Bhagavatam-daily 293 – 11.13.26 – Resist the lower natural by embracing the higher natural

Thank you Krishna is explaining here that the senses that the mind is naturally attracted to the modes which manifest in the sense objects and the mind is sense objects are also attracted to the mind but when one understands this influence this influence of the modes in consciousness one can transcend it by absorbing in Krishna meditating on his form one can go beyond both the external and internal distracting agents the soul is in a very precarious position in material existence though it is trying its best to go beyond matter though it is trying its best to transcend the illusory potency of course most souls are not even trying to do this most souls are simply trying to enjoy the illusions of this illusory energy but even the few souls who are trying to overcome the illusions even they find it very difficult to do so because of the focus because of the capacity of the external internal distractor to carry away our consciousness in the Bhagavad Gita Krishna compares both the external and internal influences to a stormy wind and first he says how perceiving the sense objects Indriyana vicharitam yanmano nubhidhiyate nasyaharati pradyam vayurna avanima ambasin so when the mind focuses on many of the roaming senses with those roaming senses catching on to some sense object that generates a forceful wind a gust of lust that carries us away from the that carries us away just as a wind carries away a boat on an ocean this is talking about the stormy wind generated by external forces later on in the sixth chapter 6.34 Arjuna compares the mind to a stormy wind controlling the mind of Krishna I think is more difficult than controlling even the controlling the stormy wind it’s almost impossible to do so the essential point that Krishna makes here is that that Arjuna makes is that the mind seems irresistibly powerful and through these two metaphors the forceful influence externally and internally of the mind is conveyed of the mind as well as the external modes as well as the modes which manifest externally against objects that is conveyed now here how do we go beyond the reference if we can fix ourselves in Krishna that if we absorb ourselves in Krishna then just as a stormy wind if it hits against a giant mountain it will no longer have any force its force will be withstood similarly when we place Krishna in our heart no matter what storm comes that storm will not be able to dislodge Krishna provided we by our intense desire and prayer show Krishna that we want him there the stormy desire can never displace Krishna from our heart that desire never has the power but when Krishna sees that we are interested in enjoying sensually we are enjoying materially then responding to our desire responding to our desire he leaves our heart, he becomes unmanifest in our heart and then the sensual attachment takes center stage the material attachment and you become distracted so if we fix ourselves in Krishna then we will be able to resist the distracting and tempting pulls of the world sometimes we say that attraction of senses to the sense objects our attraction to the sense objects is natural they are good looking, they are pleasurable and we are pleasure seeking so it’s natural, it’s made by God so what’s wrong with it if you strictly want to stick to what is natural then even we could say death is natural the suffering of old age, disease is also natural bodily consciousness is also natural the important thing to understand is that there is lower nature and there is higher nature and the lower nature is the material nature the higher nature is the spiritual nature so at the level of spiritual nature the natural thing for the soul is to be attracted to Krishna and we want to rise to the spiritual level otherwise we will stay caught at the material level and we will stay entangled in material existence so the way out of this material existence by holding on tightly to Krishna the more we manifest our intent to go here to hold on to Krishna and do whatever is in our power to hold on to him we may not be able to think of Krishna constantly but there are certainly times when we can think of Krishna and say we are trying to chant, we may not be able to absorb ourselves entirely in Krishna but surely we can avoid thinking of sense objects at that time and we can try to drag our mind back to Krishna and if we do what we can for Krishna to show Krishna that we want to stay connected with him then Krishna will do what we can’t that means he will empower us to overcome the mind so he will by his merciful grace lift us above the material level of consciousness and thus enable us to transcend the illusion and the misery of material existence such is the glory of the path of bhakti which is centered on the mercy of Krishna