Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.1.18
Mukti· LiberationEngage the Mind in Loving Service
“Gradually, as the mind becomes progressively spiritualized, withdraw it from sense activities, and by intelligence the senses will be controlled. The mind too absorbed in material activities can be engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead and become fixed in full transcendental consciousness.”
What the purport teaches
- Breathing control and even samādhi do not necessarily control a materially absorbed mind. Memories of past sense enjoyment can still disturb self-realization.
- The assured next step is to fix the mind in service to the Personality of Godhead. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, recommends this direct process.
- Hearing, chanting and other devotional activities engage the mind in transcendental loving service. Under proper guidance, this is the surest path of progress, even for a disturbed mind.
Try this today
Spend five minutes attentively hearing or chanting about the Lord, gently returning your attention whenever it wanders.
Ask yourself
How could I engage my distracted mind in the Lord’s service rather than merely trying to stop its thoughts?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.