Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.44
Mukti· LiberationFix the Mind Through Holy Names
“After sitting on your seat, practice the three kinds of breathing exercises, and thus gradually control the life air, the mind and the senses. Completely free yourself from all material contamination, and with great patience begin to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Breathing exercises are meant to control the fickle, wandering mind. For the present age, the purport recommends fixing the mind directly on the Lord’s lotus feet by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
- The Lord’s holy names are not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Continued chanting naturally absorbs the mind in thought of Him.
- Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spiritual master, helping from within as the Supersoul and from without through the spiritual master. The goal of meditation is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within.
Try this today
Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for two minutes, listening carefully to the sound and thinking of the Lord’s lotus feet.
Ask yourself
When my mind wanders, how can I patiently return it to the Lord’s holy names?
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.