18.57 – Krishna-thoughts are soothing, satisfying, strengthening and sublimating

“What am I getting by thinking of Krishna?” We may sometimes get this question – especially when our mind is looking for an excuse to indulge in anti-devotional, immoral pleasures.

As soon as we start considering the question, the mind offers a ready answer: “Nothing. No tangible returns for spending hours upon hours lifelong.”

Due to the excessive monetization of our society, we often think that returns are tangible only when they are financially measurable. However, our inner life – the state of our thoughts – determines our happiness as much as, if not far more than, our finances. So, if our thought life is improved, isn’t that improvement, that inner enrichment, also a tangible return?

Indeed, it is.

And by this more realistic standard of tangibility Krishna-thoughts offer four tangible returns:

1. Soothing: The uncertainties of life make us anxiety-ridden. Thinking about Krishna – the only ultimate certainty in existence – counters these anxieties and soothes our heart.
2. Satisfying: The endless parade of tempting objects that confronts our eyes makes us chronically dissatisfied. Thinking about Krishna – the reservoir of all pleasure – counters this dissatisfaction and makes us satisfied.
3. Strengthening: The continuous battle with our lower desires leaves us internally exhausted. Thinking about Krishna – the source of all vitality – replenishes our inner energy stock and restores verve in our life.
4. Sublimating: The immorality in our materialistic culture tends to mentally degrade us. Thinking about Krishna – the abode of all purity – sublimates our specific thoughts and generic thought-habits.

Given these rich returns, we can turn the mind’s question on its head: “Why am I losing so many returns by thinking of anything other than Krishna?”

The Bhagavad-gita (18.57) confirms this re-assessment by urging us to stay Krishna conscious amidst all our activities.