Never Trust Your Mind
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.03
Vrndavana, November 25, 1976
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Pradyumna: "All the learned scholars
have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should
not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat
us at any moment. Even Lord Siva became agitated upon seeing the Mohini form of
Lord Krsna, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature stage of yogic
perfection."
Prabhupada:
tatha coktam-
na kuryat karhicit sakhyam
manasi hy anavasthite
yad-visrambhac cirac cirnam
caskanda tapa aisvaram
[SB 5.6.3]
So it is advised herewith, tatha ca uktam. Although definitely from where it is quoted, it is not described, but it is heard by the parampara system. That is also authority, not necessarily to know wherefrom it is quoted, but if it is current, it is also evidence. So it is is said by parampara system, we can understand, that "Do not make any friendship or," what is called, "compromise with mind. Do not do this." As I was saying yesterday, my Guru Maharaja used to say that "When you get up you beat your mind with shoes hundred times, and when you go to the bed you beat your mind with broomstick hundred times." Then there will be no compromise. If you simply beat your mind... That is required. This is Vedic system. Now, if you want to bring somebody under your control, then you must always chastise him; otherwise it is impossible. Canakya Pandita, the moral instruction, he also says, lalane bahavo dosas tadane bahavo gunah: "If you pat your subordinate, then it will increase the faulty habits." Bahavo dosah. And tadane bahavo gunah: "And if you chastise, then they will improve." Tasmat sisyam ca chatram ca tadayen na tu lalayet. Therefore it is advised, "Either your son or disciple, you should always chastise them. Never give them lenience." So little leniency, immediately so many faults will grow.
Now for our practical life we are known all over the world as shaven-headed. Is it not? Now we are becoming hair-headed. We are forgetting shaving because there is little leniency. Immediately faulty things are creeping in. So we should be known as shaven-headed, not long-hair-headed. This is discrepancy. At least once in a month you must be clearly shaven-headed. In the bright fortnight on the day of purnima, four days after ekadasi, once in a month in the bright fortnight, you must be shaved. It is not desirable that in grown-up ages also you should be chastised. That is not desirable. That is also difficult, because when the disciple or the son is grown up, if he is chastised, then he breaks. So before being chastised, you..., we should be conscious that "This is our rules and regulation. We must observe." Therefore it is advised by Canakya Pandita, prapte tu sodase varse putram mitra-vad acaret: "After sixteenth year of the disciple or the son, he should be treated as friend." Because if you chastise when he's grown-up, then he'll break up. That is also another risk. So our request is that instead of chastising, with folded hands I request you, don't you become hippies again by growing hair. Keep your head cleansed at least once in a month. That is my request. Neither I can chastise you. I am also old man; you are young men.
So here the same thing, na kuryat karhicit sakhyam. To the subordinate never make compromise. We must keep always under control. Of course... Similarly, our mind... The mind is the cause of our material existence, mano-dharma. Why we are in this material world? On account of this change of mind. Our position is jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. We are eternal servant of Krsna, but sometimes the servant thinks, "Why shall I remain a servant? Let me become master." That is natural. A master is always in comfortable situation. Sometimes the servant becomes envious: "Oh, why this man should always remain in comfortable position and we shall serve? Why not we become also in comfortable position? Let me eat as he eats," or "Let me sleep now." These are so-called comforts. So they want to imitate. When the living being imitates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he falls down. Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare, pasate maya tare japatiya dhare. As soon as he forgets his position -- he wants to imitate -- that is the beginning of maya, falldown. You should be very careful.
Therefore the brahmacari... We have to teach the brahmacari... Brahmacari gurukule vasan danto guror hitam. This is brahmacari, not for his personal benefit, but guror hitam. Then he is brahmacari. Not that a brahmacari has to become a very learned scholar in grammar and turiya... These are secondary things. First thing, he has to learn how to control the senses, danta, how to control the mind. Samo damah. This is the beginning of brahminical life. If you cannot control your mind, if you cannot control your senses, there is no question of becoming brahmacari. Brahmacari, brahme carati iti brahmacari. And brahmana means brahma janati iti brahmanah. So these are the beginning, brahmacari. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacari. Or brahmana means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Parambrahman. So if you understand Krsna, then immediately you are liberated. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. So if we understand Krsna, then we are both brahmacari or brahmana, brahma-jnana, brahma-bhutah. These words are there in the sastra: athato brahma jijnasa. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul... Now it is jiva-bhutah. So long we are conditioned by the material nature -- prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27], bhunkte prakrtijan gunan -- then we are jiva-bhutah. Otherwise when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhutah.
