Channeling our dissatisfaction constructively

[Bhagavatam class at New Hillsborough, USA]

The big points I think. So, thank all of you for coming today morning and joining also on the conference. So, we are discussing 3.27.3 in the Bhagavatam.

Sadashatmishra, your own issue. The conditioned soul therefore transmigrates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature. Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept the position because of his faulty work.

So, I'll speak on the topic of channelling our dissatisfaction constructively. Constructively channelling our dissatisfaction. Here the word comes Aniruddha.

Aniruddha means discontented. Dissatisfaction is the default mental condition in material existence. Whatever situation we are in, we tend to be dissatisfied.

And Srila Prabhupada in one lecture when he gives to after a yatra to a large assembly of western people primarily hippies who were there and he said that in your country all of you hippies are not appreciated very much. They say that you are frustrated people. But he says that I appreciate you.

He says human life is meant to be frustrated. Human life is meant to be frustrated. Because only when we are frustrated in life then we can enquire about something higher in life.

And that is why that is how we start enquiring about spiritual life. Athato Brahma Jigyasa. So Jigyasa is enquiry.

Brahma is spiritual. Athato, therefore. So in the Vedanta Sutra itself, in the Brahma Samhita itself, in the Brahma Sutra, the Vedanta Sutra it said that now enquire about spirit.

So when exactly will we start enquiring about spiritual reality? Our consciousness is directed primarily by our desires. If we come into a building, say if we know in advance that building is a hotel. Now there may be a hundred things in that room, but if our desire is to eat the food, eat a particular food, we may look at the counter and see.

Is that food available? Or we may look at the menu and see what are the items over there. So our consciousness is primarily directed by our desires. If we desire to always have a clean house, then as soon as we come into a room, the first thing we'll see is everything clean or not.

So this direction of our consciousness by our desires, it's not a bad thing. It can be positive also. We can be cleanness conscious.

We can be conscious of various things by our desires. So now satisfaction and dissatisfaction. These are at one level states of mind.

Of course, the states of mind are related to the state of things. If I like to have everything clean and I enter into a room which is unclean, I feel dissatisfied. So there is a state of things and there is a state of mind and the two are usually related.

But there is a problem that quite often the state of mind becomes something which exists independent of the state of things. That means that I may feel that I'm dissatisfied because this is not working in my life. I feel dissatisfied because this is not right.

This is not right. And if you look at our life, there are always things that are not right. And by looking at those things, we can be dissatisfied.

Interestingly, in the Bhagavad Gita, in the 17th chapter, verses 14, 15 and 16, Krishna talks about the austerities of the body, the speech and the mind. And there, the first thing he says is, manah prasada saumyatvam maunam atma vinigraha bhavasam shuddhir tyeta tapo manasam uchyate The austerity of the mind. And what is the first thing he says? Manah prasada.

Satisfaction of the mind. Satisfaction is an austerity of the mind. That's an interesting concept.

Normally when we talk about austerity or tapasya, we usually think of it in terms of fasting. Now in fasting, there is a natural inclination to eat. But at least for the period of the fast, we choose not to eat.

That which is a natural tendency to eat, we avoid that, we restrain ourselves from doing that. And that is the idea of austerity. Austerity means something which we naturally feel inclined to do, but we refuse to do it because of some higher cause.

So this is austerity of the body. Fasting. Now when we talk about austerity of the mind.

So what does it mean if satisfaction is an austerity of the mind? That means it is natural for the mind to be dissatisfied. And when Krishna is saying cultivate satisfaction as an austerity of the mind, that means Krishna is indicating that there is a difference between the satisfaction as an emotion and satisfaction as a decision. Satisfaction as an emotion and satisfaction as a decision.

So we may feel, oh, I'm feeling dissatisfied right now. Yes, that emotion as an emotion, dissatisfaction can be there. But as a decision, I can decide I will not be dissatisfied.

How can I do that? If the emotion is there, how is it possible if the emotion is there that I'm dissatisfied? How can I still be satisfied? So let's go back to the example of fasting. Normally it's not working. So normally when we fast, normally when we eat, there is a process that happens.

There is hunger which is stimulated in the body. We start feeling some emptiness in the stomach and the hunger is something which the body signals that I need food now. And as a response to hunger, we eat.

So that means there is hunger as a sensation that comes in the body and eating is the response that we do. Now, during fasting, what do we do? Hunger as a sensation still comes. But we don't act, respond by eating.

Rather, we choose not to eat. So now this capacity is there for all of us. We can't fast infinitely.

Depending on our body type, we may be able to fast for a few hours, maybe a day. Some of them people fast for several days sometimes. But the capacity is there.

That means there is in the process of fasting, we basically decouple the stimulus of the sensation of hunger and the action of eating. Normally the two are coupled together. We decouple them.

Now at the level of the mind and with respect to the body, there are two distinct words. There is hunger and there is eating. There is emotion and there is action.

But at the level of the mind, both these are actually, both these are things which happen at a subtler level. So sometimes our terms may not differentiate them. So that means as an emotion, dissatisfaction comes upon you.

I feel dissatisfied. Now normally whenever I feel dissatisfied, my normal reaction would be that I will try to do something which will make me satisfied. But when we say satisfaction is a cultivation, satisfaction is an austerity.

That means rather than trying to deal with that dissatisfaction by doing something, I do something. By doing something particular, I do something else. In simpler terms, Prabhupada explains in the Purport of 17.16 that the more we contemplate on sense objects, the more we become dissatisfied.

So if we look at the world around us, there will always be people who have things better than what we have. Somebody has a better house than what I have. Somebody has a better phone than what I have.

Somebody has a better car than what I have. Now I may have those things better than a large number of people. But still there will always be people who have those things better than what I have.

And the more I contemplate on the things that are present with others which are better than me. Somebody may have better looks than me. Somebody may have better speaking capacity than me.

Somebody may have better leadership capacity than me. So earlier I talked about gross things, possessions. Now I am talking about capacity or abilities.

