Despite practicing bhakti and cultivating goodness we remain passionate – what to do?
Hare Krishna The mode won't control us the mode won't influence us so much but still the modes are going to be there so for example the real problem is not whether the modes are there or not the problem is whether the modes are controlling us or not so once I was talking with a senior devotee and then asked so what is your plan now he said my plan is to surrender to the mode of ignorance no he said something very sweet he said my plan is to surrender to Krishna who is manifesting in the mode of ignorance so what that means is if a devotee can see when we sleep it is an activity which requires the mode of ignorance because there is inactivity over there so the mode of ignorance is required sometimes we try to sleep and we don't get sleep only sometimes what happens is we try to control things and you know this doesn't work that doesn't work then we just pull a blanket over our face and go to sleep at least that works and when even that doesn't work when we are not able to sleep also the point which I am making is that the modes are functional are functional features of this material world and various activities that we do it's just the modes are required for it Brahmaji supervises creation so when we are creating something new, we are planning something we are executing something that creative activity requires the mode of passion so the point is that as devotees our intention is transcendent we are trying to make our intention transcendent that is serving Krishna at the same time we for functioning in this world we may work through different modes at different times so the very nature of our life is that we will run around here and there we have to have the world around us is passionate and sometimes we may also get passionate so now it's that you know there are four varanahs Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra and different varanahs are characterized by different modes Kshatriyas are in passion combined with goodness Vaishyas are in in passion with some ignorance Shudras are in ignorance now when we say the Shudras are in ignorance it does not mean that they are totally in ignorance because if the Shudras are also following scriptural rules and regulations, well for Shudras that following rules and regulations requires goodness so what I am saying is that all of us we have a particular psychophysical nature some of us may have Kshatriya mentality some of us may have Vaishya mentality and then it is not that we are chanting Hare Krishna that mentality is going to change the mentality will remain the same the purpose will change so I will be a Vaishya and I will use the Vaishya mentality for serving Krishna some people they just feel like if a Brahmana is there you tell them we want to build a new temple we have to get 10 million dollars for it the Brahmana will say after you build a temple also you are going to just have some Bhagavad Gita why have it now only? why do you need to build a big temple? for a Brahmana, Vaishya Vaishya's work will seem like a bird but the Brahmana will use Brahmanical inclination for serving Krishna the Vaishya Vaishya will tell them come on we will have 3 hour Bhagavad Gita 3 hour too much tell the Vaishya we have to raise 10 million dollars now I have got something to do now I will go here, I will go there, I will do that so basically we all have different natures and Bhakti, it is not that we have to change our natures we have to change our purpose so if we tend to go more into the mode of passion we don't have to feel too worried about that as long as we keep our purpose Krishna and over a period of time as we keep practising Bhakti, even Vaishya's work can be done dominated by the mode of passion and ignorance Vaishya's work can also be done in the mode of goodness that means some people they are doing business work but even as business people they are very calm composed, very regulated in their functions, some people are just running around just worried too much, too much pressure too much tension they are in so that so the overall activity remains the same but gradually the the purpose which is what we are doing it changes the purpose changes when we start practising Bhakti and the way we do it will also change as we rise higher upward in the modes but the important thing is at this stage we make sure that our purpose stays Krishna and if we find that the mode of passion is agitating us too much then we can find out how we can increase the mode of goodness a little bit, we can slow things down maybe we can take a little break maybe I can do something activity which will root me back in the mode of goodness once again for some time but the important thing is it's not that we have to beat ourselves up because a particular mode is prominent in us now whatever mode is prominent right now just use what we have for serving Krishna so focus on changing the purpose not so much on changing the mode the mode will change gradually when our purpose is strong ok, great Krishna.