Just as weapons of mass destruction can destroy thousands of bodies, weapons of mass distraction – the mass media – can destroy thousands of minds. Let’s see how.

All of us are innately pleasure-seeking. Usually, our search for pleasure is primarily driven by the mind, which searches almost exclusively at the material level. Our mind gets attracted to anything new that promises material pleasure, be it an event, object, person, concept or experience. However, the charm of newness surrounding that object soon fades, and the mind loses interest in it. It gets attracted to some other new thing, and when disappointed there, to yet another new thing. Thus, the mind stays in a default distraction mode. Our mass media with its multiple TV channels and innumerable internet sites increases manifold the avenues of distraction for the mind, thereby keeping us distracted aimlessly and endlessly. The mass media act as weapons of mass distraction that destroy our mental capacity for deep thought.

How can we protect ourselves from such distraction?

By absorption in Krishna.

The Bhagavad-Gita (10.41) points out that whatever attracts us in this world is a spark of Krishna’s splendor. As the things of this world are just sparks, their potential to hold our attraction is short-lived, and so we keep getting distracted from one thing to the next. As Krishna is the whole, his potential to hold our attention is infinite, and so our attraction to him can be ever-lasting.

Tragically however, even when we come in contact with Krishna, the mind stays in its default distraction mode and doesn’t let us become absorbed in him. We can end this distraction by using Gita wisdom to strengthen our intellectual conviction that absorption in him will deliver us internally far greater pleasure than all the pleasure that is alluring us externally.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Text 14

“O Kṛishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.”

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