Either way, we can look at these things and we can become dissatisfied. So Prabhupada is saying that the more we contemplate on sense objects, the more we become dissatisfied. And normally, say, if I have a particular phone and then I say, I have got a smart phone but somebody has got a smarter phone.

Then I feel, I want to get this phone. And then we Google, find out what is the cost of the phone, whether we can afford it, whether we need to purchase it on some instalment basis or whatever. And then we get that phone and we show it to others.

Now I have this phone. Then we feel, oh, now I have got this phone. Now I am satisfied.

So here what happened? There is dissatisfaction because there was something lacking. And then we got that thing and then we felt satisfied. And the problem with this is that we misdiagnose the problem.

When we go to a doctor, a critical for the doctor is to diagnose the disease properly. A doctor may give a very well-researched treatment. But if the treatment is for the wrong disease, then the treatment will not have the effect.

So diagnosing the problem is vitally important. Similarly, with respect to our life, we tend to think, OK, because I don't have this, that's why I'm dissatisfied. This can be with respect to possessions.

This can be respect to our own talents. It can also be with respect to our relations. Oh, my child is like this.

My spouse is like this. My parents are like this. Whatever.

And we can say, oh, their relatives are so nice. My relatives are not so nice. We can compare and we can become dissatisfied.

Now dissatisfaction, whatever is the cause, specifically, there are situations which are troubling. There are situations which are frustrating and they can cause us negative emotions. At the same time, there is a circumstantial cause to our dissatisfaction and there is a fundamental cause to our dissatisfaction.

The circumstantial cause is that, OK, this thing is not the way it should be. This person is not the way they should be. Whatever it is, that is circumstantial.

And when this circumstantial cause is dealt with, we feel satisfied. Yes. OK, I didn't have that phone.

Now I got the phone. However, we will notice that the satisfaction doesn't last for long. I get a new phone.

I feel good. After some time, that phone just becomes something which I have. And then again, somebody else gets a newer phone.

And again, I feel dissatisfied. So the satisfaction which we get by dealing with the specific cause of the dissatisfaction, that satisfaction doesn't last for long. And unfortunately, in today's world, because there are so many advertisements.

So, in a sense, the fuel of the consumer economy is consumer dissatisfaction. If the consumers became satisfied with what they had, then the consumer economy would not be able to run itself. So what happens in today's world is we are aggressively shown the things which we don't have.

And that keeps us dissatisfied. And this dissatisfaction, it propels us to get one thing and another and another and another. Now, this getting better things, if they provide us better facilities, if they are of use for us, that's perfectly fine.

There's nothing wrong in it intrinsically. What is wrong is to mistake utility with satisfaction. Better things may provide better functionality.

You know, I get a new phone which has some features which are not there in my phone. And that will help me to function better. If I have a house which has less space and I get a house with more space, it will help me to function better.

But often within our mind, we equate function with satisfaction. That we think that this will make me satisfied. No, it will help you to function better.

But functioning is different from being happy. So the illusion is not that we should, the misdiagnosis is not that we shouldn't get better things. The misdiagnosis is saying that the better things will make me happier.

The better things will provide me some relief. Going back again to the example of eating. Now, when I'm hungry, I feel disturbed.

I feel distressed. When I take food, I get a relief. But how long does the relief last? Not for very long.

After a few hours again I feel hungry. Again I get food. And we say food is essential.

Yes, food is essential. But here we are differentiating two things. You know, what is needed for functioning and what is needed for happiness.

So food is needed for functioning. And while eating food, we can get some happiness also. Food is well cooked.

Food is delicious. But if food were the source of happiness, people say, people are just chanting Hare Krishna. What do you do for the poor people? So many people are starving.

So many people are suffering. Yes, starvation is definitely a source of great distress. And if we can help, we should help.

But again misdiagnosis. If lack of food were the cause of suffering, are all the well fed people in the world happy? All the well fed people in the world have their own set of problems. They are worried about this.

They are irritated about this. They are frustrated about that. So food is essential for living.

But food is not the purpose of living. We need food. But no, it is not that attaining food will make us fulfilled in our life.

So we don't let our life be determined simply by the concern for getting food. Getting food is a concern. But we don't let our whole life be shaped by whether I am getting food or not.

We have a higher purpose in our life. We have, as students, if we are studying, then we go to college to study. Sometimes at home we may be getting very good food.

If we have to go to hostel and stay, we may not get such good food. But we understand it's okay. I have a higher purpose.

I have to study. If we are working in office, there again the food may not be as good as it is at home. We try to, we may take food from home or whatever.

But we understand that food alone doesn't determine our whole life. It is one part of my life. So this is because its food is so physical and tangible.

It is easy to understand that actually food is important. But I don't let my whole life be shaped by hunger and satisfying hunger. That's important for my life.

But that is not what will shape the direction of my life. Similarly, with respect to dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction, if it is there, it's a fact of our emotional life.

I am feeling dissatisfied. But it is not that simply because I am feeling dissatisfied about a particular thing, I immediately need to act on that thing to remove that particular dissatisfaction. No.

I have a purpose for my life. And it is that purpose that needs to be fulfilled. If I am going for an important meeting, along the way on the road I see a shop which sells a delicacy.

Now if I have to go for the important meeting, even if I see that and I like to eat that food, but I may not eat that food because I have to reach in for the meeting in time. Just as we don't pander to the demands of the body for food and we forget a more important thing in our life, similarly with respect to our emotions. Our emotions are important just like bodily sensations are important.

We need to take note of them. But we don't base our life on our bodily sensations. Then our life has a higher purpose.

Similarly, we have emotions. Yes, I feel dissatisfied with this. I feel unhappy about that.

I feel irritated about this. These are true. But then our life has a higher purpose.

So the dissatisfaction is there and the dissatisfaction needs to be channelled. So dissatisfaction is a force. When we are dissatisfied with something, that is a force which induces us to change things.

