As Lord Krishna said that to be a devotee one should control his Mind completely .But how can we control it ?
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
This reply was deleted.
As Lord Krishna said that to be a devotee one should control his Mind completely .But how can we control it ?
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Replies
BG 3.43: Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus — by spiritual strength — conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
The problem is that we think or feel that we are this body or this body is mine, but this is illusion we are the soul which occupies this temporary dress. due to ignorance we cannot estimate the seriousness of this topic.
If somehow we understand this we cannot maintain our original consciousness as soul, due to our tendency of forgetfulness or our association with material things we are again subject to fall down.
So, one must first need to stabilize his intelligence by fully concentrate on supreme, one should live in secluded place or in association of devotee's and de-attach from all temporary material activities ... thus with regular practice & time one will gain control over senses.....
Hare Krishna prabhuji, what about students, how they can control the urges?
Once there lived a devotee by name Madhu. Madhu was eager to learn about devotional service and he approached a Guru and asked him to teach how he could become close to the Supreme Lord. The Guru was well aware of Madhu's defect of anger. He knew that this would prevent his spiritual progress. So the Guru decided to first prepare Madhu before teaching him serious spiritual practice. The Guru replied, "Dear Madhu, chant the Lord's Name during all your activities, for a month. Then take a bath and come back to me."
Starting the very next day, Madhu chanted the Lord's Name during all his activities. After a month, he went to a river, took a bath and put on fresh clothes to visit the Guru. On the way to the Guru's ashram (hermitage), his clothes got dirty as a sweeper was sweeping the street carelessly. Madhu was furious and shouted at the sweeper, "What you are doing, you fool? Now I have to go back, wash and dry these clothes and bathe again! Such waste of time!" The Guru had observed the scene. When Madhu reached the ashram, He said, "Dear Madhu, you are not yet ready for further spiritual practice. Chant the Lord's holy name during all your activities for another month, take a bath at the end of it and come to see me."
Madhu accepted the Guru's wish and went back to chanting along with his daily activities. When that month was over and Madhu was returning to the hermitage eagerly, a similar incident happened. This time, the sweeper accidentally brushed his dirty broom against Madhu. Again, Madhu became furious at the sweeper and again, the Guru sent him back and asked him to chant the Lord's names for another month. At the end of the third month, when Madhu was on his way to visit the Guru, something unusual happened. The sweeper saw Madhu approaching and remembered the way Madhu had berated him even though what had happened had been an accident. He noticed that Madhu was once again wearing new, clean clothes. This time, before Madhu could do or say anything, the sweeper, who was furious at Madhu, intentionally poured all the dirt from his garbage can onto Madhu's head. But this time, Madhu folded his hands and prayerfully said, "I thank you. You are my master. You
taught me how to overcome anger." The sweeper was surprised and hung his head in shame.
This time, when Madhu reached the Guru's ashram, the Guru was waiting for him. The Guru was pleased and patted Madhu on the head, just as a mother pats a child on his achievement.
There are few lessons which we can learn from the above story.
1. In our lives, we come across many such situations that make us angry. But it is possible for us to overcome the anger if we also take shelter of pure devotee, hear their instructions and sincerely attempt to practice the same.
2. Madhu completely overcame his anger after three months of chanting the Lord's holy names and by obeying the Guru. He viewed the sweeper as the master who helped him overcome his anger. Chanting the holy names makes us humble and to see everyone as master.
3. We can also see how anger is contagious like any other bad habit. The sweeper was initially doing his job without any intention of offending Madhu. But when he started receiving scolding for mistakes which he did not commit, then in the next instance he also became angry. The way we behave has an influence on other's behavior as well. So we should deal with everyone very carefully so that they are not provoked to become angry.
Hare Krishna prabhuji, very nicely explained, thank you
Haribol, hare Krishna
also Nectar of Instructions says that one can use those qualities in the service of Krishna.
Greedy? ok become so for chanting, for reading Srila Prabhupada's books, or ok for Prasadam (but being careful) ...
Angry? By criticizing Mayavadis, and protecting Devotees from injustice, cows ...
Laziness? Laziness is there when person is in the mode of ignorance where as anger and greed is in the mode of passion.
So if first and second is used for Krishna's service one should not fall to the mode of ignorance.
