it stops us to perform Krishna Service by intelligence as intelligence is higher than mind.
Jivera swarupa hoye nitya Krishna Das.
The constitutional position of the living entity is to serve Krishna.
For example if we want to get up early and chant the holy names of the Lord but the mind may stay asleep for some more time but we should not listen to it. We should ignore it and wake and chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Mind may give us hundreds of reasons not to chant. It may say oh you are so tired, please take a little more rest but Srila Gurudev says we should chastise the mind. We should tell the mind to get up. Our mind has kept us so long in the material world. We should stop listening to our mind and control it by intelligence. We should be heavy with our mind. Our mind is a rascal.
Mind is like a little child. We must have seen a small child troubling his or her mother but when the child does not listen to her mother, the mother sometimes becomes angry and chastises her child and the child immediately comes under control.
Our mind is like that small child and intelligence is like a mother. Above the intelligence is the soul whose Constitutional position is to serve Krishna as we are not this body.
Bhagavad Gita says that the mind can be our best friend or enemy. So how to make our mind our best friend by performing devotional service to our beloved Lord Sri Krishna. In case one does some crime and has to go to jail, will our best friend go to jail with us? No. But Lord Krishna is so kind that as a Paramatma He never leaves us. He follows us from one to another for 84 lakhs yonis waiting for us when this living entity will turn face towards me. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that He is the best friend of all living entities. He is like a loving father and we are like a rich man’s son who has left our father. If some body recognises us and tells oh you are the son of Mr. Such and such. That someone is the Spiritual Master. That is why the Spiritual Master is so dear to Krishna.
So let us stop listening to our mind and make the whole world Krishna conscious. I hope it helps. Hare Krishna.
your servant,
Sacinandana das.
Shridhar Das, 25 February 2020,
Hare Krishna,
Dear Vishal,
Please accept my humble obeisance.
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumata!
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Ignoring is one of the mind techniques to deal with the mind.
Srila Gurudeva tells in one lecture that ignoring someone is a very heavy way of chastising. Srila Prabhupada did so with his disciples on a few occasions. Any spiritual master does to train the disciple. On the other hand, a parent has to also apply the technique of neglect with their children who is restless by nature. Children speak many things which they do not mean/intend to. It’s just a monkey stunt. If one was to pay heed to each such action from the energetic child, one will have no time for personal life unless really expert.
In the same way, we are already having custody of our child “mind”. Of course it’s a nasty demon in most cases than a child. Therefore, there are many ways to deal with these different behaviors of the mind. The standard principle is:
1) To engage the mind in the lotus feet of the Lord. Since the mind controls the reigns of all 5 senses, the 5 senses also become engaged.
a. Since we are not there,
2) We engage the 5 senses to ensure the mind, whose focus lie on the senses also becomes busy in their engagements
a. This is why we should keep ourselves busy in services
b. That service gives a meaning to our existence and the mind becomes occupied in planning and executing it. Where then is the question for the mind to think otherwise? Besides, if it is service to Krishna, mind purifies. Otherwise, there are millions who are foaming, working hard 16 hours a day for earning some money and experience a drop of sense gratification, but are more entangled with the desires of mind and senses. And are still dissatisfied.
3) Besides engaging, we also restrain our mind and senses from their sense objects.
a. Just as a drunkard who trying to get rid of addiction to alcohol tries to maintain distance from such drinks and his booze circle, we have to distance our mind and senses from their material addictions
b. At the same time apply first 2 principles of engaging somewhere. We are not dry speculators or renunciants who are after giving up the world but we are to connect everything with Krishna through devotional service.
The above 2 are standard principles as per Bhagavad Gita (Engaging & Refraining).
In our initial stages where we are cultivating the habit of above 2, mind will still sometimes take time out in midst of our engagements to ponder upon negative thoughts. Then we deal mind with the following weapons: (SS RBNJ – Sri Sri Radha Brindavan Nath Jee)
1) Daily Reading of Scriptures: By knowledge, intelligence sharpens and the sword of knowledge comes handy to cut the illusions of mind.
2) Regular Hearing from Sadhus who are determined and taking their association from time to time!
3) Rosy Words: We console it with a Rosy Words: “My dear mind, let us engage yourself in the service of Guru & Vaishnavas. That will make us happy…” and so on.
4) Beat the Mind: If we get too mellow with the mind, chances are it will switch to the role of master from a friend. Then, we have to beat Hundred times with a broomstick “You rascal! Hypocrite! Cheater! Stop this Nonsense!…” and so on, whenever it blabbers something negative. Please note, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura prescribes, 100 in morning and 100 in night J. If we do daily, mind will be trained.
5) Simple Neglect: Still when we are busy, it will mutter and then we may Simply Neglect/Ignore it knowing it doesn’t carry any weight to whatever it blabbers. Srila Prabhupada often instructs this.
6) Japa: with full struggle to hear the Holy Names of Krishna is the most powerful technique, knowing the power of Holy Names.
So you were speaking of Neglect. Now you have so many instruments. Choose whichever handy and aim at the mind to curb its negativity and then engage in devotional service!
Also note, if you cannot remember these, I have made an Acronym SS RBNJ – Sri Sri Radha Brindavan Nath Jee, Deities of New Vrindavan, West Virginia.
your servant
Shridhar das
Selena Saar, 25 February 2020
Hare Krsna Matajis/Prabhus
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
In the book written by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada ;
● The path of perfection, Chapter 2 page 13; Mastering the mind and senses.
Your answer must be found precisely here.
Radhe Radhe,
your servant,
Selena Saar
Selena Saar, 25 February 2020
Hare Krsna Mataji/Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
A very good question.
Srila Prabhupada mentioned, to “hit your mind before sleep 100 times with a Chappal (sandal) and in the morning with a danda (stick)”.
You should not ignore but try to correct your mind.
Asking help from the Guru and SriKrsna is always recommended. Chant your rounds and read the Holy books given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, listen to lectures. Follow Ekadashi as sincerely as possible. Do Seva. Have love for Godhead and be patient with the process. Have faith in the power of His name. Answers will come from within and without. We have to sharpen our radio-antenna of the mind to the right frequency, and remove the dust from our hearts by these processes.
If you sincerely surrender unto the Lotus Feet, there is no need to for extra worry.
We first need to understand this concept of fully surrendering.
Krsna states that those who have surrendered unto His lotus feet. Lamentation is not suitable and befitting.
*Kirtaniya Sada hari*
Radhe Radhe,
your servant
Selena Saar
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