Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.23.42
Ūti· What drives us to actThe Mind Perpetuates Material Happiness and Distress
“The brāhmaṇa said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life.”
What the purport teaches
- The brāhmaṇa declared that these people were not the cause of his happiness and distress.
- He also rejected the demigods, his body, the planets, past work and time as their cause.
- He identified the mind alone as the cause of happiness and distress. It is the mind that keeps the cycle of material life turning.
Try this today
When one upsetting thought arises today, pause and notice the mind’s response before blaming another person.
Ask yourself
When I blame others for my distress, what role is my mind playing?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.