Why does Mind roam while Japa or Chant?
Concept: Puri Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj
Very often when we do Japa or Puja, why does our mind get distracted?
It is mentioned by Bhishma Ji in Shanti Parva of Mahabharata that distraction of Mind during any Dhyana (concentration) is an indication of success and not a failure. This may seem strange to Distraction of mind during the time of Dhyana or Japa of Bhagwan or chanting the name of Bhagwan or chanting of Mantra is the first step towards success.
If some room is not at all cleaned for four months and when a person starts cleaning it with the broom, it is natural that the dust cloud will fill the room. Is that success or failure? If a person feels nervous that dust should not enter his nose or eyes, then sprinkle water over there and clean with a broom made of coconut hairs, then the dust will not go into eyes or nose and dust will also flow along with.
The Sanskars (impressions) are accumulated with us for so many births. When we do Japa of Bhagwan or Mantra, then it takes us in another direction. When we go around that turn, like a motorcycle or car then some tweak is certainly experienced. Similarly, the dust accumulated on Mind in form of impressions rises at the time of Japa. Those were attached to consciousness, they intend to rise and get destroyed and this should be considered as a success.
‘Vinay Patrika’ is written by Goswami Tulsidas Ji; Hanuman Prasad Poddar Ji has translated it and is published from Gita Press. ‘Soor Vinay Patrika’ is also published by Gita Press. The stanza which you feel depicts indicates a true picture of your life, recite and sing that in isolation in front of your Ishta Deva. Manu Smriti has got one principle that if something is sung in a higher pitch or doing Bhajan, the realm of Mind, gets quiet and while singing the name of Bhagwan, slowly the Mind starts getting quiet.
Shiv Ji has unique characterization, “Umaa Raam Svabhaav Jehi Jaanaa, Taahi Bhajan Taji Bhav Na Aanaa.” When the mind slowly gets the taste of Bhajan, then it can’t remain without doing Bhajan. At first, it gets distracted; afterward, it can’t remain without it. Let me tell you a strange anecdote. In those days until the child was 5 years, they were not sent to school, as they are not mature enough. Children being sent to school before the age of 5, it is a tragedy for the nation. Until 5 years, Chanakya has written “Lalyet Pancha Varshani”. Let them play until the age of 5. Their mind will get developed.
I am saying a tale from Puri Shankaracharya's childhood. He must have been about 6 years; he was the only child in the house. The elder brother came from Delhi who was a physician somewhere. The elder brother inquired about Acharya’s admission to a school. The elder sister and uncle said, “No, he just plays around.” Acharya’s elder brother called their neighbor. Acharya still remembers, both of them caught and took him to school. Playing-child was in a bad situation. He was crying a lot, Acharya cried badly and shouted:” let me play, I don’t want to go to school.” They took him to school by force and got him admitted. After 2–3 months, he got so engrossed in studies that in Standard one itself, Acharya used to study till midnight and then again after getting up at 5 AM.
Till today, Acharya often starts writing his works even when traveling on the train. On average, he reads 6 hours minimum every day. People who stay close know about this. It is due to the habit of reading a lot. That was that one day of crying when he felt that he was being taken to hang and then one day, his family members started thought studying day and night he might become mad. Similar is the case with the taste of Bhajan.
Let me give you another example. Acharya was younger when in Vrindavan and he was not on this designation. Someone gave him sugarcane and a monkey was watching it. Monkey’s small baby climbed from a neem tree and started making noise. Acharya got to know that monkey was asking for sugarcane. He gave him a small piece and the monkey started having it with much joy because Acharya gave him on his own and the monkey didn’t have to snatch it.
That monkey ate it and threw the remains there. Then the next day, around the same time, that monkey came again from the same neem tree and started asking for sugarcane. Acharya told monkey; that was now in his stomach and there was no more. Then he climbed up that tree and brought a stick from the tree and started enacting and telling Here is learning from this monkey. Monkey had got the taste of sugarcane and came around the same time waving his tail. When Bhajan is done regularly for a few days you can feel similar.
When you use eye drops medicine for your eyes, the eyes start asking for that. If you don’t put the drops, you will feel itching in your eyes. Eyes get the habit of medicine too. So, till the time you don’t get the habit of Bhajan, till then not listening to your mind, you should remain engaged in Bhajan. Abhyaasaadramate Yatra Dukhanta Cha Nigacchti 18:36 Bhagwat Gita.
While practicing for this, you will get the benefit of Rasa (taste). It is Rasa of Bhagwan, Rasa of the name of Bhagwan. If you recite the name of Bhagwan for around 7–8 months, then in isolation you will have tears of love towards him and then you can know that Bhajan has entered within you. There is another secret but visible as well. Before deep sleep, if you take the name of Bhagwan for about 10–15 minutes in your mind or in a slow voice, then you sleep with that Bhajan for the next 5–6 hours. The sleep will become deeper and deeper; the Bhajan will get into the system. The effect of that Bhajan will be with you, even in an awakened state, the mind will get directed towards Bhagwan on its own.
Narayana !!!
