When we are attracted to something, we naturally think of it and even mentally live with it. Cricket lovers, for example, often live in their own mental world of cricket. In spiritual life, this principle that contemplation reflects attraction can help us discern our attachments – we just need to observe where our mind goes by default.

The converse principle that contemplation naturally results in attraction is also true. For example, someone on being exposed to cricket mania may become cricket-mad. While this principle of contemplation resulting in attraction is universal, its fullest potency is unleashed when applied to Krishna because he is supremely attractive. Moreover, unlike sentient things, he already loves us and wants us to love him.

The Bhagavad-gita, while discussing various levels of bhakti practice (12.08-12), outlines how seekers who don’t yet have steady attachment to Krishna can develop such attachment. It (12.09) states that by repeatedly practicing and striving to fix our mind on Krishna, we can attain a desire for him. That desire is attachment to Krishna in seed form – when nourished by disciplined contemplation on him, it will blossom into a powerful attachment to him.

By just observing where our mind goes, we may well become disheartened to see how infrequently it goes spontaneously towards Krishna and how frequently it goes automatically towards worldly objects. To avoid such disheartenment, we can instead reflect that wherever we make the mind go, it will eventually develop a taste for that – and this applies all the more so to all-attractive Krishna. With this reflection, we can muster the determination to push the mind towards Krishna diligently. And we will gradually find ourselves steadily relishing the higher happiness of absorption in him.

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