Help! My mind is a monkey.

The kind of world we see around us depends on the thoughts that our mind dwells on. Some thoughts produce negative feelings of fear, anger, jealousy, hatred, lust etc while other thoughts produce positive feelings of peace, happiness, love etc. Krishna says the following

Verse 6.5
uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah

A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

Verse 6.6
bandhur atmatmanas tasya
yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve
vartetatmaiva satru-vat

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.

I would like to invite comments on how to keep away thoughts that produce negative feelings from our minds.

Also Bhaktivedanta Book Trust gave us the permission of using Srila Prabhupada's "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" translations. I have added a link to Krishna.com on the right side as acknowledgment to them as per their requirement. I would like to thank them whole heartedly. Hare Krishna!

Have a Wonderful and a Happy day.

See what leads to what!

Dwelling on desirous thoughts is not good for anyone. Please look at the following verses from Bhagavad Gita where Krishna explains the sequence of events that take place while contemplating on the objects of the senses.

Verse 2.62
dhyayato visayan pumsah
sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah
kamat krodho 'bhijayate

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

Verse 2.63
krodhad bhavati sammohah
sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati

From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.

Please suggest any tips or tricks you know of so that we do not fall into this sequence.
Have a wonderful and a happy day !

Why should anyone read Bhagavad Gita?

I wanted to open up the discussion as to why should one read from Bhagavad Gita? Is it to learn from the teachings to live a happy, peaceful and purposeful life? Please send in your comments.

I would like to include a stanza from Bhaja Govindam composed by Adi Shankara.

bhagavad.h giitaa kiJNchidadhiitaa
gaNgaa jalalava kaNikaapiitaa .
sakRidapi yena muraari samarchaa
kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa .. (20)

Let a man read but a little from Gita, drink just a drop of water from the ganges, worship murari (govinda) just once. He then will have no altercation with Yama.

Well, I am not sure about water from the ganges :-) May be opening a bottle of AquaFina might be better!

Have a wonderful and a happy day !

Four types of people who approach Krishna

We wish all readers a Happy Sri Krishna Janmashtami !

Verse 7.16
catur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukrtino arjuna
arto jignasur artharthi
jnani ca bharatarsabha

Translation:
O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

Most tend to approach Krishna (or could be our ishta devata!) when we are in trouble and need help immediately or when we need wealth or material possessions (put $100 in hundi and try to get a bonus at your workplace for a much bigger amount!). Very few of us approach the Lord when we are not an "arthi" or an "artharthi". May be we should take up the role of "jignasi" or the inquisitive also sometimes and pray for not putting us in the "arthi" position. And jnani's will be very very rare ! Please post your thoughts and insights.

Note: I am trying to obtain permission from Krishna.com to use Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is translations in our posts. I left them a mail but their Store Live Help is closed for Janmashtami. I think they will not mind and if they say YES, we will put a link to Krishna.com in our blog so that interested people can purchase books and other materials from them.

Have a Happy and a Wonderful Day !

Prarthana

Namaste, Vanakkam, Namoshkar & Namaskaram !

Welcome to MyBhagavad Gita Blog. It is customary to start anything with a prayer in Hindu tradition. Ganesha is the scribe for Bhagavad Gita and is the destroyer of obstacles!

Sloka
Shuklam baradaram vishnum
sasi varnam chatur bhujam
prasanna vadanam dhayeth
sarva vighno upa shantahe

Another I could think of for Bhagavad Gita blog is,

Sloka
asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityorma amritam gamaya
Om, Shanti Shanti Shantihi

Lead me from the unreal to the real.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
Om, Peace Peace and let Peace prevail!

The third line is normally translated as "Lead me from death to immortality". But I would prefer to translate it as "Lead me from the cycle of samsara (birth and death) to Moksha/Nirvana"

Also, Let us not forget to remember the Guru of the Universe in the following sloka (which is the first from Krishnashtakam, just in case someone wants to know).

vasudevasutam dEvam kamsaChaNooraMardhanam (1)
DEvakeeParamAnandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

Please note that I will not be able to post to the blog not daily, but I will try to have at least one post every week. Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, questions, thoughts and concepts that you know of and think will help others who see this blog. To avoid spam I will have to moderate your comments and I will do it once everyday.

Have a wonderful and happy day!