So when we say, sometimes people say, if you are satisfied, where is the ambition in your life? If you are satisfied and there is no ambition, no drive, then you will not achieve anything in life. So that is one understanding of dissatisfaction, of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. We see the point is not whether one has satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

The point is where one is channelling that satisfaction or dissatisfaction. So Srila Prabhupada writes in the next part of that purport that he says that the Vedic literature are filled with many satisfying stories of the Lord and His wonderful activities. And therefore, the intelligent person directs one's thoughts towards hearing these pastimes and thus becomes satisfied.

So the point is we see the sense objects in this world and we feel dissatisfied. Materialistic people think, oh, I have to get this sense object, then I'll become satisfied. I will get that sense object, then I'll become satisfied.

But a wise person understands this is an endless pursuit. This alone will not make me happy. So the wise person directs one's thoughts towards Krishna, focusses on Krishna and connects with Krishna through bhakti.

And that is what brings satisfaction. So I said there is a circumstantial cause of our dissatisfaction. Because I don't have it, I'm not satisfied.

Because I don't have this, I'm not satisfied. However, there is a fundamental cause to our dissatisfaction. The fundamental cause is that we all are separated from Krishna.

We are all eternally the parts of Krishna. We are all parts of Krishna. Eternally we are His parts.

Now the part has to be connected with the whole. When the part is harmonised with the whole, we'll be happy. However, the same verse says that instead of turning towards the whole, what happens? The senses led by the mind, they direct us elsewhere.

Instead of going towards Krishna, we go towards Prakriti. Prakriti is material nature. And in material nature, we chase after this, chase after that.

And the result of this is Karshati. Karshati means that struggle, struggle. So we try to get this, get that, get that, get that.

And like that we crave and we slave. We crave. Craving means an irresistible desire is there.

And then in order to fulfil that desire, we slave. When will I get this? When will I get this? So actually if we consider material existence, especially modern material existence, it can be described in three words. WWS.

WWW is the World Wide Web. We are talking about something different. What do people do most of the time? A lot of time we spend time in working.

Work, work, work. In the 18th century when machines started being developed, there was a British thinker who read, said that the way machines are being developed in the 19th century, 100 years down the line, biggest problem in the world will be people will have so much time, they won't know what to do with the time. Machines will do all our work and people will not know what to do with their time.

What has happened is machines are doing a lot of our work, still we have no time. Everybody is busy. So work, work, work.

It's just working, working, working. And then what happens? When we come back from our work, we want to relax. So what do we do? Watch.

Turn on our televisions, turn on our phones, turn on our computers and watch. Watch some entertainment, watch some movies. Now if you see, if there is a 3 hour movie, the total budget of money that is spent for making the movie, within that if there are some commercials, maybe 30 seconds, 1 minute, actually the amount of money that is spent on making the commercials is more than what is spent on the whole movie.

Because the commercials contain the call for action. There are people, buy this, buy that. So what happens? When we watch, basically we see the most attractive sense objects paraded in front of us.

This house, this car, this person, this kind of look, this kind of hairstyle. And watch, watch, watch. What happens with one watch? You get desires.

And then there is shop. Go and shop this, shop that, shop that. And just like there is alcoholism, there is addiction, there is a form of addiction called shopaholism.

Shopaholism means people are compulsive shoppers. Just go to a shopping mall and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, they purchase so many things. And then if you sometimes go to people's basements or some other places, there are so many things in their shop never used also.

What has happened? Just shop, shop, shop. So work, watch, shop. And in the shop, we don't have enough money.

So what do we do? We take credit. So then we have to work more. And we work more and we feel tired more.

So we say, I need more relaxation. And after we come back home also, instead of spending time with our relatives, again, we all sit, watch, watch, watch. And we watch, we get more desires.

And then again, shop. So like that, work, watch, shop. This is WWS.

This is the World Wide Stupidity. So actually, we end up in this way, dissatisfied. And this dissatisfaction just knows no end.

So now, lobha pravattirarambha karmanam asimha spiro rajasye tanijayante ruddhe korunandana. Krishna says in 14.12 in the Bhagavad Gita that when the mode of passion, rajoguna becomes prominent, its characteristic is lobha, greed. Now, what it means is, Krishna is saying that we may feel, I want to get this.

Even if we get it, as long as our life is in the mode of passion, as our lifestyle is in the mode of passion, as long as our mind is in the mode of passion, even if we get it, the mind will find some other reason to be dissatisfied. So we think dissatisfaction is because of this. But even if that is addressed, the mind will find something else and become dissatisfied.

So in the mode of passion, the mind doesn't need a reason to be dissatisfied. It needs to be dissatisfied. It needs to be dissatisfaction is the default condition of the mind.

And that's why Srila Prabhupada writes in the paraport over there that if you want to become satisfied, if you want to become happy, getting more wealth and getting more things, that will not make us happy. We need to rise from the mode of passion to the mode of goodness. Getting more wealth is not the problem.

Getting more things is not the problem. Thinking that getting more wealth and more things will make me happy, that is the problem. We need to rise from the mode of passion to the mode of goodness.

And that can be done most effectively by practising Krishna Bhakti. Ultimately, Krishna Bhakti takes us beyond the modes to pure goodness where we become satisfied in loving Krishna. But even before that happens, when we start practising Krishna Bhakti, we come to the mode of goodness.

And when we come to the mode of goodness, we can actually differentiate what is important for me, what is not important for me. So the dissatisfaction that is there, which dissatisfaction, how to deal with, that is the question. So if I feel dissatisfied because I don't have this, I keep chasing it, keep chasing it, that has no end.

But if I understand what is the fundamental cause of my dissatisfaction, I am a part of Krishna. And because I have become separated from Krishna, who is the whole, that is why I am dissatisfied. So there are many attractive things in this world and that attractiveness is real.

Some things look good, some things taste good, some things smell good. There are so many attractive things in this world. They are attractive.

Krishna explains that these attractive things manifest a spark of His splendour. Whatever is attractive in this world, it manifests a spark of Krishna's splendour. So if there is a beautiful object which we feel attracted to, its beauty is real.