So that brahma-bhutah position can be attained. If we strictly follow the rules and regulation of brahmacari or brahmana, then it is possible. Otherwise it will be simply formality. Practical life, brahma-bhutah. And how do I know that he has become brahma-bhutah? Prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], no more moroseness, always jolly in any condition of life. Not that "For want of this, one is suffering." There is no want. That, that mentality, that attitude, should be increased. And when it is fully increased, then he's fully satisfied, atmarama. That is called atmarama. Just like Dhruva Maharaja. He said, svamin krtartho 'smi, "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas tvad-virya-gayana-maha amrta-magna. As Prahlada Maharaja said, "Now I am in the ocean of nectarean. I have no suffering." That is brahma-bhutah. So this brahma-bhutah... [break]
Yoga indriya-samyamah. And the king, head of the indriyas is the mind. So manah-sasthani indriyani prakrti-sthani karsati. We are struggling in this material world, prakrti-sthani, bhunkte prakrtijan gunan. Because we are in this material world -- there are three modes of material nature -- either of them controlling me. Prakrtijan gunan. Therefore you find three kinds of men. Practically we can see richer class, a middle class, and a poorer class. That is always existing. I thought before going to your country, USA, I thought that "The Americans, they are all rich." That's a fact. I don't say that you are poor. You are rich in comparison to India. But still, when I saw that on the Bowery Street so many drunkards are lying down on the footpath, then I thought, "Here is also third class." So either by drinking they are lying on footpath, or by becoming hippies they are lying in the park, and the police is kicking on their face. That means that three classes are always there, either you go to America, or hell or heaven -- anywhere -- because there are three gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Prakrtijan gunan. You cannot escape it. There is no question of becoming poor. In the Western countries the government arrangement is so nice. And still, voluntarily they will become poor. That is hippies. Because nature is working. Most of these hippies, they are coming from very respectable family, rich family. I have seen. In Beverly Hills when I was walking in the morning I saw nice boy, there is car, he is coming from a very nice house, but he's a hippie. I have seen it. Why he has become hippie? Prakrtijan gunan. He might have taken his birth in a very rich family, respectable family. Because the mode of nature is working, voluntarily he has become hippie. This is going on all over the world. Therefore we have to come to the platform of sattva-guna, brahmana platform. Brahmana platform.
So one endeavor is gradually to come to the brahmana platform. But if we take bhakti-yogam, immediately you become on the brahmana platform. This is the advantage. Kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah, agham dhunvanti kartsnyena... [SB 6.1.15]. What is that?
Pradyumna: Niharam iva bhaskarah.
Prabhupada: What is that word?
Pradyumna: Niharam iva bhaskarah.
Prabhupada: No. I forget. Mist, what is the English? Niharam iva, yes. Niharam iva bhaskarah. Bhaskarah means sun. So when there is mist, (Hindi) as soon as there is sunrise, immediately everything... Otherwise it is very difficult to drive away the fog. The railway train... I have seen it also. In the mid-ocean immediately there is fog, and the ship immediately stops because there is danger of collision with other ship. At least the ship in which I was going to your country, Jaladuta, so the captain, Mr. Pandia, he immediately used to stop in the mid-ocean and giving horn, "Gaw, gaw," like that. So that was danger, very dangerous. When the sea is rough there is no fog. And as soon as the sea is not rough there is fog. So whether you will go this way or that way, there is misery. Therefore this world is called duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. You subdue something and another problem is there. And you solve that problem -- another problem... Problematic. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. Krsna is recommending that this is duhkhalayam asasvatam. How we'll subside this duhkhalayam asasvatam? And we are... Our struggle is... Krsna said, "This is duhkhalayam asasvatam. This place is for miseries," and these rascals are trying to adjust things. Bahir-artha-maninah. These rascals, they are trying to bring peace by material arrangement, mudha. Therefore they are mudha. It is not possible. Krsna has made it suffering. How you can become happy here? But these rascals will not understand. Within the suffering they will try to become happy. That is not possible. The toilet room he wants to make a Deity room. How it is possible? That is not possible.
