Dealing with discouragement through 3 Es: Expansion, Elevation and Execution

[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Brampton, Canada] Video:

Because, everybody faces this moment. So, how do we deal with it? I'll talk about it based on a story, a small incident from the Ramayana, when Ramayana had gone in search for Sita.

And I analysed this in three parts, basically. How to deal with discouragement, expansion, alleviation, and execution. Three points broadly, I'll talk about this.

So, let's try to understand, when we say we are discouraged, what exactly happens? Say, if you are trying to drive a vehicle. And, now for the vehicle to drive, there are two things broadly required. Many things.

But one is, inside the vehicle, there has to be fuel. And, outside, the road has to be cleared. If internally the fuel runs out, or externally, if a big log falls, on the ground in front, then the vehicle can't move forward.

So, similarly for us, if you consider our life to be a journey, that in this journey, sometimes, obstacles come on what we are trying to do. It might be, it might be, wanting to study for a better job, we might want to get a better job, we might want to improve our communication skills, want to improve our spiritual life, want to just become more disciplined. There are many things which we want to do in our lives.

And, when we are trying to do something, at that time, we face some obstacles. So, at the time we face an obstacle, what happens next, is that naturally, we are chipped, we can't move forward. So, that extreme obstacle, is something which will come in everyone's life.

But, if internally the car loses fuel, and there is an obstacle, and the car still has fuel, the car thinks, okay, this road is blocked, I will find some other road and move on. But, if the car loses fuel itself, then, even if the road is cleared, it's not going to move on. So, for us, the outer problems that are in our life, they are like the roadblocks.

They are like the obstacles. But, our fuel for moving forward in life, is our encouragement. We all need to feel encouraged, enthusiastic, and well judged.

And, when we are discouraged, that means, internally, our fuel has run out. Now, the two are not unrelated. Suppose, there is a very big obstacle, and we are pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing our vehicle.

And, just by pushing also, the fuel might get expended. And, when the fuel gets exhausted, then, we don't know what to do. So, sometimes, when obstacles come, we might push on, push on, push on.

But, sometimes, just the obstacles, continuous presence, disheartens us. So, we could say, discouragement means, we lose the energy, the enthusiasm, to move forward. Now, of course, we could say, at one level, that if somebody is going on the wrong path, then, it is better to be discouraged.

Isn't it? So, that's true. But, here, we focus primarily on, somebody wants to do something which is good, something which is constructive in their lives, something which is vital for them. And, at that time, they face some obstacles.

So, what do we do about it? Now, Hanuman had gone, in the Ramayana, described, on an extraordinary mission. Because, all alone, he had jumped across the ocean, to get into Lanka. And, there, what was his purpose? Finding Sita.

Now, it is actually a very difficult task, for many reasons, four primary reasons. First, Hanuman was a celibate, and he had to search for a woman. Secondly, he had to search for a woman, whom he had never seen.

Third is, that, that woman was hidden somewhere, deep inside an enemy camp, who, the camp of an enemy, was utterly ruthless. And, fourth, he had no idea, where she was. So, now, in this way, it was very difficult for him to find her.

And, he started searching, searching. He went into a room. And, first, he assumed a very small form, so that he could sleep in.

Brahma and Ganga, had given him a meditation, that he could change his form, as per will. So, he used that, and he took on a monkey form, a very small monkey form, so that, he could inconspicuously sleep in. He went to the chambers of, he went to the chambers of Ravana, and he went into the, he searched one by one, each place.

But, practically, but practically, nowhere, could he find Sita. And, he went in all the chambers, he was searching. And, as he was searching, searching, nowhere.

And, all the palaces, almost exhausted. And, it was night. And, he had used the advantage of the night.

Because, even if it was small, Lanka was a well fortified place. So, in the day time, it is being detected to be much easier. So, he was searching.

And, after he searched all the palaces, he got disheartened. At that time, he started thinking, what should I do now? Oh, my! He had already done superhuman effort to jump across the ocean and come all the way. But, now, it's, when we, when we, put in a lot of effort to try to achieve something, and then, we don't get it.

Then, the disappointment and frustration are much more than if we don't try much for once. It's something, okay, if I get it, good. If I don't get it, doesn't matter.

It's okay, I don't really get it. Let's move on. But, something which is very important, something which we have put in a lot of energy to get it also, and then, we don't get it.

So, what do you do at that time? So, at that time, he was so disheartened. He started thinking, what's in there? If I don't find Sita, what will happen? He started thinking, if I go back now, if I go back, and I tell the monkeys, and we go back and tell Sugriva, and then, Sugriva tells Ram, that he came. Ram, he had already seen, you know, how much agony Ram was because of separation from Sita.

So, he says, Ram, we will not be able to maintain his life, and if Ram gives up his life, Lakshman will give up his life. If Lakshman, Ram and Lakshman give up their life, Sugriva will feel that, I, I was responsible. I failed, Ram did his part in our agreement, he helped me get back my kingdom and my life, but I could not help him find Sita.

So, Sugriva will feel that he has failed to honour his word. And, further on top of that, the loss of Ram, the demise of Ram will devastate Sugriva. And Sugriva will give up his life.

When Sugriva gives up his life, all the monkeys will become disheartened, and either the monkeys will themselves give up their life, or they will lose all heart, and Kishkita will be attacked by some enemies. In the world, enemies are always waiting for an opportunity to bounce, and then Kishkita will be destroyed. And if the news reaches Bharat, even Bharat will be destroyed, will be disheartened.