Its beauty is reflecting a spark of Krishna's splendour. But the spark cannot satisfy the heart because the spark is only a little light, little warmth. Krishna is the whole.

It's only when we redirect our heart from the spark to the whole that we can become satisfied. So I said channelling our dissatisfaction, constructing, that was the topic. So dissatisfaction is the force and dissatisfaction makes us move.

Dissatisfaction makes us change things. When we are not spiritually aware, when we are not spiritually informed, then that dissatisfaction propels us materially. Get this thing, get that thing, get that thing.

Dissatisfaction, when it is not channelled by spiritual knowledge, it leads to material change. And material change actually doesn't lead to lasting satisfaction. Now we often compare that this material existence is like a Bhava Sagar, it is an ocean.

In an ocean, I may be in a particular part of the ocean where there are a lot of stormy waves. I mean tossed up, down, tossed up, down. And I think that, oh, that part of the ocean looks so peaceful.

If I just get to that part of the ocean, then things will be so much better. I swim with great effort to get to that part of the ocean. And when I get to that part of the ocean, I feel really, ah, now it's calm.

But after some time, the stormy waves come there also. In the ocean, the waves are going to be there everywhere. And the part of the ocean that looks calm now is not going to stay calm forever.

The storms are going to be there also. So in India, we think, oh, if I go to America, things will be so happy. You come to America, yes, there are comforts.

But then the routine storms of life are there also. There are misunderstandings, there are financial insecurities, there are professional insecurities. And especially I think what has happened is, in America, there is a lot of insecurity over relationships.

I gave a class to some college students a few days ago. And then it is a class on managing the mind. And it is a long question.

We had 25 questions after that. And every single question was about relationships. You know, these were the students in their graduate days.

And then, you know, everybody has problems with relationships. So there is there is different kinds of anxieties which are always there. So what happens if I'm in the, if now if I'm in the stormy part of the ocean, it's natural to want to get out of the storm.

And yes, if I can get to a calmer part of the ocean, that's fine. But suppose there is a helicopter above. And that helicopter can get me out of that ocean.

And the person on the helicopter is beckoning me, come, I'll throw a rope and I'll pull you out. And I'm so caught in going to the calmer part of the ocean that I don't even look at the helicopter. Then what is going to happen? I, in order to get some temporary relief from the stormy ocean, I miss out on the chance to get permanent relief.

If I come out of the ocean, then there is permanent relief. So like that, coming out of the ocean is like growing spiritually. It is raising our consciousness towards Krishna.

So channelling our dissatisfaction constructively means that yes, I am feeling dissatisfied right now. And I am thinking that because this is wrong in my life, this is wrong in my life, this is wrong in my life, that's why I'm dissatisfied. And I have to get these things, I have to fix this thing, I have to do this, then I'll become satisfied.

But often all these things are like moving from one part of the ocean to another part of the ocean. They may solve the problem, but only temporarily. And when we feel dissatisfied at that time, we tend to, when we feel materially dissatisfied at that time, we lose our impetus to practise Krishna Bhakti.

We start thinking that, okay, first I have to fix this thing, I have to fix that thing, then I'll practise Krishna Bhakti. But the problem is, how many things we fix, there will always be something else which needs to be fixed. In English they are saying there are loose ends.

Loose ends means, there is this small thing which I have to tie. I have made a pack. Oh, this end is not tied up properly.

There is a loose end over here. So like that in life we think, I'll just fix this loose end, and I'll fix that loose end and that loose end. But the problem is, the loose ends never end.

There are always some ends which become loose. I fix that and that requires fixing. Now, in our material life, we need to do some fixing.

But if we postpone our spiritual practise, till our material life is settled comfortably, it will never be settled comfortably. So, what we need to do is, if I feel dissatisfied, I focus on spiritual growth. Let my dissatisfaction channel me spiritually.

So, if I'm feeling dissatisfied in my relationship, Oh, this person is just not behaving properly. Then, instead of trying to change that person, I try to focus on connecting with Krishna. Ultimately, it is the relationship with Krishna that is going to give us lasting satisfaction.

And when we focus, give energy on connecting with Krishna, we become calmer inside. Our thoughts become clearer. And then, based on that, we can decide, Yeah, you know, this situation is not proper.

I need to change this. But when we put Krishna first, then other things fall in place. That means, it is not that when a devotee is practising Krishna Bhakti, a devotee should just become materially apathetic and not do anything materially.

No, materially also, we may be active. But you know, how much energy to spend on what material thing, that we will be able to decide better if we are in the mode of goodness. If we are in the mode of passion, we are simply reacting to situations.

This problem, do this. This problem, just do this. But when we are in the mode of goodness, we can decide which situations are worth dealing with, which situations are just worth neglecting.

No point in spending time in this. So that way, when we channel our dissatisfaction, understanding that the fundamental cause of my dissatisfaction is my disconnection from Krishna. And I focus on connecting with Krishna.

Then by putting Krishna first, then when I direct my energy accordingly, then firstly, we will get some satisfaction through our connection with Krishna. And secondly, we will get the intelligence about which issues to deal with and which issues to just overlook. Because in material life, that whole process of dissatisfaction, satisfaction will never end.

So we have to draw a limit. We have to draw a line. Beyond this, I don't have time.

I have more important things to do in life. I'll conclude with two points. Sociologists have been doing research in, as I said, purchasing patterns.

Because purchasing is so big in today's world. So they found when it comes to purchasing, there are two kinds of people. There are optimisers and there are maximisers.

So maximisers are the people, you know, if they are going to purchase anything, they want to get the absolute best deal in the world. If they want to purchase a new phone, they want to make sure that they get the absolute best value for the money. So, okay, these are the features in this phone, this is the cost.

These are the features in this phone, this is the cost. And they want to make sure that, so they will investigate a hundred phones, even a thousand phones, and then they will get the best deal. Now, as compared to another class of people, there are optimisers.

Optimisers means, okay, I need a new phone, and I want to get a good phone. And they decide, okay, I'm going to spend the next one week, I'll spend some time looking at this phone, looking at various phones, enquiring, and then I'll purchase. And I'll move on with my life.

