Befriending the Mind-Understanding the Mind- Its Role- Its own Character

Horse Riding,Archery

&Meditatio

nIn

Krishna Consciou

sness

The Big Picture (sādhana: leading straight to a goal , guiding well)

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body,

remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of

this there is no doubt.”

The Target: Complete Meditation at the Time of Death

The Bhagavad Gita

8.5anta-kale ca mam eva

smaran muktva kalevaram yah prayati sa mad-bhavam

yati nasty atra samsayah

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he

quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

Missing the mark: Transmigration of the Soul

The Bhagavad Gita

8.6yam yam vapi smaran bhavam

tyajaty ante kalevaram tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

“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.”

The Means of Support: Befriending the Mind

The Bhagavad Gita

6.6bandhur atmatmanas tasya

yenatmaivatmana jitah anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satru-vat

Intoxicated

Or

Untrained

Animal

Live life in

“Rodeo Consciousness”

Mind is like a Horse

Sober,

Trained

Mind

Greater maturity,

more focus

in life.

To this, add Transcendental

Knowledge.

Mind is like a Horse

“In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental

knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism… ”

Transcendental Knowledge

The Bhagavad Gita

4.38

Basics of Vedic psychology

Buddhi (Higher Mind / Intelligence)

Decide, judge, and make cognitive discriminations and differentiations.Gateway to Inner Wisdom.

Citta (Deep subconsious Memory)

Stores latent impressions and experiences.Produces random thought patterns when idle.

Manas (Lower Mind)

Interface between external sense perception and Intelligence.Questioning and doubting nature – becomes dangerous when the Intelligence is Clouded

The “Internal Factory” (antah-karana)

CONDITIONED SOUL: Ourselves

FULCRUM: Mind

SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTION: from the Great Teachers

Mind as an instrument of acquiring Transcendental Knowledge

Mind

Soul in a covered condition

Fixed in Firm Faith & Determination

Mind as an instrument of acquiring Transcendental Knowledge

Mind

Soul in a covered condition

Fixed in Firm Faith & Determination

Hearing Spiritual Instructions

Mind as an instrument of acquiring Transcendental Knowledge

Mind

Elevated Consciousness

Spiritual Instructions

Fixed in Firm Faith & Determination

Mind as an instrument of acquiring Transcendental Knowledge

The Power of Love

The Object of Meditation

-Personal or Impersonal?

God appears, and God is LightTo those poor souls who dwell in Night,But does a Human Form displayTo those who dwell in realms of Day.

- William Blake

To be in this World, but not of this World.

Home is where the Heart is.

The Maha-Mantra

Haré Krishna Haré

Krishna

Krishna Krishna Haré

Haré

Haré Rāma Haré Rāma

Rāma Rāma Haré Haré

Harā = Divine Energy

Krishna = All-attractive

Rāma = Ocean of Bliss