And even the Yudhavasis will sink into the ocean of distress and devastation. Either they will give up their lives, or again invaders will destroy them also. He said, because of my failure, two entire kingdoms will be destroyed.

He says, no, not possible. He says, I will find Sita. No matter what happens, I will find Sita.

So, what happened over here was, he said, somehow or other, I will find Sita. So basically, for each one of us, when we face discouragement in life, and everybody faces discouragement, we may try something, a lot of effort to do something, and still, it doesn't work out. And it's understandable, it's entirely human, to become discouraged when something, which you put in a lot of effort, and it doesn't work.

But broadly speaking, we have two options, when we face discouraging obstacles. Either we become resentful, and we give up, or we become determined and push on. Now, it's interesting, it's been observed in nature, and it's been observed even, by psychologists, that generally, if two people face the same problem, now one person collapses, the other person doesn't collapse.

Now, what is the difference? You say, this person is mentally tougher. But what do you mean by mentally tougher? Is it like, some people are mentally tougher, and some people are mentally weaker? What does it mean? Actually, there can be many aspects, but one basic point is, our attitude. Say, if somebody, let's consider that, somebody has to carry some luggage.

Now, if they have to carry some big weight, I don't want to carry it. But they somehow try to dodge it, escape it, and still, they are forced to carry it. Now, they may carry it half way along, and they may not even carry it fully.

Or even if they carry it, at the end of it, they will only feel irritated. And the person for whom they are carrying, that person will also be irritated. On the other hand, if someone, if someone is facing, if someone, say, goes to a gym, and they lift up weight, now what has happened? The weight might more or less be similar, in quantity, similar in burden.

But, if they lift up that weight, and do the exercise, their muscles will grow, they will become fitter. So, the burden might be the same, but the way we approach the burden, now, you cannot avoid the burden if it is there, but the way we approach the burden, will shape what happens to us, because of the burden. So, at that point, if we are seeing, okay, this is a burden.

Similarly, this is an obstacle, this is so much trouble. But, expansion means, look beyond the problem, to the bigger picture. So, what happens is, now, this problem is that I have a choice.

Either I can be resentful and give up, or I can't give up, the problem is already there. Either I resentful, and I just lose myself in self-pity, or I become determined, and do the best that I can. Now, sometimes, our life is such that our best may not be enough.

And we may still go down. That particular thing may not work out. But, in the bigger picture, for our growth, if we take an attitude that this is, let me see this as a challenge, let me try to persevere, then that will, at the very least, ensure that we don't hurt ourselves more than what life is hurting us.

The weight is already there on me, and if I'm going to resent the weight, still the weight is going to be there. It's only going to hurt me more. But, if we take it, let me do the best that I can in this situation.

So, voluntarily accepted challenge is very conducive for our growth. We could put this in another different way, which is discouragement. We may want life to be comfortable.

We all want life to be happy. But, actually, pleasure is too cheap a purpose for a satisfying life. I'll repeat this.

Pleasure is too cheap a purpose for a satisfying life. What do I mean? If pleasure is there, already satisfaction is there? No. Imagine, you can think of some very very basic levels of pleasure.

Say, if now, some people like to watch comedy shows. Now, of course, everybody likes humour in some sense. But, suppose we had no financial responsibilities, no family responsibilities, and for the rest of your life, just enjoy watching comedy shows throughout the day for the rest of your life.

Now, would we enjoy it? Maybe for some time, it's fun. But, after that, we want to do something. I want something to do in my life.

So, the point is, pleasure, we all want, in a sense, pleasure. But, pleasure is too cheap a purpose to make life satisfying. We may not think of it that way because we all want to be happy.

But, actually, what we really want is not just pleasure. We want something challenging, meaningful to do in our life. Now, pleasure is best experienced as a by-product of something meaningful, not just a product.

That is, when we do something to get pleasure, usually, most of the time, if we consider, the search for pleasure is the cause of the greatest trouble. How do people get addicted? They're searching simply for pleasure. There is no challenge in drinking alcohol or smoking drugs or whatever.

So, what happens? With respect to alcohol, first, the drinker takes a drink. Then, the drink takes a drink. And then, the drink takes the drinker.

People get bored that way. So, now, what has happened? If you consider, millions of people today are addicted to many, many different things. So, now, nobody is born from their mother's womb with a bottle of alcohol in their hands.

Isn't it? So, they drank it because they wanted some pleasure. Often, if we just seek pleasure divorced from anything meaningful, then that search for pleasure itself becomes a cause of trouble. So, what we want in life, we all want happiness.

But happiness is best experienced as a by-product. So, we do something meaningful. And when we do something meaningful, at the end of doing that meaningful thing, when we get something satisfying, that is real satisfaction.

Say, we study for an exam, and then we pass that exam. So, if somebody didn't study for the exam and then got a degree, nowadays it's possible in many places, in India, in some parts, you just get a big deal. Well, you can parade it to the world, but you neither learn much, nor do you really get the satisfaction of having done something meaningful in life.

So, what happens when we are facing obstacles which discourage us, we start, we are thinking, this is so much trouble. Why should there be so much trouble in my life? I just want a trouble-free life. Yeah.

Nobody wants unnecessary trouble, of course. But the point is, just a trouble-free life is not a joyful life. A trouble-free life is not a joyful life, necessarily.