So, they find that maximisers, in general, get better value for their money. Because they spend more time investigating. But there are two problems.

That maximisers, they are always haunted with the regret. Haunted with the regret that, oh, there might have been a better deal available somewhere. They may investigate a thousand phones, after that they purchase a really good phone.

What if I had investigated a little more? I might have got a better phone. So, no matter how good a product they get, they feel the regret that I might have got more if I had investigated more. And secondly, because they have spent so much time and energy in getting a phone, there is a tremendous level of expectation from the product.

And then, when the product doesn't live up to that expectation, there is dissatisfaction. They spend so much, oh, this product should be so good, and then there is a small problem with the product. They are dissatisfied.

Hey, this is not right, this is not right, this is not right. So, what happens? In contrast, optimisers, they don't get that much value for their money. But they go on with life.

They are not haunted by so much emotions in terms of regret or fear, I might have got a better deal, or frustration, oh, but this is not as good as I hoped it would be. So, what happens? So, overall, psychologically, optimisers are much happier than maximisers. Because optimisers don't, for maximisers, if they have to purchase a toothpaste, they will go to the supermarket and look at 100 toothpastes and think which one to purchase.

Now, if you think about it, we may say, oh, they are very thoughtful people. But actually, we have limited time and energy. And there are certain things which we just have to set a pattern and move on.

So, imagine if you have to send a message. Somebody asks you a question, you have to send a message. And if every time you have to send a message, the phone starts asking you, what is the font you want? What is the font size you want? What is the colour you want? What is the background colour gradient you want? What is the style you want? And each time you have to select that.

Now, if you go back into the background, for a simple thing as a text, you can have almost 50 different parameters. Now, what the phone does is, there is a default setting for the parameters. And we just move forward with sending the message.

We send the colours and font, that's fine. But imagine if each time we had to select that, we would spend so much time selecting that, we would have no time to send the message. So, having too much choice is not always freeing.

It is actually burdening. Because every choice brings with it a responsibility. And then what happens? Afterwards, we get so much… Then the more important thing that is to be done we don't have any energy left for that.

We don't have any time left for that. So, when we let ourselves be too material… When we think of our dissatisfaction as being caused by material things only, and we think that I have to get better material things to become satisfied. Then, what happens is, so much energy goes in trying to set this thing right, set that thing right, set that thing right, set that thing right, that ultimately, the more important thing in life, we have no time left for that.

So, this is an entirely different subject, but I'll just mention it over here. That actually, in traditional cultures, there was arranged marriage. Now there is love marriage.

And people think that, you know, if we are attracted to each other and we marry, then the relationship will have more longevity. Now, there is a possibility for that, but there is no necessity. The problem, often, is that when there is love marriage, there is so much expectation from the other person.

There is so much expectation from the other person that when it comes to the expectation, there is tremendous frustration. So, when there is our frustration, our dissatisfaction is a function of our expectation. So, in today's world, there is so much expectation from the romantic relationships, and when it is not there, initially, there is so much expectation, people feel, I can't live without you.

I can't live without you. They will fight against the world to get married. But after sometime, they say to each other, I can't live with you.

So, what has happened is that actually, initially, there is too much expectation and then there is too much frustration. So, when we understand that actually my dissatisfaction is not because of this thing being wrong materially, that thing wrong materially, my dissatisfaction is ultimately because I am disconnected from Krishna. Then, we don't expect unrealistically from anything material, whether it be a possession, whether it be a situation, or whether it be a relation.

We don't expect unrealistically. And then there is no disproportionate frustration that comes. This doesn't mean that we don't change material things.

Sometimes, some material situations are very unfavourable and some adjustment needs to be done. But that is not the ultimate solution. And we can't let that material adjustment distract us from our spiritual growth.

We put Krishna first and when we do that, then Krishna will give us the guidance of how to set other things right. Krishna Bhakti doesn't mean that we don't set other things right. But we first set right our relationship with Krishna.

When we do that, then when we try to set other things right, then we will actually do right things by which things will become better. Or we will understand, this is not going to improve, so let me keep it as it is. So, with respect to materially, so constructively channelling our dissatisfaction means first, focussing on our spiritual growth, deepening our connection with Krishna.

That's why Prabhupada said that it's only when we are dissatisfied materially, like he told the hippies, then you will do spiritual enquiry. The second is with respect to specific material situation. Basically, when we are in a dissatisfied situation, there are three things we can do to deal with it.

One is change ourselves. Second is change the situation. Third is walk away from the situation.

It is not that one is right and other is wrong. All three are valid options in different situations. If you consider the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, initially when the Kauravas were conspiring against them, Duryodhana tried to poison Bhima.

The Kauravas tried to burn the Pandavas. Now, Yudhishthira told them, don't make a big issue out of this. This is a family dispute.

Don't bring it out in public. So, they just changed themselves. They tolerated it.

But eventually, when Draupadi was dishonoured, at that time, a line was crossed. And then the Pandavas said, they fought. They fought a war.

So, there are certain situations where action has to be taken. We have to make a change. Eventually, when Krishna departed from the world, what did the Pandavas do? They also renounced the world.

They walked away. That means, when we face a troubling situation, say, we have a boss who troubles us a lot. Sometimes, we may say, this is the job that I want.

I can't do anything about it. I change myself. I tolerate.

Sometimes, we may decide, this has gone beyond limits. There may be some grievance mechanism. Ombudsman might be there.

We may complain. We change ourselves. We change the situation.

Sometimes, we may just walk away from the situation. This is too complicated. I have better things to do in my life.

I will not spend my time in this. Now, walking away from a situation is different from running away from a situation. When we are running away from a situation, we are primarily so scared of that situation that our focus is on where we are going away from, not where we are going.

I just want to go away from here. So, in running away, we are still obsessed with that particular situation itself. But when we are walking away, that means we understand that there is something bigger I have to do in my life.

