By meditating on God, we not only purify ourselves, but also qualify to get His blessings
Electrical short-circuits can cause fire in a house. Similarly, the misuse of your mind and intelligence can destroy your life. let me explain. What are the functions of a mindIJ These are: Thinking, feeling and willing. Such thinking is supposed to be positive and constructive. Instead, we entertain negative feelings like fear, sickness, death, loss, defeat, lustful enjoyment, etc. These negativities disturb the immunity system of our bodies. Aren’t most mental diseases the result of such faulty thinkingIJ Don’t we get in trouble due to our bad thoughtsIJ We worry about self, family, money, career and so on. And we are prepared to break rules in order to achieve them. Some of us are even ready to sin. Thus getting obsessed with whatever is dear to us hurts us.
The use of intelligence is no better. We keep on finding ways and means to achieve faulty goals, which take us backwards. All these go on throughout the life. Is it not ironic that we use intelligence for hurting ourselves rather than advancing our causeIJ
What should we do to prevent the misuse of these precious instrumentsIJ TheBhagavad Gita has the answer. lord Krishna states, “Fix your mind on Me only.” Fixing the mind on God means meditating on Him. By doing this, we not only purify ourselves, but also qualify to get many kinds of help from Him, like intuitions. Mind also gets controlled, which otherwise is almost impossible to handle. One becomes peaceful and can concentrate better on whatever one is doing.
Similarly, engaging ourselves in all matters divine pleases God. The Bhagavad Gita again shows the way. lord Krishna instructs, “If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then desire to attain Me by the practice of yoga.” This means doing spiritual practices like chanting God’s names. The lord continues, “In case you are unable to do this practice also, then be in My service; do acts to please Me. You shall also achieve perfection while doing acts for Me.” And what are those actsIJ “Spreading my teachings,” says the lord. “He, who shall preach this supreme secret knowledge amongst My devotees, by doing this highest devotion towards Me, shall undoubtedly attain Me only,” confirms Krishna.
He gives another option, “If you are unable to become dependent upon My yoga, and unable to do even this, then try to give up the fruits of all acts by becoming self-controlled.” Giving up the fruits of all acts means sacrificing them, which is the opposite of lusty enjoyment. The lord continues in the same vein, “Develop My consciousness; become my devotee; make sacrifices for Me; and, offer obeisance to Me. Then you shall attain Me. leaving all duties, take My shelter only.”
Yes, it is difficult to make the switch. But keeping in mind the benefits of doing so, it can be done. let us be cautioned that the mind and, consequently, the senses and even the intelligence are much too powerful for us to control. We need God’s help in doing so. Else, we should be prepared to suffer short-circuits, that is, mental and body pains.
The writer is a Delhi-based spiritual writer
