A monk is a person who is living life of celibacy and practicing spirituality in monastery to again higher goal in life. A common word for monk is 'Sanyaasi'. According to vedic tradition Sanyaasi lives in jungles, hardly wear a clothes, eat fruits and berry and lives a simple life. But not necessarily according to Bhagavad Gita Sanyaasi lives in jungles, Lord Krishna has made the Varnasrama system, that doesn't depend on one's birth and externality. Lord Krishna has made this distinction on the basis of one's qualities and inclinations, so although one may be a householder but if he is living life of a dedication in service to God he is a Sanyaasi or monk because he knows what's the aim of human life is? What should he do to attain the highest perfection of human life? And he preaches about the ultimate truth to common being who are unaware of this goal of life. One must follow such a devotee of Lord who may be a householder or renunciate to perfect his life.
On the other side we have monkey, who also stays in jungles, eats fruits and berries, hardly wear the clothes but in the mind he is constantly thinking of she monkey to have enjoyment, so apparently both monk and monkey looks the same and lives a similar lifestyle but aim is completely different, monk is abstaining from sense gratification but monkey is hovering over sense gratification thoughts, also monkey is flickering in nature similar to mind, that's why mind is also sometimes called as monkey. Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita gives the detailed description of mind's nature, he say, mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, very strong and very difficult to control. Krishna also tells in Gita whoever follows unconquered mind he is doomed, conquered mind is best of friend but uncontrolled mind is worst enemy. So its a duty of person who want to attain the highest perfection of human life, that is love of God he must try to control the mind with regulative principles of sadhana bhakti. One of the way to control the mind is to walk on the path given by monk( self realised person). We should not believe and follow our monkey like mind while practicing spirituality.
In Bhagavatam a brahmana named Avanti says that, "no one is cause of my happiness and distress, neither are demigods, my own body, the planets, the past work, or time. Rather it is mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life." So it's important to follow and take help of a monk(devotees of God) to control the monkey like mind and achieve the success in spiritual life.
Article by Rupesh Gauranga dasa
On the other side we have monkey, who also stays in jungles, eats fruits and berries, hardly wear the clothes but in the mind he is constantly thinking of she monkey to have enjoyment, so apparently both monk and monkey looks the same and lives a similar lifestyle but aim is completely different, monk is abstaining from sense gratification but monkey is hovering over sense gratification thoughts, also monkey is flickering in nature similar to mind, that's why mind is also sometimes called as monkey. Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita gives the detailed description of mind's nature, he say, mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, very strong and very difficult to control. Krishna also tells in Gita whoever follows unconquered mind he is doomed, conquered mind is best of friend but uncontrolled mind is worst enemy. So its a duty of person who want to attain the highest perfection of human life, that is love of God he must try to control the mind with regulative principles of sadhana bhakti. One of the way to control the mind is to walk on the path given by monk( self realised person). We should not believe and follow our monkey like mind while practicing spirituality.
In Bhagavatam a brahmana named Avanti says that, "no one is cause of my happiness and distress, neither are demigods, my own body, the planets, the past work, or time. Rather it is mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life." So it's important to follow and take help of a monk(devotees of God) to control the monkey like mind and achieve the success in spiritual life.
Article by Rupesh Gauranga dasa
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