There is something better to do in my life. Therefore, I will not get involved in this. And which of these options to use to deal with our dissatisfaction, that we will be able to decide when we are spiritually rooted in Krishna.

Sattva Sanjayate Jnanam In Sattva Guna itself, knowledge comes and with that knowledge comes clarity. And further, when we are practising Bhakti, the dhami buddhi yogam tam yena mam upayanti Krishna gives us the intelligence by which we can come to Him. So, in that way, we can deal with even our dissatisfaction because of material things.

If we put Krishna first and deal with it spiritually, then even materially how to deal with it, we will learn. And thus, we can never be completely satisfied in material existence, but we can definitely be much more satisfied than what we are if we put Krishna first in our life. Brahma bhoota prasannatma The person who situates oneself on the spiritual platform becomes satisfied.

So, if we intensify our bhakti practises, then what will happen is, we will find that whatever be our material circumstances, we will be peaceful with it. We will be satisfied with it. Not satisfied in the sense of being lazy and inactive, but satisfied in the sense of being secure internally in our relationship with Krishna and then being focused intelligently on where to channel my energy.

And that way, we will live as satisfied, as joyful as is possible in the spiritual existence and ultimately we will attain Krishna. So, I'll summarise. I spoke today on the topic of channelling our dissatisfaction constructively.

I started by talking of, Krishna says, satisfaction is a state, is austerity. We should practise satisfaction of mind as austerity. So, in that connection, what I meant is that with respect to the fasting, what is the austerity? We decouple the sensation of hunger from the action of food.

That is the austerity. So, similarly, when we talk about satisfaction and austerity, that means we decouple the sources of dissatisfaction. Okay, I don't have this.

This is not right. This is wrong. We decouple the sources of dissatisfaction from our actions for seeking satisfaction.

At the material level, it's almost an instinctive response. Okay, I don't have this. Because of this, I'm dissatisfied.

Therefore, I'll get this. And this keeps us perpetually dissatisfied. Because at the material level, no matter how many things we get, ultimately, those things give us only a little pleasure.

Because they have pleasure in them. They are attractive. But they reflect only a spark of Krishna's splendour.

And a spark cannot offer the satisfaction of the world. And dissatisfaction is all the more in today's world because the consumer economy runs on customer dissatisfaction. We are aggressively shown the things which we don't have by which we become dissatisfied.

So, I talked about WWS. What is that? Work, watch, shop. We are working more.

We are watching more to get relief from the stress. At that time, we are getting more and more desire. Then we are shopping more.

And in this way, there is worldwide stupidity. Stupidity in the sense that people are intelligent in their working. But the stupidity is that actually what they are working for is not going to make them happy.

It's just an endless process which is just going to keep us dissatisfied. So, I talked about at the material level also, if I try to get the best in everything, it just makes life more frustrating for me. I talked about optimisers and maximisers.

Optimisers, maximisers, they get the best deal for their money. But because their expectation is so high, so there is the background fear. I might have got something better.

And then there is also the frustration because the thing doesn't live up to the expectation. So, maximisers, so optimisers, they decide, okay, I have, this is important, but there are many other important things in my life. Therefore, I will give a certain amount of time, whatever deal I get in that, and I will move on with my life.

So, today, especially in relationships, there is so much expectation that it leads to frustration. But if you understand that there are bigger things in my life, then we don't have too much expectation from material things. Then there is not so much frustration.

And so, as devotees, we need to be optimisers in our material life. And we need to focus on our spiritual growth. So, when we feel dissatisfied, there is a circumstantial cause for that dissatisfaction.

I don't have this, I don't have that, I don't have that. But there is a fundamental cause, that is disconnection from Krishna. And when we address that fundamental cause, first connect with Krishna, then Krishna will give us the intelligence.

First of all, He will give us satisfaction just by that connection, and then Krishna will give us the intelligence of how to deal with that specific dissatisfaction. So, just like a person in the ocean, stormy part of the ocean, if they try to go to another part of the ocean, which is calm, another part is calm, that part also becomes stormy, sooner or later. More important is, they look up and get out of the ocean.

So, in Rajoguna, in the mode of passion, dissatisfaction is a function, is the default setting of the mind. So, mind doesn't need a reason to be dissatisfied, it needs to be dissatisfied. No matter how many reasons of dissatisfaction we address.

We need to come to the mode of goodness and beyond, towards transcendence. And when we do that, then with respect to the materially dissatisfying situation that is there, we can decide how to deal with it. Basically, there are three options.

Change ourselves, change the circumstance, or just walk away from the circumstance. And each of these options, the Pandavas exercise at different times. So, we can decide how to deal with the dissatisfaction at a material level, immediately, after we have dealt with it at a spiritual level, by connecting with Krishna.

Now, material things, they are important for us because they provide utility. But what is a utility that does not provide happiness? The mistake is not in getting better material things, it's in thinking those better material things will make me happy. It's just food is a necessity, but food doesn't make us happy.

It's not that we live for eating. Eating is an important part of our life, and we adjust it according to other more important things in our life. Like that, dissatisfaction alone should not be the basis of our decisions in life.

Rather, we have our values, we understand the purpose of life, and then accordingly we adjust our decisions so that our ultimate purpose of life is served and the sources of dissatisfaction are also appropriately addressed. When you focus on practising Krishna Bhakti, then we will find that even in situations which would earlier have kept us very dissatisfied, we'll be relatively peaceful, we'll be relatively satisfied, and we'll be focused purposefully on actions that will lead us towards more and more satisfaction. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. So does anyone have any questions or comments? Do we have time for questions? How to practise austerity of the mind? How to practise austerity of the mind? It begins first of all by noting, noting where the mind is going. Sometimes when we start chanting Hare Krishna and practising Bhakti, at that time we find that, you know, my mind is wandering so much.

My mind is wandering so much. Is this meditation helping me at all? But actually, lack of, you know, when the mind is wandering, our becoming aware that the mind is wandering is one step higher than wandering with the mind. In the past, the mind would go wherever it wanted and we would go along with it.