If our life is just trouble-free, then soon, we will do something which will fill our life with trouble. That's the way we are. We are psychologically made in such a way that if we have a trouble-free life, in fact, you know, most people who get addicted, what's happening is that before addiction, they don't have much troubles.

Okay, everybody has some problems. But when we are trouble-free, we will seek pleasure and we will court trouble by that. So, rather than, so, expansion means, look at the big picture.

Big picture is like, oh, I have to carry this weight. Shh, this is a burden. But either I can carry it resentfully, or I can say, okay, this weight which I am lifting, it can strengthen my muscles.

So, let me carry it purposefully. Let me carry it with determination. So, at that point, the weight is a burden.

But if I am looking only at that weight at that point, you just feel unbearable burden. But expand means, look at the big picture. That, yes, this is trouble right now, but just avoiding trouble or getting pleasure is not what will make life meaningful.

Let me face this trouble voluntarily as a means to grow. Now, sometimes you might be able to solve that problem also. Sometimes you may not be able to solve that problem.

But just that expansion of vision will give us more energy. Or at least, the energy that is being depleted internally, that depletion will stop. Okay.

So, this was the first point. What are the three points I am discussing? Does anyone remember? Expansion, elevation, execution, yeah. So, the first part is expansion.

Any quick comments or questions about this? Yes, please. Is pleasure short-lived? Yes. Yeah, pleasure is short-lived, definitely.

It depends on what kind of pleasure is. Generally, the more the pleasure is external to us, the physical pleasure is very short-lived. Maybe mental or intellectual pleasure is more long-lived.

Spiritual pleasure is eternal. So, different kinds of pleasures have different longevity. It's a different thing.

I have heard somebody say that pleasure is a madman's happiness and happiness is the only pleasure. Okay, that's interesting. Pleasure is a madman's happiness.

Okay. And happiness is a devotee's pleasure. Thank you.

Yes. So, let's move on. The second, yeah.

Okay. Okay. Okay, it's a good question.

So, lifting weights can help our muscles to grow, but we have to have the will first to lift the weight. Yes, that's true, but then broadly you could say that we have only two options in life. One is that we do what we desire or we desire what we do.

Either we do what we desire. This is what I want to do, I'm going to do it, whatever happens. But sometimes there's just no path for us to do what we desire.

We just have to do something else. Then it is better that we desire what we do. So, we can say that I don't have the will, but then will is something which can be also created.

It can also be cultivated. So, if I have to go through some experience, then either I can go through that experience being dragged by my feet through it, and I'll have to go through it, I'll be visible through it. Let me try to go through it the best way that I can.

So, all of us have that capacity to, at one level, accept the situation that we are in. Say, suppose we fall sick. And we are told, you have fallen sick, and the next one week you'll have to stay in bed.

We may have dozens of plans of what we want to do in the next week. But everything is just corrupted and we are on bed. Now, anyway I have to be on bed.

So, I can either be resentful, why did this sickness come upon me? Why did this sickness come upon me? And I just, as I said, life is hurting at that time. But, by resenting, we can increase the hurt. So, now I can't do what I desire.

Oh, I have to go here, I have to meet this person. All those plans I can't do. Then, desire what you do.

Suppose, now I'm on bed. While I'm on bed, what can I do? Maybe I can read something. Maybe I can hear something.

Maybe I can some people say I want to talk, I want to talk on phone or whatever. Whatever I have to do in that situation, accept that and try to do that. But, there is a logic, you have to have philosophy.

When real life problems come, I'll just have one. People do give up. Practically, what you're saying is absolutely correct.

But, when the situation comes, are you able to apply this? That I want to learn from you. See, there are two different things. When difficulties come, we just, one after another difficulties come, we give up.

Yeah, that's a normal human reaction. At the same time, life goes on. It's like, we could say, if suddenly a big fire breaks out somewhere.

Now, even trained firefighters, when they see a huge fire, they may be alarmed. Now, a novice firefighter or ordinary citizen, when they see a big fire, they might not just be alarmed, they might become panicky. They just run, helter-skelter, here, there and get completely overwhelmed.

In fact, they might come in the way of those who are trying to fight the fire. A novice firefighter, they may also get alarmed. But, the difference between a seasoned firefighter and a novice firefighter is not that the seasoned firefighter doesn't get alarmed.

That's just a normal human reaction. But, the whole point of their training, their discipline is that their firefighter instincts kick into place completely. And, the alarm stays, but it doesn't stay for long.

Okay. The fireman says, what can you do? This part of the building is gone. We can't save this.

But, this is what we can say. The building is going to fall, but maybe if we can check if somebody is there, we can go in. In the next five minutes, we can go in and rescue somebody.

So, basically, I'll come a little later to the part of execution and the last part. But, the point is that we all, when we feel too many difficulties, it is natural to be discouraged. But, what is the solution? The problem is there as it is.

If I become discouraged, I'm only making my life worse. Life is going to go on. And, I have to live on.

So, that alarm, that sense of discouragement, that will come. But, if we have a bigger picture of life, life is much bigger than this particular situation. We can look at our own lives.

In the Bhagavad Gita, it tells us that we are not the body but the soul. What it essentially means is that life is not like a hundred metre sprint. It is like a hundred man marathon.

So, yes, this is a difficult situation and it is terrible that the situation has come. But, if we look at our own lives, with an expanded vision, we have all gone through many difficulties. And, if you look back at five years before in your life, think of what are the problems facing you.

There was some big problem facing you at that time also. But, you have gone through it now. So, it is natural that when a problem hits, we will be overwhelmed.

