An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Thought For the Day

The Ultimate Self Realization Course

"Godhead is light. Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience."

Note: This is not written by artificial intelligence. It is
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An Idle Mind is the Devil's Workshop

16 May 2025

Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his book The Perfection of Yoga:

When a person is fully engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he is pleased in himself, and thus he is no longer engaged in sense gratification or in fruitive activities. Otherwise, one must be engaged in sense gratification, since one cannot live without engagement. It is impossible to cease all activity. As stated before, it is our nature as living entities to act. It is said, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." If we have no Kṛṣṇa conscious engagement, we will engage in sense gratification or fruitive activity. If a child is not trained or educated, he becomes spoiled .

Thus we should always see that our mind is engaged in a least one of the nine processes of Krishna consciousness, which are described as follows:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

"Hearing the glories of the Lord, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering worship in the temple, offering prayers, becoming a servant of the Lord, becoming the Lord’s friend, and sarvātma-nivedana, offering oneself fully at the lotus feet of the Lord—these are the nine devotional processes."

This will save us from the clutches of maya.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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Srila Prabhupada Stays Always Engaged In Krishna Consciousness

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Transcendental Reply

Hare Krishna Dear Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

I am facing a great challenge in overcoming the anartha of Lust ( sex desire) for almost 7 years now after taking to the process of Krishna consciousness.

I had occasional habit of watching adult content and masturbation before coming to Krishna Consciousness. But then I immediately I thought I gave up that habit due to strong association of devotees and higher taste of Krishna Consciousness for 2 years. But that desire came back again when I was weak in my spiritual practise after 2 years or so. After that that desire comes in and goes off ( in a year or so)and I do end up watching social media content which is sexually provoking. I got married and that sex desire sometimes I get it satisfied with my wife ( I know it is wrong we should have sex only for begetting Krishna Conscious child as per SP teachings and religious principles) but I have failed following that instruction. Maharaj, I had taken initiation 2 years back and refrained from watching any sexual stimulating contents as a vow to my Gurudev, but recently I again got caught up with social media content and ended watching adult content ( I know i have broken regulative principle of illicit sex). I feel very ashamed that I am not obedient to my Gurudev, he accepted me as his disciple although I am unqualified. I have sincere desire to give up this habit completely. This disease is like cancer which comes and goes away. I am fed up with it, it is big stumbling block for my service to Srila Prabhupada.

I also followed to recite the following verse. But when the sex thought comes mind doesn't allow me to think of this verse.

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt
tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

Kindly forgive me Maharaj for sending such an email.

I seek for your advise and blessings to overcome this disease. I am not able to understand what I should try do in this situation.

Your servant,
Anonymous

Answer

From: Austin, Texas USA

My Dear Anonymous,

Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

The 16 May Thought for the Day is especially written for you.
You have to find ways to keep your mind always absorbed
in Krishna. For example, when you get lusty thoughts sit down with a harmonium and sing the Hare Krishna mantra or bhajans even if you have to stay up all night in order to keep your mind free from Maya’s attack.

I hope this meets you in the best of health
and in a cheerful mood.

Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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My Spiritual Journey in a Nutshell

As an American youth I was taught to believe in the. "American dream": Study hard, get a good education and a good job to get a good wife some good kids in a good house to enjoy a good life. But when I got to college, I realized that this was not enough. I wanted to know what the meaning of life is, but no one could tell me. So, I took to the path of self-realization and was blessed in 1968 with the Hare Krishna mantra and the worship of Radha and Krishna. (I did not know about ISKCON.) This inspired me to drop out of college and renounce the world to become a holy beggar in India. But on the way to India, I realized that to renounce everything I had to ultimately renounce renunciation itself and accept something transcendental Thus I embraced the mission of delivering the world from chaos. For this purpose, I adopted the life a singer/songwriter who in 1969 became recognized and very much appreciated. In 1971, seeking spiritual perfection, I followed the example of Lord Jesus Christ and prayed to God how I could become His perfect servant. Then God revealed to me path of pure Krishna bhakti as taught by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. On the most auspicious day of 12 August 1971, he accepted me as his disciple. Now on his order and under his most expert guidance I have fully devoted my life for awakening pure love of God within my heart and for making the entire world Krishna conscious.

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