Now at least, you know, the mind is going there. I don't want to go there. So in that sense, trying to focus the mind on Krishna, even if we don't succeed, that itself is an effective austerity for the mind.

Because by that process, at least we become aware that, you know, there is something inside me which is pushing me here, there in the wrong direction and I have to pull back. So, regularly practising Bhakti, that is a way of, that is the most powerful way of doing austerity of the mind. Now within Bhakti, there are standard practises which we all do, like chanting, studying scriptures, attending satsang programmes.

Along with that, we can find out some things which we like to do, which help us to absorb ourselves easily. Some of us may find Kirtan is very good. Some of us may find, you know, worshipping the deities is what I like.

Some of us may find that taking darshan of the Lord is what connects me very easily. So we find out some activity within Bhakti that connects us very easily with Krishna. When that happens, then we will be able to do that activity with relative ease.

And then the austerity of the mind will not seem so much like austerity. That means my mind is getting worried about this, my mind is getting irritated about that and I want to get the mind off that and get it somewhere else. Now getting the mind off that is where the austerity comes in.

Because you have to pull it from there. Just like we are, see it is, when we think of austerity of the mind, you can think of it as a parenting exercise. You know, we have children and the children are doing something which is not good for them.

We have to get the child off that and get the child to do something else. Now what happens is, the child is spending time in playing and we want the child to study. Then getting the child off playing is not easy.

But if somehow, if the study is presented in an interesting way, there is something creative over there also. The child gets involved in studies and then the child gives up playing. So in the austerity of the mind, our focus should not be on what I should not do.

Our focus should be on what I should do. And that way, when we have within the parameter of bhakti, things which we can easily do, things which we can joyfully do, then also some effort is required in pulling the mind away from other things. But because what we are doing is also attractive, then that effort becomes much lesser.

So firstly by becoming aware of where the mind is going, secondly by trying to in a discipline way fix the mind on Krishna, and thirdly by finding out things within the realm of bhakti with which we can easily connect, then the austerity of the mind can be done with lesser difficulty and with greater effectiveness. How do we differentiate between what is a need and what is a want? This is something which will vary from individual to individual. Just like food.

Some people may just eat 2 chapatis. Some people may eat 8 chapatis. Now it is just different people have different digestive powers.

Different people have different kind of physical work that they do. It will vary. So the test of whether one is overeating or eating appropriately is what happens afterwards.

Now if I eat 8 chapatis and I sleep for 6 hours after that, then obviously that means I have overeaten. If somebody eats 8 chapatis and they get energised to do work, that means that is their need. So similarly, it is possible that different people with respect to other aspects of material life also, they have different needs.

So basically Krishna says, that if one eats too little or one eats too much, such a person cannot become a yogi. So the basic approach of dealing with food is that we don't let food obsess our mind. If we take too little food, it will obsess us.

When will I get more? When will I eat more? When will I eat more? If we eat too much, again that also obsesses the mind. Because that just de-energises us and then we are always thinking, when will I get next to it? When will I get next to it? So neither too much nor too little. Similarly, with respect to our material life, what comfort level I should live at, what kind of facilities I need.

So we have to look at our own self and we have to find out, what is the level that I am peaceful at. See basically, when we are fasting, different devotees fast at different levels. Some people may just fast nirjal, some people may take some water, some people may take one meal.

It's all fine. The important thing is, what do we do when we are fasting? So, if we are fasting on a holy day, the point is, food is often a distractor from Krishna. That day we put food aside and we focus on Krishna.

But sometimes the need or desire for food, whatever you want to say, that thought of food consumes us so much that we can't think about Krishna. Better take some food and again start focussing on Krishna. So basic point is, we have to deal with food in a way that food does not become a competitor to Krishna.

Isn't it? It can become a competitor when it is too little, it can become a competitor when it is too much also. Similarly, with respect to our material life, we have to adjust our material life in such a way that it doesn't become a competitor to Krishna. So if I tried, simplicity does not mean poverty.

Simplicity essentially means that our material life does not consume our mental life. That means, if say, I can live at a particular financial level and then I take too big a house, then what happens? Then the worry about how will I pay the instalment, that consumes me so much that I can't do anything, can't function properly. But if I have lived at a particular level of comfort throughout my life and suddenly I decide to live very simply, then that itself causes so much inconvenience for me, so much mental stress for me, that again I can't focus.

If somebody has lived in a city, a little comfort throughout their life and suddenly they start living in a village, so the basic facilities are not there, that causes so much trouble for them. So the point is that we adjust our material life in such a way that we can go on to bigger things in life. So what that will be, that is we have to find out what level doesn't cause us too much stress, in terms of it causing too much anxiety and doesn't cause us too much dissatisfaction, in terms of feeling, oh I don't have this, I don't have that, I don't have that.

So that way, by introspection, by introspection ourselves, at what level, sometimes some people may take a light job and they are not earning much, but they are focused on spiritual life, they are happy. But somebody else may take a light job and they feel, I have not done anything in my life. They may not be at that stage.

So it's not that, in spiritual life, we should not think in terms of right and wrong. Because what happens, what is right and what is wrong, there are of course moral things, there are certain things which are definitely wrong, which you need to give up, like following regulative principles. But beyond that, rather than right and wrong, we should focus on what is right for me.

So, for somebody else that may be right, for me this may not be right, at least not at this time. So we need to, it's like, we may look at how much others are eating, and then we may go, oh this person eats so less, I should also try to decrease my eating. But we can't imitate them.

We have to eat what we need to eat, so that we get energy. So similarly, but at the same time, if we eat more than what is necessary, we will have a detrimental effect. So basically, with respect to, when our material life starts consuming our mental life, either in sense of deprivation, oh I don't have enough, I don't have enough, or in terms of craving, in terms of too much stress, too much agitation, too much anxiety, then we should know that there is something which needs adjustment over that.

So that way by proper introspection, and it's often after we are done with introspection, it's good to consult our family members, our relatives, maybe our devotee friends, also and understand this. But we all have to make this decision individually, about what is a need, and what is a desire, what is a want. Does that answer your question? Thank you.

