When we start practicing spiritual life and try to fix the mind on Krishna, we may become disheartened at how frequently and forcefully the mind wanders away towards worldly things.

The mind’s wandering is a sobering truth that needs to be considered. But we also need to consider another, more heartening fact: We are no longer wandering with the mind, but are protesting about its wandering.

Our protesting itself indicates that we are growing up spiritually. We have recognized that the mind’s ways are childish, that’s why we are no longer ready to entertain its restlessness. Before we started practicing spiritual life, we would probably have been going along with its childish fancies, losing ourselves in whatever dreams and schemes it concocted.

Someone may object, “But even in my pre-devotional life, I used to control my mind, especially when I achieved something long-term.” Yes, but during such control, we were still controlled by the mind, being captivated with the material level of reality that the mind is obsessed with.

Gita wisdom explains that we are indestructible souls meant for eternal happiness in spiritual love for Krishna. But as long as our consciousness is caught in material things, we under-cut our spiritual potential by staying attached to things that can offer at best only temporary pleasure. By meditation, specifically mantra meditation, we try to focus the mind on the spiritual. Thus, we redirect our attachment towards the eternal, specifically the supreme eternal reality Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita (06.26) recommends perseverance on the path to spiritual growth by exhorting us to restrain the mind whenever it wanders. Keeping the mind fixed in Krishna’s remembrance and service may initially seem demanding. But in due course it will become supremely rewarding, for it and it alone will grant everlasting fulfillment.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image

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