But, we needn't stay overwhelmed by it. And, to the extent we have done some spiritual practises, not just as a ritual, but we have done spiritual practises to actually make our consciousness spiritual, then that alarm, that discouragement will come but it won't stay for that long. Rather, okay, let me move forward in my life.

So, what was the second point we were going to discuss? Elevation, yes. So, expansion means see the big picture that, yes, this problem is there but this problem, either I can see this simply as a burden or I can see this challenge for my growth. Elevation means it's a different perspective.

One is I see that this is maybe there is something good which will come from my growth. But, elevation means we don't just look ahead, we look up. Now, we look up means that we understand that there is a bigger plan governing the world.

There is a bigger purpose for life in the world. Now, you may say, oh, this is just your religious sentiment. Yeah, possibly, today afternoon I am doing a youth meeting where I am speaking on the topic of why atheism requires more faith than theism.

Some people say, I don't have enough faith to believe in God. My answer is, I don't have enough faith to believe in atheism. And atheism requires far more faith.

How is that? Why does atheism require faith? See, to believe that some God is there, that requires faith. To say there is no God, how does it require faith? See, actually nobody lives practically like an atheist. What do we mean live like an atheist? All of us, we live our life as if there is some cause-effect connection.

That there is some sense of meaning to life. Say, for example, when Newton saw the fruit falling many centuries ago, he asked, what made the fruit fall? And what that means is, that question itself means, things don't happen by chance. There is some kind of order in the world.

I suppose, one day your child comes back from school and he's got a black eye. Say, what happened? I just got a black eye. What do you mean? How did you get a black eye? Did you hit something? Did you fight with someone? No, I just got a black eye.

Nobody functions like that, isn't it? We all accept that there is a cause-effect correlation. In fact, the whole science is largely a search for cause-effect correlation. What makes things happen the way they are? So now, it's like if we take the atheistic worldview, which claims to be scientific, but actually atheism is not scientific.

Atheism is just a belief system which is parasitical on science, which claims that it is derived from science. But atheism is an entirely different belief system. So what happens in atheism? We have islands of mean.

Why do apples fall? Oh, that's because of gravity. Why does the temperature rise? Oh, because of the laws of thermodynamics. Why is this part lit and this part not lit? That's because of the laws of electricity.

We have islands of meaning while drowning in an ocean of meaninglessness. What does that mean? Okay, why does this happen like this? Why does this happen like this? We have all answers. But why do we exist? Life has no purpose.

In fact, one Stephen Weinberg, Nobel laureate physicist, he said that the more the universe becomes understandable, the more it seems meaningless. Now, this is completely illogical. It's like, say, if somebody has scribbled some message, and it's in some foreign language, and you work very hard and, okay, what does this script, what does this letter mean, what does this word mean, what does this word mean? Now, you work very hard and understand the script, understand the letters, understand the words, and then at the end of it, you find that the whole message is meaningless.

Maybe I am missing something. If somebody has written something in a careful script, they have formed letters, they have formed words, they have formed sentences, so the more the message becomes understandable, the more it should be meaningful. And if somebody is saying the more we understand the universe, the more it is meaningless, then that means you are missing something in the universe.

So, atheists or theists, life's problems are there for everyone. Now, life is tough. I have travelled across the world many times now, and I have talked with many people who are very successful.

They may appear to be very successful, but you just scrape a little below the surface, and everybody is working through their own tragedies. Somebody has a barrel, who has got dementia, and they can't recognise them. Somebody has lost a friend due to painful cancer.

Everybody is working through their own tragedies. So, life is tough for everyone. Atheism does not remove any problems for anyone.

Atheism only removes the hope that the problems have some purpose. And atheism does not remove any problems. Atheism only removes the hope that the problems have some purpose.

So, elevation means, we understand that whatever is happening in the world, sometimes bad things do happen. But, there is a higher plan, and in that plan, whatever is happening, it has a purpose. So, bad things do happen in life.

Some people say that everything that happens is good. Some people claim that this is a teaching of the Bhagavad Gita also. But, I have read the Bhagavad Gita many times.

I have never found this anywhere. People say, jo hua, woh achha hua. Jo ho raha hai, woh achha ho raha hai.

Jo hone wala hai, woh achha hi ho. Now, this is never said in the Bhagavad Gita anywhere. What the Bhagavad Gita is talking about is how we are responding to life.

When Draupadi is being dishonoured, nobody goes and tells her, jo hua, woh achha hua. No, it's actually, horrible things happen in life. And to say that everything that happens is good is monstrously cruel.

When cruel things have happened, when terrible things have happened in life. But, what we can say is, everything that happens is not good, but everything that happens can be for good. Bad things happen, but from the bad things, good can emerge.

And we see that is how things work in nature. Everywhere, you see, how things work in nature, that whatever is existing, the existing order needs to be broken for something better to emerge. The clouds look beautiful in the sky, but the clouds have to be broken so that rains happen.

The rains, they, when they make the soil fertile, the earth fertile, at that time the earth needs to be blown, which means it needs to be broken, so that irrigation can take place. When the harvest grows, the harvest needs to be cut. When we have the grains, the grains need to be ground so that we can have flour which can be used for eating.

When we make bread or chapatis, the chapatis have to be broken. That's when we can get nutrition. Sometimes, when we take prasad at devotees house, sometimes devotees, they arrange the plate in such an artistic way that you feel as if taking prasad is committing violence to this art.

