bbtirtha - Audio

How to Suppress Evil Thoughts?

Harikatha, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

Srila Gurudev explains how by following the advice of Sri Krishna we can suppress the evil thoughts and enhance the flow of good thoughts about serving the Supreme Lord. He quotes the question posed by Arjun to Krishna on how to control the mind and explains Krishna’s advice in this regard.

For a neophyte, in the first stage there is a kind of fight, you have to struggle to suppress the evil thoughts. When evil thoughts come you have to suppress them. Krishna has advised in Gita, when Arjun said to Krishna,

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 6.34)

“O Krishna, the mind is restless, obstinate and very strong. I think to subdue it is more difficult than controlling the wind.”

It is very difficult to control the mind. It is more restless than the wind.

Here, what Krishna has said,

asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 6.35)

“O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by practice and detachment.”

I agree it is very difficult but you are mahā-bāho. If one is sincere, Supreme Lord and His Grace Incarnate Form will come at his back, and impossible will become possible. He is equal to all. Those who surrender to Him, He comes to help them. He also sends His Grace Incarnate Form, so there is no fear about it but you should be sincere. When evil thought come, you try to serve by suppressing it, but again you may do some wrong things. But when it will come again (i.e. the bad thought) it will come with less momentum. When you try to suppress it, momentum will be less. When you suppress it, its momentum will be less. And gradually, gradually it will be removed. When good thoughts come, you have to encourage and at that time you have to worship as much as you can. Now when you get the mentality of renunciation and perform bhajan, you do it because it will not remain for all time, again evil thoughts will come. When evil thoughts come and envelop you, that time you will not be able to perform bhajan like previous times, but when the force of desire to serve comes again, it will come with double force. In this way ultimately evil thoughts will be suppressed and good thoughts will prevail. In this way it will happen gradually.