When I was doing Bhakti Sastri in Mayapura back in 2004, one teacher said one thing:"Suppose there were a mirror on the wall reflecting everything that is going on in our mind, most of us would be too afraid to look at it! "
Over the years, I keep thinking of this statement, how true and scary it is! HH Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja used to say: "The uncontrolled mind is the most dangerous enemy, because it is the closest to us knowing every detail in our heart, and can betray us most easily. But the controlled mind is also our best friend, still because it's the closest to us, knowing exactly what we need!"
So, all through the years, I've been actually living with the most dangerous enemy around me. I remember how difficult it was when I first joined Krishna Consciousness. The process stressed most on the importance of devotees association, but my mind was screaming, 'No! I want freedom to do what I like! I want to be alone to focus more on Krishna instead of getting distracted by worrying about how to deal with the devotees!' I preferred to be with my mind instead of the devotees, and that postponed my chance to listen to Krishna more.
Srila Prabhupada taught us to be like bees looking for honey, but the mind enjoys the most being a fly finding open sores thinking how educated, pure and renounced I am while everyone else is a blind follower and sense gratifier! I enjoyed so much thinking how good I am and criticizing other devotees for their minutest faults. That's like a drug poisoning my consciousness and it becomes to dark to be cleaned soon!
From the right beginning we were taught "The more you give, the more you get", but when the time comes to share, my mind fights "No. Don't you see I need care to be strong, but, why are you still taking away from me?" I want to have, but reluctant to give. But with the hands full, how can you empty it for more gifts from the Lord? You stupid mind!
Every time when some devotee shares how Guru is merciful to her, the mind starts to lament: "Oh, why not ME?" Every time when a devotee is praised for his wonderful service, the mind begins to cry: "But if you gave me the chance, I could have done better!" This envious mind is like a clown, fighting to prove that she is best. But while doing that, she lost the vision of the big tree bending down with loads of fruits!
Senior devotees told me to focus on service to please Guru and Krishna and get strength from within, and my mind says: "But, but I need this to be peaceful to serve, and I need that to be steady to preach!" So every time when the Lord gives me a chance to work from within, my mind pushes me to keep turning to the external as an excuse of my own inability!
And there are so many more scenes that keep me breathless as I watch the mirror of mind ......
Finally, I scream: "Oh nooooo, let me run away from this scary mirror of mind now and hide before the Lord, begging for a thorough operation! Please, please, turn my mind into a friend! Please, please help me swim in the blissful ocean of your Name instead of rotting away in the open sores that is burying the fly-like mind!"
Comments
Great Blog
Hare Krishna
Great Blog, i am surprised from where these kind of idea is coming, the person who have deep understanding of human behavior only can write such a marvelous text.
Thx for ur blissful articles.
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna
Thanks for your kind compliment! :) Knowledge plus practice gives realization! So let's continue this sublime process and let us reach the point of thoroughly separate ourselves from the mind!
So True!
What a great blog! Much as I try to avoid falling into "what a wonderful person I am because I do such great things" mode, I catch myself every now and then, usually in the act of doing or thinking something utterly stupid. Even when I hit the "well, at least I'm better than I was before" mode, that's STILL focusing on the mind. The false ego. I especially relate to your comment about "blind followers" - I get like that sometimes (NOT HERE, though) where I get the idea that I can shortcut the "rules" because I'm so cleaver, and everyone else is so dumb they need to be spoon fed .... blah blah blah, so goes my mind. Pretty pathetic, really! So what I've been trying to do is, no matter what material activity I'm involved in, no matter who I'm in the process of disagreeing with or passing judgement on, no matter what sense pleasure I'm seeking, I try to remember that NONE of what I "want" would be at all possible without the grace of Lord Krishna. And given His preference, He'd rather me be focusing on HIM, not on whatever material gee-gaw is occupying my mind. Sometimes that helps ... but what REALLY helps is hearing from and about these wonderful devotees -- honestly, I don't know what I'd do without everyone on this website!
Great Sharing!
Thanks for the great sharing!:) You are so true. This mind is very cunning, too.More foten that not, we knowingly or unknowinglu fall victim to it. But with years of practice, it's nice to know that actually we are able to realize that we are different from the mind now! So we can actually ignore it, and laugh at it! :)
Yes. This website is a marvellous one to bring all the wonderful devotees with beautiful realizations together!
Mind like a mirror
Haribol Gopi Gitaji. It sounds cliche to say you have done it again. A fantastic piece of writing.
Our mind is exactly like a mirror that reflects our tendencies. As Hrdayananda Maharaja says karma is like a cosmic mirror - it shows us what we have done in previous lives and makes us experience how it must have felt for others because of our deeds, and so we get the reactions to that now. And how is that possible? It is because the mind comes with the soul life after life and it stores all our tendencies. But whether we are afraid to look at the mirror on the wall that reflects our minds, we still need to face our karma.
