What should be the basis of our self-worth?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, what should be the basis of our source of self-worth? If seeking it external will cause anxiety. Now, our self-worth comes from self-understanding that I am a soul, I am a part of Krishna and Krishna loves me as I am. Now, Krishna’s love for us doesn’t depend on who we are.
Krishna’s love for us depends on who He is. He is the all-loving, all-benevolent Lord and He always loves us. Now, our experience of His love depends on who we are.
If we are too caught in materialistic things, we may not feel His love right now. Just like the sun is giving light, but if I close my eyes, I can’t feel the light, I can’t see the light, but the light is still there. So, if we understand the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita properly, then we will base our self-worth in our real identity as servants of Krishna and that is the sense of self-worth no one can ever take away.
No one can ever take away from us. So, ultimately, we are relational beings and we often get our sense of self-worth through our relations. Now, if somebody loves us, then that gives a sense of security.
I am worth being loved. If somebody rejects us, if you hold on, maybe I am not worth being loved. Maybe I am just neglected.
Maybe there’s something wrong with me, somehow I am unworthy. But if I understand that Krishna always loves me, that itself gives us a sense of worth, self-worth. And from there, we look at what has Krishna given me.
If we look at ourselves from the world’s mirror, the world may glamorize certain things. This ability, that gift, that talent, the world may glamorize certain things. And if we begin from what the world glamorizes, we will always have a sense of deficiency.
Now, I don’t have this, I don’t have that, I don’t have this. But instead, if we begin that Krishna is with me and Krishna has given me what I need for my spiritual evolution, for my growth, for making contribution, then we can look within and we can say, I can do this way, I can develop this, I have this. We all have abilities.
So, when we talk about self-worth, it is not just an abstract sense that Krishna loves me. But Krishna’s love manifests in what he has given me. And I use it.
So, what we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. So, I use the gifts that God has given me, acknowledge them.
Instead of seeing with the world’s eyes, seeing what I don’t have, I look objectively and see what I have. And then see that as God’s gift and use them. So, we can make, we can do various contributions in this world according to our talents, according to our positions.
And those contributions also add to our self-worth. But they don’t become the source or the basis. The source or the basis is our relationship with Krishna.
So, in this way, our self-worth comes from our spiritual foundation as well as our material contribution. Whatever material position we are in, whatever material roles we are playing. But the material roles are not the beginning.
They are not the foundation. The spiritual connection with Krishna is the foundation. Does it answer your question? Any other questions?