Is not being disturbed amidst problems indicative of apathy or of bhakti?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, if, you know, suppose we have big problems, but say by positive thinking, we have in the past dealt with the problems. And now, after coming to bhakti, we don’t feel much worried about it.
Although there are serious problems, and others feel more worried about us and our problem than we feel worried. And then, still the problems do get solved eventually. Say some arrangement of Krishna or whatever.
Then is it that how do I see my not getting worried about problems? Is it that I become lazy and irresponsible? Or is it that I become so advanced that I am depending on Krishna completely? Or how do I see this? Actually, all of us have an individual nature. And we have to find out the way we best function. Some people, for example, say somebody has to study a late night, you know, they will be like a wrestler, you know, pull up their sleeves, as if they go into a fighting mood.
They literally, I am going to do a night out now, I am going to study all night. Others, they may just, they may not have to do all those externals. So, it depends on person to person how we can function the best.
So, if you have found that by not worrying too much about the problem, you are able to do what it takes to deal with it, then that means your nature is like that. So, is it an advantage? Yes. There are some people, English word for them is stoic.
Stoic, s-t-o-i-c. Stoic means, you know, they very rarely show emotions. Whether they feel emotions or not, the world does not even know that.
So, often they are seen as emotional. So, I am not saying you are stoic. I am just saying that there are some people like that.
And sometimes because of that, it works both ways. Even when we have anxiety, we do not share it with others. Even when we have pleasure also, we do not really express it much.
So, if that is our nature, then sometimes we may need to work a little bit more to express our emotions. But that is just the way we are. And I have seen some people like that, they just, when big things happen in their life, they do not show much emotions.
Now, some people consciously suppress their emotions thinking that is a sign of their strength or some other people. So, if we are suppressing the emotions that are there, then that may not be very healthy. They may come up later.
But in general, if that is one’s nature, that is fine. As long as we are able to function effectively. If, let us put it this way.
See, there is, there are emotions and there are actions. Now, for a fulfilling life, both are required. Emotions are also required, actions are also required.
But the exact proportion of emotion and action, that will vary different to person to person. Some people when they want to do a small thing also, they get so excited about it. See, they are very effusive.
It is like even a small small dinner get together, they give a festive atmosphere to it. That is not always positive. Some people feel positive.
Some people may feel like that. So, some people feel like a show. So, it is like, for doing particular actions, some people show a lot of emotions and others may not show a lot of emotions, very little emotions.
Again, in cricket, you know, there is, there is the Indian previous captain Dhoni, the new captain Kohli. You know, you know anything about cricket? You do not know much. Anyway, so Dhoni is supposed to be a very, very cool captain who does not show any emotions.
And Kohli is the exact opposite. He gets angry and shows all kinds of emotions. But both are captains and both are leading the team.
They are completely contrasting styles. So, this Dhoni was asked at one time, you know, he is called Captain Cool. So, you know, how is to say cool in such situations? He said, actually, I also feel tension.
I just good at concealing it. So, actually, what I am giving the example is different people have this different proportion of emotion and action. So, some people show a lot of emotion while doing actions.
Some people show very little emotion while doing actions. So, what is important is that we are doing whatever necessary actions are there. And over a period of time, if we find that emotions are less, we may need to learn to express ourselves more.
And now positive thinking is basically a mental attitude. And it can also be used in bhakti. Prabhupada was actually very positive thinking.
So many reversals he had and still he went on and continued practicing bhakti. So, not just practicing, sharing, attempting to share bhakti. And eventually he succeeded phenomenally.
So, positive thinking is a good trait. But then positive thinking also has to be for a positive purpose. Sometimes people may just pursue in some materialistic course of action again and again, even when it is not important, even when they are not very fulfilled, productive, but still they keep doing one.
That sort of positive thinking may not be so helpful. So, bhakti actually gives us the best avenue for developing positive thinking. Now, there is a quality of devotee described in the Akshara Samvruta Sindhu is Asha Baddha.
Asha Baddha means a devotee always, Prabhupada translated as, has hope against hope, no matter what happens. And the example that is given over there is that even if Krishna comes and tells, no, you are hopeless, you are so fallen, you will never become purified, you will never become liberated. Still the devotee will tell Krishna, I will still keep practicing your bhakti.
So, that is the extent of the positive thinking of a devotee. So, I would say that if, so positive thinking is good in general for devotees. And say, if we are facing problems, if we are not doing anything practical to deal with the problems, neglecting doing practical things, then we are going in the zone of irresponsibility or lethargy or whatever.
But if we are doing those things, whatever is possible, what is practical, then we do not have to worry too much about it. That might just be our psychological make, where we do not show too much emotions while doing things. Now, as far as spiritual advancement is concerned, there is, some people do not get disturbed about things because it is their nature to not show too much emotions.
Some people do not get disturbed about things because they have so much faith in Krishna. So, the difference between the two is the overall nature of our thoughts. If I am quite absorbed in Krishna most of the time, then that can be a sign of spiritual advancement.
But if I find I am not all that absorbed in Krishna, but I do not stalled nature or stoic nature, which is okay. That is also favorable in the process of bhakti in the sense that we do not get too worked up about situations. But just as some people, they get some cut on the body and it stays like a lifelong scar.
And some people, they get a cut and it heals quickly. So, like that, some people also, just as physically there are different bodies, psychologically also different minds are different. So, some problem comes up and it has a big effect on some people.
Some people’s problem comes and it does not have a big effect. So, if you are of that nature, that is fine. You can use it in Krishna’s service.
Sometimes we can take up services which also involve some amount of stress. We do not feel burdened by that stress. So, rather than worrying too much about the Krishna conscious dimensions of this, we can just see this as an aspect of our psychophysical nature and then see how that can best engage in Krishna’s service.
Is that what you are saying? Yeah. Yeah, this is very nice.