But, you know, if you don't do that, you will not be able to get any nutrition. So the point is that we see throughout nature that whatever is existing, it has to be broken so that something better can come out of it. That is the way things work.

Elevation means that there is a higher plan and whatever we are going through, there is, this is difficult, but it's all for a purpose. Something will emerge from it. And elevation means if I keep doing my best, soon the Lord will do the rest.

So as Hanuman was thinking what to do, he was determined, I am going to search for Sita. But he had searched everywhere. And as his thoughts had become gloomy, the night had also become completely gloomy.

Then the moon had hidden behind the clouds. The stars had also gone behind the clouds. It was completely gloomy.

But as he became determined, let me do my best. I am going to find Sita. I will die till I find Sita.

But Hanuman came out. And as soon as he thought like that, suddenly the clouds parted and the moon came out of the clouds. And as he was looking at the moonlight, he looked around and suddenly he saw a garden.

And now initially he had thought that Sita is the princess and Ravana is the king. So Sita would be in a palace. And he had searched all the palaces.

But when he saw this garden, suddenly he wanted to go home. He says, maybe Sita is here. Then he remembered how after Sudhari became the king, at that time, Sugriva had invited Rama.

During the four months of Chaturmas, when the rains were heavy, he can't search. Please come and stay in my kingdom. So Rama had said that I am in one box.

I am in exile. I cannot come in any kingdom. Not just Ayodhya, but no kingdom.

So I will stay in the palace. Even Lakshmana had done the same thing. Although Lakshmana had not been in exile, only Rama had been in exile.

So then, maybe Sita refused to stay in any palace. Maybe she is in the spa. Maybe she is in the spa.

She is in the garden. She is in the forest. And suddenly, a surge of energy came about.

So elevation means when he made the determination that I am going to pursue her, then another option opened for him. The moon came out and not only the moon came out, the moon showed him a way ahead. So for all of us, when we are looking ahead and all that we are seeing is a blocked road for us, we just don't see anything ahead.

Then we need to look out. Now, sometimes that road may be unmovable and we might have to go towards some other road. Hanuman would have chosen, let me search all the palaces once again.

Maybe I missed something. That was not working. This road is not working.

His purpose is the same but the path he was choosing was different. Stop searching the palaces. Start looking in the gardens.

So for all of us, similarly, this elevation means that yes, this difficulty is there and it is terrible. I find it very very difficult to be alone. But it is all for a higher purpose.

There is a higher plan. Through whatever is happening in my life, there is a higher plan. And again somebody might say, why should I believe in the idea of some higher plan? But the point is why should you not believe there is a higher plan? If we see for our very existence there is some higher plan that is required.

We may say, what higher plan? If I don't work at my job, I won't get any food. Where is the higher plan? Well, even if you work at your job, unless a higher plan provides us water, air, we can't live. So our very existence requires things which are beyond our existence.

So it is like we do have to work, no doubt. But our endeavour is secondary. It is like every morning when the birds rise and the birds start chirping.

Where are the grains? The birds have to search. But the birds searching does not produce the grains. The birds searching only has to find the grains that are already provided by God.

So our efforts are required, no doubt. But our efforts are secondary. Our very existence primarily requires something beyond our existence.

So elevation when we do and when we come to a temple, when we do satsang, when we do our japa, when we do our puja, it is not just a religious ritual that we are doing. It is actually meant to elevate our consciousness. Yes, this whole world is there.

All the problems are there. But Krishna is there, bigger than this world, beyond this world. Krishna has a plan.

So let me do my part. So the discouraging situation is still there. One is we ourselves think if I face it wholeheartedly, I will grow.

That is expansion. But elevation means it is not just I facing against a blind world or a cruel world. But this world has some higher plan.

So let me try to do my part in that plan. And that brings us to the last part. E is what? Execution.

Execution means that when we have, when we are faced with some difficult situation, at that time it is important that, earlier I said expansion in terms of look at the big picture to understand that is the purpose. But execution, whether we have to execute something, at that time, focus on the small picture. What can I do right now? When we are going through unimaginably difficult times, if we start thinking what will happen to me after 1 year, what will happen to me after 10 years, what will happen to me after 3 years, well, in those difficult times there are too many variables going on.

Say somebody has got some very difficult disease, somebody has just lost a job, somebody else, a relationship crumbling. Then we start thinking in too long term, there are so many variables that we can't do much in that time. So execution means focus on small steps.

Focus on small steps. What does it mean by small steps? That, can I act for the next 1 hour or for the next 1 day, can I act in a way that won't make things worse? Can I act in a way that to the best of my capacity? Now this is happening, I feel like crying, I feel like screaming, I feel like beating someone. Now, can I, if I could be at my best for the next 1 day, or 1 day means next 1 hour, just reduce the time frame to a manageable unit.

And then, if we can act to the best of our capacity for 1 hour, then stop and just appreciate it. Good that you didn't make a mess of things. See, when the world discourages us, we need to encourage ourselves.

When the world discourages us, it is we who need to encourage ourselves. And encouragement doesn't mean everything is wonderful. It's not a artificial utopia.

It's just that, when we do what is right, to the best of our capacity. Yes. At least for 1 hour, I was able to avoid making a mess.

Good, you did this. Now let's do the next. So, divide it into small, manageable units.

Sometimes, I'll conclude on this point now, with respect to discouragement, that when we are discouraged, we feel that I am powerless. There is absolutely nothing I can do in this situation. Have any of you felt like this? Sometimes you are in a situation where there is nothing you can do.

