Gita 14.26 Health is a product of medication but it is also a precondition for medication

Transcript

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Jai Krishna that which is practice without deviation without distraction one who renders unto me serves me with bhakti yoga one who transcends and attains the brahman platform here Krishna is now answering Arjuna’s third question how does one transcend the moles in 14.21 Arjuna had asked three questions what are the characteristics of one who has transcended the moles what is the person’s behavior which refers more to external actions linguis refers to internal dispositions how does one transcend the moles so Krishna is answering that here now and he says that by the uninterrupted practice of bhakti mam chuyo avibhichare na mam chuyo avibhichare na so Krishna has used a similar mode of undistracted devotion earlier also in 13.8 to 12 he is talking about knowledge about the 20 characteristics of knowledge there and also he says that one of the items of knowledge is mayichananya yogena bhaktir avibhicharini so actually he uses the same word over there bhaktir avibhicharini so what this means is that bhakti one needs to practice avibhicharini but interestingly the context there is different there Krishna is talking about bhakti as one of the items of knowledge although of course it is a very critical item and by practicing bhakti other qualities can be developed here Krishna is talking about bhakti as a primary means to develop knowledge primary means to counter the knowledge obscuring effects of the three modes in both cases he says that we need to practice bhakti without getting interrupted without getting distracted so how is it possible if it is said over here that one can transcend the modes by the practice of bhakti but then it is also said that actually it is the modes that prevent us from practicing bhakti bhakti is transcendental bhakti is meant to connect us with Krishna who is supreme transcendental reality and it is the modes which prevent us from remembering our transcendence and from connecting with transcendental reality then how does it happen that we can connect with Krishna without interruption when we ourselves are finding that our mind is extremely restless it is almost impossible to deal with the situation we face say for example because of the mode of ignorance we feel lethargic, we feel apathetic because of the mode of passion we feel enormous cravings I must get this, I must get that now when we are feeling this either cravings or apathy then it is very difficult to focus on spiritual reality in the mode of goodness it is more conducive but there also we might just become so enamored by the by the knowledge that comes through the mode of goodness that we become complacent and no longer feel the need for Krishna so in goodness we can if we are positively spiritually inclined pursue Krishna but we may not feel the need for Krishna now how can we practice the mode without interruption when the fact is that how can we practice bhakti without interruption while we are in the modes and if that is the process for transcending the modes are we in a catch 22 situation where we just can’t do what we are expected to do no, not necessarily because here Krishna is talking about about practicing bhakti yoga as a treatment so now if a doctor says that for getting healthy you have to take this medicine and you can’t afford to miss a single dose and the doctor says that the point over there is not just that you can’t take a dose at all the point there is that you have to be careful that you don’t the point there is it’s not that you are expected to be healthy to take the dose the point there is that even if you are sick make sure that you take the dose daily and by taking the daily dosage you will move towards purification you will move towards elevation you will move towards liberation that means of the sickness purification of the contamination of the germs whatever may have caused the sickness so now it’s not that not that the patient is expected to be healthy to take the medicine but the patient is expected to be healthy enough to at least understand the need to take the medicine and to take the medicine regularly so now health is a product of taking medicines but at the same time a basic level of health is a precondition for taking medicines if that much health is not there a doctor will not just give a prescription doctor may admit a patient to the to a very carefully controlled monitored ward and there may be doctors who may medical staff, nurses and others who specifically come at the time when the medicines are to be taken and make sure the patient takes the medicine similarly if we consider the process of spiritual growth we will see that unless we can move towards Krishna through the practice of bhakti by recognizing that Krishna is the medicine for material existence he is the medicine and to the extent we understand this to that extent we will be peaceful to that extent we will be focused to that extent we will be able to move constructively towards our long term purpose in life which is the elevation of consciousness so if we recognize that I have to take this medicine to heal myself and at least we have that much sanity then even if the modes push us away from Krishna we will counter push and hold on to Krishna and even if in execution there is some interruption in intention at least there is no interruption I mean sometimes the modes may pull us away but as soon as we realize that we have been pulled away we pull back it’s like an aircraft may get deviated from its course because of the wind’s pressure or other atmospheric conditions but as soon as it recognizes that oh I am veering off course the aircraft comes back on course so if we too do something similar we veer back on course as quickly as possible and try to stay on the course and that is avyabhicchari bhakti so if in this way we recognize we at least with our God-given intelligence whatever we have recognize the importance for practicing bhakti steadily and start practicing it we will soon find that we will transcend the effect of the lower modes and march towards Krishna with steady determination and brahma bhuyaya kalpate and we will attain the transcendental platform so thus we will talk about what brahma bhuyaya in this context means in the next class but here the point is that lack of interruption in intention will gradually foster lack of interruption in execution also Thank you