What is the best way to monitor our mental habits?

Anwser Podcast

Transcription:

Duration: 2 min

Transcription by: Sundarinath das

Question: What is the best way to monitor our mental habits?

Answer (short):
• Regular study of scriptures acts like a mirror for our mind and we can see our attitudes and thoughts in comparison to what they should be.
• While doing mantra meditation, when our mind does not focus, we can notice our attachments.
• With the help of bhakti practices, we can purify ourselves and by using our intelligence stop feeding the unhealthy habits. Gradually those unhealthy habits will decrease.

Answer (long)
When we go out for some public occasion, we look at ourselves in the mirror to check if we are properly dressed. Similarly, when we study scripture in the association of devotees, we start to see our mind. Scriptural study acts like a mirror which shows what our mind is like. Regular study of scripture helps us to recognize if our mind is going in the right direction.
Along with scriptural study, mantra meditation is also recommended. Mantra meditation shows us the how much resistant our mind is. During mantra meditation, we try to focus the mind. When the mind does not focus, we can notice where exactly the mind goes. Those objects where the mind goes represents your attachments. We need to work on those attachments.

To summarize, both scriptural study and mantra meditation are times when we come face to face with our mind. Using our intelligence, we should stop feeding the unhealthy habits. At the same time, we should engage ourselves in bhakti practices to purify ourselves. With this two-pronged approach, gradually those unhealthy habits will decrease.

(End of answer)