I am trapped in this situation. I just can't do anything. You are hoping like this.

Now, this sense of powerlessness is something which we need to challenge. How do I challenge that? No matter how bad things are, can I make them worse? Who would want to make them worse? It's already very bad. It's fine.

I am not saying we should actually make them worse. But just ask yourself the question, can I make them worse? I might have a fractured leg and I am lying in bed not able to do anything. But even in bed, am I powerless? I can take a hammer and crack my other knee also.

Isn't it? Obviously, I shouldn't do that. But, the point is we are never as powerless as we think. If we can make things worse, then we can make them better also.

So, execution means focus on taking one step forward. So, Hanuman had no guarantee that he is going to find Sita. And he had searched everywhere.

But the moon showed this forest, showed this garden and immediately ran towards that. And he crept in and was searching, searching in that garden. And soon, he saw Ravan.

All night he had searched and he couldn't find anything. And then, early morning, he saw Ravan going in a particular direction. What is he doing out here? In this garden.

Ravan was not looking like a person who has just come out for a nice morning walk. You know, fresh and getting some fresh air. He, all night he had been craving for Sita and he had tried to sate his desire with others but was not satisfied.

And he was again going early in the morning to try to persuade Sita or threaten Sita. So, as he marched angrily. You know, people go for a morning walk, they are going in a pleasant, jolly mood.

But he was just pounding his feet, going angrily. So, Hanuman seen him and Hanuman as Ravan he, you know, Sita, if you don't surrender to me, I will kill you. And all those words that he threatened, he just, oh, Sita.

Hanuman understood that Sita has been found. So, he just kept searching, small, small, small steps. So, execution is, you know, for us, no matter how difficult the situation that we are in, there is always something in our control.

And the most basic level is our consciousness that is in our control. Some people, when they fall very sick, at that time, being sick is painful. But sometimes when they are sick, people start complaining, they start snapping at others, they start yelling at others.

Now, they are sick and they make people sick of them. Now, at the very least, you can avoid that. I am sick right now, but let me focus my consciousness.

How can I be as well behaved as possible in this situation? For the next one hour, for the next one day. So, if we can make, we can set a realistic goal that is possible for us. Now, one way to avoid failure is to set a goal in which we can't fail.

What does that mean? Okay, for the next one hour, can I behave myself well? So, do that and appreciate yourself. So, for execution, I will come forward to this part, SSS. This small, simple steps.

Take some small, simple steps. Start with that and things will move forward. Things will move forward.

So, when we do that, we will find that no matter how much discouragement we have in our life, whatever difficulties we are facing, the difficulties are, we may feel, I am lost in this dark thing. This is a dungeon in which I am trapped for the rest of my life. But no matter how dark it is, it's not a dungeon.

It's a tunnel. And if we keep walking, keep walking, we will come out of the tunnel. We will find the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Lord will take us to light beyond the darkness. The world can hurt us in many ways, but greater than the world's power to hurt is Krishna's power to be. Greater than the world's power to hurt is Krishna's power to be.

So, by expansion, elevation and execution, if we turn towards Krishna's power to be, not obsess over the world's power to hurt, we will find that through even difficult situations, Krishna will lead us through, from darkness to light. I'll summarise what I spoke today. About how to deal with discouragement with three points.

First that of course, expansion. So, when we all face discouragement, and discouragement is like if we are driving a car and we face an external obstacle, it becomes difficult for us to move on. But if our fuel runs out, obstacle to obstacle, we can't move on.

So, life's problems are like an external log falling on the path of our life journey, but we running out of fuel is like internally completely discouraged. So, now the two are related and the bigger the obstacle, the more our fuel will get exhausted trying to push forward. But the obstacles don't necessarily have to cause discouragement.

So, encouragement is our energy and we need that to move forward enough. And how do we develop that? First was expansion. Expansion means why is this obstacle there? Look at the bigger picture to see that this is meant for my growth.

Or at least I can grow by looking at this positively, purposefully. So, if we just have to lift the burden and we don't want to, we might do it reluctantly, we won't do it well, we won't please anyone, we will be annoyed. Life has hurt us, we will hurt ourselves more by our attitude.

But if we are going to a gym and we lift the same weight, but that if we lift it, it strengthens us. So, like that, life's burdens, if we see them as meant for some purpose, meant for our growth, then we can move forward. We can grow through that.

And general life's burdens mean that we have no pleasure but we have trouble. So, when we resent the absence of pleasure in the presence of trouble, we can remind ourselves that pleasure is too cheap, purpose to make life satisfying. What we want is not just pleasure as a product, we want actually pleasure that comes as a by-product of something meaningful.

So, we won't be satisfied watching comedies for the rest of our life. So, we can see that, in fact, just the search for pleasure often becomes the cause of the biggest trouble. So, instead of resenting the trouble, or resenting the loss of pleasure, we can see, okay, there is some purpose for my growth over here.

And we move forward. So, see the big picture. Expand yourself to see that, okay, I have faced, this trouble is very big, but I have faced many troubles in the past, and not only have I survived through them, but I have grown through them.

Through this also I have survived. The second was elevation. That means that we don't just look ahead, but look up.

That there is a plan for everything. Atheism can't explain. Atheism offers us islands of meaning.

This is why this happens. While drowning us in an ocean of meaninglessness. Life has no meaning.

