Over the last year and a half, we all are being advised to keep clean and build immunity to stay safe from COVID. However, health is not exclusive to physical cleanliness that is visible to the naked eye, it is inclusive of mental and intellectual strength.

We may keep our body super clean, but if we are mentally afraid that something would hurt us – we are not considered fully clean, i.e. we have ‘dirt (fear)’ in our mind making us vulnerable to ailments.

We may be completely fearless in mind but if we are not able to make proper decisions – we are still not considered fully clean, i.e. we have ‘dirt (lack of clarity)’ in our intellect making us vulnerable to ailments.

How can we free ourselves from such ‘dirt’ in mind and intellect?

Mind is the faculty of thought leading to choices. Intellect is the faculty of knowledge leading to decision-making. We can clean mind only by thinking right. We can clean intellect only through good knowledge.

About Cleaning Mind

What does it mean to think right and how can I begin doing it?

Any thought that goes beyond the mortal body and is beneficial to others and is relatively long-lasting is a good thought. When your thought is not encapsulating the bigger picture, the consequence is a series of choices that are not comprehensive and holistic in nature.

As Sri Krushna was delivering the greatest of the upade:sas, Bhagavad Gi:tha, He states that annam, food that one consumes goes into the making of mind. It gives the energy needed for the mind to function. Thus, eating food that is naturally grown and realizing it to be given by the supreme power gives the required strength to the mind.

anna:th bha:vanthi bhu:tha:ni parjanya:d anna sambhvaha |
yajna:th bha:vathi parjanyo: yajnah karma samudbhavaha ||
every being gets energy from food
food grows upon timely rains
rains result when everyone exercises their activities as yajna
an activity becomes a yajna when one performs it with the right perception/thought

The solid foods we eat get processed and broken into three parts.

  • The crudest portion of the solid foods get excreted as solid waste
  • The medium base portion of the solid foods is used for forming skin, flesh, nerves, etc – the hardware of the body
  • The subtle (the core) portion of the solid foods is used in the making of the mind

Similarly, the subtle part of the liquid foods is used in the making of pra:na shakthi, life energy. The subtle part of semi-solid foods like ghee, oil are used in the making of va:k shakthi, ability to talk.

About Cleaning Intellect

What does good knowledge mean and where do I get this from?

The knowledge that depicts who you are, what is prakruthi, and who is the controller of the entire existence is good knowledge, prajna. It is called good knowledge, prajna because it is only this knowledge that can help you make the right decisions. All other knowledge is the knowledge that can help you to probably make a living, but not make your life.

Bhagavad Ramanujacharya and the lineage of gurus have always put sharing good knowledge above all so that we all can reap the benefit and lead a worthy life.

– From the discourse of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 2nd September, ERR Garden, Khamman

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