If our contemplation doesn’t translate into determination where are we getting stuck?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, if there is contemplation, there is contemplation, but there is lacking of the determination to act as per that contemplation. So, where are we getting stuck? Yes, the force of the conditionings may sometimes be so much that even when we understand with the intelligence, at that time the emotion is just too strong.
So, it’s just like most of you have heard of the chariot body metaphor, the chariot is like the body, the horses are like the senses, the mind is the reins, the rope, and the intelligence is the chariot, charioteer, right. The soul is the passenger. Now, if the horses start moving in a particular direction, then the charioteer is in a wrong direction of the road, charioteer is going to pull and stop.
If the charioteer is alert, then he can stop it immediately. But if the horses start running very fast, the faster they run, the greater is the momentum that they get. And then, the charioteer may just not have the strength to rein in the horses.
So, in that case, the horse’s force overpowers the charioteer’s horse. So, in the senses, contemplate on the sense objects, that creates such a force that the prajna, the intelligence is just pulled away. So, similarly for us, now, here I talk about the gradual process.
The horses are initially moving slowly and then they start moving faster. And when they were slow, we could control them. When they become fast, it becomes difficult to control them.
Now, whereas this is a gradual process, but if we have a particular conditioning, a particular attachment, then, it’s like the horses have already got a very forceful momentum. Now, if somebody is an alcoholic, for that person, if the person is an addict, no, just saying no, as soon as they see something to drink, the desire becomes so forceful, they just can’t say no. A British author, Mark Twain, he said that giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world.
I have done it over a hundred times. I gave up smoking, but smoking did not give me up. So, it just came and caught me again.
So, in this case, the momentum may have become so strong that to check it is not possible at that time. So, that’s why, even when the intelligence is clear, even when the intention is there, but the force of the conditioning at that time is too strong. So, broadly speaking, there are three things which we need to do, which, if we get time, we’ll discuss later, but right now, I’ll just mention it briefly.
We can call it as restriction, redirection, and reconstruction. Say, if the floor is inclined this way, and if water falls on the floor, water will naturally flow in this direction. If I don’t want the water to flow this way, just say, hey, water, don’t flow this way, don’t flow this way, that’s not enough.
The water is going to flow that way. So, what do I have to do? So, like that, if we consider our consciousness, based on the conditioning that we have, it has developed an inclination. So, our thoughts naturally go in particular directions.
So, what do we do? Restriction. If I don’t want the water to go in this way, maybe create some sort of small wall or some bunk by which the water will not flow in that direction. Then, the second step is redirection.
Water is going this way, use a mop or use a brush and push it in the other direction. Keep pushing it in the other direction. And third is, eventually, we reconstruct the floor, so that the floor becomes inclined in this way.
Then, the water will not flow this way, it will automatically flow that way. So, similarly for us, if there is something which we don’t want to do, then, just at least in the initial stages, the willpower is not enough. We have to have some external support.
If somebody wants to give up alcohol and their house happens to be right next to a bar, they will not be able to give up. No matter how strong their determination, all of us, we have our weak moments. And if there is no restriction during the weak moment, immediately the indulgence will happen.
So, there is some amount of physical distancing, some amount of barrier that needs to be created. So, that is the restriction part. So, we have to find out, okay, this is where I am relapsing again and again.
How can I create some barrier? That is not enough. It is not sufficient, but it is necessary. After that, there is redirection.
Okay, the thoughts go in that direction, but no, I will not think about this. I will think about something else. We try to have something else to think about, something else to do.
Just saying no, no, no is not possible for a long time. In fact, I won’t do this. Say for example now, if there is a cell phone and somehow there is some electric charge in the cell phone, I am getting a shock.
As soon as I touch it, I get a shock. Then I can decide I will not touch this. But with physical objects, you can decide not to touch it, but with respect to mental thoughts, we can’t decide I will not think of something.
Because if I say, okay, if alcoholics say, I will not think about alcohol. I will not think about alcohol. psychologists call this in various names, the pink monkey experiment.
You tell somebody, for the next 30 seconds, please don’t think of a pink monkey. And throughout their life, they will not have thought of a pink monkey, they will think of it then. So, restriction alone is not enough.
We have to do redirection. Have something else to think about. So, we can’t just reject habits.
We can only replace habits. We can’t just say, I will not do this. There has to be something else which we do.
And then, that we will be able to replace that way. So, this replacement has two phases. One is redirection.
We should have somewhere else to push our consciousness to. Have something else that we can think about. And then, gradually, if we become attached to that.
That’s where the process of bhakti comes in. We don’t think about whatever we don’t want to do. We try to think about Krishna, think of service to Krishna, think about things related to Krishna.
And gradually, as that habit becomes stronger, as, say, we become attached to Krishna, then, what will happen is, the floor gets reconstructed. So, then, the consciousness will naturally flow towards Krishna. So, we shouldn’t just berate ourselves, oh, I don’t have determination.
That’s why I’m not able to do it. No, what can I do about it? So, create some restriction and create some mechanism for redirection. So, find out, okay, what is it within Krishna bhakti that I can think about easily? Okay, I like deities, I like kundalas, I like classes.
Then, whenever my mind gets agitated by something, I keep that stimulus ready with me. As soon as I feel agitated, I’ll hear a class. I’ll hear some people, I’ll look at some picture of deities.
So, then, I have that mechanism for redirection. So, it’s not just saying no, no, no. Because even if you keep saying no, the restriction is something which you can always break down and go beyond it.
So, the restriction is the initial protector, it’s not the ultimate protector. So, restriction is required, but as long as the redirection is also required. And gradually, as the reconstruction will happen, then we will find that that temptation will not agitate us also.