So, atheism does not remove any problems. It only removes the hope that the problems have a purpose. So, if we choose to have that faith that there is a higher purpose, everything that happens is not good, but it can be forward.

Then, we can perceive the earth. Isn't this just faith? Yes, it is faith, but it is intelligent faith. Because our very existence requires something bigger than us, something beyond us.

The provision of air, water, everything like that. And often, in this higher plan, the existing things have to be broken for something better to emerge. From clouds to rains, from soil to grains, from grains to flour, from flour to food, from food to digestive energy.

So, like that, similarly, our plans may be broken, but something better will emerge from that. And last was execution. That means when we have to do things, don't focus on too big a picture.

Just focus at that time on small, simple steps. For the next one day, can I avoid making things worse? Can I be at my best for one day? And if you are able to set a small, simple step and achieve that, then appreciate yourself. That when life discourages us, we need to encourage ourselves by doing something which is worth appreciating, worth getting encouraged.

And if you feel utterly powerless, then we can challenge that sense of powerlessness by asking ourselves, no matter how bad things are, can't I make them worse? I can. That means I can make them better. And for us, Krishna Consciousness helps us to see that picture, big picture.

I am a soul, so it expands our consciousness. And Krishna exists as a Supreme Lord, so it helps us to rebuild our consciousness. And further, by exhaustion, we understand that Krishna is there with us, ready to help us.

And the small, simple steps we can keep taking, and then whatever difficulty we are going through that is discouraging us, we'll see that it's not a dungeon, but it's a tunnel through which we'll emerge stronger and purer in our connection with Krishna. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Questions? I have a question. Yes, please. Do we have time? Expansion? Yes.

Hare Krishna. You said expansion, relegation, execution. Slow motion is nice, but if accidents happen, when a problem comes like that, then you are blind.

You don't have time to do baby steps and thinking. You have to act. Or else you are blind.

So when problems come suddenly? Yeah. And then you black out. No, that's why I said that firefighter example, you might black out for a few minutes.

That's understandable. It's entirely understandable. When Prabhupada was hit by a cow when he was walking around, trying to go back to Godhead, Prabhupada told one of his disciples, he said, I asked Krishna, why is this happening to me? Why is this happening to me? He said, was Prabhupada doubting Krishna? No, not doubting.

He was trying to serve Krishna and facing obstacles. So for a few moments to be shaken, to be spiritual doesn't mean to not be human. As human beings, there is a certain human reaction and we accept that.

So, we will feel whatever way, we will feel overwhelmed. At that time, we will just do the best that we can, which might not be the wisest thing to do. But we can always do course correction.

Might react in a particular way. See, often it is not the first mistake that ruins us. It is, after we make the first mistake, we continue on the mistaken course.

I mean, somebody speaks something to us, there is a fault in me and I, if I am admitting it, I counter-attack that person. As soon as I realise it, I stop it. But what happens is, the first mistake is that somebody is driving a car and they steer off the road.

Now, that is a mistake. They shouldn't have steered off the road. But then, they panic and then the car goes entirely off the road.

They brake at that time so that they can minimise the damage. So, yes, life's difficulties come. Our first reactions might be unhealthy.

But we don't have to perpetuate those first reactions. As soon as we realise, we come back on track. And basically, the more we practise bhakti and our consciousness rises upwards from ignorance to passion to goodness to a transcendence, the more the healthier reactions will come faster.

So, we can't predict what problems we are going to face and we can't even control how we respond. But the more we try to structuralise our consciousness, the likelihood of the healthier reactions coming faster will be more. Yes, sir? You made a statement saying that pleasure is too cheap and for the meaningful life something else happens.

Well, in the ageing process, we are dealing with a group of people who are more pleasant-seeking. How to address some issues and how to handle those situations? They are more pleasant-seeking. Okay, yeah.

So, people who are interested in material pleasure alone, how can we persuade them? Well, we don't have to necessarily say that there's no pleasure in life or we don't seek pleasure. It's just that even people in general recognise to some extent that pleasure alone is not meaningful. See, many young people they might have spent hours and hours watching video games or watching movies or just spending time on Facebook or social media.

If somebody tells them, don't do it, they say, why should I stop? But if you ask them honestly and there have been surveys done, most people after spending hours and hours on social media, they regret it. Even young people regret it. It's just that the way the world has been arranged, they feel this is more stimulating and life with all its responsibilities is more boring.

So, they prefer that. But, if you can say, this is not just boring. If you take up some responsibility, try to do something challenging, you will grow in your life.

So, we don't have to necessarily… See, the worst thing that we can do when we are presenting Krishna Consciousness to anyone, and especially to young people, is to present Krishna Consciousness as a set of rules. It's completely alienating. I was at a religious meeting, and there was this pastor.

He said that there is a survey of young people. What do you think of a priest? So, one young boy said, a priest is someone who is constantly worried that someone, somewhere, is having some fun. So, their idea of religion is don't do this, don't do this, don't do this.

So, generally, we don't have to talk about any of the don'ts. Just focus on the do's and how those do's, connection, base, meaning, enjoy your life. So, if you focus on that, then, rather than telling don't do this, give like a multi-dimensional explanation of the purpose of life.

Then, the don'ts themselves naturally start making sense. But, unfortunately, we focus on the don'ts, and people feel that we are depriving them of pleasure. So, at least, initially, focus on the do's and how those do's are meaningful.

And the don'ts will gradually come in place. That's the last one. Let's say you have some close relatives or friends who are going through some obstacles.