Would you like to take some questions? Sure, please. Can we start the presentation? Yeah, I think we can start. Your conference is being recorded.

All callers are unmuted. Hi Krishna, Hi Krishna, I was wondering if anyone else has any questions? No, I don't have questions. Okay, go ahead.

Hi Krishna, I was hearing that answer you gave on mental austerity, and you said three points. I missed them. Can you please repeat those points? Sorry for asking again.

Yeah, first is that we recognise that even acknowledging that the mind is wandering, trying to focus the mind and even when the mind wanders, just becoming aware of that mind's wandering is also a step forward. That is also an austerity. Second is fixing the mind on Krishna through the standard practises of bhakti and third is finding individual objects which enable us to, which help us to connect with Krishna personally and then connecting with them, focussing on them.

Got it, Babaji. Thank you so much. You had a question, I think.

It's the last question. I got some message from my parents. You are not supposed to take a bath three times a day.

So, does it prove or do we have any reference not to take more times bath? Is it that one should not take bath three times a day? See, actually, there are cultural practises which are adjustable according to time and place circumstances. So, the basic point is cleanliness, shuchi. Now, what way we will have cleanliness best in our particular situation, that can vary according to time and place circumstances.

It is not that something, there is no scriptural rule against bathing three times a day. The important thing is that, say, things have to be balanced. If you are living in a place where there is water scarcity, if you start taking bath three times a day, it will become a problem.

So, sometimes, according to time and place circumstances, certain things have to be adjusted. So, we have to know these specific practises. We have to go deep, look at the practise.

At the same time, look beyond that, look to the purpose of that practise. The purpose is cleanliness. And cleanliness, however, sometimes we take bath once a day, sometimes we take twice a day, sometimes we may take three times a day also.

Especially those who are doing pujari service for the deities, they are expected to be more clean. They may take bath three times or sometimes more than that also is required. The basic principle is cleanliness and we can adapt, we can adjust according to our time and place circumstances, how the purpose of cleanliness is served.

Is the answer clear? Thank you. Okay, what is a good time to read Bhagavatam or Ramayan or sacred books? Yes. Whenever we can read, that is a good time.

What is that verse? He says that, what is our predicament in Kali Yuga? There are so many books to read. Within that also, each sentence of scripture has so many different meanings. There are so many commentaries.

So, the time that we have is so little. There are so many obstacles. As soon as we start reading, our phone starts ringing.

Or as soon as we start reading, we start feeling sleepy. Therefore, just focus on the essence. The essence is that we have to read scripture.

So, it is good if we can read in the morning because in the morning we are fresh, our thoughts are clear and we can focus. But we have many things to do sometimes and if we are chanting, we have yapa also to do. So, whichever time we get to read, we can start reading.

And it is best if we have some time on a daily basis. And that regular connection with scripture helps us to internalise scripture in a very effective way. So, any time will do.

But if we have a schedule, then a morning or sometime in the day which is more or less fixed, like lunch break or something, maybe in the evening as soon as we come back after we are refreshed, that regularity is good. But, you know, regularity should not become a precondition for reading. Now, whatever time I can read, that is good.

If I have regularity, then that will bring more quality to the reading. But important thing is just reading right. That's all.

Thank you. You had a question? Yes, Swamiji. So, you talked of three ways to deal with any situation of dissatisfaction.

And you also talked about the dharma, buddhi, yoga principle. So, when we are actually deciding how to deal with a particular principle, how do we, like I can pray to Krishna and say, Krishna, please guide me. But how do we know it is not our previous conditioning of our mind based on our notion of the dharma principle? Or is it actually what Krishna wants us to do? Ok.

So, when we are trying to deal with our dissatisfaction in one of the three ways, how do we know that whether it is Krishna guiding us with dharma, buddhi, yoga or is it our own mind, our conditioning is telling us to do something? So, the two don't have to be necessarily mutually exclusive. It's like a brahmana likes to do intellectual work. A Kshatriya likes to lead and manage.

A Vaishya likes to deal with money. So, Krishna also tells Arjuna and Bhagavad Gita that, Arjuna, you are a Kshatriya. You will fight.

You can't avoid fighting. That's your very nature. But fight dharmically.

So, fight according to dharma. So, it's not that just because we are practising bhakti, we will be able to neglect or reject all of our conditionings. So, if you see at one level, even Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, this is also a conditioning.

Isn't it? It is also a conditioning. That's a feature of the body-mind setup that we have. But Krishna doesn't say that we have to reject that conditioning.

Krishna says we have to dovetail that. So, there are things which are born from the anarthas, say lust, anger, greed. They may need to be rejected.

So, it's not necessary that something which agrees with our material inclinations, that necessarily has to be competitive to bhakti. The best situation, the whole purpose of Varanashram was not to divide people into four castes or four divisions. The whole purpose of Varanashram was to situate people materially in a way that is most harmonious for their spiritual growth.

So, sometimes when we practise bhakti, when we try to practise bhakti diligently, we pray to Krishna, then we may decide to adjust our material condition in a way which is best suited for our material inclinations. So, it's not wrong. In fact, if we are practising bhakti, then we will be able to see our conditioning also better.

And then we will create the appropriate condition to deal with that conditioning. So, it's not that our conditioning has to be rejected. We just have to make sure that the conditioning doesn't take us away from Krishna bhakti.

That within the process of Krishna bhakti, how can we… Because our conditioning is what we have. I can't wish it away overnight. So, the appropriate way to deal with it, we'll come to know.

And if it's a major decision in our life, it's best not to take it overnight. Yesterday I got an idea. It is coming from Krishna.

Today I am going to do it. No, it's better to wait, keep some patience. Maybe note down things and look at things over a period of few months.

Consult some other senior devotees and then we can take a decision. But overall, the material, the spiritual, the steady way to progress is that we make the material in such a way that it is harmonious with our basic nature. And then we can focus on our spiritual growth.

So, thank you very much.