Because when we are greedy for reading we will read and get knowledge and when we have knowledge we are not ignorant so no laziness. Because we know that this life is very short and no time, if we do not use this human body properly we will be lost for trillions of years again.
...
Your servant,
What do you say about new beginner as s/he doesn't have any profound knowledge to criticize mayavadis or protect devotees from injustice? So, what could be practical uses of Anger to them in their day to day life (most of us fall in same line! please correct if i'm wrong).
Hare Krishna Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Usually anger comes when our desires are not fulfilled. And we create unneeded desires by meditating upon sense objects. So one solution is to use our mind not on thinking of those senses objects but on chanting the Holy Names.
And also read and get knowledge about Karma. and be patient within a day we won't become free from bad qualities so it takes time.
Also if we eat food in the mode of goodness for example food like pure cow milk without violence then it becomes very difficult to become angry.
Yes, please let she or he try to take pure cow milk, offer it to Krishna and then drink as much as he wants. In that way mind becomes peaceful.
so food habits and proper knowledge especially about karma.
what bad is happening is only because of our own bad deeds in our previous lives.
No one else is fault for them so no need to be angry to others but to ourselves that is the way where we can use anger.
Your servant,
Hare Krishna, Mataji
Pranam. Jai Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to add few more points here. When i was thinking on this line, "Angry? By criticizing Mayavadis, and protecting Devotees from injustice, cows ..."
Every one of us know how Bhakta Hanuman burn whole Lanka of Ravan because of his Anger. We are supposed to control anger but here Hanumanji was glorified, why? Because, it was in service of his Swami, his master Lord Rama.
So, do we follow Hanumanji? Yes, we must follow his footstep but by not becoming ARTIFICIALLY angry on some one to show that we are controlling urge of anger. If something happened similar to that and anger arises in us than no need to control it but must be used in service of Lord as Hanumanji did.
When we really develop love and attachment for our Lord and devotees than anyone speaking against them would surely make us agitated or angry and if we are knowledgeable to "criticize" or argue with "mayavadis" or else than it will be proper use of anger or controling it. Here it is not recommended for us to do blaa.. blaa.. without any qualification and trying to show that a person using his anger in service of Lord or devotee.
We have seen, those who are new learners, hearing philosophy and trying to practice, get fired by parents or relatives which result in agitation and anger. When parents feel that you are becoming more serious than they try their best to stop you and argue or even criticize ISKCON and devotees of Lord. In most of these cases, person becomes so much agitated and angry on parents and argue with them, if not then cry and break their head with wall and other crazy things, like, I don't want to live any more, please Krishna take my soul out of this body, i am literally tiered (just heard yesterday from one devotee as parents forced to eat rice and person wanted to fast). However, none of this fall in service to Lord by controlling one's anger against who criticizing Lord or His devotees. They are parents and reaction is obvious. Its all our fault and poor fund of knowledge which put us in this sort of confusing stage. Its our duty to not offend our parents and find out a proper way out of it.
Anyway, as discussion was going on how to control or where to use anger, i thought to share some of related points.
Hare Krishna.
oh, yes it is very painful when we hear our parents criticize those Devotees who brought us back to life by giving the Holy Name and Bhagavad Gita.
I had also same problem with my mom, so as You told i used to cry and even fight with her telling her not to tell such like words to a Devotee.
Maybe that was the reason later i moved to Temple ashram. And that is the reason why i do not want go back to my family home.
If true our home is that where we feel secure and happy and that is in the association of Devotees. And true parent is that who gives us chance to serve to Krishna not that who tells us that i am this body and i have to be engaged in senses gratification working whole day for MONEY.
:(
Your servant,
Hare Krishna
Can you listen to the prerna lectures
1>Overcomming Anger:http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=/05_-_ISKCON...
2>Conquering the greatest enemy part 1 & 2: http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=/05_-_ISKCON...
3>Destroying the Ravana within :http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/index.php?q=f&f=/05_-_ISKCON...
4>Art of Tolerance :http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/02_-_ISKCON_Swamis/ISKCON_Swamis...
So nicely and practically explained with examples by Maharaj ji
ALL GLORIES TO GURU MAHARAJ !
your aspiaring servent