Let's say, for example, some high protein disease, and they are not Krishna conscious. How do you explain to them that it's a higher purpose? So, if somebody is going through a life-threatening disease, how do we explain to them about life has a higher purpose? It a lot depends on what state they are in. See, when Abhimanyu is killed, Krishna does not speak any philosophic virtue.

Krishna doesn't even mention that, you are not the body, you are the soul. He doesn't say anything like that. What he says, essentially, is Arjuna is so angry, and he is telling all his brothers, are all your weapons just bangles? Could any of you protect my brother? So, Krishna tells him, Arjuna, your brothers are as grief-struck as you are.

Please don't increase their grief by speaking such harsh words. A worthy person tries to decrease the grief of others, not increase their grief. So, he doesn't speak anything like that.

He is very empathic, he is very understanding, and he tries to, within that frame of reference, elevate it. So, basically, people, when they face some life-threatening disease, then, if their mental state goes through various phases, maybe initially there is resentment, maybe initially there is denial, not happening to them, then there is resentment. Why is this happening to them? Then, gradually, they'll accept this.

What can I do? So, we have to, whatever phase they are in, we have to assist them the best way we can. So, sometimes, the best way we can preach is by non-preaching. What that means is that we usually need to make a human connection before we can make a spiritual connection.

If people feel that we understand, we understand the pain they are going through, we are there to assist them, we are there to give them whatever we can, then, gradually, they become a little more receptive. So, we shouldn't see people's distress as simply an opportunity to preach to them. Our purpose is to help them.

And sometimes, we help them by giving spiritual knowledge. Sometimes, we just help them by being empathic and by being understanding. Sometimes, we help them by practising.

Once, Prabhupada was in a place in America, and the devotees, it's like a condo, the devotees just had one centre on one side, there was an old lady sitting on the other side. And this old lady was always complaining. The devotees had come from a hippie background.

It was so noisy. She was complaining and she was creating a lot of problems for the devotees. And what happens for devotees, anybody who opposes devotion, that is a simple label, they are demons.

So, the devotees came and told Prabhupada, Prabhupada, this lady is a demon. She is troubling her so much. So, Prabhupada had gone for a morning walk.

So, Prabhupada heard about it. And then he came back. And instead of going back to their side, he went to that side and knocked on the door.

And Prabhupada greeted her. Prabhupada talked politely with her. And typical old people talk.

How are you doing? How are your children? Where do they live? And how is your health? It was like 15 minutes or something, Prabhupada talked with her. And then Prabhupada very cordially left. And the devotees wondered.

Either Prabhupada did not allow her to chant Hare Krishna or Prabhupada did not. There was a big question mark on their face. So, Prabhupada said, sometimes old people become lonely.

And because of loneliness they become irritable. So, Prabhupada just left. And then after some time an old lady came and met the devotees and said, Swamiji is such a nice person.

And she withdrew her complaints. So, Prabhupada brought her closer to Krishna without speaking even one word about Krishna. So, he just established a human connection.

It's not that we shouldn't speak philosophy. But we have to understand. Most people need to feel understood before they become ready to understand.

Like suppose you are sick and you go to a doctor. And as soon as you sit at the doctor's chair, patient's chair, the doctor says, okay, take this medicine, take this medicine, take this medicine. Yeah, I didn't tell you my symptoms also.

I already know your symptoms. Now, even if the diagnosis is right, the prescription is also right. Unless the patient has the confidence that the prescription is right, the patient won't take it.

So, people need to feel understood before they become ready to understand. So, when people are in distress, we have to find out how to establish a human connection with them. And if somebody is ranting, how can God be so cruel? Why did God do this to me? There is no need to think that I have to defend God.

God is actually big enough to even accommodate our anger to Him. If somebody becomes angry towards God, we don't have to say that they are blaspheming God or something like that. No.

At that time, it's just a human reaction. When Draupadi was attempted to be dishonoured, she was saved. But, after that, nobody actually saw Krishna coming.

It's just that the road was inexhaustible. And later on, in the forest, Krishna came to meet her. And when Krishna came, Draupadi broke down and said, Krishna, I am your friend, I am your relative, I am your devotee.

I deserve your protection. Why did you come to protect me? And Krishna did say, How dare you challenge my perfect plan? Krishna played a very human role. He said, I did no good at all in the match.

If I had known, I would have stopped it at all costs. Since I was in Dwaraka, I was a demon. Shah Rukh would attack Dwaraka.

And I was busy defending Dwaraka. As soon as I came to know, I rushed here. Oh, Draupadi, I have heard how amid such distress, you stuck truth to Dharma.

Your devotion to Dharma is glorious. And you will be glorified. And those who have dishonoured or dishonoured you will be punished.

Have faith. So, he consoled her. He encouraged her.

So, even if those people criticise God, don't try to unless they are ready, don't give philosophy. If they are in an emotional mood, just try to understand their emotions. Make them feel understood.

See, when somebody doesn't feel understood, it is like, just as we need air for breathing, our heart needs the oxygen. The oxygen to understand. If we don't feel understood, then just like a person who is gasping for oxygen, they will hit someone, grab something, they will do anything.

So, like that, when people are not understood, they can speak all kinds of irrational things. And we start arguing with those irrational things. It doesn't work.

Because they are gasping for the oxygen of understanding. So, just hear them out. Just hear them out.

Let them rant whatever they want to. And when they come out, then find the right way. Thank you very much.

Prabhupada Ki! Jai Prabhupada Ki!