Suppose we are walking on a street, wearing earphones that deafen us to all external sounds. We would be in danger especially if a large vehicle comes behind us. To be deafened is to be endangered.

This principle applies to our life at large, wherein our mind acts like an earphone. When we strive to live a principle-centered life, dangers come to us in the form of temptations. Our indwelling guide, Krishna, alerts us to such dangers by speaking through the voice of our conscience. However, we frequently can’t hear his voice because our mind acts as a blocking earphone. The mind is captivated by the world’s illusions and is filled with schemes based on its illusory ideas. Being thus infatuated, it makes us hear its own voice and blocks out Krishna’s voice.

In fact, the mind endangers us not just spiritually but also materially. How? Because it deafens us even to the body. For example, when we eat, and eat adequately, our body signals enough. However, if the mind finds some food delicious, it goads us to eat more and more. And we end up obese, lethargic, prone to various maladies. Sometimes people eat so much that their body throws up what they have eaten. Yet despite suffering such indignity, sometime later, their mind misleads them to again overeat.

The Bhagavad-gita (06.06) cautions that as long as the mind is uncontrolled, it is our enemy. To protect ourselves, we need to remember the mind’s potential inimicality and stop hearing it submissively. Instead, we need to diligently hear Krishna through his external manifestation as scripture. When we gradually become attuned to him, we can hear him internally too.

Equipped thus with both external and internal check to the mind’s voice, we can act in our best interests.

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