Gita3
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  • Welcome to Gita3 Online!
  • Copyright
  • The Inspiration
  • Gratitude
  • Introduction
  • The Battlefield of Life
  • Part One: Think Different
    • Think Different
    • 1. Leave the Problems | Learn from Problems
      • Hidden Stories
  • 2. Act First, Ask Later | Ask First, Act Later
    • Living or Existing?
  • 3. Spiritualists don't own | Spiritualists aren't owned
    • Spiritualising
  • 4. Know through study | Know through sincerity
    • Digesting Wisdom
  • 5. Be the Best | Try your Best
    • Circles of Life
  • 6. Train your Body | Train your Mind
    • Do Not Disturb
  • 7. See to Believe | Hear to See
    • Locating your Heart
  • 8. Live Before you Die | Die Before you Die
    • Your Memorial
  • 9. Ask God for your Wants | Give God what He Wants
    • Daily Prayers
  • 10. Can't See God Anywhere | Can See God Everywhere
    • Missing the Obvious
  • 11. Believe in Yourself | Believe in Krishna
    • Quietly Confident
  • 12. Make a 'To Do' List | Make a 'To Be' List
    • Practical Saintliness
  • 13. God is Far, Seated in Heaven | God is Near, Seated Within
    • Answer my Prayer
  • 14. The Wealthy Have the Most | The Wealthy Need the Least
    • The Balancing Act
  • 15. Pursue your Dreams | Discover the Reality
    • Frustrated Happiness
  • 16. I, Me, and Mine | We, Us, and Ours
    • Me to We
  • 17. Faith Opposes Knowledge | Faith Builds Knowledge
    • Building Faith
  • 18. Try To Be Happy | Try To Serve
    • From Selfish to Selfless
  • Summary | Think Different
  • PART 2: HOW TO
    • How to...
    • 1. How to Become Determined
      • My Mission
    • 2. How to Make Decisions
      • Decisions Decisions
    • 3. How to Overcome Temptation
      • A Battle Plan
    • 4. How to Find Purpose
      • Finding Purpose
    • 5. How to Become Successful
      • Building Blocks of Success
    • 6. How to Be Present
      • Mantra - Free the Mind
    • 7. How to Avoid Mistakes
      • Learning through Hearing
    • 8. How to Face Death
      • Life’s Change Agent
    • 9. How to Find Love
      • Loving Connections
    • 10. How to Perceive Beauty
      • Enjoy, Ignore or Engage?
    • 11. How to Detect Divinity
      • Connection Points
    • 12. How to Spiritually Progress
      • Spiritual Flow
    • 13. How to Find Freedom
      • Big Questions
    • 14. How to Avoid Burnout
      • Sattva Life
    • 15. How to Become Detached
      • Eternal Assets
  • 16. How to Change Outlook
    • True Lies
  • 17. How to Perfect Your Speech
    • Real Conversations
  • 18. How to Conquer Fear
    • Face your Fears
  • Summary | How To
  • PART 3: WHY NOT
    • Why not?
    • 1. “I don’t have the time.”
      • Killing Time
    • 2. “I already know all of this.”
      • Library for Life
    • 3. “I have so many duties to fulfil.”
      • Work as Worship
    • 4. “I’m not intelligent enough.”
      • Walk the Talk
    • 5. “I’d prefer to practically help the world.”
      • News of the World
    • 6. “I’m too active – I just can’t focus.”
      • The Yoga of Writing
    • 7. “I trust science and fact, not spirituality and faith."
      • Faith Issues
    • 8. “I'll do it in the future.”
      • Enemies of Growth
    • 9. “I don’t follow organised religion."
      • Mechanics of Spirituality
    • 10. “I don’t experience God – I’ve never seen Him”
      • Time for God
  • 11. "I have too many difficulties in my life"
    • Digesting Life
  • 12. “I will lose all my friends.”
    • Best Friends
  • 13. “I’m already happy.”
    • Hierarchy of Needs
  • 14. "I have too many bad habits"
    • Four a Day
  • 15. “I’ll lose my ambition and won’t be successful."
    • Chasing Dreams
  • 16. “I see religion causes more problems.”
    • Spiritual Solutions
  • 17. “I’ve seen too much hypocrisy in religion.”
    • The Truth about Lying
  • 18. “I don’t want to be forced.”
    • 12 months, 12 goals!
  • Summary | Why Not
  • APPENDIX
    • Bhakti: The Yoga of Love
    • The Author
    • Wisdom that Breathes
    • Read the Bhagavad-gita As It Is Online
    • Support this work
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  • “A transcendentalist should always engage his body, mind and self in relationship with the Supreme; he should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and feelings of possessiveness.” (Bhagavad-Gita 6.10)
  • References
  1. PART 3: WHY NOT

6. “I’m too active – I just can’t focus.”

The complexity of modern civilisation is mind-boggling, causing us all, monks included, to complicate our lives in order to keep up. It’s a far cry from the villages of bygone ages where people moved much slower and spiritual culture was woven into the fabric of day-to-day life. The chaotic environment relentlessly bombards our consciousness, generating a myriad of agitations and provocations. “I’ll never be able to spiritually connect,” some people say, “I’m too energetic, active, and restless – I struggle to sit quietly for even five minutes!”

Arjuna is on the same page as us, while Krishna is one step ahead. In Chapter Six, the consummate warrior, equipped to battle anyone or anything, admits his powerlessness in contending with his own formidable mind. He says his mind is uncontrollably flickering (cancalam), agitated (pramarthi), powerful (balavad) and stubborn (drdham). “To control the mind,” Arjuna concludes, “is more difficult than controlling the wind!” Most of us living in the urban jungle are faced with the same predicament.

Some posit that meditation is out of the question, though in reality it’s an indispensable necessity! We need to revisit the logic. You don’t cure your disease and then go to the hospital. You don’t fill your belly and then visit a restaurant. You don’t get fit and then signup to the gym. These places and activities are actually there to help you achieve your goal! In the same way, the reason we factor in spiritual stillness, sometimes forcibly, is because it’s the only way to cure our chronic restlessness. If someone comes to me and says “My life is so chaotic that I can't meditate for even ten minutes,” then I look at them and reply, “For you, meditation is prescribed for twenty minutes!”

Krishna is not suggesting we turn away from being active, energetic and driven. He instead recommends that we direct our energies in the most effective and efficient way, and to do that requires scheduled times of non-activity and contemplation. An archer’s goal is to hit the target as quick and powerfully as possible. Ironically, the first movement is to pull the arrow away from the target. It may seem antithetical, but that backward motion allows one to generate more power, pinpoint the aim, and seize the most opportune moment to unleash the energy.

When we sit down to meditate, a million thoughts may whizz through the mind, impelling us to jump into action! There may be doubts and uncertainties about situations, friction in relationships, worries and concerns about issues, excitement and anticipation about future opportunities. The mind is a busy place!

We remind ourselves that everything in life is perfectly resolved by deepening our spirituality. The problem is not other people – it’s often our own lack of tolerance, empathy and sensitivity. The problem is not the situation that surrounds us – it’s our inner rigidity, stubbornness and lack of broader vision. All our aspirations and dreams can be fulfilled beyond our wildest imagination, but only after we fine tune our motivations and shelve our selfish agendas. Everything is achieved through spiritual purity, and spiritual purity comes from determined, focused spiritual practice. After we meditate, perspectives change, and life looks much different.

References

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