Gita 14.11 The holy name not only brightens the innner landscape as does the mode of goodness but also beautifies it

Transcript

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Consciousness.
Thank you. Bhagavad Gita 14.11, Krishna is describing here the characteristics of the mode of goodness, especially when this mode has become the predominant mode in person. So Krishna describes that actually, sarva-dvareshu, dekeshmin, dvara means door, desha is the body.
So the doors to the body are the senses. So when these senses become illuminated, at that time, the person is said to be in the mode of goodness, or rather the mode of goodness has become predominant in the person, because the mode of goodness has trapped over the other modes. The previous verse, 14.10, says how various modes are in constant competition with each other.
So sometimes the mode of goodness wins over passion and ignorance, sometimes passion wins over goodness and ignorance, and sometimes ignorance wins over the other modes. After describing that intense competition that happens within our inner world, now in the 11th verse, Krishna is describing how do we know that goodness is winning in this inner competition. He says this, when our senses are illuminated, with what? Gyanam yada, with knowledge.
So normally when we are in a dark room, or we are in a room where the power suddenly goes off and it turns dark, so at that time we feel a little disturbed, even panicky, because we can’t see anything around. And then we turn maybe to a cell phone flashlight, or if we have some flashlight handicap for emergencies, we try to use that for navigating our way and dealing with that unexpected situation. So the problem with material existence is that when it becomes dark, we don’t realize that it has become dark.
That’s how the modes work. When we are in goodness, our internal landscape is illuminated. That means we can see, okay, if I do this, this will be the consequence.
If I do that, that will be the consequence. Therefore let me choose intelligently. But when we fall from the mode of goodness towards the lower modes, passion or ignorance, then at that time, the result of the lower modes is that not only do they turn off the inner switch, but they even turn off our awareness that the inner switch has been turned off.
So not only do we go into dark, but we remain in dark about the fact that we are in dark. And that is extremely dangerous, because we keep moving around as if nothing has gone wrong, and we bump into things, and we bungle about, creating a big mess. So we rush thoughtlessly, impulsively, self-destructively into activities which we regret later.
So when the inner landscape is illumined, at that time we can understand that the mode of goodness is prominent. And this mode of goodness is a stable platform for practicing devotional service lifelong. Without being in goodness, one can definitely start practicing bhakti.
Passion or ignorance can definitely start practicing bhakti. And they may continue also for some time. But the steady enthusiasm that will help a person go the long haul, help the person to practice throughout one’s life, that does require a certain amount of goodness.
Without that goodness, a person will find it almost difficult to continue on in the practice. So instead the mode of goodness brings illumination, similarly transcendence also brings illumination. And similarly, the holy name, which is Krishna, the highest transcendental reality, manifested in a non-different form.
So that Krishna, as his holy name, also can illumine our heart. And he can illumine our heart much deeper and better than what the mode of goodness can. That’s why Krishna’s reality is the highest reality, far above the mode of goodness, and far above the impersonal level of realization also.
Now, although the holy name offers greater illumination, deeper and stronger illumination, but still we may not be able to perceive it immediately, especially if our consciousness is contaminated by the enjoying mentality. And that’s why it’s important that we purify ourselves. We try to live a life in the mode of goodness.
So the mode of goodness makes our consciousness like a dry stick. And then when a spark of fire comes, the dry stick catches fire. Similarly, even if a little bit of connection with Krishna, a little bit of remembrance of Krishna comes up, then our consciousness in goodness, then our consciousness in the element, it will also catch fire.
And we’ll be able to see the clear path ahead for us, for our all-round well-being, material and spiritual. And all this can happen if we chant attentively. If there’s goodness illumined, the holy name illuminates much better.
And it makes our whole inner landscape a wonderful place for our lifelong residence. And for the residence of our beloved Lord, not just lifelong, but eternally.