SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 6 Text 6
bandhur atmatmanas tasya
yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve
vartetatmaiva satru-vat

bandhuh--friend; atma--the mind; atmanah--of the living entity; tasya--of him; yena--by whom; atma--the mind; eva--certainly; atmana--by the living entity; jitah--conquered; anatmanah--of one who has failed to control the mind; tu--but; satrutve--because of enmity; varteta--remains; atma eva--the very mind; satru-vat--as an enemy.

TRANSLATION

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

JOURNAL:

I like to play folk music. If I want to learn something new than I have to go through the unpleasant process of learning it. My finger tips will ache as I try to teach them where I want them to go on the fretboard. My mind will scream at me for a break from the memorizing of new words. But, in the end, I know it will all be worth it when I bring out the new song and show it to another.

In much the same way I practice my japa in the hope that when temptation comes my mind will be easily brought under control and I will turn to the Lord and His Names. As Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport; Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. Turning away may not be easy, and might be painful, but it is all worth it when I pick up my beads the next morning. Then my japa becomes a new song, incorporates a new verse that I learned during yesterday's trial.