“You don’t have any time.” This is how the mind often summarily rejects our plans for devotional activities like mantra meditation.

We may indeed have a lot of things to do. But doing one thing after another drains and stresses us. At such times, the mind gleefully whispers, “Watch TV to get some stress-relief.”

Whatever happened to “no time”? That was just the mind’s trick to keep us away from Krishna and keep us tightly in its clutches.

TV rarely relives our stress. Many programs leave us bored and set us off on a titillating-but-unfulfilling channel surfing spree. When we become fed up with TV, the mind takes another tack for making our life miserable. It first shames us, “You are a fool; you wasted so much time.” Then it scares us, “There’s so little time and so much to do. You will never be able to do it.” Finally it sentences us, “You are a goner.”

TV watching is just one of the many ways in which the mind deceives us. Basically, it wastes our precious time and aggravates our stress with frustration and discouragement. No wonder the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) urges us to treat the mind like an enemy.

To protect ourselves from this inner enemy, we need to see through and reject its “no time” deception. By making time for devotional meditation, we connect ourselves with Krishna, who being the source of all energy replenishes our inner energy. This energization not only frees us from stress, but also enables us to manage our obligations efficiently and effectively.

Moreover, rejuvenation is just the incidental reward of connecting with Krishna. The real reward is the revival of our dormant devotion, for that ultimately catapults us beyond the mind’s tricks to the world of eternal love.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 06 Text 05

“One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.”