The quote from HH Bhakti tirtha Svami is excellent. I have never thought about it that way, but makes most sense. The mind being closest to us knows everything about us and can betray us any time, and thus is the worst enemy. How we try to hide our follies from others projecting ourselves us advanced - but the mind knows it all. And mind is the best friend, again due to it being closest and knows exactly what we need. This is really mind blowing!!! I need to memorize these two sentences of Maharaja.
Thanks so much
Your servant
Radhikesh das
Beautiful
Dear Radhikeshji, thanks again! You always have wonderful nectars to share! I am happy that the blogs are like churning the ocean of nectar. After I posted my writing, I just sit back and look for the flood of more nectars! Your (Hrdayananda Maharaja's) example of karma being a cosmic mirror is also amazing! And I love it! :)
Mind can be our best friend, only if we constantly train it.....
Hi Gopi Gita,
It was an awesome blog!!!
At times, even I gothrough the same kind of thoughts in my mind. So, the best way to fight it out is by "Practise" and "Detatchment". Thats the only way by which we all can control our flickering minds. We can make mind our best friend, only if we try to control it by practising (chanting) and detatching ourselves from all the negative thoughts (jealousy, anger and pride)
Its easy to type these things here.......but difficult to practise....I understand Gopi........we all are pretty much sailing in the same boat.......so am sure by thinking, and soaking our mind completely in Krishna, we would be able to take out those negative feelings from our mind.
Hare Krishna!
Thanks & Regards,
Sriranjini
The Scenes in the mirror will change
Thank you for being so encouraging, dear Sri Ranjini! Yes. With years of practice I have been practically seeing the miracles of how the mind automatically comes under control, just by following the process as stated in the scriptures! So at least we can hope that with more sincere efforts, we will be able to really look at the world, and act in it, through scriptures! :)
Mischievous Mind
Hare Krishna to all of you..
I liked this Blog and I kind of face these situations day in and day out. However I realized over a period of time that "Being Attached and Detached at the same time" is the best thing what we can do to keep this mind focussed or say so Controlled.
Until I started going (I am not very regular) to Icskon did I realize that every human being has the aspiration to be recognized one way or the other. I see that at work and I also see that when I got to the temple.
So the best way is Think Krishna and Breathe Krishna. Once we focus on that other NEGATIVE THOUGHTS stay away from us.
Hare Krishna
:)
Yes. You are so right...what goes in, comes out. Again and again we are taught to read, chant and offer food to Krishna with a solid reason. When day after day we are able to take in Krishna in the form of His Holy Name, His scriptures, His prasadam and His katha in the mind and senses, then naturally one day there will be nothing left in this body and heart but Krishna! And Krishna is absolutely--POSITIVE! :)
Thank you for the beautiful sharing!
Rascal
Oh, what a rascal you are Gopi Gita Devi Dasi !
(just kidding)
Yes, we all have these problems...
I remember there was always a huge "competition" over Prabhupad... who was going to do what for Him, who was going to get to walk with Him, talk to Him, or serve Him somehow...
Or if some devotee got a letter or some words from Him...
Yes, envy for sure!!!
I remember when I first met Him, and I was a really new devotee, and another devotee woman was getting initiated and she came up to the Brahmacharini ashram to tell us all her name, and I was so jealous! Prabhupad had just named her! (I of course felt like the most sinful person in the entire world being envious of her)
But, you know I just have to say that even in all this, it's transcendental somewhat, because at least the envy is over spiritual things.
Also, I think it motivates us to try harder to serve better and please our Guru and Krishna even more when we see other devotees doing such nice service... we then want to try even harder, become more pure ourselves, etc... and so it turns it away from mundane envy.
That's my thoughts anyway.
Wonderful blog, Gopi Gita... nothing like true honesty to propel us out of traps of the mind!
Love,
Navasi
Yes. Rascal me!
Thank you, dear Mataji! You are so right. Actually one great positive part of the negative things is that we stay alert and humble knowing how fallen we are. Then realizing how danger is at every step, we can sincerely and desperately call out for Krishna's protection! Both feeling guilty and feeling good will keep us walking towards Krishna in a balanced way! :)
Zen
Dearest Gopi Gita Devi Dasi,
You really make me smile : )
If I didn't know better I would think you were a Zen Buddhist.
:) :) :)
Love,
Admiring You,
Navasi
Thank You
I wouldn't say I am a very balanced person...but that's part of growing up, I guess! :)
Thank you, Mataji!
Peace in the mind
Hare Krishna
I will most definately read this every day.
You have given me some understanding and a sense of peace from the mind.. wondering why I gave up devotee association to be alone.. that need to be able to concentrate on Krsna more,
its a relief to know I am not the only one who has wondered why.
THANKYOU ! :)
Remember we are all patients
Remember we are all patients in this hospital of material world! Just the degrees vary! :)
So it gives us hope to progress...and when we do become better, instead of continuing to get stuck in how conditioned we are, we get so many reasons to be grateful to the Lord and His devotees for....:)