Handholds for a busy mind

kathaṃ vidyāmahaṃ yogiṃstvāṃ sadā paricintayankeṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyo’asi bhagavanmayā

How shall I know you, master of yoga, thinking of you always? In which forms, Lord, should I hold you in mind?

What it means

Arjuna calls Krishna master of yoga, the path that joins us to the divine. Then he asks a practical question. He cannot sit in meditation forever. So in what things should he remember Krishna? This sets up the list that follows, a guide for seeing the sacred in ordinary sight.

The story

Arjuna knows the coming days will be chaos. Dust, noise, confusion. He wants handholds, things he can see in the middle of it all that will bring Krishna back to mind. It is a soldier's question, and a seeker's.

In your life

A paramedic tapes a small photo of her children inside her locker, so she sees it between calls. Today, choose one everyday object that will remind you of what matters most.