In India, sometimes you find that there are some Devotional songs (Bhazans) that are made while copying the tunes of popular Boolywood songs. To the people, when they listen to such Devotional songs, often the original Boolywood song comes in their mind. Some don't like these type of Devotional songs (Bhazans), while some enjoy these very much & in rural India, such type of Devotional songs made on Tunes of Boolywood songs are very popular.
Now, why it is so that such Bhazans or any other type of Devotional songs are enjoyed by many people, while not liked by other people at all. Simple answer to it is that our mind always wanders outside in this world & always goes about the objects of the senses. Our mind always loves things of this outside world, be it the beautiful scenery, music, scent etc . but does not normally find joy in things or songs related to God. Our mind always believes in visible things of this world & somehow believes with difficulty in someone, who is invisible, just like the God or Soul which is so subtle that it is invisible through our gross human eyes. The other thing is that your mind finds joy in your family, relations, sons, daughters etc. & not in God who is invisibly sitting in your heart in a subtle way. Your mind rarely goes inside yourself & tries to find joy over there but always hankers in the outside world for the joy.
Last weekend, while going out for the dinner in my car, my 6 year old niece asked me to stop the devotional songs (bhazans) which were playing in my car & instead asked me to play the popular bollywood songs. That little girl listens daily to the popular bollywood songs on TV etc. & understands those type of songs only. Bhazans playing in my car were not understandable & enjoyed by her. It's O.K. for a child but for the grown ups like us, our mind shall find joy in the things of the God only when we shall have some devotion towards the God. God is sitting in our heart & the pure soul joy is there within each of us. If our mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in our heart, then only we shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than the joy of the senses of the outside world.
Now human mind is so stubborn that it shall not turn easily inwards as it is accustomed to the things of the outer world. Our mind always hankers in our daily affairs, in our family & in the things of this world & has no place for the God in our day to day life. It is only due to the stubborn nature of the mind that it refuses to move towards the God, if it is finding joy in the outside world. In fact "Mind" is very powerful one & to control it, is just like keeping in control a raging bull. It just wanders like the wind, here & there & it takes enough of self discipline & practice of meditation to control it. In Bhagwat Gita, nature of mind is beautifully described which is there in below verses:
As per "Arjuna" to "Lord Sri Krishna" in Bhagwat Gita Chapter Six verse 34:
"chanchalam hi manah krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)
"Arjuna said: For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, to control it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind."
"sri-bhagavan uvacha
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham chalam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
vairagyena cha grhyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)
"Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly that mind is very difficult to curb & is restless, but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to control it."
So, if we want to have some devotion in God & want "Peace of Mind", then we need to change the direction of our "Mind", from this world to the God sitting in our heart. Unless our "Mind" stops wandering in this world, it shall not find peace. Our Soul is the centre in our heart & unless our "Mind" turns toward that centre, it shall not find peace. Our "Mind" shall not find peace & joy, if it moves away from the "Soul center" in our heart & moves in the outside world. So if you want to find the joy, bliss & peace in your life, just turn your mind inwards towards the God, who is sitting in your heart invisibly. It is the promise of the God in Bhagwat Gita that He shall welcome anyone who shall come to Him & He shall always protect that person. So let's change the direction of our mind from the outside world to the God. As per the below verse, if we shall do so, then we shall reach the God & shall enjoy the Bliss, Peace, Joy & Eternal Love with Him.
God, Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita:
"Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I (Krishna) promise to you, for you are dear to me.
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)
"Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)
Now, why it is so that such Bhazans or any other type of Devotional songs are enjoyed by many people, while not liked by other people at all. Simple answer to it is that our mind always wanders outside in this world & always goes about the objects of the senses. Our mind always loves things of this outside world, be it the beautiful scenery, music, scent etc . but does not normally find joy in things or songs related to God. Our mind always believes in visible things of this world & somehow believes with difficulty in someone, who is invisible, just like the God or Soul which is so subtle that it is invisible through our gross human eyes. The other thing is that your mind finds joy in your family, relations, sons, daughters etc. & not in God who is invisibly sitting in your heart in a subtle way. Your mind rarely goes inside yourself & tries to find joy over there but always hankers in the outside world for the joy.
Last weekend, while going out for the dinner in my car, my 6 year old niece asked me to stop the devotional songs (bhazans) which were playing in my car & instead asked me to play the popular bollywood songs. That little girl listens daily to the popular bollywood songs on TV etc. & understands those type of songs only. Bhazans playing in my car were not understandable & enjoyed by her. It's O.K. for a child but for the grown ups like us, our mind shall find joy in the things of the God only when we shall have some devotion towards the God. God is sitting in our heart & the pure soul joy is there within each of us. If our mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in our heart, then only we shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than the joy of the senses of the outside world.
Now human mind is so stubborn that it shall not turn easily inwards as it is accustomed to the things of the outer world. Our mind always hankers in our daily affairs, in our family & in the things of this world & has no place for the God in our day to day life. It is only due to the stubborn nature of the mind that it refuses to move towards the God, if it is finding joy in the outside world. In fact "Mind" is very powerful one & to control it, is just like keeping in control a raging bull. It just wanders like the wind, here & there & it takes enough of self discipline & practice of meditation to control it. In Bhagwat Gita, nature of mind is beautifully described which is there in below verses:
As per "Arjuna" to "Lord Sri Krishna" in Bhagwat Gita Chapter Six verse 34:
"chanchalam hi manah krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)
"Arjuna said: For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, to control it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind."
"sri-bhagavan uvacha
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham chalam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
vairagyena cha grhyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)
"Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly that mind is very difficult to curb & is restless, but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to control it."
So, if we want to have some devotion in God & want "Peace of Mind", then we need to change the direction of our "Mind", from this world to the God sitting in our heart. Unless our "Mind" stops wandering in this world, it shall not find peace. Our Soul is the centre in our heart & unless our "Mind" turns toward that centre, it shall not find peace. Our "Mind" shall not find peace & joy, if it moves away from the "Soul center" in our heart & moves in the outside world. So if you want to find the joy, bliss & peace in your life, just turn your mind inwards towards the God, who is sitting in your heart invisibly. It is the promise of the God in Bhagwat Gita that He shall welcome anyone who shall come to Him & He shall always protect that person. So let's change the direction of our mind from the outside world to the God. As per the below verse, if we shall do so, then we shall reach the God & shall enjoy the Bliss, Peace, Joy & Eternal Love with Him.
God, Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita:
"Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I (Krishna) promise to you, for you are dear to me.
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)
"Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)
Peace is a gift,
ReplyDeleteIt is a gift we give to ourselves,
And then to each other.
Nikki
congratulations for a beautiful post :) it is certainly difficult to focus the mind on God, even once you know and feel it's the only way to connect with our true nature and stop suffering, for there are SO MANY distracting things here, and so diffucult for the mind to reject them... Anyway once you get in the road (the krishna road is the one I know) I've found myself latley thinkin about him more often... and trying to cook for him too :D
ReplyDeleteIt's hard, but it's all worth it for the beauty, peace, happinnes that is found when you sing to God surrounded by devotees :)
thanks for the blog and songs.
greetings from Argentina.