So it is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], and you have to practice tapasya if you want to get out of it. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattva [SB 5.5.1]. We are now accustomed to this miserable condition of life. If you want actual happiness, then you have to undergo austerity, tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are hankering after happiness. That happiness, brahma-sukha, eternal happiness, you will get by practicing tapasya. So don't believe, don't make friendship with your restless mind. This is the instruction. Don't make friendship. Simply beat the mind with shoes and broomstick; otherwise cannot bring in control. And other alternative is kevalaya bhaktya. So if you can engage your mind at the lotus feet of Krsna, then it is possible. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. Then Krsna will control. Krsna means light. Darkness, you are suffering in the darkness. So somehow or other, if you bring a light there is no darkness.
krsna-surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara
If you keep always within your mind Krsna, Krsna's lotus feet, you can see Krsna's lotus feet, Deity, Baladeva, Balarama, how He is nicely standing... You can see the nice lotus feet. Don't try to see the face all of a sudden. Try, practice to see the lotus feet constantly. Sa vai manah krsna-padara... This is a chance. This temple means to practice how to think of Krsna's lotus feet, Balarama's lotus feet, always. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. Immediately you become bhakta. And as soon as you become a bhakta, kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah, dhunvanti agham krtsnam: [SB 6.1.15] all kinds of disturbances will be subsided, dhunvanti. Niharam iva bhaskarah. This is the sastra injunction.
So in this Kali-yuga, to control the mind the yoga practice and this practice and..., this is all failure. It will never be possible. It was possible in the Satya-yuga. Krte yad dhyayato visnum [SB 12.3.52]. Now they have manufactured so many meditation. The real meditation is dhyayato visnu, the Visnu form, four-handed Visnu form, and always try to see Him. That is wanted. These rascals have manufactured something, some light, some this, some that -- yoga practice, sleeping. This will not help. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yogis' meditation means to see Visnu murti. That is wanted. But they are impersonalists: "Visnu is maya. Why shall I think of Visnu? Let me see some light." What is that nonsense light? That is also maya. So what is the wrong there, instead of seeing the light if you see the Visnu form? "No, the light is good. Om is good." But when there is question of personal meditation, they protest.
Therefore tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. In order to learn everything very clearly, he must have the shelter of a bona fide guru. Adau gurvasrayam. If we want release from all this disturbance of the material world, then the first and foremost thing is adau gurvasrayam. Then,
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti tad jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]
Guru means tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi. Otherwise he's useless, waste of time. One has seen the tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam, brahmeti paramatmeti [SB 1.2.11]. Guru means one who knows what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, what is Bhagavan -- not partial knowledge. The jnanis, the so-called jnanis, they reach up to the brahmajyoti, that's all. But that is not complete knowledge. The yogis, they reach, utmost, Paramatma. That is also not complete. Better than the jnanis, but it is not complete. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti. When he comes to the platform to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then that is bhakti. That is bhakti. Therefore Krsna says,
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
So if you want to be first-class yogi, always think of Krsna within your mind. Do not make friendship that you have become very much advanced: "Now my mind is controlled." It is not so easy, sir. Therefore it is warned, na kuryat karhicit. Never trust your mind. Always distrust. In any moment it, the mind, can drag you. The example is given here, caskanda tapa aisvaram. Yad-visrambhac cirac cirnam caskanda tapa aisvaram. Even Lord Siva -- he is called Mahadeva; not only deva, but Mahadeva -- he became captivated by seeing the young woman's incarnation, Mohini-murti, became so much captivated. The description is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. But as soon as the Mohini-murti demonstrated the features of the breast, immediately Lord Siva became so mad that he forcibly went there and embraced, and there was discharge. Lord Siva. And what to speak of us? What we are? (laughter) Therefore it is... Lord Siva is all right, but by their example they are teaching us that "A personality like me become victimized by this maya's influence. What you are?" Why you should trust and make friendship with your mind, that "I am now complete," artificially? Don't do that. Therefore it is warned, na kuryat. Na kuryat karhicit. Never trust your mind, always try to control. And the easiest method recomended in the sastra and confirmed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu -- harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty... [Cc. Adi 17.21].
Devotees: ...eva nasty eva gatir anyatha.
Prabhupada: Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.
Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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