Internal Auditing - Body,Mind and Beyond -The Struggle of Mental Focus in Spirituality - Series - 8

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How to Focus Your Mind on God?

The Struggle of Mental Focus in Spirituality

For seekers on the spiritual path, one of the greatest challenges is sustaining unwavering focus on God. Despite knowing that divine devotion leads to the highest fulfillment, the mind often wavers. 

The intellect understands the importance of spirituality, yet distractions such as entertainment, responsibilities, and worldly pleasures divide attention.

This is precisely why Lord Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita, provides an essential directive: Surrender both your mind and intellect to me. True spiritual immersion requires not just external rituals, but inner transformation—where both mental engagement and intellectual conviction align with divine wisdom.

Why Must We Offer Our Intellect to God?

The intellect governs our beliefs, priorities, and choices. If one’s intellect values wealth as the source of happiness, life revolves around accumulating riches. 

If status and prestige are perceived as fulfilling, the mind relentlessly pursues power. However, if one’s intellect recognizes that true fulfillment lies in God, then devotion becomes the central focus.

Krishna urges us: Surrender your intellect to me. But what does this mean?

Seeking Higher Wisdom: Learning from Experts

In worldly matters, we recognize when our own intellect is insufficient and seek guidance from experts.

• In legal matters, individuals consult experienced lawyers. They trust the lawyer’s intellect, follow instructions, and secure favorable outcomes.
• In medical concerns, patients rely on doctors with years of expertise, surrendering their intellect to professional advice for healing.

Similarly, the intellect alone cannot grasp divine truth unless it is guided by higher wisdom. Just as we entrust experts in specific fields, Krishna advises us to entrust divine knowledge to steer our intellect in the right direction.

The Three Defects of the Conditioned Intellect

In the materially conditioned state, human intellect is inherently flawed—no matter how intelligent one may be. In his Yoga Darshana, Maharishi Patanjali identifies fundamental defects, which the Bhagavad Gita simplifies into three major reversals that distort perception:

1. Mistaking the Temporary for the Permanent
• Human intellect falsely ascribes permanence to temporary things—wealth, possessions, relationships—forgetting that all material acquisitions are fleeting. Despite knowing that nothing is carried beyond death, individuals continue chasing worldly desires as if they are eternal.
2. Misidentification with the Body
• Just as a car driver should not identify themselves as the vehicle, humans mistakenly identify themselves as their physical body, ignoring the reality of the eternal soul. While the body inevitably perishes, the true self—the Atman—transcends material existence.
3. Pursuing Happiness in Illusions

• People chase desires believing they will bring happiness, yet these desires often lead to suffering. Like running toward a mirage, external fulfillment remains elusive, leaving individuals trapped in an endless cycle of longing and discontent.

Breaking Free from Intellectual Illusions

The good news? These defects are not permanent. Krishna teaches that by surrendering the intellect to divine wisdom, one can reorient perception, overcoming these distortions and achieving true clarity.

Transforming the Mind Through Conscious Spiritual Practice

Many believe enlightenment is attained only after divine intellect is granted, but Krishna reassures seekers that the transformation can begin today.

Two essential steps:

1. Align the intellect with divine knowledge.
2. Act accordingly in daily life.

When the intellect follows higher wisdom, actions automatically align with spiritual truth. A purified intellect naturally directs the mind toward devotion, making spiritual immersion effortless.

Practical Steps to Focus the Mind on God

1. Cultivate Devotional Awareness
• Instead of mere physical rituals, emphasize mental absorption—let every thought be infused with divine consciousness.
2. Chant the Name of God
• Engage in continuous self-talk by chanting divine names with each breath. Saints prescribe this as a simple yet profound method to center the subconscious in devotion.
3. Visualize Divine Presence
• Like Saint Ravidas, who saw the Ganga manifest wherever he was, cultivate mental pilgrimage—recognizing that spiritual realization is independent of physical location.
4. Apply Divine Wisdom in Daily Actions

• Beyond prayer and meditation, integrate spiritual principles into everyday decisions, ensuring that both the mind and intellect remain surrendered to God.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Path to Divine Absorption

To fully focus the mind on God, both mental engagement and intellectual conviction must be transformed.

• The mind must detach from distractions and anchor itself in divine consciousness.
• The intellect must be guided by higher wisdom, ensuring that every thought and action aligns with spiritual realization.

Once the mind and intellect are fully surrendered, spiritual realization unfolds effortlessly. Krishna’s teachings serve as a timeless beacon, guiding seekers toward inner purification, deeper devotion, and ultimate union with the Divine.

Warm regards.

.......To be continued