Is there any quick way to control the mind?

Transcription: Sudha Mehta Mataji

Question: Is there any quick way to control the mind?

Answer: Yes it is by becoming Krishna conscious. Now we may say there no quick way to become Krishna conscious. However becoming Krishna consciousness is not a matter of something that is quick or slow. It is a matter of choice moment after moment. So if we make the choice to be Krishna conscious at every moment then as a by product of that being Krishna consciousness the mind will come under control. It is no doubt true that making the choice to be Krishna conscious will be easy at times and will be difficult at times. In the initial stages of our spiritual life it may be more difficult because we have been habituated to being un Krishna conscious for a long time or Krishna unconscious for a long time. However the more we make this choice the easier it will be to control the mind. So then we can also think of ways in which we can make this choice easier for ourselves. So by situating our self in a devotional culture where the un Krishna conscious choices are not readily available then it becomes easier for us to choose Krishna and relatively more difficult for us to choose Krsne tara anything apart from Krishna i.e  maya. So by consciously observing which activities enable us to be Krishna Conscious and then doing those activities more and overall taking the process of Krishna consciousness as potent medical therapy then we can stick to Krishna conscious steadily and rapidly control our mind. If we practice Krishna conscious just because it feels good then we will stop practicing it when we feel good and then we will let ourselves during those time when we slow or stop our Krishna conscious practices let ourselves go back into the influence of Maya and that’s why its best that we take things one at a time and moment to moment we try to be Krishna conscious, and moment to moment try as much as possible to make the choices that will enable us to be Krishna conscious and in this way we can control the mind. Actually speaking we need to understand that we have been having chronic disease and curing a chronic disease takes time and the wonderful thing about Krishna consciousness is that the medicines starts having its effect immediately although the over complete cure may take time but to the extent (of) to the extent to which we are Krishna Conscious even at the sadhaka stage that means even where we are patient trying to be healed even at that stage mind will stay controlled. Actually there is control of the mind and there is conquest of the mind. Conquest of mind will happen when we have become pure. But even when we are not yet pure we can have control of the mind by consciously and constantly choosing to be Krishna conscious

tani sarvani sayyamya

yukta asita mat-parah

vase hi yasyendriyani

tasya prajna pratishthita

So in 2.61 Krishna talks about three stages.

2.61 a talks about tani sarvani sayyamya so the first line is A second line is B Sayamya is control restraint and then with restraint the senses want to go here and there mind wants to go here and we restrain it yukta asita mat-parah we fix it on Krishna and then after that when we do this when we restrain our mind and fix it on Krsna by a moment to moment choice then over a period of time

vase hi yasyendriyani senses will come under our control Vashe senses will come under control include mind the mind is the chief of senses indriyanam manas casmi – Bhagwad Gita Chapter 10 Text 22.Among the senses I am the mind. The mind is the most powerful of all the senses then we will conquer the mind there is a progression and we can move rapidly along that progression by consciously being Krishna conscious as a matter of choice moment to Moment. Thank you